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Creamy Tuscan Garlic Prawns

Comforting Lamb And Barley Soup

20m prep 1h 50m cook 4 servings 338 calories

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 small (about 250g each) lamb shanks, French-trimmed

• 1 large brown onion, fnely chopped

• 2 large carrots, peeled, thickly sliced

1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the lamb shanks and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate.

2. Increase heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot, celery and remaining oil to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the mixture softens. Add the garlic and rosemary. Cook, stirring,

5m prep 20m cook

4 servings 415 calories

Ingredients

• 100g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, thinly sliced, 3 tbsp oil reserved from jar

• 500g green prawns, peeled, deveined, tails intact

• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

• 2 tbsp bought gluten-free sun-dried tomato pesto

• 250ml (1 cup) Thickened Cream

• 60g baby spinach

• Crusty bread, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat 2 tbsp of reserved sun-dried tomato oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add one-

Small

Max Crus

Hot on the heels of last week’s column announcing the eponymous Max Crus Trophy winner

Pindarie Barossa Valley Black Hinge (Gold Label) Reserve Shiraz Cabernet 2021, $?. Only 1450 bottles produced but at 15 per cent that’s almost equivalent to 2000. Whoever said “bigger isn’t better”, really didn’t know what they were talking about, but don’t overdo it. 9.6/10.

Another Barossan contender: Yalumba Barossa Valley

Again, congratulations DAOSA (all caps don’t you know, as it’s an acronym, (Dedicated Artisans of South Australia, but suitably and appropriately close to Diosa, which is Spanish for God or Goddess) Blanc de

Max Crus is a Clarence Valley-based wine writer and Grape Expectations is now in its 26th year of publication. Find out more about Max or sign up for his weekly reviews and musings by visiting maxcrus.com.au comes more of the same from the lazy wine-writing factory summer editions collection, yes, the best of

The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2018 (48th Vintage), $65. In two years’ time, the party for this will be bigger than the Barossa itself and the price will double as people grab it for their collection, and from whom may that signature be requested. Meanwhile, vintage 2018 carries the card, and the blend of retired Yalumba GM Nick Waterman,

Blancs 2019, your trophy is in the post and now shares a slice of history alongside, from 1996 : Seaview

Shiraz, Jacob’s Creek Riesling, Taylor’s Cab Sav, Ingoldby Cab Sav, Banrock Station Shiraz Cab,

2023.

All the reviews of wines scoring 9.7/10 or better have been published already so if continuing the big Barossan’s legend boldly. 9.6/10.

Hang on, not another Barossan?

Grant Burge Barossa Nebu Cabernet Shiraz 2017, $100. The current edition is 2019 for this Grant Burge big wig, Nebu, which is short for Nebuchadnezzar, clearly too long and boring for a wine label. Nebu on the

Dromana Estate Verjus, Oxford Landing Shiraz, Fox Creek Shadow’s Run Shiraz Cab Sav, Plunkett Gewurztraminer, Gramps Shiraz, Angoves Nine Vines Rosé, Logan Gewurztraminer,

Grape Expectations by Max Crus

Best of the rest of 2023.

you want to recap on them, you’ll have to go and empty your recycle bin, clean out the cocky’s cage or check the other hand is a perfectly Aussie abbreviation. 9.6/10. Moving South a bit to the Coonawarra region:

Parker Estate Coonawarra First Growth 2021, $110. A remarkably modest and humble label for something of such quality. It’s aspirational and the kind of wine you would want to be rather than the wine you know you are. Long and lovely and

Zema Estate Cabernet, Mollydooker’s Enchanted Path Shiraz Cabernet, Torbreck Woodcutters Shiraz, yellow tail Premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Pimpernel Pinot Noir, Churchview Zinfandel, pile of papers in the loo.

But 9.6/10 is not too shabby in Max-land - remember there were only 44 wines inspirational. 9.6/10.

Quite a few whites rose to the occasion too:

Longview Adelaide Hills ‘Macclesfeld’ Chardonnay, 2022, $45.

Sometimes we handball tasted wines to friends or family, other times, yeah nah, I think I’ll save that for another night…and another. 9.5/10.

WA had several contenders for the trophy last year

Fox Gordon ’The Sicilian’ Nero d’Avola, Berton Vineyard High Eden The Bonsai 2012, Howard Park Wines 2012 Leston

Shiraz, Quarisa The Great Bonza Reserve Shiraz Cabernet 2015, Tim Stevens awarded a score at that lofty level, here’s a bunch that for a range of reasons missed out on the day : and this was one of them knocking on the door : Vasse Felix Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, $55. The golden anniversary of this wine is an amazing milestone and the perfect gift or beverage for all such occasions.

Strikingly cabernet in that WA way, it harks back to a time and suggests this is what cabernet used to, and should, taste like. 9.6/10.

Mudgee ‘Signature’ Shiraz 2016, and Ox Hardy 1891

Ancestor Vine Shiraz 2008, Cook’s Lot Orange Arneis

2021 and Scarborough

Hunter Valley ‘The Obsessive’ The Cottage Vineyard Semillon, 2022.