- The Drop
How To Do Mother’s Day Lunch Right
Looking for inspiration to spoil the Mum in your life this Mother’s Day?
We share a fool-proof guide to spoiling them come May – think trending lunch picks, levelled up with top-quality drops.
Let’s begin with the latter. On our list this Mother’s Day:
Champagne Charles Mignon Reserve Brut NV
If you’re after something French, the Champagne Charles Mignon Reserve Brut NV took out the Best Champagne at the recent Best of Wine Awards. Fresh, fruity and beautifully balanced, it’s the ideal cuvee for special occasions
Arras Brut Elite Sparkling NV
Or, if home-grown is more your flavour, the Arras Brut Elite Sparkling NV is one of the best in market, and has the awards to prove it. It picked up the Best Sparkling $30 & Over at the Best of Wine Awards – and any wonder, it’s a bottle that took winemaker Ed Carr over 15 years to perfect.
Start things off with…
Oysters with Mignonette Granita
Welcome guests with an icy glass of Champagne Charles Mignon Reserve Brut NV and a just-shucked oyster topped with a gingery, zippy finger lime dressing.
Ingredients (serves 4)
120 mL red wine vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
5 peppercorns, crushed
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 dozen oysters
¼ teaspoon grated zest from lemon
Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a small pot. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 30 seconds, then remove from heat and let cool completely.
2. Pour cooled mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into a freezer-safe container just big enough to hold the mixture in a shallow layer. (Pro tip: save the strained shallot and toss into your next salad).
3. Freeze the mixture, scraping every hour or so with a fork to break up the ice into small pieces, until fully frozen (around 3 hours).
4. Serve in a small, very cold bowl as a condiment for oysters on the half shell.
The main event…
Oven-baked salmon with tahini and herb and radish salad
Salmon paired with a nutty tahini sauce and a fresh and lemony herb salad calls for a refreshing sparkling to cut through the richness. The gentle acidity and fine mousse of Arras Brut Elite Sparkling NV makes it the perfect candidate.
Ingredients (serves 4)
2 medium onions, sliced ½ inch thick
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Zest of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons cracked pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
4 skin-on salmon fillets
6 large radishes, cut into wedges, plus more thinly sliced for garnish
3 cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
Fresh coriander and flaky sea salt for garnish
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius.
2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add onions and cook until charred, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cover tightly. Let steam for 15 minutes.
3. Mix 2 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil to an ovenproof nonstick pan and add salmon, skin-side down. Spread the lemon zest mixture on the salmon. Bake until just cooked through, 14 to 16 minutes.
4. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add radish wedges and cook until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Dry the pan and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Heat over medium heat until sizzling, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the radish wedges. Cover and keep warm.
5. Combine the onions, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and sugar in a food processor; puree until smooth.
6. Serve the salmon with the onion puree and radishes. Garnish with sliced radishes, coriander and flaky salt, if desired.
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