RECIPES AND WINE Lobster, a tangy

In the KITCHEN

Light, luxurious and indulgent, enjoy this with a chilled dry white wine...

LOBSTER & SALAD ONION NOODLES

Preparation Time: 20 minutes + overnight defrosting. Cooking Time: 10 minutes. Serves: 2. • 2 large lobsters • 1 tbsp oyster sauce • 1 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce • 1⁄2 tsp toasted sesame oil • 1⁄2 tsp maple syrup • 2 tbsp sunflower oil • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped • 1⁄2 Chinese leaf lettuce, roughly cut into 3cm chunks • Bunch salad onions (about 8), trimmed and cut into 4cm lengths 15g fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks • 1 red chilli, sliced • 11⁄2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine • 275g pack ready-to-eat egg noodles

Prepare the lobster according to pack instructions, defrosting overnight in the fridge and then removing all of the meat from the shell. Roughly chop the tail and any other meat but keep the claw meat intact. Mix the oyster and soy sauces, sesame oil, maple syrup and 1 tbsp water with a good grind of black pepper; set aside. Heat 1 tbsp oil over a high heat in a wok. When smoking, add the garlic and Chinese leaf lettuce and fry for 1 minute until softened; tip on to a plate and set aside. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in the pan and fry the salad onions, ginger and chilli for 1 minute until just golden. Add the lobster and fry for another 30 seconds, then stir in the Shaoxing rice wine and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Tip in the oyster sauce mixture, then the Chinese leaf lettuce and the noodles and toss over the heat for a final minute until piping hot. Divide between plates and serve immediately. n

In the KITCHEN

Creamy and delicious, tangy and sweet... this sublime cheesecake is a brilliantly simple but very rewarding sweet!

VANILLA & PASSION FRUIT CHEESECAKE

Preparation Time: 25 minutes plus chilling. Cooking Time: 1 hour 35 minutes. Serves: 12. • 200g digestive biscuits • 75g unsalted butter, melted • 2 x 340g tubs cream cheese • 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 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 4 hours or ideally overnight. To serve, scoop the passion fruit pulp on top of the cheesecake. n

As different as night and day...

A brace of non-alcoholic spirits that are as different as night and day; one zesty, another spicy! Presenting a duo of premium non-alcoholic ‘spirits’ with a Light & Zesty option ideal for cool evenings in early autumn, with pineapple, papaya, coriander, juniper, cardamom and lemon peel. As day turns into night, the producer’s Dark & Spicy version is a rum-style drink with a tropical blend of pineapple, coconut, ginger, black cardamom, vanilla, kola nut and lime. Alcohol-free, with zerosugar and gluten-free.

£18 / 50cl / 0% ABV, from www.calenodrinks.com.

The Wine Cellar

Wine of the Month

Domaine Arcelain Pommard Les Noizons £39.99 / 75cl / 13.2% ABV

Brand new to the retailer Waitrose, but this mature Pinot Noir has its origins in 2010, This is a classic Burgundy with aromatic complexity and marked tannins. On the palate, there are notes of leather, underwood and ripe blackcurrant. It’s ideal with game meat, mature cheeses and chocolate desserts. The vineyard was established in 1889 and is cared for by the fifth generation of the family, Pierre Arcelain, who tends four hectares of vines. n

Available from, Waitrose and Waitrose Cellar.

THIS MONTH AS SUMMER TURNS TO AUTUMN WE’VE A FEW WAYS TO WARM YOUR SPIRITS, WHETHER YOU’D PREFER A NON-ALCOHOLIC TIPPLE OR A LOCAL ARTISAN GIN...

RIOJA AND ROLL: Three Rioja month recommendations from Spain...

Lift your spirits this autumn!

1. Kicking off our trio of Rioja wines is a white example that’s very dry, produced using Viura grapes and barrel fermented for citrus character and a well-rounded finish, £7.99 / 75cl / 13% ABV.

2. Our mid-range Rioja is this dry, youthful example created from a blend of Tempranillo, Graciano and Merlot grapes by Jesús Madraza of Contino, legendary Rioja winemaker and an ambassador for the whole region, £28.99 / 75cl / 15% ABV.

3. And finally, one to lay down, Allende Calvario Rioja is a full-bodied Tempranillo based Rioja with dark fruits and mineral notes as well as plenty of smooth, balanced tannins, £90 / 75cl / 14% ABV. A superb small batch distiller, Nene Valley Spirits is based at Sacrewell Farm and presents a superb tipple to warm up your autumn evenings in the form of Tales from the Riverbank, a limited edition gin flavoured with rhubarb and warming ginger. Recommendations include serving it over Prosecco with a dash of lemon juice, or making a G&T with ginger ale instead of tonic water if you’re really looking for a warming hit of ginger to take the chill off autumn.

£24 / 70cl / 25% ABV, www.nenevalley spirits.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.