I was guest of the Portcullis Club for a black tie dinner at Jesus College. Before it we had a really informative tour of the Cockerel Collection, a room full of models and images of cockerels! It’s based on a punning reference to John Alcock (1430 – 1500), Lord Chancellor of England and founder of the college (1496). There were canapés beforehand in an adjoining room, but the first course of dinner was mozzarella and Parma ham, with apple and pear chutney. The fish course was a really nice and delicate fillet of sea bass with Provençale prawns. Then came chargrilled beef with onion marmalade (good) and fresh vegetables which I was too full to eat. The same is true of the “fallen chocolate soufflé” with Armagnac prunes and crème fraiche sauce, though I did have coffee and truffles.
The problem was that I was the speaker, and had my usual nerves to put me off my food. However, it was good, and I wished I’d been able to do it more justice. The wines were a Moulin de la Grange 2005 chardonnay and the same label 2004 cabernet/syrah, both pleasant. It was an excellent evening, the sort Cambridge does well.