FOOD & WINE Recipes and drink

In the KITCHEN

This is a delicious sweet treat or a superb brunch option... cherry and almond is a flavour combination par excellence!

CHERRY & ALMOND BRIOCHE FRENCH TOAST

Preparation Time: 15. Cooking Time 30 Minutes. Serves Four. 425g can black cherries in light syrup • 3 tsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting 1 medium free range egg • 250ml whole milk • 1⁄2 tsp almond extract • 8 slices sliced brioche loaf 2 tbsp unsalted butter • 150g pot vanilla yogurt • 1 tbsp toasted flaked almonds

Put a sieve over a small saucepan and drain the cherries. Set the cherries aside and simmer the juices for five minutes until reduced. Add 1 tsp icing sugar and the drained cherries to the saucepan and simmer for another five minutes, until the cherries are coated in a glossy syrup. Meanwhile, set your largest frying pan over a medium-highheat. In a large, shallow dish, whisk the egg, milk, almond extract and remaining 2 tsp icing sugar. Add 4 brioche slices to the mixture, soaking on each side for about 45 seconds until they’ve absorbed plenty of the mixture but aren’t too soggy. Add 1 tbsp butter to the frying pan and, when foaming, fry the brioche for four minutes on each side until golden and puffed up. Arrange on plates while you prepare the remaining slices in the same way, frying in the remaining 1 tbsp butter. Serve 2 slices of brioche per person. Top with a spoonful of vanilla yogurt and the warm cherries and syrup (reheat briefly if necessary). Scatter with the toasted almonds and dust with a little icing sugar to serve. n

In the KITCHEN

We’ve a sublime midsummer treat in the form of this vanilla and passion fruit cheesecake – easy to make and terrifically rewarding!

VANILLA & PASSION FRUIT CHEESECAKE

Preparation Time: 25 minutes + chilling. Cooking Time: 1hr 35 mins. Serves 12. 200g Digestive biscuits • 75g unsalted butter, melted • 2 x 340g tubs Philadelphia Original 300ml soured cream • 200g golden caster sugar • 2 tsp vanilla extract 1⁄2 lemon, juice • 3 large free range eggs, lightly beaten • 4 large passion fruits

Preheat the oven to 150°c, gas mark 2, and line the base of a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. Put the biscuits in a large bowl and use the end of a rolling pin to crush them. Add the butter and mix, then tip into the base of the tin. Press down evenly and firmly using the back of a spoon. Bake for 25 minutes, then set aside to cool. Use a balloon whisk to beat together the soft cheese, 150ml soured cream, the sugar, vanilla and lemon juice until smooth. Beat in the eggs a little at a time until combined, then tip into the cake tin. Put an ovenproof dish half-filled with water on the bottom shelf of the oven (the steam will help to prevent the cheesecake from cracking), then put the cheesecake on the middle shelf and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes until still wobbly but set. Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar, allowing the cheesecake to cool inside the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the remaining 150ml soured cream over the top. Once completely cool, chill for at least four hours or ideally overnight. To serve, scoop the passion fruit pulp on top of the cheesecake. n

The local gin that’s fit for a king... or at least, a Duke!

Belvoir Castle’s own gin uses eight hand-picked botanicals and has been developed by Emma Manners, the 11th Duchess of Rutland... Premium craft gin maker Brentingby has partnered with Belvoir Castle, working with Her Grace the Duchess of Rutland to create Belvoir Gin. Its eight botanicals include juniper, coriander, angelica, orange peel, fig, vanilla, chamomile and liquorice root. Classically London Dry in nature with rounded woodiness, it’s presented in a bottle whose chinoiserie feel is designed to mimic the castle’s state rooms, designed by James Wyatt for the 5th Duke. n £39.95 / 70cl / 43% ABV, See www.belvoircastle.com or www.brentingbygin.co.uk.

The Wine Cellar

Wine of the Month

Château Mouton Rothschild 2015 Pauillac 1er Grand Cru Classé

£550 x 1, (£6,600 x 12) 75cl / 13.5% ABV

If you’re looking for something to lay down in your cellar for a rainy day – or an extravagant night – Waitrose has secured a small number of this Château Mouton Rothschild from the producer’s 2015 vintage. Adding to the likelihood of its appreciation in value is the Gerhard Richter artwork on the label. Cassis and cherry from Bordeaux’s finest Cab Sav/Merlot blend.

Available from Waitrose Cellar, www.waitrose cellar.com.

‘NATIONAL PROSECCO DAY’ MIGHT SOUND LIKE A CYNICAL MARKETING PLOY, BUT STILL, WHAT’S THE HARM IN POPPING A CORK FOR THIS FASHIONABLE FIZZ IN AUGUST...?

NATIONAL PROSECCO DAY: Pop a cork for this fashionable fizz on 13th August 2021...

A pink gin with Hope & Glory!

1. With no sense of modesty, Pale Fox claims its single estate Prosecco is the finest in the world. Floral to the nose with apple and acacia, and a peach minerality at the end, £25.95 / 75cl / 11% ABV.

2. A beautiful blush Prosecco from Veneto with silky raspberry notes and a dry finish, thanks to its Glera and Pinot Noir grapes. Its name translates as ‘joyous and high spirited!’ which, we’re confident, is just how you’ll feel too! £11.99 / 75cl / 11% ABV.

3. A quirky bottle but the charm of Alessandro Gallici’s 2019 Anniversary Prosecco goes much deeper. With lemon and peach, it’s a super vintage cuvée, direct from Veneto, £16.99 / 75cl / 11% ABV. The newest premium gin from Lincoln-based Bandsman, sitting alongside Bandsman Gin and Bandmaster London Dry. This special edition has a few subtle changes from pink peppercorns to rose and hibiscus petals which are suspended in a botanical basket above the liquid in the distillery’s copper pot still. The result is a clear London Dry gin which is smooth and floral. Next, British raspberries and rose petals add a beautifully fruity taste without being too sweet, as well as a natural pink blush. £30 / 50cl / 40% ABV, www.bandsmangin.co.uk.

n Our featured wines are available from the best local independent wine merchants, supermarkets and online, prices are RRP and may vary from those stated.