-JULY RECIPE OF THE MONTH 2019-
Pan Fried Veal Escalope with Caper Butter
The weather has continued to be glorious in July, with lots of outdoor opportunities to eat on the terrace or by the pool. This month Giovanna has chosen a rather sophisticated dish, perhaps to wow guests with if they visit during the summer. We have matched Giovanna’s veal with our Réserve Duras rosé 2017, which also has a lightness and complexity. We hope you get an opportunity to try this pairing.
Pan-fried veal escalope with caper butter
Ingredients (for 4):
4 thin veal escalopes
4 tablespoons plain flour
4 tablespoons capers (drained)
75 g butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 unwaxed lemon
New potatoes and asparagus to serve
Method:
- Place the flour along with some salt and pepper in a large shallow bowl and mix well.
- Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large frying pan. Dip each escalope in the seasoned flour and shake off any excess. Fry for around 3 minutes on each side until crisp but still a little pink on the inside. If they don’t all fit in the pan, fry in two batches.
- In a separate frying pan, heat the remaining butter until bubbling, then add the capers. Be careful, it’ll spit a bit. Heat until the capers start to crisp then remove from the heat.
- Serve the veal covered in the caper butter and a squeeze of lemon with new potatoes and asparagus or another green vegetable.
-JUNE RECIPE(S) OF THE MONTH 2019-
Peas, Nduja and Honey Toasts
&
Roast Grape, Ricotta and Hazelnut Toasts
The sun is shining here in France. In fact last week we experienced the highest temperatures Jack and I have had since arriving in 2012, peaking at 42 degrees.
These long summer evenings are the perfect time to invite our guests over for a glass of our refreshing Mauzac sparkling wine and some delicious nibbles. These two ‘things on toast’ as Giovanna calls them are simple to make but creative and interesting. The peas, nduja and honey toasts are spicey and savoury whilst the roasted grapes with cool ricotta and crunchy hazelnuts have loads going on. We do hope you give them a try – we know you’ll love them.
Peas, nduja and honey toasts
Ingredients:
Day-old baguette or sourdough bread, cut into slices
300g peas
50g butter
Handful chopped mint leaves
Zest of ½ lemon
50g nduja
Tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Blanch the peas in boiling water, drain and set aside to cool
- Blend the peas in a food processor with the butter, lemon zest and salt and pepper
- Add the mint and pulse a few times to combine. Set aside in a covered bowl.
- Pull the njuda apart into small pieces and gently fry in the olive oil without catching, until just starting to crisp
- Toast the bread slices under the grill
- Spread a spoon of the pea mixture on each slice, dot with a small amount of the nduja and a little of the oil and drizzle with a little honey.
Roast grape, ricotta and hazelnut toasts:
Ingredients:
slices of ciabatta or large baguette
300g ricotta
1 bunch black grapes
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Large handful of hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Sea salt
Dill fronds to serve
Method:
- Dry the slices of bread in the oven at 120°C so that they’re crisp but not coloured.
- Raise the oven temperature to 190°C. Place the grapes on a baking tray and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar. Roast for around 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until the grapes are dark and sticky.
- Spread the ricotta over the toasts, add a few roasted grapes and some chopped hazelnuts and serve with a couple of dill fronds.
-MAY RECIPE OF THE MONTH 2019-
Super Fresh Tomato & Red Pepper Gazpacho
The sun is shining and a long hot summer is in prospect (we’re crossing all our fingers & toes) so now is the perfect moment to share this recipe for one of the dishes that Giovanna served at our first supper club here at the winery last August. It is so simple to make but absolutely delicious. It is an ideal summer starter or light lunch served, of course, with a crunchy baguette and slightly salted butter. It pairs extremely well with our Classique Braucol Rosé which enhances the earthy freshness of the tomatoes and is, let’s face it, summer in a glass!
Super Fresh Tomato & Red Pepper Gazpacho:
Ingredients for 6 as a starter:
½ large cucumber, peele
½ large red bell pepper, stemmed & seeded
1kg very ripe red tomatoes cut into wedges
½ large shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 tablespoons (or more) sherry or red wine vinegar
Flaky sea salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped chives
Method:
- Coarsely chop the bell pepper and the cucumber (keeping some of each back for topping) and place in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes to the bowl and toss with the shallot, garlic, vinegar and 1 Tbsp. of
salt. Stand for 30 minutes at room temperature to let the flavours meld. - Transfer the tomato mixture along with any accumulated juices to a blender. Add 3 Tbsp. of olive oil and purée on medium speed until smooth. Season with salt and vinegar, if desired. Strain through a coarse-mesh sieve into a large bowl or pitcher and chill until cool, about 1 hour.
- Divide the gazpacho among bowls. Top with cherry tomatoes, chives and the reserved finely diced cucumber and red pepper pieces; drizzle with oil and season with salt. Serve with lovely crusty French bread!
-APRIL RECIPE OF THE MONTH 2019-
Cavatelli With Classic Basil Pesto
This April Giovanna has not only given us this Italian classic recipe but she has also been over to see us in France, held a cookery workshop at our beautiful new facilities at Manoir Mouret and cooked for our Spring supper club.
These beautiful little pasta pieces were one of the things the group made together at Giovanna’s cookery workshop. Jack and I got to try them at lunch afterwards and they are delicious. Be warned, they are very filling!
To get the authentic cavatelli ridges you will need a little wooden cavatelli/gnocchi board. These are easy to find (Amazon has some for about 4 euros/pounds). This simple delicious supper/lunch dish works well with our light fruity Classique Rouge and is equally good match with our Classique Braucol rosé.
Cavatelli With Classic Basil Pesto:
Ingredients for 6
For the pasta:
125g 00 flour
125g semolina flour
3 whole eggs
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon fine salt
For the pesto:
50g basil – leaves only
50-75ml olive oil
Handful pine nuts, toasted and left to cool
½ garlic clove, finely grated
25g parmesan, finely grated
Salt and pepper
Method:
- Start by making the pasta dough. Combine the flours and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
- Add the eggs and olive oil. Using a fork to break up the yolks, combine to form a firm dough. If it seems too dry, wet your hands whilst kneading to add moisture.
- Split the dough into two and knead for at least 5 minutes until you have a smooth dough. Repeat with the other half. Wrap in cling film or cover with a damp tea towel and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
- Cut the dough into 6 pieces and roll each piece into a long sausage that is about the thickness of your thumb. Cut each length into ¼ inch pieces. Keep them under a damp tea towel to stop it drying out.
- Press each piece down a ridged gnocchi board with your thumb so that it curls up and creates deep ridges. Keep on a large, well-floured baking tray until ready to use.
- To make the pesto I use a food processor which is Italian sacrilege but as long as you’re relatively careful it turns out almost the same as using a pestle and mortar. Blitz the garlic, parmesan, pine nuts and half the olive oil until they form a rough paste.
- Add the basil leaves and pulse until chopped. Add more olive oil and pulse until you have a loose paste that drops easily off a spoon.
- Bring a very large pot of well-salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for 3-4 minutes. Drain and return to the pan with the pesto. Serve with a green salad.
-MARCH RECIPE OF THE MONTH 2019-
Roast Peppers With Fennel and Raddiciho, Burrata and a Hazelnut Vinaigrette
For those of us lucky enough to live in the South West of France its been an absolutely cracking March. We’ve had beautiful sunny days and the vineyard has once again sprung into life with an early budburst. Despite this, the evenings are still cool/cold so we’re not quite into rosé weather but a dry white is definitely on the menu! This month Giovanna has chosen a simple but flavour-packed sharing dish using roast peppers and creamy burrata cheese. It beautifully bridges the seasonal changes and marries perfectly with our Small Batch Oaked Mauzac 2017.
Roast Peppers With Fennel and Raddiciho, Burrata and Hazelnut Vinaigrette:
Ingredients for 6:
3 burrata
2 large red peppers, cored and sliced
2 bulbs fennel, stalks removed and thinly sliced
1 head radicchio
Salt and pepper
Olive oil for frying and roasting
For the dressing:
50g hazelnuts
30g parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Place the peppers on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, stirring to coat. Roast for around 20 minutes until soft and slightly charred. Set aside until ready to assemble.
- Brush the fennel slices with olive oil. Heat a griddle pan and fry the slices in batches until soft and well-coloured on both sides. Cover with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of salt.
- For the dressing, roughly chop the hazelnuts and parsley. Whisk together the lemon juice, honey and olive oil and add the hazelnuts and parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Roughly tear the radicchio into manageable pieces and place in a large bowl along with the roasted peppers and fennel. Dress with the hazelnut dressing, ensuring everything is evenly coated.
- Spread out the vegetables onto a large plate or platter. Roughly tear the burrata and scatter over the top along with any remaining dressing.
- Serve with plenty of crusty bread.
-FEBRUARY RECIPE OF THE MONTH 2019-
Herb Crusted Lamb Rack with Herbed Spelt and Goat’s Cheese Yoghurt
I know we’ve had record breaking temperatures this month on both sides of the Channel, but it is still February folks! To help with the seasonal confusion chef Giovanna Ryan has chosen a dish that is equally delicious piping hot on a winter’s evening or for lunch on a spring day with the herbed spelt served chilled. This dish would work well with any of our Clos Rocailleux reds.
Ingredients for 4:
For the lamb:
2 racks of lamb
3 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed
50g parsley
25g dill leaves
25g mint leaves
1 clove garlic
2 anchovies
2 tablespoons parmesan, freshly grated
4 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
For the spelt:
150g dried spelt (or you could use pearl barley or farro)
Handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
Handful dill leaves, roughly chopped
Handful parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1 spring onion, finely sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ tablespoon white wine vinegar
To serve:
150g soft goats’ cheese – rind removed if present
4 tablespoons Greek yogurt
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200C.
- Coarsely chop all the herbs for the lamb. Add to a food processor with the rest of the crust ingredients and blitz until you have a soft paste.
- Boil the spelt (or other grain) according to packet instructions. When cooked, stir through the herbs, olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
- Take the skin off the rack or ask your butcher to do it for you. Place the racks fat side down in a cold pan and place over a high heat until the fat is crisp and golden. Turn over and brown the other side.
- Carefully pack the fat side of the lamb with the herb paste, place on a baking tray and roast for approximately 20 minutes for pink meat, a little longer if you’d like it well done.
- Whisk together the goat’s cheese and yogurt and season with black pepper.
- Leave the lamb to rest for five minutes, carve and serve with a spoon of the goat’s cheese yogurt and a generous serving of the herbed spelt.
-JANUARY RECIPE OF THE MONTH 2019-
Bucatini with Roast Celeriac and Hazelnut Pesto
Jack and I are Masterchef super fans and so we were especially delighted when last August Giovanna Ryan, a 2017 Masterchef UK Finalist, cooked for 2 delicious Supper Club evenings at the winery. For 2019 we are excited to be teaming up again with Giovanna to create seasonal recipes which match deliciously with our wines. For January, and perhaps to help some of you with New Year’s resolutions, is a vegetarian winter warmer which goes perfectly with our gold medal winning fruity Braucol Syrah Classique Rouge 2014.
Ingredients for 4:
400g bucatini, linguini or spaghetti
1 celeriac, peeled and cut into rough two inch pieces
8 shallots
30g butter
Olive oil for roasting
50g parmesan, finely grated
50g hazelnuts
6 tablespoons hazelnut oil
Salt and pepper
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Halve the shallots lengthways and peel, making sure you keep the base intact so they don’t fall apart when you roast them. Put the shallots and celeriac in a roasting tin. Dot the shallots with the butter and drizzle everything with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes or until the shallots are golden brown and the celeriac is soft, turning halfway.
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, finely chop the hazelnuts or blitz in a food processor until finely chopped but not powdered. Add the grated parmesan and hazelnut oil and season to taste.
- Drain the pasta and stir through the hazelnut pesto, shallots and celeriac. Serve and enjoy immediately!
Enjoy everyone, Margaret & Jack