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A quiet evening in the Alfred
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In
this week’s MENU:
Cape
Malay Curry cook-off John
Collins trade tasting This
week’s recipe: the recipes from the cook-off
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This week’s Product menu: Ottolenghi continues to inspire! Spice mixtures
like za’atar and ras el hanout are very popular, as is sumac, one of his
favourite ingredients. We also have delicious treats for the times when you
just want to heat and eat: Confit duck, French beans in goose fat and Garbure –
a pot à feu of duck confit and vegetables. We can also get you ready made
cassoulet - and don’t forget the superb French patés. Our online shop shows our
range of rare and exciting products which you are unlikely to find elsewhere in
South Africa. See it here
Our market activities Come and visit us at the Old Biscuit Mill’s
wonderfully exciting, atmospheric Neighbourgoods Market, as always, this Saturday and every Saturday between 09h00 and 14h00. Tip: Some visitors
tell us how they struggle to find parking. It’s quite easy if you know how. Click here for a map which shows where we park.
Cape Malay Curry cook-off For several years, Muratie
and DuToitskloof
Wineries have held an annual cook-off competition using one famed local dish.
This year, it was the turn of a traditional Cape Malay Curry and we were
delighted to be invited to come and taste both curries and then vote on our
favourite. Each was accompanied by a wine from the producer of the food, so you
could also see which wine you preferred with the dish. We drank the Muratie
Laurens Kampher 2012 white blend and the Du Toitskloof 2013 Beaukett, an aromatic blend of
muscat de frontignan, chenin blanc and gewürztraminer.
There was some
quite illustrious company attending. We met Benny Masekwameng, one of the
judges from MasterChef SA, and Arnold Tanzer, chef
extraordinaire and Culinary Producer of MasterChef SA,
whom we know from our shop, was also there. Cass Abrahams, the renowned author
of Cape Malay cookbooks, had been invited to give her opinion on the dishes, as
was Myrna Robins, who writes for Independent Newspapers. It was a lovely,
informal and friendly lunch with the media and 19 of the people enjoying the
feast had a vote. The winner, by a margin of 3 votes, was Muratie’s co-owner
and cook, Kim Melck. Her restaurant slow roasted lamb shanks (not curried) are
a good incentive to visit the farm and enjoy them with the wines.
The curries
were very different from each other, even though they both used lamb shanks. Du
Toitskloof’s was a sweet and sour rendition, which Cass Abrahams said was more
in the region of the classic Cape Malay style, but did not have any tamarind in
it, as the cook used vinegar and white wine. The Muratie curry – which we both
voted for – was hot and spicy and the lamb was very succulent. Both were served
with sambals, which Cass Abrahams said would not happen in Cape Malay culture,
so all of us who grew up eating sambals with curry got that from the
British/Indian tradition at the Cape. And, she said, the use of chilli was not
correct as Cape Malay curries use no heat, just spices like turmeric,
coriander, cassia, cumin and cloves mixed into a traditional curry powder. For
our palates the addition of fresh banana in yogurt was welcome, as were the
chutneys and sambals, as they add complexity and texture to curries. As both
Indonesia and Malaya and other Asian countries that were part of the Dutch East
Indies use chillies in their curries, we suspect that the tradition died out
here because chillies were scarce or could not be found here when the Cape
Malay population arrived. Both wines went very well with the curries, but the
winner at our end of the table was the DuToitskloof Beaukett, whose sweet fruit
was a good match for the spice. Click here to see the photographs
John Collins trade tasting John Collins represents a few of
the best wine farms in the Cape and now has taken on some Belgian beers, so
last night’s trade tasting was always going to be pretty special, and not a
little dangerous with possible over-imbibing. What was also thrown into the mix
were some of the best and most luxurious canapés we have ever had at a tasting,
produced non-stop by the kitchens at Den Anker, where the tasting was
held between 3.30 and 6.30. Raw marinated tuna, bitterballen, duck foie on
toast with a shard of caramel, smoked salmon tartar, mini caprese sticks and
huge curried prawns wrapped in Kataifi pastry, all went well with the wines and
beers we tasted. And then there were waffles with ice cream and strawberries
and Belgian Chocolates..
There was not
one bad or dubious wine, in fact Lynne’s tasting notes are covered in
superlatives, but we thought the best thing we could do was to recommend our
favourites from each farm.
Diemersfontein produced a juicy Cabernet Sauvignon with a backing of dark toasted
wood; their Carpe Diem Chenin Blanc is superb, full of limey citrus, pineapple,
green apples and pears with great balance and depth. Take note of the Carpe
Diem 2011 Pinotage Reserve which won the Old Mutual Trophy and buy the
Thokozani white blend of Chenin, Chardonnay and Viognier. This is a big wine, full
of minerality and nods to a Chablis style.
At the Jordan
table, we loved the newly released 2013 Sauvignon Blanc. It has
superb flavours of blackcurrant leaves, some tropical and some classic green
fig flavours. The unoaked Chardonnay is also a stunner with fresh lime and
melon finishing buttery and a full mouthful of pleasure. A food wine for sure.
We thought the barrel fermented 2012 Chardonnay needs a little more time, but
will be amazing when it starts to ‘speak’ and the 2012 barrel fermented Chenin
Blanc is deep and rich and should win some awards. The Nine Yards chardonnay is
simply brilliant, big and rich and will age very well. John loves The Outlier
Sauvignon blanc, with its rich mineral overtones and The Prospector Shiraz,
which is a favourite when he takes tour clients to lunch at Jardine restaurant
on the Jordan estate. A tray of duck foie paté came by as we were tasting
the Mellifera noble late harvest – a sublime coincidence!
And the wine of the tasting was 2009 Jordan Cobbler’s Hill. Herbal notes on the cassis and
cherry nose followed through to full, sweet, supple fruit with a licorice end.
Soft as silk and velvet, this might well become a Birthday wine for next
August.
Kleinood’s Tamboerskloof 2009 Syrah unfolds in the mouth with warm rich
berries and spice. Their Tamboerskloof Viognier is the best they have ever
produced, full of peaches and cream without any suggestion of harsh wood. Lynne
would drink this until the cows come home.
All of Newton
Johnson’s Pinots are showing beautifully, but especially
the Walker Bay 2012. Like violet macaroons on the nose, full of burgundy fruit
flavours with a touch of spice and as they put it, cashmere-like tannins. The
2012 Family Vineyards Pinot is like suede leather on the nose, very elegant and
hiding a little, but just about to burst into life. The Full Stop Rock 2010
blend of Syrah, grenache and mourvedre just rocks. A new discovery for us is
Resonance, their 2012 Sauvignon blanc/Semillon blend and we think they have
produced another winning wine. It needs time, like Cape Point’s Isliedh, but
has all the bones.
Thelema
Sutherland’s 2010 Viognier Rousanne
impressed a lot. Rousanne is a grape we appear to be able to grow successfully
and it adds something quite different when blended with the Viognier, making it
more savoury. It will be great with warm summer dishes which have a kick of hot
spice. Sadly we didn’t manage to taste any of their reds this time, but we know
the Syrah well and it is very good.
We tasted Springfield’s
Life From Stone earlier this year at Wine Concepts’ Sauvignon festival and
loved it then. It is now even better and is showing all the characteristics we
have come to expect from this lovely powerful wine: gooseberries, elderflower,
green figs, with a mineral and flint background. How far can it go? The Special
Cuvée is starting to wake up as well and we will be watching its progress over
the year. The unwooded 2011 Wild Yeast Chardonnay is sweet and rich and the
Barrel fermented 2009 “Method Ancienne” Chardonnay is complex and intriguing.
Of the red wines, we tasted the Whole Berry, a delicious naturally fermented
Bordeaux style blend and The Work Of Time 2006, also a Bordeaux (Merlot,
Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Petit Verdot) blend, which has benefited
from slow fermentation and long maturation – you can enjoy it now, but it will
also enjoy a few years in a quiet corner.
Peter Bayly’s white port is a superb sweet ‘wine’ to serve as an accompaniment
to rich patés or as an aperitif (good on the rocks or, as Peter says, as a long
drink with tonic), while his Cape Late Bottled Vintage Port is a classic. You
can taste them at the Neighbourgoods Market – his table is next to ours.
Lynne tasted
some of the Belgian beers just before the tasting closed and they are very good
indeed, some light weissbier, some fruity and fun and some darker beers – the
Belgians probably make a wider variety of beers than any other nation – and
most are made naturally (Stella Artois doesn’t feature in our list of favourites).
We hope to get them to do a tasting for our Wine Club in the future and will
then be able to write about them more authoritatively.
Photos from the tasting are here – Muggins forgot his camera battery on its charger, so these
photographs and the headline photograph were all taken with his Nokia Lumia
920. Where would we be without smartphones?
This week’s recipe The recipes from
the cook-off, reproduced with permission of Posy Hazell, who co-ordinated it.
We thought you might like to try this for yourself.
MURATIE TEAM RECIPE Cape Malay lamb curry served
Onion Chutney and Banana Yoghurt
Recipe for 6 people
1kg lamb - 2 TBSP Lalla’s special lamb masala - 2 TBSP crushed green
ginger/garlic paste - 1 level tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric - 10 curry leaves - 6 cardamom pods - 5 cinnamon
sticks - 5 cloves - 1 tsp cumin - 1 tsp coriander powder - 2 TBSP oil to mix -2
medium sized onions - 2 tomatoes - Some chopped fresh coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala - 1½ bananas chopped –
1 cup of buttermilk - 1 cup of apricot jam
Fry onions in 4
TBSP oil with masala, turmeric, crushed green ginger/garlic paste, salt and the
seeds i.e. cloves, cinnamon etc. Rub coriander and cumin powder into the meat.
When onions are golden brown, add the meat together with the curry leaves.
Braise for 5-10 minutes, and then cook on medium heat.
Add tomatoes and potatoes if required. ½ hour later, add garam masala and
coriander leaves. Add up to 1½ cups water when required. A delicious curry is
now ready to be served with the Salsa and the Banana Yoghurt.
Chutney: 1
red onion finely sliced - 1 small cucumber diced - 4 TBSP brown vinegar - 2
TBSP sugar - 1 tsp salt - Fresh mint
Soak the onion in the
vinegar, sugar, and salt solution for a few minutes, then mix in the diced
cucumber. Just before serving add a tsp of freshly shredded mint.
BANANA YOGHURT : Chop up 3 ripe
firm bananas and mix with a cup of double Greek yoghurt
DU TOITSKLOOF TEAM RECIPE Cape Malay Lamb Curry served
with Pineapple Sambal and Coriander Chutney - Recipe for 4 Lamb Shanks
Marinade:
½ cup apple cider vinegar - ¼ cup oil - 1½ TBSP garam masala - 2
TBSP balsamic vinegar - 2 tsp salt
Stir well and
marinade shanks overnight. Remove shanks from marinade – keep marinade aside.
Salt generously
with coarse salt on both sides. Heat oven to 230°C, place shanks in open
roasting pan, bake for 20-25 min to seal the meat
Wet Mixture: 1 onion chopped - 1 cup cherry tomatoes - ? cup sliced ginger - 8
gloves garlic, peeled - ½ cup of water
Blend all the
ingredients together, keep aside
Spice Mixture: 1 onion chopped - 3 TBSP clarified
butter
Fry until
brown. Add: 1 tsp ground pepper - 1 tsp mustard seeds - 1 tsp paprika - 1 tsp
ground cinnamon - 1 tsp ground cumin - 1 tsp garam masala - 1 tsp turmeric - 1
tsp ground coriander -
4 cloves - 3 cardamom pods - Pinch chilli flakes - Roast together
with onions until fragrant.
Add Wet
Mixture. Add Marinade, bring to the boil, add meat . Add peel of 1 orange Add 4
tsp brown sugar. Add ½ cup chicken stock Add ½ cup white wine Cook slowly for 3
hours until meat is tender
Season with
salt and pepper. A delicious curry is now ready to be served with Pineapple
Sambal and Coriander Chutney
PINEAPPLE SAMBAL: 1 medium pineapple - 2 green chillies
- 10ml sugar - 2ml cumin
Mix together in
blender
CORIANDER CHUTNEY: 1 bunch fresh coriander leaves - 2
green chillies - 1 red pepper - 2 garlic cloves - 1 tomato - 2ml salt -
60ml fresh lime juice - 2ml cumin. Mix together in blender
Buying from us On Line We have
a lot of fun putting MENU together each week and, of course, doing the
things we write about, but making it possible for you to enjoy rare and
wonderful gourmet foods is what drives our business. We stock a good range of ingredients and delicious ready-made gourmet foods. You
can contact us by email or phone, or
through our on line shop. We can send your requirements to you anywhere
in South Africa. Please do not pay
until we have confirmed availability and invoiced you, then you pay and then we
deliver or post. When you make
an eft payment, make sure that it says who you are. Use the form on the website
to email us your order. Click here to see our OnLine Shop.
There is a huge and rapidly growing variety of
interesting things to occupy your leisure time here in the Western Cape. There are so many interesting things to do in
our world of food and wine that we have made separate list for each month for
which we have information. To see what’s
happening in our world of food and wine (and a few other cultural events), visit
our Events Calendar.
It needs updating and we’ll do that tomorrow. All the events are listed in date
order and we already have a large number of exciting events to entertain you
right through the year.
Learn about wine and cooking We receive a lot
of enquiries from people who want to learn more about wine. Cathy Marston and The Cape Wine Academy both run wine
education courses, some very serious and others more geared to fun. You can see
details of Cathy’s WSET and other courses here
and here and the CWA courses here.
Chez Gourmet in Claremont has a programme of cooking classes. We plan to visit
their French establishment after Vinexpo. A calendar of their classes can be seen here.
Pete Ayub, who makes our very popular Prego sauce, runs evening cooking classes at Sense of Taste, his
catering company in Maitland. We can recommend them very highly, having enjoyed
his seafood course. Check
his programme here. Nadège Lepoittevin-Dasse has cooking
classes in Fish Hoek and conducts cooking tours to Normandy. You can see more details here. Emma
Freddi runs the Enrica Rocca cooking courses at her
home in Constantia. Brett Nussey’s Stir
Crazy courses are now being run from Dish Food and
Social’s premises in Main Road Observatory (opposite Groote Schuur hospital).
Lynn Angel runs the Kitchen Angel
cooking school and does private dinners at her home. She holds hands-on cooking
classes for small groups on Monday and Wednesday evenings. She trained with
Raymond Blanc, and has been a professional chef for 25 years. More info here
26th September 2013
Remember - if you can’t find something, we’ll do our best
to get it for you, and, if you’re in Cape Town or elsewhere in the country, we
can send it to you! Check our online shop for details and prices.
PS If a word or name is in bold type and underlined,
click on it for more information
Phones: +27 21 439 3169 / 083 229 1172 / 083 656
4169
Postal address: 60 Arthurs Rd, Sea Point 8005
Our Adamastor & Bacchus© tailor-made Wine, Food and Photo
tours take
small groups (up to 6) to specialist wine producers who make the best of South
Africa’s wines. Have fun while you learn more about wine and how it is made!
Tours can be conducted in English, German, Norwegian or Dutch flavoured
Afrikaans.
Recommendations
of products and outside events are not solicited or
charged for, and are made at the authors’ pleasure. All photographs,
recipes and text used in these newsletters and our
blogs are © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus.
Our restaurant reviews are usually unsolicited. We prefer to pay for our meals
and not be paid in any way by anyone. Whether we are invited or go
independently, we don’t feel bad if we say we didn’t like it. Honesty is indeed
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