Quandong Parlour18+
From the kitchen

What does a week in the kitchen look like?

Lucy Duncan keeps a notebook, and with her permission here are some of its pages: the days, the deliveries and the dishes that have earned a place in the list.

The diary

How does Lucy Duncan plan the week?

Monday is for writing the list. Lucy rings the boats, rings the farms, rings the baker's flour supplier and sees what she has been promised. By afternoon she knows what will be on the plate, and she pencils the four headings in her notebook before she thinks about prices or portions.

Wednesday morning is the bread: sourdough for the table, damper with wattleseed and the soft rolls that go with soup. The oven is on at six, the first loaves are out by nine, and the smell reaches Poynton Street long before the doors open. Whatever is left becomes crumbs for the fish by five.

Friday is the longest day. The tournament supper is cooked in a single sitting, twenty covers at a time, with a small second sitting for those who start late. Lucy keeps the menu short on Fridays, which makes the kitchen faster and the plates better. Sunday is a quiet roast and a long clean.

Fresh parsley beside a wooden board and bowl

Monday

Write the list and ring the boats and farms

Wednesday

Bake bread and damper before noon

Friday

Cook the tournament supper in two sittings

From the notebook

Which dishes have earned a place on the list?

The keepers

  • Lobster mornayLobster mornayA split lobster tail topped with creamy cheese sauce, served with greens, vegetables and a bright red dipping sauce.
  • Lamb rump with rosemaryRoasted pink and sliced thin, with garlic potatoes baked in the same tin to catch the juices.
  • Pumpkin and sage soupRoast, blended and finished with browned butter; a firm favourite of the Wednesday supper.
  • Wattleseed damperA simple loaf with a faint coffee scent, made fresh each morning and served warm.

The experiments

  • Mini berry pavlovasMini berry pavlovasLittle crisp meringues filled with whipped cream and topped generously with mixed fresh and frozen berries.
  • Snapper with mint peasTested for three weeks, then added to the list when the staff asked for second helpings.
  • Lemon myrtle tartA lemony tart tested on staff first and served to guests when the pastry stopped cracking.
  • Apple and rhubarb crumbleA winter pudding that the kitchen refuses to retire, however many other puddings are tried.

In the kitchen

Seared scallop with grilled vegetables and creamy mash
Chef sharpening a knife in a tiled kitchen