Dear Simon,

This Newsletter, we have:

- our opening times throughout the holiday season

- a great recipe for you

- information about New Years Eve dinner

- information about our new 'kids menu' starting next year

 
Thank you for being such lovely company this year! Our staff always love welcoming you to our restaurant. Its nice to see familiar faces, it just makes work so much nicer! We really appreciate your support throughout the year, and we look forward to welcoming you to one of our restaurants again soon!

Christmas Day - Closed
Boxing Day - Closed
27th December - Closed

28th December - 30th December - Open, trading as usual

31st December - Open (restricted hours at Kirribilli)
1st January - Closed
2nd January - Open 9am - 9pm

3rd January - Open, trading as usual at both restaurants

serves 4

4 x 200g Jewfish fillets, skin on (you could also use snapper)
400g Fresh clams (vongole)
1 ea Large bulb of fennel
2 ea Roma tomatoes (not too soft)
1 bunch English spinach
150ml White wine
100g diced butter
50ml olive oil
Fennel tops (enough to garnish) 
Salt / Pepper (to taste)

To Prepare:

1. Soak the clams in cold water for at least 20 minutes to remove any grit that may be on them, then strain
2. Cut the fennel into small dice, and set aside. Use the fennel top to chop for garnish (the top looks like the herb 'Dill')
3. Quarter the tomatoes, and remove the seeds. Dice the tomato into small dice.
4. Wash the spinach, and pick the stalky ends off the base under the leaves (this makes it taste less 'stringy' in the mouth when you eat it)
5. 'season' the skin of the jewfish by cracking some salt and pepper over it.

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium heat. When the oil is heated, place the jewfish skin side DOWN and cook for about 6 minutes until the skin is a little 'crispy'. (Watch the heat to make sure the skin doesn't burn before it has a chance to crisp)
2. Turn the fish and cook for a further 3 minutes. The fish should then be cooked. Remove it from the pan and leave it somewhere warm.
3. Turn the heat up to high, and in the same pan, throw in the clams, white wine (which will steam the clams), the diced fennel , the butter and the spinach. Place a lid over the pan, and steam for about 2 minutes.
4. Remove the lid, add diced tomato, and sprinkle some extra pepper into the dish. (you wont need to sprinkle any salt, as the clams are salty enough on their own)

To Serve

1. Place spinach into the centre of the plate and place clams and liquid around
2. Place jewfish on the spinach, crispy skin side up
3. Sprinkle chopped fennel leaves around and serve.

Garfish Crows Nest will be taking reservations throughout the evening, starting at 6pm. The menu will be our usual a la carte menu. Garfish Crows Nest has large plasma screens in the restaurant, so it is a great place to watch the fireworks whilst avoiding the crowds. It is also a great place to come if you just want a quick meal before heading out to your ‘party’!

Garfish Kirribilli is ideally located just near the base of the Harbour Bridge. It is the perfect place to be in amongst the action when the fireworks are on. Garfish Kirribilli is offering a set 4 course limited choice menu, for $100 per person. Bookings can be made at two times, which are designed around being able to go and watch the fireworks. The first booking time is 6pm, and the second booking time is 10pm.

We will have a new kids menu available early in 2006 at our Crows Nest Restaurant. We have just purchased some 'booster seats' for small children, and we will make special menus, and colouring in activities pages for the kids to use to amuse themselves whilst everyone else dines. We will let you know more about this new kids menu in the next newsletter.