What's for dinner at Coolabah Room
Eight short lists, written the way a shed cook would chalk them up: soup and bread first, river fish and the roasting tin in the middle, then puddings and tea. Prices are given at the table, and every dish can be made smaller for children on request.
Eight lists, in the order they leave the kitchen
Soup and bread
Blueberry pavlovaCrisp meringue topped with whipped cream, fresh blueberries, crushed berries and a dusting of icing sugar.- Chicken and barley brothA clear, peppery broth with pearl barley, carrot and shredded chicken, the kind Nan sent out in billycans.
- Potato and leek soupSilky and pale, finished with chives and a spoonful of cream, with a slice of crusty bread alongside.
- Warm damperBaked in the kitchen every afternoon and served with golden syrup, salted butter or both.
- Tomato and basil soupSlow-roasted tomatoes blitzed smooth with basil and a swirl of cream, for anyone who prefers it lighter.
Small plates
Blueberry pavlovaLayers of crisp meringue and whipped cream, finished with fresh blueberries and delicate white chocolate curls.- Yabby cakesFreshwater yabby meat bound with potato and herbs, pan-fried crisp and served with lemon mayonnaise.
- Cheese and chive sconesTwo warm scones split and filled with cultured butter, just enough to start a long dinner.
- Roast beetroot and ricottaBeetroot baked in its skin, with soft ricotta, rocket and toasted pumpkin seeds on top.
From the river
Braised pork with beansTender pork in rich gravy, served with glazed beans, shredded cabbage and a nest of buttered noodles.- Murray cod and crushed potatoesThick, sweet fillet cooked skin-down, with crushed potatoes, peas and a green herb sauce.
- Yabby linguineTender yabby tails through fresh linguine with garlic, lemon zest and a handful of parsley.
- Fisherman's pieRiver fish and prawns in a creamy sauce under a golden crown of mashed potato.
- Crumbed fish and chipsFillets in a crisp golden crumb with thick-cut chips, tartare sauce and a wedge of lemon.
From the roasting tin
Tagliatelle with beef ragùWide ribbons of pasta tossed with slow-cooked beef, tomato and vegetables in a rich, savoury sauce.- Mutton shoulderCooked for six hours until it falls apart, finished with onion gravy and a sharp redcurrant jelly.
- Corned silversideSimmered with carrots and cabbage and sliced warm, with white sauce flecked with parsley.
- Pumpkin and chickpea trayRoast pumpkin, chickpeas and spinach with a spiced yoghurt, for the table that wants no meat.
Pies, baked at three
Garden table settingA clean white plate set among soft green moss and leafy branches, ready for the next course.- Lamb and rosemary pieShoulder of lamb pulled from the bone, with peas and a little rosemary in the sauce.
- Curried egg pieSoft eggs in a mild yellow curry sauce, with a sweet-corn crust, for the vegetarian table.
- Chicken and leek pieThigh meat and leek in a white sauce, topped with puff pastry and baked golden.
- Lentil and vegetable pieBrown lentils, carrot and celery in a thick tomato gravy under a short pastry lid.
On the side
Grilled salmon filletsThick salmon fillets seared on the grill until caramelised outside, with tender, flaky flesh beneath.- Honey-glazed carrotsRoasted whole with a spoonful of local honey, thyme and a pinch of sea salt.
- Crushed peas with mintGarden peas lightly mashed with butter, black pepper and plenty of fresh mint.
- Cabbage with butterShredded and cooked just until sweet, finished with butter and a crack of pepper.
Puddings
Pan-fried fish filletA crisp-skinned fish fillet with mashed potato, asparagus, pickled vegetables and a creamy pepper sauce.- Pavlova with passionfruitCrisp meringue with a marshmallow centre, whipped cream and tart passionfruit pulp on top.
- Lemon deliciousA light sponge that makes its own lemon sauce as it bakes, served hot from the dish.
- Apple crumble and custardBaked apple under an oaty crumble, with hot vanilla custard poured at the table.
The tea counter
CappuccinoFresh espresso topped with velvety steamed milk and cocoa, served hot in a handcrafted ceramic cup.- Flat white or long blackGood coffee pulled slowly and served in a thick white cup that keeps its warmth.
- Homemade lemonadeSqueezed lemons, sugar syrup and a few crushed mint leaves over ice and sparkling water.
- Scones, jam and creamTwo plain scones with raspberry jam and thick cream, the way afternoon tea has always run.
Imogen Payne's kitchen, from three o'clock
The kitchen wakes up long before the dining room. Imogen starts with bread and pastry, because both need time, then moves to stock and the first of the roasts. By two the back door is open to let the heat out and the radio is on low. Deliveries of river fish arrive when the fisher has finished, which can mean any time after lunch.
Her training was in busy restaurant kitchens, and she has the habit of working clean, tasting everything and writing very little down. The menu changes by the week rather than the season: if the carrots are sweet they go on the plate three times, and when they are not they disappear without comment.
Everything here is cooked for the table, not the plate. Roasts are carved thick, pies arrive whole, and vegetables come in a bowl that goes into the middle so people can pass it along. Children's portions are simply smaller helpings of the same meal, and she is happy to adapt a dish for anyone who tells her what they cannot eat.
On Mondays, when the doors are shut, the kitchen does its quiet work. Stocks are strained, pastry is rolled and frozen, the week's bread is planned and the larder is counted. Imogen says a restaurant is won or lost on the day nobody sees, and she guards that day closely.
Dinner is also the reason the casino room works. Hungry people play badly and impatient people play worse. By the time the pudding plates are cleared, guests are warm, fed and unhurried, which is the right state in which to learn how a hand of blackjack goes.
Baked daily
Bread, pastry, scones and puddings, never bought in
Local first
River fish, lamb and vegetables from nearby farms
Food allergies
Tell Louise when you book and the kitchen will adapt
To drink
Tea, coffee, lemonade, juice and sparkling water