Wednesday, August 23, 2017

How to get perfect Pork Crackling

You all know how frustrating it is when the crackling on pork fails. Our gas oven has recently had an overhaul and a very expensive new thermostat fitted. But it did not get hot enough to cook our roast of pork on Sunday; it had to be finished in our convection microwave. But the crackling, despite being well oiled and salted was rubbery. But Lynne knew how to solve that
Take the crackling off the roast and put some into a small Pyrex dish. Cover loosely with a sheet of kitchen paper towel. Make sure that the skin has a light dusting of salt. You might have to do this in batches, but it is quick. Then put it into a microwave. Put it on full power for one minute, you will hear lots of popping and exploding. Do this until it has crackled nicely but is not burnt. It might still be a little flexible when you take it out, but leave it aside for a few minutes and it will crisp up really nicely. Drain off the fat before doing another piece. Don't, under any circumstances, leave off the paper or your microwave will be covered in fat and be horrible to clean. And don't give it longer than a minute at a time - it can catch fire
Posted by MENU at 10:56 pm 0 comments

Wine Concepts Seductive Sauvignons at The Vineyard Hotel, Newlands

Once a year, Wine Concepts asks a group of Sauvignon producers, white - Sauvignon Blanc and red - Cabernet Sauvignon, to showcase their wines at this prestigious wine showcase. Your ticket gets you a good wine glass and you walk around the room tasting to your heart's delight. Very often, you can chat to the man or woman who made the wine while you taste. And the Vineyard
 Hotel supplies good snacks to help you cope with all the great wines you are tasting. 42 wine farms were there on Friday. And if you care to eat, you can book for dinner at the Vineyard and even stay the night, they offer special rates
Wine Concepts presents other tastings through the year, so check out their website, get on their mailing list and make sure you come to the next one http://wineconcepts.co.za There will be a Champagne event coming up later in the year, and we do mean real French Champagne, with a few other additions this year
Andrew Gunn of Iona tasting some Hermanuspietersfontein No.7 poured by Hein de Jager

Iona had two Sauvignons Blanc for tasting: the iconic 2017, newly released and the Sophie te'Blanche 2017 which is how their vineyard workers pronounce Sauvignon Blanc!

Jenna Bruwer of Springfield showed the new 2017 Life from Stone and 2017 Special Cuvée Sauvignon Blancs for tasting as well as the delicious 2015 Whole Berry Cabernet Sauvignon

Magic broadcaster Guy MacDonald was enjoying the evening with his friend

Michelle Stewart and Keelyn Gibbons were presenting Adam Mason's Mulderbosch Sauvignons Blanc

and lots to taste from Zevenwacht winemaker Charles Lourens

Villiera also had three Sauvignons Blanc and one Cabernet Sauvignon and their Monro Red

Christiaan Coetzee and Lara Shargey were showing the lovely wines from Uva Mira


Mike Kreft from Belfield in Elgin with his Magnifica Cabernet 2014 and a new, just bottled but as yet unlabelled 2017 rosé, made from Cabernet

Emy Mathews who handles marketing for Benguela Cove with their winemaker Johan Fourie. They had some tank samples as well as the 2015 and 2016 Sauvignons Blanc

It is a busy tasting

Jenna Bruwer getting a hug from Charles Pohl of Rust and Vrede

Success. The orders came pouring in

Constantia Glen has a superb 2017 Sauvignon Blanc - Lynne's wine of the evening. It is a classic Constantia Sauvignon Blanc: fig leaves on the nose, a tingle on the tongue and then layers of European Gooseberries and Elderflower, very satisfying

Paul Kruger and the Villiera team

The empty bottle stack at the end of a great evening. We tried to taste everything and failed miserably. It is a very social evening catching up with people in the wine industry, friends and visitors alike

Posted by MENU at 10:39 pm 0 comments

MENU's Recipe tip this Week. Perfect Pork Crackling

What's on the Menu this week? Not a recipe but one of Lynne's best tips for failed crackling; you can save it.
HOW TO GET PERFECT PORK CRACKLING
You all know how frustrating it is when the crackling on pork fails. Our gas oven has recently had an overhaul and a very expensive new thermostat fitted. But it did not get hot enough to cook our roast of pork on Sunday; it had to be finished in our convection microwave. But the crackling, despite being well oiled and salted was rubbery. But Lynne knew how to solve that

Take the cracking off the roast and put some into a small Pyrex dish. Cover loosely with a sheet of kitchen paper towel.  Make sure that the skin has a light dusting of salt. You might have to do this in batches, but it is quick. Then put it into a microwave.  Put it on full power for one minute, you will hear lots of popping and exploding. Do this until it has crackled nicely but is not burnt. It might still be a little flexible when you take it out, but leave it aside for a few minutes and it will crisp up really nicely. Drain off the fat before doing another piece. Don't, under any circumstances, leave off the paper or your microwave will covered in fat and be horrible to clean. And don't give it longer than a minute at a time -  it can catch fire
Posted by MENU at 1:03 am 0 comments

MENU's Wine of the Week. Restless River Chardonnay 2015

When one is near the end of two tastings in the same day, having tasted over 60 wines, many of which were young and somewhat tannic, sometimes quite acidic, it takes a very special wine to blow the cobwebs out of one’s mind and delight the palate
Craig and Anne Wessels’ Restless River Chardonnay from the Hemel en Aarde valley has impressed many of the best critics and was scored 96/100 by British critic Tim Atkin and 95 by Jamie Goode. The 2015 is in perfect balance. A subtle but intense mineral base supports delicious citrus fruit in perfect balance. It is barrel fermented but the wood does not overpower the fruit; again, a perfect balance
The 2015 we tasted was an unlabelled pre-release sample; the photograph shows the 2014
Posted by MENU at 12:54 am 0 comments

Ex Animo Spring Portfolio Trade Tasting at Auslese


We were very happy to be invited by David Clarke to this tasting of wines, even though we had to come after John Collins' tasting. There are some wild cards here, some very interesting and impressive wines and winemakers, some very new to us, and some we really respect. On the list are Craven; Hogan; Intellego; JH Meyer - we like and have bought these; Joostenberg, we like and have sold and do buy these; Julien Schaal; Luddite - know them well and buy the wine; Mother Rock; Restless River is impressive, an impressive Chardonnay and other good wines - we have visited and enjoyed; Skinny Legs Wine Co; Spioenkop Wines we know are good; Testalonga; Thorne and Daughters, another 5 star Platter; Trizanne Signature wine, we have sold and bought; Van Loggerenberg Wines and Vuurberg. There are some Zoo Biscuit wild child wines in there and some from the Swartland. We need to get to know more of them. We only had an hour to taste and only touched the surface
Anne and Craig Wessels’ Restless River in Hemel en Aarde is small but is producing very impressive wines. See our Wine of the Week
Niels Verburg of Luddite does not have to impress these wine buyers and writers: Ingrid Motteux, Caroline Rillema and Jonathan Snashall. He and his wife Penny make impressive, different and innovative wine. In the background is Tyrell Myburgh of Joostenberg
Alsace vintner Julien Schaal and his Burgundy born winemaker wife Sophie Bollaert with their delicious wines. They were next to Niels Verburg who is chatting with David Clarke
Fresh from a week of tasting for the Michelangelo Awards was French sommelier Denis  Garret here with David Clarke
Jocelyn Hogan Wilson of Hogan Wines. They have a good Swartland Chenin Blanc, 2016, concentrated fruit, full and warm on the palate, with hot berries and yellow fruit
It was a very young crowd at the tasting. These are the wines that are attracting them
Posted by MENU at 12:31 am 0 comments
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