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.
Misha’s Vineyard Launch Dinner in Kuala Lumpur – August 11, 2011
Posted on August 12th, 2011Millesime Restaurant.
Misha’s Vineyard Wines were formally launched into the Malaysian market on August 11th with a stunning dinner at Millesime restaurant. Chef Max Chin prepared some stunning dishes to match the range of Misha’s Vineyard wines now stocked by Malaysian wine and food company Finlux Sdn Bhd.
Attending the dinner were journalists, sommeliers and trade buyers from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. The meal was a series of perfectly prepared small plate dishes including seared tuna, goose foie gras, Hokkaido sea scallops and venison loin. The desert was an amazing Cherve Goat Cheese with Macaroon delight which matched perfectly with Misha’s Vineyard Limelight Riesling.
Chef Max Chin left the kitchen once the food was out to provide entertainment – including getting our winemaker Olly Masters to perform a very brief “Haka” along with Finlux owner CK Chew.
We were truly delighted to see such good interest in the wines and to have a growing interest in New Zealand wines as a serious category of wines within Malaysia. With Asia emerging as a wine market the pure expressions and delicate flavours of New Zealand cool climate varietals is a perfect fit with the cuisine and palates of the region.
For more photos and information visit Misha’s Vineyard on Facebook!
Misha’s Vineyard Winemakers Dinner at The Providores and Tapa Room – LondonThe Providores
Posted on May 9th, 20113rd May 2011
A sensational menu prepared by celebrity New Zealand Chef Peter Gordon accompanied wines from Misha’s Vineyard in Central Otago at The Providores and Tapa Room in Marylebone High Street, London on 3rd May. The menu was an eclectic mix of dishes with exotic spices and delicately prepared seafood and meats which matched the wines perfectly.
The Providores and Tapa Room, featuring a popular formal dining room and a cafe/wine bar in the heart of London, is the home of the most exciting and innovative fusion food in the UK, and Britain’s largest range of New Zealand premium wines.
True South Winemaker Series Dinner at The Rees
Posted on February 8th, 2011An amazing array of food prepared by brilliant Chef Ben Batterbury had the diners at The Rees Hotel & Luxury Apartments smiling with delight through their glasses of Misha’s Vineyard wines.
The Rees Lobby
An amazing array of food prepared by brilliant Chef Ben Batterbury had the diners at The Rees Hotel & Luxury Apartments smiling with delight through their glasses of Misha’s Vineyard wines.
With a secret menu prepared after careful sampling of the range of the Misha’s Vineyard Wines to select the right ingredients and textures to match the wines, Ben introduced his fare at each course starting with a 1960’s to 1980’s favourite – cheese and pineapple cubes on a tooth-pick! Matched with Misha’s Vineyard “The Starlet” Sauvignon Blanc, the result was both fun and fantastic. The pineapple flavour and cheese texture married perfectly with the tropical notes in the Central Otago style Sauvignon Blanc.
With the next 4 dishes of Monkfish Tataki, Salmon & Pork, Aged Feta and a sumptuous Honey roasted peach desert all matched with Misha’s Vineyard Wines this was truly a remarkable experience.
The lucky diners included locals from the resort town of Queenstown, visitors from Singapore, the US, Canada and Australia – and some good friends of the Misha’s team. Winemaker Olly Masters introduced the wines while Misha and Andy Wilkinson added some background on Misha’s Vineyard and the history of the site.
The view across the lake from the landscape window of The Rees dining room made the event simply stunning in all aspects.
Thanks to Mark Rose, General Manager of The Rees, and the whole team from the hotel for making the event such a success.
The Perfect Match – Lapin au Vin des Central Otago a la Wandering Palate (Rabbit Casserole with Central Otago Pinot Noir)
Posted on January 20th, 2011A wonderful recipe from Curtis Marsh – AKA “The Wandering Palate”
What better way to kick off the Year of the Rabbit than by eating one? Herewith the Wandering Palate’s rabbit casserole, perfected over a lifetime and inspired by a national overabundance of rabbits and wild thyme as well as excellent pinot noir in Central Otago, New Zealand.
In my formative years down on the farm in Te Awamutu in New Zealand, rabbits were in plague proportions and weekly night-time shoots were necessary to keep them at bay. The hares were so big that they used to open the farm gates themselves.
There were no animals whatsoever in New Zealand prior to the arrival of humans. As the last country on earth to be settled, it was totally isolated for 80 million years and inhabited only by birds, insects and marine life. Rabbits were introduced to New Zealand in the 1830s largely for game sport, to remind the British settlers of home.
With no natural predators they bred out of control, but never made it on to the top of the menu either, assumedly due to an abundance of affordable chicken, lamb and beef. The irony is that today New Zealand white rabbit is the most popular breed of eating rabbit in the world.
It would be entirely different if there were a larger contingent of Italian and French inhabitants, as assuredly rabbit would be a staple and cooked in every way imaginable. You do see rabbit on the menu of top New Zealand restaurants, sometimes as a terrine, or rabbit loin is popular, roasted with bacon wrapped around it, as it is such a lean meat that it needs the fat to keep it moist.
Being so lean and healthy, literally there is very little fat on a rabbit, making normal roasting difficult unless pot-roasted with wine, chicken stock and vegetables. You can grill it successfully if marinated in oil and herbs and ragouts are certainly the best method for flavour.
My recipe is an adapted casserole and a one-pot dish that is so simple it’s embarrassing to make such a fuss about. The thing is it is so damn good that whenever I cook it, people hound me for the recipe.
I have to mention from the outset, like all good casseroles and curries, if you have the opportunity, cook it the day before as there is no substitute for a night in the fridge to let the flavors infuse the meat with a seemingly more profound overall flavor.
If it’s not overnight, you will still need to plan and start well ahead as slow braising is required, cooked to quickly the rabbit will be dry and tough. Around 4 hours is sufficient on very low heat, but you can get away with 3 or so if pushed.
I know some people cannot stomach rabbit. For some it’s the fluffy bunny issue, others think it’s going to taste gamy or simply strange, (like frog) as an unknown. The fact is it tastes a lot like free range chicken or turkey, perhaps with a little more depth and frankly, a superior flavour to most poultry.
When you buy your rabbit from the butchers, ask them to chop it up into large pieces, normally 6 to 8 pieces, partitioned into leg/thigh/ribcage. Wild rabbit is better if you can get it, otherwise farmed will fine.
Generally I cook this more often when I have access to wild rabbit, when we are in Provence or Tuscany staying at a villa with a decent kitchen, or in Melbourne where you can get it readily from the Chicken Pantry at the Queen Victoria Market. Commercially farmed rabbit is becoming more widely available in Asia, generally from France or Holland.
It is certainly more inspired by Provencal flavors, with lots of wild thyme and sage, which is redolent in the air, the oils and scents released in the summer heat. Central Otago has this very same scent in the air. The hills and vineyards are carpeted in wild thyme, which is fabulously pungent and aromatic and great to cook with. Just like the rabbits, thyme was introduced and as a non-native, was considered a weed. Yet both of these are the core ingredients to a wholesome casserole.
The other core ingredient is red wine, and while the original recipe calls for a bottle of Pierre Clavel Le Mas Coteaux de Languedoc (grenache, carignan, syrah) with its infusion of dried herbs in aroma and flavor, this adaption is calls for a young and spicy Central Otago Pinot Noir, purposely intended to get the region’s winemakers and all those pinot noir enthusiasts, no matter where you are, to embrace this menu.
And for those of you who balk at using a good bottle of red for cooking, all I can say is, any successful dish starts with the very best ingredients.
While this recipe caters for around eight people, any leftovers can be used the following day and what I like to do is remove the meat off the bone, shredding it by hand and adding it and the sauce to fusilli pasta as a dish. You can also freeze the remaining leftovers, always handy to heat up for one or two people for diner; otherwise it is simple enough to pare the recipe down to one rabbit.
Equipment
* Large heavy, deep casserole dish with lid, for stove top cooking
* Large white bowl or deep-side platter for presenting at the table (or you can just plonk the casserole dish in the middle of table on a wooden board)
* U2 Under a Blood Red Sky – Live Recording at Red Rocks (played loud)
Ingredients:
* 2 Rabbits (caters for up to 8 people)
* Olive Oil
* Plain Flour
* Salt (preferably Maldon Sea Salt) and pepper
* Dijon Seedless Mustard (two tablespoons)
* Sherry Vinegar (optional)
* Garlic (several cloves)
* Brown Shallots (several, sliced)
* Fresh sage (large bunch)
* Fresh thyme (dozen sprigs, be generous)
* Brown Button Mushrooms (welcome to use wild mushrooms)
* Kalamata Olives – about 400 grams, more if you like (preferably pitted)
* Flageolet beans – optional (tinned ok)
* 1 litre Chicken stock (organic please)
* 1 bottle (750ml) Central Otago Pinot Noir
* 1 bottle Pinot Noir Rose – to drink whilst cooking!
Accompaniments
* Sour dough baguettes (good bread is imperative)
* French Beans
* Butter Beans
* Spiral Pasta (optional)
* Mash Potato (optional)
* Cous Cous (optional)
Preparation: Plan and start well ahead! Cooking time is around 4 hours
Even better cook the day before and leave overnight in the fridge
Preparing ingredients (put U2 on, loud!)
* Peel and slice your shallots, not too fine, and be liberal – I like to use the large Australian brown shallots
* Wash button mushrooms – I like to use brown ones and add whole but you can use any mushroom you like really, indeed when we are in Italy or France I use whatever local fungus I can get my hands on!
* Peel garlic and bash the cloves with the back of a heavy knife to split
* Rinse your thyme and sage and pat dry
* Open the Central Otago Noir – pour yourself a good sized glass purely for tasting purposes. Open the Pinot Noir Rose and drink liberally throughout the cooking process – seems to make it all come together easier
Preparing and searing the rabbit:
It is important to sear the rabbit to seal in the flavour, but do not cook, you just want it to be sealed and look a little browned on the outside.
* Pre-heat your casserole dish on the stove and add good couple of tablespoons olive oil
* Put flour , salt and pepper in a bowl, plenty of grinds of both, mix together
* You will need a dish to transfer the brown pieces of rabbit into
* Coat the pieces of rabbit in flour one by one, placing in the casserole dish as you go. Do not crowd the pan, you will not be able to cook all at once, do in batches.
* Retain the cooking oils in the pan – everything is about keeping the juices and flavour
* Put you seared pieces of rabbit to one side and make sure you pour in all the juices when returning to the casserole.
Preparing the casserole
* Return casserole pan to low heat and add in slice onions and soften, never brown onions, just a gentle, slow cooking to make then soft and concentrate the flavours.
* Add Pinot Noir to the pan, which is what is called deglazing, effectively getting all the brown bits off the bottom of the casserole and allow to simmer (never boil) for 5 minutes.
* Add in the chicken stock, mustard, garlic, thyme and sage – note on the herbs, throw in whole, no need to worry about plucking leaves or tying a la bouquet garni, I just trough them in stalks and all and fish out what left (the stalks) before serving. Continue simmering and stir for a few minutes
* Return the rabbit to the casserole dish ensuring that the meat is submerged as best you can. Add another few pinches of salt and some more pepper -grind until your arm aches, more the better!
* Place lid on casserole with slightly ajar, and that’s just a tiny gap to allow reduction of the sauce. Set heat/gas flame at the lowest simmer possible, and cook for around 3 hours, checking constantly that it is cooking SLOWLY and turn the rabbit pieces, giving a good stir.
Reducing the sauce:
* About 3 hours in, remove the rabbit pieces from the casserole and set aside.
* Add in the olives and mushrooms and a couple of slugs of Sherry vinegar – optional, but I love this stuff, it gives a tangy element to the sauce similar to what balsamic does with oil and salads.
* Leave lid off and turn up heat to a more constant simmer – NOT boiling and reduce the sauce to desired consistency, about another 30 to 40 minutes. The thickness of the sauce is a personal thing. I don’t care much for really thick sauces with this type of casserole and never add any thickening agents, buggars up the flavours.
* Add back the rabbit pieces (gently, carefully, as they will be very tender by now, and make sure all the juices go in). Add in the flageot beans, couple of cans, and simmer very gently for another 15 minutes. You don’t need to cook the beans; well they are already cooked if from a tin, just warm through. They are also optional and I tend to only use them if I am intending this to be a one course dinner, fills out the dish.
Accompaniments
You should be preparing these whilst the casserole is cooking and there are several options in terms of what you can serve alongside the casserole depending on if it’s a one course meal, or part of banquet, where you would reduce the accompaniments.
* Sour dough baguettes – imperative to have good bread to dunk in the sauce and wipe the plate clean
* French Beans – sort of mandatory with these types of dishes, and you got to have your greens. I like to use the small, freshest organic beans I can find and cook in a pan with garlic. Another option is to slice the beans finely and mix with some finely sliced shallots, toss with olive oil and lots of pepper grinds, salt and place in ceramic baking dish and cook until soft.
* Butter Beans – I love butter beans as a side dish, but don’t serve these if you already have flageot beans in the casserole, a bit too much beans!
* Spiral Pasta (optional) – always an easy, well received accompaniment.
* Mash Potato (optional) I could live on mashed spuds, and it’s wonderfully cuddly if its winter and the mashed potato soaks up the sauce – very filling though.
* Roasted Sweet Potato Mash (optional) – Good old kumara, I like the softer, orange fleshed variety and they taste even better roasted then mashed, skin and all.
* Cous Cous (optional) – This goes well too, in the sense of soaking up the sauce and really easy – i.e. use the pre-cooked 2 minute version.
Summary
There is no question, the best dishes are the very best of ingredients cooked simply and yet it is not necessarily easy, with the devil in the detail and slow cooking obviously requires planning and patience.
This is the sort of dish that is great for convivial, casual dinner parties and I tend to cook it with the intention of there being no starter, maybe a bit of terrine to nibble on prior to setting down. Personally, I find it much more enjoyable following on with some really good cheese than fussing over an entree.
And the wine…
Needless to say, Misha’s Vineyard “The High Note” Central Otago Pinot Noir is mandatory with this dish.
Sell out dinner at The Cliff – Sentosa Resort & Spa
Posted on December 7th, 2010Misha’s Vineyard Wines – Wine dinner at “The Cliff “ Restaurant sells out.
The Cliff restaurant at the Sentosa Resort & Spa on beautiful Sentosa Island in Singapore hosted a sell-out wine dinner featuring a menu of sensational delicacies from the chefs at The Cliff kitchen paired with the range of Misha’s Vineyard Wines. Guests from The Cliff, Rubicon Reserve Wines and Misha’s Vineyard were treated to some amazing pre-dinner hors d’oeuvres including cherry tomatoes on a small balloon of basil oil which when squeezed gave a burst of fragrant oil into the tomato! The setting – despite the rain – was very special and somewhere that everyone visiting Singapore should put on their list of places to dine.
The menu – simply put – was sensational!
MISHA’S Vineyard WINES @ THE CLIFF
2ND DECEMBER 2010
OYSTER,
lemon granite, tabasco jelly, seawater foam
Misha’s Vineyard “The Starlet”, 2009, Sauvignon Blanc
FOIE GRAS & APPLES
fizzy lemonade, apple espuma
Misha’s Vineyard “Limelight”, 2009, Riesling
TUNA
hot miso-lemon vinaigrette,
Japanese sweet potato and yuzu purée
Misha’s Vineyard “Dress Circle”, 2009, Pinot Gris
LAMB
loin and shank, fava beans, artichoke and
Sardinian fagiolo salad, yogurt textures
Misha’s Vineyard “The High Note”, 2009, Pinot Noir
CHEESE
selection of Frech cheese with preserves
Misha’s Vineyard “The Gallery”,2009, Gewurztraminer
Thank you to Restaurant Manager Kim Drew, F & B Director Adam Haywood, the whole team at The Cliff, and to Rubicon Reserve Wines for organizing such a wonderful event. We’re looking forward to going back!
Wine dinner at Lippo Chiu Chow Restaurant
Posted on November 11th, 2010Wine Dinner at Lippo Chiu Chow
Chiu Chow Menu
In conjunction with the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirit Fair, Jebsen Fine Wines and Chinese language WineNow magazine hosted an amazing dinner at Lippo Chiuchow restaurant in Central district of Hong Kong. WineNow owner and one of the most influential wine people in Hong Kong Mr Lau Chi Su introduced the food then Gavin Jones, MD of Jebsen Fine Wines welcomed guests and introduced the participating wineries. A representative of each of the participating wineries was at the dinner to introduce their wines to the guests. Dishes such as Three Treasures of Chiu Chow was paired with Bollinger Special Curvee NV, Braised Sea Cucumber stuffed with Mashed Shrimps was paired with a 2000 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and the Deep Fried Crispy Beef Brisket was paired with 2008 Misha’s Vineyard “The High Note” Pinot Noir, a match that delighted the palate. The Whole Duck in Casserole with Chiu Chow Style served with a 2005 Penfolds Grange showed the versatility of pairing very well known wines of a heavier style with Chinese dishes.
For many of the guests it was the first time to have had the opportunity to experience such a wide range of wines with Chinese dishes. The match was at times challenging, but provided some really interesting combinations and certainly had intense discussions developing around the tables. The presenters of the wines included Mark de Vere MW of Robert Mondavi Wines, Vianney Fabre of Bollinger, and Misha Wilkinson presenting for Misha’s Vineyard.
WineNow magazine boasts a circulation of 20,000 readers and provides wine enthusiasts with the opportunity not just to read about, but to taste some of the world’s great wines. It was a delight to have been a part of such an auspicious dinner and to have been able to present our 2008 “The High Note” Pinot Noir to the discerning guests at the event.
Chef’s Lok Lok Night at The Pines, featuring Misha’s Vineyard wines
Posted on May 22nd, 2010
The versatility of Misha’s Vineyard 2009 “Dress Circle” Pinot Gris was on show at The Pines Club in Singapore on Friday evening 21st May where was it was matched with 3 courses of a Chef’s Lok Lok night menu served to 70 of The Pines members and their guests at the Pine Garden Chinese restaurant. Lok Lok is normally community steamboat style dining, cooking small pieces of food on sticks, however this menu was prepared with the chefs doing the work and matching with some interesting baked elements.
The Pine Garden 3 part Combination course was splendid with Sharks Fin wrapped with Egg White, Suckling Pig Skin with Foie Gras sauce and Steamed Prawn with Minced Garlic. The off-dry style of the Misha’s Vineyard “Dress Circle” Pinot Gris complimented the delicate flavours of the seafood, and the citrus acid finish freshened the palate after more oily texture of the Foie Gras and Pig Skin.
The second course was a cleverly prepared mix of Minced Australian Scallop and Minced Shrimp formed into two small fish designs swimming in a pond of Supreme Stock. The hints of Pink Grapefruit and long palate of the Pinot Gris melded superbly with the shellfish and crustacean mince and enhanced the flavours of the stock.
The last course paired with the Misha’s Vineyard “Dress Circle” Pinot Gris was a Stewed South African Abalone served with Pigs Trotter (no, not the whole trotter but small boned pieces carefully stewed, pickled and tenderized to compliment the Abalone). The paring was magic! The slightly more pungent elements of this dish bought out the pear essence in the wine and again the acid in the finish left a clean refreshed palate.
Winners of the Misha's Gift Pack
To match the last course of the evening we served a Misha’s Vineyard 2008 “The High Note” Pinot Noir. The Baked Kurobuta Pork with Fried Rice was an easy match for the savoury and dark fruits of the Pinot Noir and the subtle exotic spices in the wine added to the flavours of the sesame coating and slightly creamy sauce on the pork.
The wine matching across the range of foods worked very well, proving the versatility of Pinot Gris with a wide range of Chinese foods, and the lighter more elegant style of Pinot Noir allowing the flavours of the pork dish to marry with the wine. Thanks to David Lim – food and Beverage Director at The Pines for arranging this wonderful event.
Misha’s Wine Dinner at The Lazy Dog
Posted on March 20th, 2010On the 22nd February, following an all-day company strategy meeting, we had a ‘Tapas and Tasting’ at The Lazy Dog in Queensberry – which is our virtual cellar door!
This was the first time that Dean and Diana (owners of The Lazy Dog) had held a ‘wine dinner’ and we were a little worried about getting a crowd on a Monday night. We didn’t need to worry, the dinner sold out and we had a waiting list and we’re already planning to do another one!
Misha's Vineyard & The Lazy Dog team
Dean did a superb job in preparing 8 courses which were perfectly matched with the 8 wines we presented during the evening. Diana called the menu a “Taste Sensations” menu matching the antipasto plate to our off-dry Lyric Riesling, the hot-smoked salmon to our medium-dry Limelight Riesling (which was a sublime combination), and the Kassler Pork loin and Risotto with our Dress Circle Pinot Gris.
Following that the spicy Mussels were served with The Gallery Gewurztraminer, Baked Camembert with the Audition ’07 Pinot Noir, and then Lamb Cutlets with The High Note ’08 Pinot Noir. In addition to all of that, we started the evening with a Sauvignon Blanc and some rosemary garlic bread and finished the evening with Dean’s home preserved apricots and a choice of Gewürtz or Riesling. Absolutely no one went home hungry!
Thanks to everyone who came to our wine dinner and a big thanks to The Lazy Dog for their enthusiasm and support of Misha’s Vineyard.
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 chef roles 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.