.: Matthew Gordon launches his winter menu at Harvest, Laborie in Paarl

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Matthew Gordon launches his winter menu at Harvest, Laborie in Paarl

It seems only a week or two ago that we were enjoying Matthew Gordon’s summer menu at Laborie. This week, we and other media were invited to sample his new Winter Menu and one of our number liked it so much, he took his family there two days later for Sunday lunch. We can heartily recommend it and think it is very good value indeed for the quality and quantity of food that you get. We started with a welcome glass of their MCC sparkling Chardonnay which we seem to consume regularly a) because we like it very, very much and b) because it is also extremely good value. While we were standing around chatting they produced some good canapés: large and tender sweet tempura prawns and tempura slices of avocado, something new and quite interesting, we might try at home.

This was the menu we ate, which is a selection of things available on the new expanded Winter Menu

The table in the small separate dining room with a nice roaring fire

Eamon and Clare McLaughlin of Spill with Kerryan Lancaster, Global Brand Manager of Laborie

Lynne chatting to journalist Neil Pendock

Those moreish tempura prawns and avocado slices

Kerryan tells us about the new menu

Winemaker at Laborie, Kobus van der Merwe

Marketing Director for KWV, Jeff Gradwell, tells us about the wines

and Executive Chef Matthew Gordon explains his menu. All the items on it are sourced locally if at all possible

Making notes and having a glass of one of our favourite bubblies, Laborie’s Blanc de Blanc MCC

Chef Matthew explains the courses

First course with a glass of the KWV Special Collection 2013 Chardonnay, rich and creamy with a hint of wood smoke. The grapes are from Elgin

And what a wow of a first course. Lynne might travel miles to eat this delicious soup again. A rich silky saffron velouté bursting with fish and seafood and some cheeky crisp crab wontons

Perfectly cooked smoked duck breast, a Confit duck leg croquette, more crisp spicy wontons and a berry jus to match this with the soft and gentle Laborie Merlot/Cab blend

Two different vintages (2011 and 2012) of the elegant and complex Laborie Jean Taillefert Shiraz were served with the main course of terrifically tender red wine braised Karoo lamb with a garlic crust

And then with the honeyed, sweet and sticky Pineau de Laborie, a classic steamed lemon pudding, light as a feather with limoncello curd and lemon meringue ice cream and some very unusual mojito jelly (we loved it). A tour de force, on the palate it tasted as if you had just eaten a huge slice of lemon meringue pie!

And when we didn’t think we would or could eat anything else, a good double espresso, a glass of Laborie Alambic Brandy and some homemade Belgian chocolates

Clare Mack with Madge Booth from Good Housekeeping, enjoying the chocolates