The problem with dinner parties is all that planning beforehand and cleaning up afterwards, which is why it’s always best if it’s held at someone else’s house. Especially if that person knows their way around the kitchen.

It’s why Porcine and P&V’s Special French Dinner Party – just one of countless events happening across the city for American Express delicious. Month Out – ticks all the boxes.

Porcine chef Nik Hill believes it’s a more social way of eating – for chefs and diners. “It’s fun for us, we have more freedom in the kitchen because it’s not a-la-carte. We tend to do a big farmhouse cook-up of one big thing and everyone gets slices of it, like doing two whole pork shoulders and breaking it up for a room,” he says.

“For diners it’s more inviting. Rather than everyone fussing over their own little plate of something they can all eat together. It’s like going to someone’s house for dinner, everyone gets involved and it’s more homely.”

Porcine is a French bistro in Paddington that bases its menu around a whole pig. “We get one in every week, it’s about five kilos. It lends itself to French farmhouse cookery and gives us everything for the week – stocks, sauces, pates, hams and mains,” Hill says.

“The menu changes every service, but there tends to be a pork chop main and braised shoulder, and the rest of the pig is on the menu in the form of charcuterie, pates and terrines.”

The dry aged sow chop will make it on to the Special French Dinner Party menu, confirms Hill, which will be served Normandy-style with camembert, Calvados and glazed apple. There will also be raw autumn vegetables dressed in a housemade bay leaf vinaigrette, plus additional French-inspired courses which will be announced on the day.

Porcine is located above P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants and it’s a collaborative relationship. About 25 per cent of diners will pick up a wine from the bottle shop to drink upstairs. It’s why they’ve paired up for this dinner. Not only will diners get a four-course menu with matching drinks, they’ll also get a wine masterclass with P&V founder Mike Bennie.

Masterclasses are a big part of P&V, which specialises in minimal intervention drops. It’s Bennie’s mission to educate consumers in a fun, relaxed way. “P&V is a place that demystifies the broad umbrella of wine styles that sit under the banner of natural wine, so those who think they’ve had bad experiences can find things they find appealing,” Bennie says.

“That banner ranges from aunt and uncle friendly, neat and tidy examples

of wine right through to the wild-edged, eccentric and experimental. There’s a great movement between those two poles, which is why natural wine is so exciting.”

Just as Hill buys in a whole pig so he can sustainably use all parts of the animal, Bennie believes in connecting with wine producers that use more sustainable farming practices.

His line-up for the night will focus on rare and quirky low-fi drops that pair perfectly with pork.

Porcine and P&V’s Special French Dinner Party
Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 6:30pm
$190 per person
Buy tickets here

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