Food Pairings
- Food Pairings
Food and Wine Pairing: A Taste of Summer
Summer is a season for mixing fresh flavours with vibrant wines. Discover our selection of summer recipes, paired with the perfect wines.
Classic Bruschetta with Anchovies
Serves: 6
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
To drink: Feudo Arancio Nero d’Avola, Sicily Italy
Nero d’Avola is the workhorse red wine of Sicily. This superb, squeaky clean example boasts robust dark plum and cherry fruit flavours with a lick of liquorice and spice. As such, it makes a great pairing with flavoursome fish such as anchovies and tuna.
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf ciabatta bread
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 3 ripe tomatoes, halved lengthways
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tin anchovies in olive oil (the very best you can find)
Method:
- Slice the ciabatta loaf lengthways, grill for 1-2 minutes, then rub the cut side with the garlic cloves.
- Rub the cut tomato vigorously over the bread, discarding the skin when all the flesh has been transferred to the bread.
- Place tomato toasts on a platter, season with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, top with parsley and drizzle with the olive oil. Place an anchovy fillet on each toast and serve.
Lobster Tails with Fried Potatoes and Spicy Dipping Sauce
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
To drink: Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough NZ
Lobster is a premium ingredient, and demands a wine pairing to match its prestige. This vibrant mix of lemon zest and nectarine aromatics is intermingled with orange blossom on the nose. It offers ripe citrus and stone fruit flavours, framed by a sleek and succulent acid architecture.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg potatoes, peeled and cut into rounds
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 4 lobster tails, chargrilled
- Dipping sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium-sized red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small scotch bonnet chilli (optional)
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, grated
- ¼ tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder
Method:
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over medium heat, add the potato rounds and cook for 8-10 minutes. Drain in a colander and transfer to a tray to dry.
- Meanwhile, to make the bravas sauce, heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the onion, garlic, dried oregano, bay leaves and scotch bonnet chilli pepper and sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Lower the heat, add the grated tomatoes, sugar, paprika, cayenne, cumin and chilli pow-der. Season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the sauce has thickened.
- Allow to cool then blend in a food processor until smooth. Transfer back into a saucepan and heat over a low heat to warm through.
- Heat vegetable oil to 180ºC in a large, high-sided frying pan or saucepan and deep-fry the potato rounds for 4-5 minutes until golden brown.
- Drain potato pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Add half the bravas sauce and mix well then transfer to a serving platter. Add warm lobster on top of the potato and serve remaining bravas sauce in a bowl as a dipping sauce for the lobster. Provide finger bowls of warm water with lemon slices.
Slow Cooked Lamb with Freekah Tabouleh, Feta and Pomegranate
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 5 hours (+ marinating overnight)
To drink: Two Hands Pictures Angels’ Share Shiraz
Produced from premium, old vine McLaren Vale fruit, the Angels’ Share bursts with bramble and blackberry fruit combining some spice nuances and subtle oak. The rich fruit and intense ripe flavours make it a perfect wine pairing for summer lamb.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 kg lamb shoulder, bone in
- 300mL dry white wine
- Tabbouleh
- 1 cup freekeh, cooked as per packet instructions
- 3 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 1 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 cup dill leaves, finely chopped
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- ½ cup olive oil
- Juice of one lemon
- Lamb marinade
- 1 tbsp dried mint
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds, freshly toasted
- 2 tsp Sichuan pepper
- 2 tsp chilli flakes
- 8 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp brown rice vinegar
- Fresh lemon and marinated feta, to serve
Method:
- To make the marinade, place the mint, cumin, Sichuan pepper and chilli in a mortar and, using a pestle, grind ingredients to a powder. Add the garlic, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar and mix to a paste.
- Using a metal skewer prick the lamb all over and season with salt and pepper. Spread the marinade over lamb and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 160°C. Place the lamb in a casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid, add wine to the base along with 500mL water. Roast for 4-5 hours, basting every hour until the meat is soft and falling away from the bone. Add more water if needed.
- Turn up the oven to 190°C and cook uncovered for another 15-20 minutes, basting until the skin has caramelised.
- To make the tabbouleh, place the freekeh, spring onion, parsley, mint, dill and pomegranate seeds in a bowl and toss to combine. Place the pomegranate molasses, olive oil and lemon juice in a separate bowl, season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Drizzle over the tabbouleh and toss to coat. Gently shred the lamb and place on a platter, spoon the tabbouleh over the lamb and serve with lemon and feta.
Crema Catalana
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 2 hours
Cooking time: 15 minutes (+ chilling)
To drink: Croser NV
Croser was one of the first methode traditionelle sparklers to raise the bar on the quality of Australian sparkling wine. Stone fruit characters and an assertive citrus kick join a fine mineral backbone that stretches the fruit flavour. If dessert isn’t your thing, end the meal with a glass of this instead.
Ingredients:
- 1 litre milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1 vanilla pod, split
- 8 egg yolks
- 300g caster sugar
- 45g cornflour
- 8 tbsp demerara sugar
- Soft seasonal fruits, such as blackberries, to serve
Method
- Place milk, cinnamon, lemon zest and vanilla pod into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until milk just comes to the boil. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and leave for a couple of hours.
- Whisk egg yolks, caster sugar and cornflour in a bowl. Strain spiced milk through a sieve straight into the egg mixture, whisking continuously.
- Pour mixture into a pan over a low heat and stir with a wooden spoon until it thickens (about 12-15 minutes).
- Pour into 8 small low-sided earthenware dishes or ramekin-style dishes and allow to set for 4-6 hours in the refrigerator.
- To serve, sprinkle the demerara sugar on top of each dish and caramelise with a blow-torch or by placing under a hot grill. Serve with fresh fruit on the side.
- Food Pairings
- View More Posts Food Pairings
Related Products
