Posted by Darby on April 8, 2009 under Barbera, Main | 
This recipe is supplied by Wendy Lawson of Catherine Vale Wines in the Hunter Valley. She suggests serving it with Catherine Vale Barbera.
These “olives” are not olives at all. They are rolled stuffed slices of veal. Maybe they resemble cigars rather than olives.
Serves 4 | Preparation Time 20 minutes | Cooking Time 25 minutes
Ingredients:
* 4 thin veal escalopes
* 1 shallot, chopped
* 30 ml double cream
* 6 large mushrooms
* 50 g butter
* 200ml chicken stock
* 30 ml oil
* Salt and pepper
Method:
1. Trim and wash mushrooms. Dry and chop finely or in a food processor
2. Melt butter and gently sauté the shallot and the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and allow the water from the mushrooms to evaporate and then stir in the double cream (stir constantly to prevent sticking to base of pan). Reduce a little and then set aside to cool.
3. Gently flatten escalopes between 2 sheets of cling film with the flat of a large knife.
4. Remove cling film and season with salt and pepper. Place mushroom cream filling down the centre of each escalope.
5. Roll up and secure with kitchen string
6. Heat oil and seal the meat rolls on all sides until lightly browned all over.
7. Transfer to a medium oven to finish cooking, turning them from time to time to ensure even cooking.
8. Add chicken stock to remaining cream filling, then beat in the butter and allow it to reduce somewhat. Check and adjust seasoning and serve poured over the ‘olives’ when they are cooked through.
Wine Suggestion
A light to medium red wine is indicated for this dish. Barbera is a good choice and you should try this recipe with Catherine Vale Barbera from the Hunter Valley.
Posted by Darby on under Main, Nebbiolo |
Brasato al Barolo is a classic Piemontese dish, and really does require a good bottle of Barolo to come out right.
You need to begin preparation the day before. Nebbiolo hails from the same region of Italy, so this braised beef dish is an ideal food pairing with Nebbiolo from other parts of the world.
Barolo is the most elegant expression of the Nebbiolo grape. You can make this dish with similar full bodied highly tannic wines, use the best you can afford…and you’ll need a second bottle (or more) to drink with the finished dish.
Ingredients for 6 people
- 1.5 kg beef, topside or rump is suitable
- A bottle of full bodied red wine
- A large onion, sliced
- A large carrot
- A stalk of celery
- A bay leaf
- A teaspoon of black peppercorns to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 rashers of bacon or some salted pork
- 1/4 cup brandy (optional)
- Salt to taste.
Method
Begin the day before you plan to cook the meat. Slice the onion, celery, and carrot, and put them in a bowl with the meat, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Pour the wine over the mixture and marinate it until the next day, turning the meat occasionally.
Remove the meat, reserving the marinade, and pat the meat dry.
Strain the marinade, bring it to a boil, and cook it until it’s reduced by half.
In the meantime, tie the meat with string so it keeps its shape and brown it in a heavy based pot with the butter and prosciutto fat. Once it’s well browned on all sides, flambe with the brandy.
Then season the meat with salt, pour the reduced marinade over it, add the vegetables that it marinated with, cover and simmer over low heat or in a slow oven until the meat is done, about two hours.
When the meat is done remove it to a platter and remove the string. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and either put them through a food mill or blend them.
Stir the blended vegetables back into the sauce, pour it over the meat, and serve. The meat should be so tender it could be carved with a spoon.
Serve it with mashed potatoes or a polenta, and another green vegetable.
Wine Suggestion
Don’t forget that other bottle of Nebbiolo.
Posted by Darby on under Arneis, Main |
This Veal Scallopine recipe is a simple dish to make, but you need to be careful about a few points.
1. The veal should be fairly thin, if it isn’t give it a bash or two with a meat mallet.
2. Use a pan that will just hold the meat slices neatly, so that they don’t stew, or the fat doesn’t burn.
3. It needs to be served quickly.
Ingredients
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- Plain (all purpose) flour
- Thin slices of veal
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Half a lemon, sliced
- A handful of fresh sage leaves
Season the veal slices and toss in the flour to coat well.
Melt a knob of butter with an equal amount of olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the lemon slices for a minute or two, then remove.
Cook the veal in the frying pan, sealing quickly on each side. It should only take about 2 minutes.
Remove the veal to a warmed plate.
Add some more butter to the pan if necessary and fry the sage leaves until crisp.
Serve the veal with the sage leaves on top, garnished with a green salad or vegetable.
Variation
Instead of sage, use a cup of thinly sliced mushrooms. After you have cooked them for a couple of minutes scrape any browned bits of veal off the pan and pour in about 100ml of white wine. When the wine has reduced by about half pour the sauce over the scallopini.
Food pairing suggestion
This Italian style dish would go well with a crisp Arneis white wine
Posted by Darby on under Barbera, Main |
Roast lamb is the essence of traditional Australian cuisine, and quince trees were once common in Australian backyards. Traditional ingredients to make an innovative dish to match with an alternative varietal wine.
This recipe is suggested by Sue Thornton of Amulet Vineyard in the Beechworth Wine Region of North Eastern Victoria. It was originally published on the Food Lovers Guide to Australia in an episode featuring the Peppermint Bay Hotel in Tasmania
Ingredients: Serves 6-8 people
Preparation time: a day to marinate
Cooking time: 3-4 hours
* 1 large whole leg or whole shoulder of lamb
* 5 halved and squeezed lemons
* 5 halved heads garlic, with skin left on
* 4 quinces, skinned and cooked to a puree
* 4 cinnamon quills
* 8 whole cloves
* 200g honey
* Plus 4 quinces, peeled and halved
* Splash olive oil
* Splash red wine, Amulet’s Barbera
* Splash water
* Sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
Method:
Place all the ingredients in a bowl except the halved quinces, wine, water and oil. Pour over the lamb and marinate in the fridge overnight or longer if possible. Two days is better.
Pre-heat oven to 160’C. In a large roasting tray, place the halved quinces and lay the lamb as flat as possible on top. Pour over the marinade, add a splash of the olive oil and enough wine to cover the base of the tray by about 1 cm. This method of ‘wet roasting’ allows the liquid to gently steam the meat. The liquid also stops the sugars in the marinade from burning.
Cover tray with foil as tightly as you can. Place in the oven.
After one hour, check the progress of the lamb. If there is still sufficient liquid in the tray, replace the foil and continue cooking. If not, add a little water.
After three more hours, remove the lamb from the oven. It should be a darkened caramel in colour. Rest for at least one hour as this will ensure the lamb stays moist.
When it’s cool enough to handle, gently run your fingers along the muscle to separate it from the bone. It should slide off easily. If the bone emerges clean then you know that it is cooked perfectly. Pour any excess liquid over the meat and garnish with the roasted quinces.
Gently re-heat the lamb with a little more wine and cover with foil again.
Serve with couscous tossed with roasted walnuts, tahini, yoghurt and harissa (a Moroccan chilli paste)
Wine Suggestion
Additional comments from Winemaker Sue Thornton
At Amulet we having been considering a suitable recipe to go with our 2004 Duck Label Barbera
As lamb producers we have come up with this succulent lamb recipe which we found on the Food Lovers Guide to Australia website. It also features quinces and quince trees are often found in the orchards of old farm houses. So this recipe has flavours of country Australia.
Posted by Darby on under Albarino, Main, Tapas |
Grilled Octopus requires some preparation, but the final cooking is fairly quick.
Stephanie Alexander, in her COOK’S COMPANION, recommends tenderising octopus with a meat mallet until the flesh loses its bounciness.
Preparation
Cut the tentacles away from the body. If the head is not too large, say more than 20cm in diameter you can use it as well. Turn it inside out and remove the beak and internal organs. Remove the suckers from the tentacles and skin them under running water. If you are using the head score it well or cut into strips similar in size to the tentacles.
Marinate the octopus for a few hours or preferably overnight in olive oil along with some garlic, dried oregano and bay leaves.
To cook
To cook drain off the olive oil and grill for a few minutes on a hot barbeque or under your kitchen grill. Don’t bother about a dipping sauce, just serve with lemon or lime wedges.
Grilled octopus can be served as a tapas dish (just add toothpicks) as part of a seafood platter, or as a dish in its own right.
Wine Suggestion
A crisp aromatic white wine can be served with octopus. Why not try a crisp dry Albarino wine
Posted by Darby on April 6, 2009 under Fiano, Main |
This recipe for Thai Fish Cakes has been suggested by Zonda Elliot of Karanto Wines in the Langhorne Creek Wine Region.
Ingredients
- 300 g flathead fillets
- 4 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- ½ bunch coriander, shredded
- 6 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
- 3 tablespoons snake beans, sliced finely
- Oil for deep frying
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- ½ bunch coriander, chopped
- 1 small knob ginger, julienned
- 1 small chilli, sliced
Method
Place the flathead, curry paste and egg in a food processor and blend until it is a fine paste. Season with the fish sauce and the sugar and place the mixture in a large stainless steel bowl. Slap the mixture against the bowl to toughen the protein in the fish, which will make the fish cakes puff up when you fry them.
Add the coriander, lime leaves and snake beans and mix well.
Form into rounds and deep fry over medium to high heat until golden brown. Drain on Kitchen paper and keep warm while you prepare the garnish.
Mix the rest of the ingredients together and slice pockets into the fish cakes. Sandwich the garnish into the pockets and serve straight away.
Wine suggestion
Dishes like these spicy fish cakes require a little thought for food pairing. A refreshing dry white is called for, but the wine needs to be flavourful enough so that it is not overwhelmed by the food flavours. Zonda recommends that you enjoy this recipe for Thai fish cakes with a cold glass of Karanto Fiano 2008.
Fiano is an exciting white wine variety from the south of Italy. It has been introduced into Australia over the past few years and is now proving its credentials. You can see more about Fiano at Vinodiversity.
Karanto Vineyards
Karanto Vineyards have been growing grapes at Langhorne Creek in South Australia for a century, but over recent years Zonda and Dennis Elliot have successfully introduced Italian varieties Aglianico, Fiano and Pinot Grigio. They regularly win medals for these innovative wines at varous wine shows throughout Australia.
