BOOK GIVEAWAY

FLAVOUR COMPLEMENTARY

WINEMAKERS ARE FREQUENTLY ASKED: “WHAT GOES WITH THIS WINE?” THAT SIMPLE QUESTION PROMPTED LIBERTAS VINEYARDS AND ESTATES, A DIVISION OF DISTELL, TO COMMISSION A FOOD AND WINE MATCHING BOOK. THE RESULT IS WINE & FOOD:

THE ART OF THE PERFECT PAIRING.

The appreciation and enjoyment of wine is a very personal thing. Yet one troubling aspect remains: people who don’t know a great deal about wine feel intimidated by it. They like wine but feel there should be rules applied to what it goes with or how it should be drunk.

When it comes to food that same hesitance or insecurity over what’s right and wrong is not a factor at all. If cooks want to pan fry or grill their boerewors on the stove rather than fling it onto a grid and sear it over glowing coals, they have the confidence to do it. And if there’s a herb or spice that the recipe calls for that isn’t in the spice or herb rack, well ... whatever: the dish will still taste nice.

The fact remains that wine intimidates a vast portion of the wine buying public – and it shouldn’t! Libertas Vineyards and Estates commissioned seasoned food editor Vickie de Beer and former WINE magazine editor (and current CHEERS editor ...) Fiona McDonald to tackle the task.

De Beer’s years of home economics, recipe development and food styling with Rooi Rose magazine combined seamlessly with McDonald’s ease with wine. The goal was to create a recipe book which demystified the world of flavour – both food and wine.

PORK NECK, TURKISH APRICOT AND HALLOUMI ESPETADA WITH THYME AND BASIL Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc Serves: 4 as a starter

FOR THE PORK: 500 ml (2 cups) Durbanville Hills

Sauvignon Blanc 250 ml (1 cup) extra virgin olive oil 1 chili, halved lengthwise 20 black peppercorns 5 bay leaves 6 sprigs thyme 3 large onions, peeled and quartered 3 cloves of garlic, whole crushed 500 g pork neck, small cubes Bay leaves for threading skewers 150 g Turkish apricots 200 g halloumi Salt and pepper to taste Fresh basil for garnish

FOR THE BASTING SAUCE:

250 ml (1 cup) sugar 125 ml (½ cup) peach/apricot jam 5 ml (1 tsp) salt 60 ml (¼ cup) dried apricot, finely chopped 60 ml ( ¼ cup) Durbanville Hills

Sauvignon Blanc 15 ml (1 Tbsp) honey 5 ml (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce

For the pork, combine the wine, olive oil, chili, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, onions, garlic and pork cubes together in a medium mixing bowl, making sure the meat is completely covered. Place in the fridge to marinade overnight.

1 Place bamboo kebab skewers in water for at least 1 hour to avoid burning on the braai. Thread the skewers with the pork, bay leaves,

Turkish apricots and halloumi. 2 For the basting sauce, combine sugar, apricot jam, salt, apricots, wine, honey and Worcestershire sauce in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until jam has melted. 3 Baste the espetada with the basting and braai over medium coals, basting regularly while turning for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through.

WINE TASTING NOTE: Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc

Bold floral styling immediately apparent. Appealing tropical flavours with pear and melon notable. Lovely rounded body – no lean, angular Sauvignon this! Two other elements stand out: lemon zest so typical of the grape, but a deeper leesy element too. Succulent and gentle with long stonefruit tail Why it works: There’s a lot going on in both the wine and the food. The tropical flavours in the wine means it can handle the sweetness of the basting sauce without dominating the delicacy of the pork skewers. It both stands up to the flavours and complements them.

Rather than taking a dish or a recipe and then deciding what wine it could be paired with, the duo turned the equation on its head: starting with the Libertas range of wines and coming up with food which suited the wine.

It required a few months of sitting down over many bottles of wine with the respective winemakers of Durbanville Hills, Nederburg, Plaisir de Merle, Alto, Allesverloren, Fleur du Cap, Zonnebloem and JC Le Roux. Corks were pulled, wines sipped, swirled and tasted and then the creative juices were given free rein.

Both De Beer and McDonald would be the first to admit that the winemakers were a great source of information and guidance. “They know their wines intimately. They drink them often – and many of them love to cook. The winemakers also get to market their wines, attending so many dinners where chefs do pairings – so their input about complementary flavours was invaluable,” De Beer said.

It’s not all about what the food and wine combinations are – although there are some stunning suggestions and mouth-watering recipes! Encapsulated between the covers are bite-sized chunks of information about wine that is presented in an easily accessible, down-to-earth way. Like info on where various grapes come from and what it means when wine folks talk about Burgundy or Bordeaux. This book will help you decode winespeak ...

Visually, it’s a richly photographed and evocative publication, courtesy of Charles Russell’s images and Llewelyn de Beer’s layout and design. Recipes vary from the tasty and simple (who doesn’t love a burger – with Nederburg Merlot?) to special occasion or dinner party “haal uit en wys” recipes and appropriate bottles.

If you’re not one of the lucky winners of one of the copies, the book can be obtained in hard or soft covered version through the wine farms which comprise the Libertas Vineyards and Estates portfolio; Durbanville Hills, Fleur du Cap, Nederburg, Plaisir de Merle, Alto, Allesverloren, Zonnebloem and JC Le Roux.

DUCK RAGOUT WITH BAY LEAVES WITH PAPPARDELLE PASTA Alto Cabernet Sauvignon Serves 6

FOR THE RAGOUT:

1,8 kg duck 1 onion, finely chopped 1 small stick of celery, finely chopped 1 small carrot, peeled, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 2 bay leaves 250 ml (1 cup) Alto Cabernet Sauvignon 1 x 400 g can whole peeled tomatoes 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock 3 large fresh rosemary sprigs 1,25 ml (¼ tsp) Chinese five spice Salt and ground black pepper, to taste 15-30 ml (1-2 Tbsp) honey, to taste Pappardelle pasta to serve

1 Use kitchen scissors and cut along either side of the duck backbone. Discard the backbone. Remove and discard excess fat. Quarter the duck. Season with salt. Brown the duck, in two batches, skin-side down, in a frying pan over high heat for 5 minutes or until golden. Turn and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the duck and set aside. Drain the fat from the frying pan, reserving 1 tablespoon. 2 Heat the reserved fat over medium heat in a cast iron casserole. Cook the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and bay leaves, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Stir in the wine for 1 minute, scraping the pan to dislodge any bits that have cooked onto the base. Add the tomato, stock, rosemary and Chinese five spice. Add the duck. Cover and cook for 6 hours or until duck meat falls off the bone. 3 Use tongs to transfer duck to a plate. Skim fat from surface of the cooking liquid. Turn up slow cooker to high and simmer liquid uncovered for 30 minutes or until reduced by a third. Season to taste with salt, pepper and honey. 4 Carefully remove and discard the duck bones. Shred the duck meat. Stir into the sauce until heated through. Season. Toss with the cooked pasta. Divide among six bowls and serve topped with the parmesan and parsley .

WINE TASTING NOTE : Alto Cabernet Sauvignon

The nose is bold, leaping out of the glass to meet you – all plums, black cherry and spice. The palate is altogether more elegant, waiting to be introduced first! Seamless, cohesive and elegant with rich, cassis, cherry and dark blue and blackberry flavours. It’s a textural mouthful with a subtle herb note and well integrated oak. Why it works : Cooked low and slow, this duck ragout has an intensity to it. The richly reduced Chinese 5 spice, honey and the taste triumvirate of celery, carrot and onion need the bold fruitiness of the plum and black cherry flavours on the wine. They add freshness by the mouthful and lift and cleanse the palate. The gentle herbal nuance of the wine complements the ragout which the soft pappardelle pasta appreciates.

BRAISED PORK BELLY WITH CRISPY CRACKLING AND BUTTERED GREENS Nederburg Heritage Heroes The Motorcycle Marvel Serves: 4

FOR THE MARINADE:

4 garlic cloves, crushed 30 ml (2 Tbsp) ginger, finely grated 60 ml (¼ cup) fish sauce 125 ml (½ cup) soy sauce 4 whole star anise 30 ml (2 Tbsp) sugar 2 brown onions, finely chopped 250 ml (1 cup) beef stock

FOR THE PORK BELLY:

2 onions, peeled and thickly sliced 2 kg pork belly, skin scored 120 g mange tout 125 g tender stem broccoli 100 g baby bok choy 40 g butter 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 For the marinade, combine the garlic, ginger, fish sauce, soy sauce, star anise, sugar, onion and stock and pour into deep rectangular glass or plastic container. Place the pork belly in the marinade – just the meat side, leave the skin side above the marinade. Cover and leave to marinate at room temperature for 2 hours. 2 Preheat the oven to 160°C. Pack the onion slices at the bottom of a large oven tray. Place the pork on top of the onions and pour the marinating liquid around it. Pat the skin dry with paper towel and rub with coarse salt. Braise for 2½-3 hours or until meat is soft and tender.

3 Turn oven up to grill and grill until skin forms crackling, for about 5-8 minutes. Be vigilant as it takes a while and then happens very quickly! Set aside to rest for 10 minutes. 4 Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and quickly blanche the mange tout, broccoli and bok choy, drain and set aside. 5 Heat the butter and garlic in large pan over high heat. Add the bok choy, mange tout and broccoli and quickly stir fry until heated through. Season with salt. Slice the pork belly and serve with greens.

WINE TASTING NOTE: Nederburg Heritage Heroes The Motorcycle Marvel

It’s fairly unusual for Carignan (39%) to lead a blend but it does in this Rhônish example, with Shiraz, Grenache, Cinsaut and Mourvèdre included too. Perfumed rose petals and cherry blossoms tempt the nostrils while in the mouth its fruit sweet with cherry tobacco, blueberry and plum brightness and it is tempered by the notably dry and gentle spicy elements that the oak brings. Complex and textured, it’s an intriguing, tasty mouthful. Why it works: Make no mistake, pork belly is rich and fatty – which is what makes it so tasty! The dry spiciness of the wine and the subtle temptation of the rosy Grenache and cherry flavour is what elevates this pairing. The spices play together while the blueberry and plum succulence cuts through that richness, making it harmonious to the end. And who doesn’t love crunchy crackling?!

Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures – Michael Broadbent

A COPY OF WINE & FOOD: THE ART OF THE PERFECT PAIRING.

To qualify, send an e-mail or a postcard clearly marked Cheers Book Giveaway and containing your name, ID number, physical address (not a PO Box please!) along with a contact telephone number to qualify for the lucky draw. ADDRESS: cheers@cheersmag.co.za or Cheers, PO Box 259, Rondebosch 7701.

ENTRY DEADLINE: 15 TH JUNE 2020

See T&C’s on pg 04

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