words on wine!

Anyone living in Australia will soon tell you that we are experiencing the wettest summer in living memory and anyone who grows grapes in Australia (like we do) will soon tell you what this wet summer has meant to their harvest. For us, personally, we lost them all.

Grape farming like any other farming has its challenges but despite the frustration of this year's non harvest we have had many great years and produced many great wines. No matter the weather we all still love to grow, harvest, produce and drink great wine and for the cooks amongst us it plays an integral and important role in the craft we all love so much.

So, on a positive note I thought you might like to read a few words on the topic of wine from the cookery writer, Anne Willan - published in 1989.

The photographs were taken at our own harvest last year at Broke Road Vineyard.

“Wine can mellow to a remarkable richness when it is simmered in sauces, braises and stews. To avoid a raw taste, it must always be thoroughly reduced during cooking, red wine by half and white wine by even more. First, the alcohol evaporates, then the wine concentrates so the finished dish is rich and mellow. This evaporation may be an integral part of the cooking process, as in the long cooking of a casserole or the simmering of a brown sauce. At other times the wine is reduced on its own, as when red wine is used to deglaze pan juices for a steak.

The quality of the wine used will be reflected in the result. It would not, however, make sense to sacrifice rare or expensive wine in the cooking pan. One quality which will not survive cooking is the sparkle of champagne or similar wines, although a little of the sparkle may survive in uncooked dishes such as champagne sorbet.

The role of fortified wines is different to the above. They are typically added at the end of a cooking process, and the alcohol in them, which will not have been boiled off, remains potent. In fact their use may be a case of 'wine in cooked dishes' rather than 'wine in cookery'. A spoonful of sherry added to a soup just before it is served is not subjected to cooking, although it certainly has its effect on the soup. The Italian fortified wine Marsala is sometimes the best choice for deglazing pan juices.

Wines are also added as an ingredient to marinades. The effect of the wine is then produced before cooking but the effect of the cooking on this use of wine together with the other marinade elements is not significant to the finished dish”.

My own most used use of wine in cookery is for deglazing the pan, usually with a fortified wine or verjuice, green grapes harvested just before veraison (the stage at which the colour turns, generally two months before harvest) - this wine is especially good for chicken or fish. I also love to make herb and wine infusions for lamb, chicken, veal, rabbit, beef and pork – they provide multiple uses as poaching liquids, stocks, marinades and sauces.  The list of recipes and methods for the use of wine in cookery is endless as is the subject. Meanwhile, ENJOY!

beetroot mushrooms

This is a rather spectacular way to serve beetroot. To do so, you must own a Japanese Spiralizer Turning Vegetable Slicer. Just for the record, this is a fantastic machine if you like to make sushi or if you are a raw food enthusiast or vegetarian.

At the blade end of the machine, stick your whole, raw, uncooked beetroot into the round short cylinder then push the handle end, which has several short prongs attached to it into the beetroot so it stays in place. Rotate the handle continuously until all that remains of the beetroot is the very end 'tip' and ‘stork’, which has come about by continuous turning against the round short cylinder. You will not only have a pile of beetroot peelings, good for salads and other uses, but also my magic mushrooms and no waste!

Brush the ‘mushrooms’ with melted butter or a little oil, place them in a greased roasting pan and cook until just done, about 20 minutes on 180C. They make an interesting accompaniment to any dish where beetroot is called for.

Beetroot Mushrooms, click here for printer friendly recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/foodvineprintablerecipes/home/beetroot-mushrooms

cartouche

There are many meanings for the word ‘cartouche’ but in cooking terms it describes a round piece of paper, usually greaseproof (baking paper), waxed or parchment used to cover the surface of a pot.

The placement of a cartouche on the surface of food, under a saucepan lid, keeps the components submerged, reduces evaporation during the cooking process and is vital in the prevention of a skin forming on top of a sauce.

Method:

1. Tear off a large piece of paper from a carton, twice the surface of your pot
2. With the short end facing you, fold it in half (bottom to top)
3. Fold in half again, right to left
4. Fold in half again, right to left
5. There is now a sharp point at one end
6. Place the pointed end in the centre of your pan to measure the distance from the centre to the edge and tear or cut off any paper that extends over the edge of the pan.
7. Unravel and place the circle of paper over the surface of the pan

If the purpose of your cartouche is to keep a skin from forming on top of a sauce, wet the cartouche with water before placing it on the surface of the sauce.

I use foil from time to time too, as illustrated above, but it is not so effective. Paper absorbs water (moisture from the pan) thereby creating a suction giving a better result.

The great juggling act of the year comes into its own at Christmas when practically every saucepan in the kitchen comes into play at the same time. The use of a simple cartouche over a pre-prepared sauce can be a real lifesaver and you’ll be amazed what it does for chicken, stews, casseroles and the like!

Cartouche making - printable version, click here:

https://sites.google.com/site/foodvineprintablerecipes/home/cartouche-making

tuna and mango refresher

This cheerful little starter refreshes the palate and lifts the spirits.

A set of ring moulds is worthwhile investing in especially one that includes a pusher. It is important to compress the stack in a gentle manner otherwise it is likely to topple over and that just will not do. Pretty up the plate with dots and trails of herb oil if you like. A good tip for making dots (see photo) is to buy a medicine measure from the chemist. It can be a risky business putting dots on a plate when all other ingredients are in place so a device that will not let you down is vital. This little measure has a squeeze top allowing greater control when dot size matters.

Serves: 4

1 slightly under ripe mango, peeled and finely diced

2 mini cucumbers, peeled and finely diced

200gm fresh, sashimi quality tuna, finely diced

4 teaspoons lump fish caviar

2 teaspoons Spanish sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

few chives, finely chopped

Method:

Dice the mango, cucumber and tuna. Place in separate bowls. Mix the oil, vinegar and chives together, stir the dressing into the tuna.

Place each ring mould on a plate and spoon in the mango, the cucumber and lastly the tuna. Place teaspoon lumpfish caviar on top of each one and serve. Garnish the plate with a little herb oil.

tuna and mango refresher recipe - printable version, click here:

https://sites.google.com/site/foodvineprintablerecipes/home/tuna-and-mango-refresher-2

Crush & Dice

It’s a funny thing but many people do not know how to crush garlic without using a garlic press and even fewer know the correct technique to chop/dice onions.

For the uninitiated here goes:

Crushing Garlic:

Place a garlic clove on a chopping board. Use a large chef’s knife (flat side) to smash the garlic clove a couple of times making the removal of skin very easy or simply peel the clove in your usual way. Place a small amount of salt beside the garlic clove and using the blunt side of a table knife gradually scrape the clove with the salt, a little at a time, until it becomes a paste. The salt acts as an abrasion, absorbs the oil released in the process and helps to preserve flavour. Once crushed the garlic begins to change colour and become very strong and acrid.

Onions:

Peel an onion and trim the root end but do not cut if off – it needs to stay in place to hold the onion together during the chopping process. Cut the onion in half from the stem end to the root and place one half, cut side down, on a chopping board. Using your fingers on one hand firmly hold and press down on the onion. With your other hand make horizontal incisions across the whole width of the onion, evenly spaced apart, but stop just before the root end after each incision. Take the knife and cut the onion at right angles to the root and across the onion in two places, one just above the other. Now slice the onion parallel to the root to produce a perfect dice. Repeat with the other onion half.

Napkin folding - the Bishop's Mitre

I call cloth : napkins and paper: serviettes to make life easier but I am not correct here. The words napkin and serviette mean the same thing - it just depends where you are from and what your preference is. Their origins are from the French, German and Dutch. Lovely cloth napkins make such a difference to a table setting and are so much nicer than using paper but they are a lot of work to keep clean. There are many ways to fold them, here I've explained the Bishop's Mitre which never fails to appeal. My napkins are 50cm square (16 inches) but the bigger the piece of cloth the better. Large cloth napkins are very impressive. I hope you can make head and tail of this! Reading from left to right:

1. lay napkin on the bench
2. fold the napkin in half
3. fold bottom left corner into middle
4. fold top right corner into middle

1. the napkin is now in this position 2.turn napkin over and straighten up 3. fold napkin in half
4. make sure two points are sticking out



1. fold right hand flap in behind the front right point
2. turn napkin completely back to front and repeat so both flaps are secured
3. place your hand inside the bottom of the folded napkin and carefully position upright
4. position Bishop's Mitre on the table

Sole Food

The first and only time I saw someone pocket a sole was at Billingsgate market in London a very long time ago. Not literally though it would not have surprised me in such a place in those days! I rushed home afterwards, not wanting to forget, clutching a couple of soles and set about to successfully pocket both and I think I stuffed them with grapes as in Sole Veronique but my memory is a bit hazy about that part of the story.

At the Sydney fish markets yesterday I went on the search for flat fish having suddenly remembered the technique and thinking it would be worth including on the Food Vine. We don’t often see flat fish locally so I took full advantage of where we were.

Any flat fish is suitable but make sure to choose your fish from sustainable sources.
Flounder is best, Sole, as long as it is MSC certified but Plaice is a no go.

1. Remove the head.
2. Trim the side fins with a pair of scissors, then trim the tail.
3. Imagine the fish in four sections, two each side. Take a sharp knife, place your hand on top of the fish to steady it, make an incision with the point of the knife in the top of the first section then slice against the bone all the way down into the fish making a pocket as you go between the flesh above the bone and the bone itself. Repeat second section.
4. Turn the fish over and repeat as above.
5. Take your scissors and cut down through the bone inside the fish as close as you can to the inside walls. Repeat other side.
6. Cut and remove as much bone as you can.
7. Turn the fish inside out, carefully and without tearing and cut out the remaining bone.
8. Snip the small bones from the sides close to the edge
9. Turn the fish back the other way.
10.Wash the fish out.

Fill the pocket with a filling of your choice and poach gently in white wine, fish stock, salt, pepper and a little onion for about fifteen minutes. Make a veloute sauce from the poaching liquid.

I have not included a recipe for this dish – it is simply the technique.

seasoning the pan........

The seasoning of a cast iron frying pan is necessary to create a surface so food cooked in it does not stick. It is also essential to get rid of any moisture if and when the pan is ever cleaned in water. The following process can be repeated time after time, if necessary.

WARNING - WEAR PROTECTIVE GLOVES. THE PAN AND THE SALT WILL BE BECOME RED HOT DURING THIS PROCEDURE AND WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO COOL DOWN.

Wash the pan in hot soapy water scouring away impurities or rust.

Dry the pan with a clean cloth.

Cover the entire surface of the pan with plenty of salt. Heat the pan gently on a very low heat or on the pilot light or put it in a moderately hot oven if the handle is heatproof.

Leave it until the salt goes grey, about 1.5 hours.

Tip out the salt, discard it, and wipe the pan out with paper.

Pour in enough oil to cover the surface, reheat the pan gently for about thirty minutes, tip out the oil, and wipe the pan out well.

Smear a tiny amount of fresh oil over the pan with a clean piece of paper.

Store the pan for further use.

Avoid getting your seasoned pan wet but if you find that unavoidable repeat the above procedure.

To use your seasoned cast iron frying pan or any teflon coated frying pan: Heat the pan first, when it is hot add the oil, when the oil is hot cook the food.

how to julienne

It is easy to julienne (to make matchstick strips) once you know how to master the technique of 'squaring up'. Apply this way of cutting to any vegetable (e.g. leeks, carrots, tomatoes, celery etc) and you can't go wrong.

In the case of julienne of carrot: peel the carrot and divide it into 3 pieces. Take one of those pieces and square off the sides, cut the now square piece of carrot into 1/8 inch (0.3cm) thick slices.

Stack these slices on top of each other and cut into 1/8 inch (0.3cm) strips. Repeat with the rest of the carrot. For leeks, cut the whole leek into about 3 pieces then cut each piece in half and take apart the folds, stack them and slice as above. Go one step further to achieve the perfect dice. For tomatoes: skin, deseed, cut tomato into four, square up pieces all the same size and slice. Once you are at the stage to julienne as in the above carrot pictures choose how thick you would like them - the thing about this technique is having control. It will come naturally to you eventually and all your slicing will be the same length and thickness and will look very professional - as will any diced vegetable if you take that extra step. Use up all the left over pieces, after squaring up, in a salad or stock or casserole - don't throw them away!

how to chiffonade

Break apart the two kaffir lime leaves - they grow with two leaves (one large and one small) attached to each other, see above. Remove and discard the central stem from each leaf – leaving eight halves - pile the separated leaves on top of each other, roll them up into a tight ball and shred them very finely with a sharp knife.

Flower Ice Bowls

Flower ice bowls are very beautiful things and are the ultimate container for a very special occasion. If only they lasted more than 30 minutes! I have made individual bowls here today to serve chilled soup, but one large bowl looks very dramatic filled with prawns, sorbet or ice cream scoops – or anything that needs keeping cold.

I have used flat-bottomed jelly and pudding moulds to keep the job simple. Round moulds are more common but require an ice stand to prevent tipping (see below). Choose your favourite flowers and foliage BUT nothing poisonous, like Oleander! I used blue Plumbago and the turning leaves of our Manchurian Pear trees.

Equipment:

Two round bowls, one two thirds smaller than the other. An extra bowl for the stand, a sharp knife, crushed or shaved ice for joining.

OR

* Two flat-bottom bowls, one two thirds smaller than the other

* Small flowers and foliage of your choice

* Ceramic baking beads or a heavy weight for the smaller bowl in the freezer

* Ice cubes to weigh the flowers and foliage down

Method:

Pour about a cup of water into the bottom of the larger bowl and freeze. Remove from freezer and place the smaller bowl on top of the frozen ice. Fill the small bowl with ceramic baking beads or something heavy to weigh it down. The tops of both bowls should be level with each other.

Pour a little cold water down between the sides of the two bowls, add some flowers and foliage, hold these in place with ice cubes to prevent them rising to the surface (you may have to smash the cubes to fit them down the sides). Put the two bowls back in the freezer.

Repeat the process in several stages (depending on the size of your bowl) until you have reached the top. Freeze for 24 hours until solid.

Round bottomed bowls need a stand:

Freeze about a cup (250ml) of water in an extra bowl, un-mould it, up-turn it and use the top as the base. Attach the stand to the bottom of the bowl by scratching the two surfaces with a sharp knife, dipped in boiling water then join them with some crushed or shaved ice.

To un-mould:

Lay out a large serving plate or individual plates with a napkin in the centre of each to soak up the water and provide stability. White linen would be very attractive and looks so much nicer than paper.

Remove the weight from the smaller bowl and pour a little warm water into it. It will lift out immediately – do not waste time here – you do not want your ice bowl to start melting! Dip the bottom of the large bowl into a dish of warm water and carefully prise it from the ice. Repeat with your stand (if applicable), slash with the knife and connect the two pieces with the crushed/shaved ice.

Check for cracks or thin ice before filling – just in case and particularly if you are using the bowl for soup! Serve immediately.

Note: line the ice bowl with a piece of foil if serving ice cream or sorbet scoops.

A Christmassy Affair!

Goat's Cheese Log


I love the month of December when cooking takes on a whole new meaning. To herald in the season this easy starter symbolizes the colours of Christmas and looks especially beautiful on a plain white plate.

Ingredients:

Setting time: 24 hours Serves: 4

2 x 120g packets goat’s cheese
1 red pepper, chargrilled, skinned, deseeded, sliced
12 capers
1 leek, top used only

Method:

Lay a piece of foil on the workbench, about 30cm x 30cm and put a piece of baking paper, the same size, on top.

Cut all the white part off the leek in one piece and set aside for later use. The left over-piece of dark green fronds should be about seven inches long. Cut down the full length of the fronds in order to peel each one away separately. You should have about seven or eight large widths depending on the size of your leek. Wash thoroughly. Blanch in boiling water for 60 seconds, refresh in ice water, drain and pat dry.

Lay out the leek fronds onto the foil and baking paper, short ends nearest you and overlap each width slightly as you go. Place half the goat’s cheese across the bottom of the leek fronds nearest to you and top with pepper then the capers and then the rest of the goat’s cheese. With the aid of the papers roll up into a sausage shape and twist both ends to create a bonbon (torchon). Wrap again in cling film for extra strength and place in the fridge overnight to ‘set’.

To serve: Slice into approximately eight rings with a hot knife wiped clean and reheated between each slice. Serve with a few micro herbs scattered over the top and a little balsamic vinegar.

Tip: Buy pre-cooked peppers in jars or from the deli counter - they are just as good!