This forum is intended to provide recommendations for food matching and to share any special recipes that we come across that we think need to be shared! As wine producers, our travels will take us to great restaurants around the world where we will be presenting our wines at special dinners created by leading chefs. We want to be able to share these menus with you as well so you can get some of the latest trends in matching food with wine.
A new dimension for BYO
Posted on November 17th, 2009Curtis Marsh – The Wandering Palate of Singapore – had some friends join him at a local hawker centre in Singapore after his Sunday afternoon birthday bash. His coment was;
Gewurztraminer makes a great fit with Mutton Curry
“BYO takes on a different dimension when you’re in Singapore and craving hawker stall food, bringing your own glasses (Riedel of course) as well as the wine! Indeed, some of the very best, wholesome local food is to be had at the Adam Food Court, particularly the Mutton Curry, a hedonistically rich and spicy dish that paired brilliantly with the Misha’s Vineyard Gewürztraminer”.
Curtis Marsh, The Wandering Palate
Dean Wilkinson’s Match of the Month
Posted on November 16th, 2009Dean is a chef based in Sydney, Australia. His experience in restaurants such as The Bathers Pavilion, Glass, Ripples at Chowder Bay, Four Villages and other restaurants has given him experience in selecting the right wines to suit a range of cuisines from delicate seafood to powerful red meat dishes. “Selecting the right wine compliments the efforts put into a dish by the chefs in the kitchen” says Dean. ” Wine should enhance the dining experience, highlighting the individual or combination of flavours that have been selected to create a unique taste sensation”.
November’s Match of the month
It never ceases to amaze me the strong nostalgia that is associated with the memory of a satisfyingly good meal. One can remember exactly what they ate, where they ate it, whom they were with, why they were there & what delightful beverages were on hand to wash it all down.
A man very close to my heart recently took one of those nostalgic journeys midway through a conversation about all things food & wine. Many moons ago (I won’t discuss how many), this New Zealand national crossed the ditch and fell into life as a Jackeroo, living and working in the Australian outback, spending long hot, dry and dusty days in the saddle tending to the land, mending fences and the keeper of thousands of livestock. You can just imagine the hunger and thirst a day of hard yakka in the harsh Australian sun could conger, and the camp cook who fed the jackaroos and jillaroos definitely had his work cut out for him.
One perk with this line of work, was that fresh meat was a very ready resource, with many different cuts of the beast at the cooks disposal. A particular favourite memory for this Jackeroo is a shoulder of lamb that would be submerged in brine and cooked slowly for many hours over a campfire until the flesh could no longer contain itself and fell willingly from the bone. “The only thing missing though was a good drop of wine to wash it down…”
So many years on, after a long global career in the IT sector, this ex Jackeroo along with his wife felt the call of the land once more and set about fulfilling a shared dream of producing top quality wine. That dream is today, very much a reality and Misha’s Vineyard is in the throws of releasing their first full vintage of wines with the flagship of the portfolio their “The High Note“ Pinot Noir.
This wine with its aromas of blackberry and red fruits would have been a heavenly match with that shoulder of lamb so here is my recipe and guidance for braised shoulder of lamb to be enjoyed with a bottle or two of Misha’s Vineyard ”The Hight Note“ Pinot Noir.
BRAISED SHOULDER OF LAMB
With french beans, sautéed mushrooms, crushed rosemary potatoes
INGREDIENTS:
Feeds 4-5 hungry Jackaroos/Jillaroos
1 Shoulder of Lamb (approx 2 kilo’s with bone remove)
4 litres Veal Stock (and 500ml of *demi-glaze)
500 ml Red Wine (A cheap merlot or cabernet is fine. Leave the good stuff for drinking)
200 grams Tomato Paste
4 Eschalots (or small brown onions left whole)
1 Stick of Celery
1 Carrot (peeled and left whole)
200 grams Portabello Mushrooms
400 grams Green Beans
8 New Potatoes (small to medium)
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Bay Leaves
1 bunch Rosemary
½ bunch Thyme
½ tsp White Peppercorns
½ tsp Sea Salt
100ml Olive Oil
Before you start it is important to know that the secret to a good braise is the love and flavour you put into the braising liquor. The shoulder will be a sponge for all the goodness you put in. Also take note that this is a long process that could take up to 4 hours depending on the size of the shoulder so if its for a dinner party give yourself plenty of time or do it the day before.
EVERYTHING DONE IN THIS RECIPE IS SLOW AND LOW!
METHOD:
To start, pour yourself a glass of pinot and throw on an apron. It has been said “that you should always cook with wine, and occasionally add it to food…”
If cooking in a roasting pan, preheat oven to 150 degrees C.
Place a roasting pan or large heavy based pot on a low heat on the top of the stove. It should be able to hold enough love juice (braising liquor) to fully submerge the shoulder.
Pour In half the olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Season the fat of the shoulder with a good wack of sea salt and place skin side down in the base of the pan/pot. Let this cook for 10 mins or so to render (melt) down the fat. Take care to check that the temperature is low and the skin browns, but does not burn. Once the skin is bordering on the crispy side remove the shoulder and set aside.
Add the rest of the olive oil, onions, carrot, celery & garlic on a low heat and slowly brown the vegetables. Once they have a nice tan on them crank up the heat a little to a medium heat, add the tomato paste and continue to stir. Tomato paste has a high sugar content so it will want to stick and burn. Don’t let it win!!
After 3-5 minutes pour in the wine and keep stirring for a further 3-5 minutes so the wine and the tomato paste become good friends. Let simmer for 5 minutes or so to let the alcohol burn off then add the stock (and demi-glaze* if you have it), the bay leaf, white peppercorns & mushrooms.
Once the braising liquor has come to the boil put in the shoulder skin side up. If you need more liquid, flick the kettle on and top up the pot with hot water.
If you are going to cook it on top of the stove adjust the heat so the braising liquor is bubbling slightly. Like it wants to start to boil but you wont allow it. Cover with a lid or aluminium foil and check every half hour.
If you are cooking it in the oven 150 degrees should be about right but all ovens are different so check after the first 15mins and adjust if necessary.
At about the 3hour mark throw in half the rosemary & the thyme and after another half hour, check the meat. As the Jackeroo tells me, “if you can carve it with a fork it’s done”.
Place the potatoes (skin on) in salted cold water and bring to the boil, then turn temperature down to medium. When the potatoes are just cooked through, remove from water. Lightly crush the potatoes with a fork and toss with chopped rosemary and a little salt & pepper.
TO SERVE:
Strain 1 litre of the braising liquor into a small pot and reduce by 1/5 to make a sauce.
Remove the shoulder very carefully, place on a chopping board and carve into 4-5 pieces.
In a hot pan, drizzle a good amount of olive oil, toss in the mushrooms and cook for 3-5 mins. Add crushed potatoes and sauté for another 3 mins.
Blanch greens beans in hot salted water.
Place a hefty spoon of mushroom & potato on the plate, slide a chunk of the shoulder on the top, let the green beans cuddle up on the side and drizzle with sauce.
Kia mākona!!
NOTES:
*Demi-glaze is a greatly reduced stock that is quite rich. Some butchers carry it so ask around. It really lifts your braising liquor but it’s not mandatory.
Sea Perch with Misha’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
Posted on November 9th, 2009津菜银丝浸鲈鱼伴鲜茄洋葱带子炒饭
Poached Sea Perch with Vegetables and Vermicelli accompanied with Fried Rice, Scallops, Tomatoes and Onions
I’d go to a Pinot Noir here because the omega fat from the Sea Perch will benefit from the wine’s good acid backbone and balance the richness of the dish. My New World Pinot pairing would be with “The High Note” Pinot Noir 2008 from Misha’s Vineyard. This newly released Central Otago Pinot Noir is a genuine rising star that offers extraordinary fruit purity and focus, elegant tannins and a desirable level of cool-climate acidity bringing everything into balance.
(This suggestion is from Sarah Mayo, Editor of TheLocalNose.com – Singapore’s wine recommendation website. It is a section from a wine/food pairing article written by Sarah for a new luxury magazine in Singapore called LhZb)
Misha’s Vineyard Pinot Noir Featured at Chalk
Posted on November 6th, 2009A New Zealand Wine Dinner was presented at Chalk restaurant in Singapore on 3rd November to coincide with the NZ Wine Fair. A range of wonderful New Zealand wines were featured at this dinner which was hosted by Misha on behalf of New Zealand Winegrowers. After our apéritif of a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, we enjoyed Seafood Bisque with a Central Otago Pinot Gris from the Gibbston sub-region, followed by a Beetroot, Rocket, Orange and Chèvre Salad matched with a Marlborough Pinot Gris. The creamier style Pinot Gris was great with the Bisque but the crisper leaner style exhibited by the Marlborough Gris was perfect with the salad. With the main course of Duck Confit with a Sweet Potato Mash, two wines were presented – Misha’s Vineyard “The High Note” Pinot Noir 2008 along with a 2007 Marlborough Pinot Noir. The evening finished with a Lemon Tart with fresh cream and a lovely sparkling wine from Martinborough. The highlight of the evening was definitely the Duck and Pinot – it’s definitely a food/wine match that’s made in heaven! If in Singapore, please visit Chalk for some relaxed modern European cuisine and make sure you try their Duck Confit! (Chalk is located at 11 Mount Sophia #01-03, Tel:+65 6883 2120)
Matching Gewürztraminer with Japanese Food
Posted on July 23rd, 2009Gewürztraminer (which I’ll shorten to Gewürz) is probably not the most obvious match with Japanese food but there are some dishes that do enhance the flavours of the spicy Gewürz grape. Chicken yakitori is a great match with Gewürz mainly due to the sweet soy glaze and its smoky char-grill flavours.. The other more unusual match is with Unagi (ie eel) which is a rich dish with the distinctive flavour of the eel that is combined with the thick and sweet sauce that is used for basting, along with the char-grill flavours. This dish needs acidity to balance the richness, and something that can marry well with the strong flavours and sweetness of the sauce. This is where Gewürz is an ideal partner – or alternatively one of the other aromatics such as Riesling or Pinot Gris, as long as they have some residual sugar.