This Week's Recipe: Salmon fishcakes

We had some hot smoked salmon left over and a small piece of fresh salmon in the freezer so Lynne decide to make some Banting fish cakes for supper. But how to make them without any or just a few carbohydrates? 

This was her solution: You could use any fish you like, fresh or left over. You can adjust the flavours to your own liking. Adding chopped spring onions might be one option. Do not make the fish mixture too wet or you will have to add some flour or breadcrumbs to hold it all together and this would rather defeat the object.

200g hot smoked salmon - 200g cooked fresh salmon - 300g sweet potato, boiled and mashed with butter - 1 egg - salt and freshly ground black pepper - 1 T fresh dill, finely chopped or parsley - a quarter teaspoon on chilli flakes or cayenne pepper

Flake the fish and mix everything together well, form into fishcakes and set aside in the fridge to firm up for about 20 minutes. This should make 6 to 8 fishcakes

One egg - 150g ground almonds - 2 T white sesame seeds - lots of seasoning - another shake of cayenne pepper  - coconut fat for frying

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In another bowl beat the egg. Dip each firm fishcake into the egg and then into the dry mixture. Fry gently on each side until nice and brown. Lynne served this with courgette spaghetti and a good mixed salad. It can be accompanied by a tartar sauce (use thick Greek yoghurt with finely chopped capers and pickled cucumber), lemon wedges or horseradish added to thick cream. Serve with a rich unwooded chardonnay like DeWetshof Bon Vallon, Glen Carlou or Groote Post.

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015

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This week’s MENU: Durbanville Season of Sauvignon, Prescient Chardonnay Awards, Lunch at Benguela on Main, Launch of the 2016 Platter South African Wine Guide, Lunch at The Deckhouse Crab Shack and BBQ, Salmon fishcakes

Grace in flight - a grey heron comes in to land

In this week’s MENU:

 Durbanville Season of Sauvignon

 Prescient Chardonnay Awards

 Lunch at Benguela on Main

 Launch of the 2016 Platter's Wine Guide

 The Deck House Crab Shack

 This week’s recipe: Salmon fish cakes

We’ve made a major change to the Main Ingredient website. It has morphed into the MENU website. The home page now comprises links to the current issue’s stories. If you have missed MENU for any reason, please go to Main Ingredient and catch up. The second page has links to previous issues of MENU.

To get the whole story with photographs, here and in our blog, please click on “Read on.....” at the end of each paragraph, which will lead you to the related blog, with pictures and more words. At the end of each blog, click on RETURN TO MENU to come back to the blog version of MENU.

A quieter week... has given us time to do a few useful things around the house, but we have still been included in some wonderful activities. We hope you’ll enjoy reading about them. We have been able to taste some spectacularly good food and wine.

Season of Sauvignon     This annual festival heralds the new releases of the Sauvignons blanc from the Durbanville Valley. We went on Saturday and we started at the furthest farm, Phizante Kraal, where we were given a tasting of four bubblies from the area, two made from Sauvignon blanc, in the media lounge. They had also laid on brunch, but we were rather tardy after our long Karoo trip and there was not much left when we got there, entirely our fault but we had eaten breakfast.

 Each farm had organised its own tasting, its own entrance price, its own deposit on glasses and its own entertainment. So those farms who could afford to go to town had a lot of visitors, more than the others. At previous festivals people circulated from farm to farm much more than we saw this time. We managed to get to 8 farms but didn't manage to taste at all of them. And a 9th was just too popular and we were not allowed to go in. We had a good lunch at Hillcrest. See the farms we visited...

Prescient Chardonnay Awards     Prescient Limited is the new sponsor of these Chardonnay Awards run by Winemag.co.za. They promise to be around for many years to come. 60 top Chardonnays are invited to enter. This is not a top 10 competition, but a certificate is given to every Chardonnay (29 of them) entered that scored 90 points & over (out of 100). We were able to taste all the wines that scored over 92 at the awards ceremony at Momo gallery in Buitengracht this week. There are some fire crackers. Public tastings are to be held in Johannesburg on 4th November at 18h00 at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel and in Cape Town on 11th November at 18h00 at the Radisson Blu Hotel. Waterfront Tickets cost R225 and are available from Winemag.co.za. Photographs from the event

Lunch at Benguela on Main     Benguela Cove winery is on the hillside overlooking Walker Bay, on the road between Bot River and Hermanus. Owner Penny Streeter OBE has now opened a fine dining restaurant nearer to Cape Town on Main Road and Coronation in Somerset West. We experienced the great food and newly released wines there on Friday. See it here

Launch of the 2016 Platter's Wine Guide     Invitations to this launch are always hard to get, but fantastically rewarding when you are invited. You can taste all the just awarded 5 star wines and chat to their winemakers informally, as you and they taste all the wines. There were some surprising results as usual and some expected winners. 8 000 wines tasted this year. 83 wines, three brandies and one husk spirit rated 5 Stars (wines scoring 95 or more out of 100, so rated superlative). Best White wine of the year went to Warwick for their 2014 The White Lady Chardonnay. Best Red wine to Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines 2013 Iron Syrah; they also won the award for the best Dessert wine with their Olerasay NV Straw Wine. They also received 5 stars for the 2013 Straw Wine and their 2014 Granite Chenin Blanc, our favourite of the bunch and therefore took Winery of the year, a tour de force. The red ink entries are back to everyone's delight - they denote 4½ Star and 5 star status. Read on for photos and the Five Star list

Stormy Weather Surprise at The Deck House Crab Shack    Our plan on Sunday was to drive through to Kalkies for great fish and chips in Kalk Bay. A big storm hit us at 08h11 on Sunday morning and, after consultation, we decided it would be more sensible to go closer to home, but we still wanted to eat fish and we wanted to try one of the many new restaurants that have been popping up all over Cape Town in the last few months. See it here

Salmon fishcakes    We had some hot smoked salmon left over and a small piece of fresh salmon in the freezer so Lynne decide to make some Banting fish cakes for supper. But how to make them without any or just a few carbohydrates? This was her solution. You could use any fish you like, fresh or left over. You can adjust the flavours to your own liking. Adding chopped spring onions might be one option. Do not make the fish mixture too wet or you will have to add some flour or breadcrumbs to hold it all together and this would rather defeat the object.

200g hot smoked salmon - 200g cooked fresh salmon - 300g sweet potato, boiled and mashed with butter - 1 egg - salt and freshly ground black pepper - 1 T fresh dill, finely chopped or parsley - a quarter teaspoon on chilli flakes or cayenne pepper

Flake the fish and mix everything together well, form into fishcakes and set aside in the fridge to firm up for about 20 minutes. This should make 6 to 8 fishcakes

One egg - 150g ground almonds - 2 T white sesame seeds - lots of seasoning - another shake of cayenne pepper  - coconut fat for frying

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In another bowl beat the egg. Dip each firm fishcake into the egg and then into the dry mixture. Fry gently on each side until nice and brown. Lynne served this with courgette spaghetti and a good mixed salad. It can be accompanied by a tartar sauce (use thick Greek yoghurt with finely chopped capers and pickled cucumber), lemon wedges or horseradish added to thick cream. Serve with a rich unwooded chardonnay like DeWetshof Bon Vallon, Glen Carlou or Groote Post.

Coming Events:

NOVEMBER

Until end November   Franschhoek Art in Clay For more information and accommodation bookings, please call 021 876 2861 or visit www.franschhoek.org.za

Thursday, 5th November at 19h00 Top12Wines tastings series: Pinot Grigio at MOLO LOLO LODGE 27 Hudson Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town www.molololo.com R220pp inclusive of meal & Cheeses from Ile de France The format is as usual, a blind tasting 12 of the best SA Wines in the category of the day, all winners of awards and top reviews, competing against the public! You will rank the wines in order of preference, with old friends and new friends alike. Expect amazing quality wines. Info: +27 81 799 3899 - info@top12wines.com - www.top12wines.com

Saturday, 7th November From 09h00 to 13h00 The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa Movember - #WaitersRaceCapeTown Camps Bay High School Sports Fields. We would like to invite hotels and restaurants to participate in our 3rd annual #WaitersRaceCapeTown - and encourage members of the public to join the action as spectators, free of charge! All proceeds of the day will be donated to Movember SA. READ MORE The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, Victoria Road, Camps Bay 8005, CAPE TOWN, South Africa Telephone: +27 21 437 9029 Email: restaurants@12apostles.co.za

Thursday, 12th November at 19h00 Top12Wines tastings series: Gewürztraminer at MOLO LOLO LODGE 27 Hudson Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town www.molololo.com R220pp inclusive of meal & Cheeses from Ile de France The format is as usual, a blind tasting 12 of the best SA Wines in the category of the day, all winners of awards and top reviews, competing against the public! You will rank the wines in order of preference, with old friends and new friends alike. Expect amazing quality wines. Info: +27 81 799 3899 - info@top12wines.com - www.top12wines.com

Saturday, 14th & Sunday, 15th November  Bosman Release Celebration on the Bosman family estate, Lelienfontein in Wellington. The day begins at 11h00 and ends at 16h00. The tasting journey is open from 12h00 to 15h00 in the cellar. This event marks the release of new vintages from their Fairtrade De Bos Handpicked Vineyards and signature Bosman Family Vineyards wines. Exclusive releases for Bosman Family Wine Club Members will also be launched on the day including a Weisser Riesling, a Pinot Gris and, for the first time in South Africa, a Nero d’Avola. A festive food market will be set up on the lawns. Live music. Trained crèche staff will look after smaller children. Wine maker theatre sessions can be booked on a first come first serve basis during 12h00 to 15h00. Tickets at R150 per person include access to both days, a wine glass and a R50 voucher redeemable with your first purchase of six bottles of wine on the day. Children under 12 enter free of charge. Food sold at R50 per station. Space is limited, so book now at http://bosmanwines.com/tickets/ to secure your place. For more information please contact Neil Büchner at neil@bosmanwines.com or call 021 873 3170

Click here for details of more exciting events

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. Karen Glanfield has taken over the UnWined wine appreciation courses from Cathy. See the details here

The Hurst Campus, an accredited school for people who want to become professional chefs, has a variety of courses. See the details here

In addition to his Sense of Taste Culinary Arts School, Chef Peter Ayub runs a four module course for keen home cooks at his Maitland complex. Details here

Nadège Lepoittevin-Dasse has French cooking classes in Noordhoek 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

Nicolette van Niekerk runs baking courses at La Petite Patisserie in Montague Gardens

George Jardine will be running a series of winter cooking courses and other activities at Jordan. Details here

We write about our experiences in MENU, not only to entertain you, but to encourage you to visit the places and events that we do. We know you will enjoy them and we try to make each write up as graphic as we can, so you get a good picture of what is on offer at each place, restaurant, wine farm, festival we visit.

4th November 2015

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 and standard or Dutch-flavoured Afrikaans.

If you like the photographs you see in our publications, please look at our Adamastor Photo website for our rate card and samples from our portfolio

We apologise if MENU caused your phone to bleep in the early hours. To send to our huge list of subscribers takes a long time and many of them receive it in the middle of the night. Might we suggest that your phone should not be activated to receive messages from us or from other sources in the witching hours? If your boss needs to contact you at that time, (s)he’s intruding on your valuable personal time.

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 our best policy. While every effort is made to avoid mistakes, we are human and they do creep in occasionally, for which we apologise. Our Avast! ^® Anti-Virus software is updated at least daily and our system is scanned continually for viruses.

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Stormy Weather Surprise at the Deck House Crab Shack in Kloof St

Our plan on Sunday was to drive through to Kalkies for great fish and Chips in Kalk Bay. A big storm hit us at 08h11 on Sunday morning and, after consultation, we decided it would be more sensible to go closer to home, but we still wanted to eat fish and we wanted to try one of the many new restaurants that have been popping up all over Cape Town in the last few months

They have a nice deck but on this cold and stormy day we were not brave enough to sit out

Our table inside

The girls chose the lobster roll with coleslaw and crisp chips (Lynne only ate one side of the bun!)

The guys had the more generous seared tuna burger topped with avocado salsa and served with chips. John left his bun. Good boy

Our friend Loraine has been travelling around the world for 2 months and she surprised us all by arriving at the restaurant, just off the plane. We thought she was stuck in Amsterdam trying to get a flight. Her husband was mightily shocked, surprised and absolutely delighted to see her, as were we

The bill for four with corkage for a bottle of Groote Post Sauvignon blanc 2013 which we took with us. R160 a head with wine and service seems reasonable. We would love to eat some of the luxury items on the menu like the snow crab, huge prawns and crayfish options but those are a little expensive for now

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015

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Platter launches the 2016 Platter Guide to South African Wines

Invitations to this launch are always hard to get, but fantastically rewarding when you are invited. You can taste all the just awarded 5 star wines and chat to their winemakers informally, as you and they taste all the wines. There were some surprising results as usual and some expected winners. 8 000 wines tasted this year. 83 wines, three brandies and one husk spirit rated 5 Stars (wines scoring 95 or more out of 100, so rated superlative). Best White wine of the year went to Warwick for their 2014 The White Lady Chardonnay. Best Red wine to Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines 2013 Iron Syrah; they also won the award for the best Dessert wine with their Olerasay NV Straw Wine. They also received 5 stars for the 2013 Straw Wine and their 2014 Granite Chenin Blanc, our favourite of the bunch and therefore took Winery of the year, a tour de force. The red ink entries are back to everyone's delight - they denote 4½ Star and 5 star status.

The launch was held at the Mount Nelson in the large ballroom

Journalist Greg Landman of Country Life enjoying a chat with wine retailer Caroline Rillema and Niall O'Regan, sales manager of Rijks Wines

Platter launches 2016 Guide; Sean de Kock, Platter's software engineer, Linda Harding Potgieter, Social Media consultant and Platter editor Philip van Zyl at the registration desk

Fiona McDonald is one of the experienced tasters for Platter

JP Rossouw, the publisher, gets things started

Lots of wine makers waiting with bated breath; have they cracked the five star level?

The precious scrolls await their recipients

And the colour this year is Sea breeze blue

Best White wine 2015 was awarded to Warwick for The White Lady and the family was here to accept it. Mike Ratcliffe, his daughter and Norma Ratcliffe, his mother and doyenne of Warwick

Danie Steytler accepts two well deserved five star awards for Kaapzicht: for The 1947 Chenin Blanc and the Steytler Vision 2012 red blend. This should make Danie senior feel much better. He has been very ill for a while

Miles Mossop accepts two for his own wines: the Saskia white blend and the 2014 Kika, a superb NLH dessert wine. The wines are named after his children.

Spier had four five star wines: 2011 CWG Auction Reserve Frans K. Smit, 2013 Gables Pinotage, Gables Sauvignon Blanc . Creative Block 2 white blend. Accepting here are winemaker Johan Jordaan & cellarmaster Frans Smit

The Mullineuxs with their clean sweep of five awards, Best Red wine and winery of the year

Chris and Andrea Mullineux expressing delight at the awards

Now it is time for the best part of the evening for us. Tasting all the five star wines. Francois Haasbroek of Blackwater Wines enjoying the tasting

Louis van der Riet of De Krans with his wife. He received five stars for their 2013 Cape Vintage Reserve port

A happy Norma Ratcliffe

Brad Paton of Buitenverwachting, (five stars for their excellent 2014 Chardonnay) and Richard Kershaw (five stars for his 2013 Clonal Selections Elgin Syrah) with their wives

Smoked beef wrapped around cream cheese

Duncan Savage took five stars for his CWG Auction Reserve 2013 Follow the Line red blend of Cinsaut, Grenache and Syrah and the Cape Point CWG Auction Reserve 2014 White blend. Seen here with Ariane Beaumont Rossouw

Duncan with his father and assistant winemaker Riandri Visser

More canapés. Onion tarts we think, didn't taste. We are avoiding anything with pastry or bread where possible

The room starts to thin out once most people have tasted the wines they wanted to experience

Last chance?

Beef kebabs

Small turnovers

A very happy pair from Boplaas and The Fledge. Margaux Nel and Leon Coetzee were awarded five stars for their Boplaas Heritage Reserve White muscadel 2012, the Cape Vintage Reserve Port 2012 and their Potstill 20 year Reserve Brandy

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015

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The five star wines for 2016 are (courtesy of and copyright to the Platter website):

Cabernet Franc

1. Chamonix 2013

Cabernet Sauvignon

1. Delaire Graff Laurence Graff Reserve 2012
2. Guardian Peak Lapa 2013
3. Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection 2012

Cinsaut

1. AA Badenhorst Ramnasgras 2014

Grenache Noir

1. David & Nadia Sadie 2014

Pinotage

1. Beeslaar 2013
2. Rijk's Reserve 2011
3. Spier 21 Gables 2013
4. Windmeul Reserve 2014

Pinot Noir

1. Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak 2013
2. Newton Johnson Family Vineyards 2014

Shiraz/Syrah

1. Bellingham Bernard Series Basket Press Syrah 2013
2. Eagles' Nest Shiraz 2012
3. Leeuwenkuil Heritage Syrah 2013
4. Mullineux Iron Syrah 2013
5. Reyneke Syrah 2013
6. Richard Kershaw Clonal Selections Elgin Syrah 2013

Red Blends

1. AA Badenhorst Red 2013
2. Delaire Graff Botmaskop 2013
3. Ernie Els CWG Auction Reserve 2013
4. Fleur du Cap Laszlo 2012
5. Haskell IV 2010
6. Kaapzicht Steytler Vision 2012
7. Luddite Saboteur 2012
8. Meerlust Rubicon 2010
9. Miles Mossop Max 2012
10. Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2013
11. Mvemve Raats MR de Compostella 2013
12. Nico van der Merwe Mas Nicolas Cape 2013
13. Savage Wines CWG Auction Reserve Follow the Line 2013
14. Spier CWG Auction Reserve Frans K Smit 2011
15. The Winery of Good Hope Radford Dale Black Rock 2013
16. Vondeling Erica 2012
17. Vuurberg Reserve 2012

Chardonnay

1. Buitenverwachting 2014
2. Dorrance Cuvée Anaïs 2014
3. GlenWood Grand Duc 2013
4. Graham Beck Lonehill 2014
5. Haskell Anvil 2014
6. MVH Signature 2014
7. Newton Johnson Family Vineyards 2014
8. Paul Cluver Seven Flags 2014
9. Sterhuis Barrel Selection 2013
10. Sumaridge 2013
11. Warwick The White Lady Chardonnay 2014

Chenin Blanc

1. Botanica Mary Delany 2014
2. David & Nadia Sadie Hoë-Steen 2014
3. Eenzaamheid 2013
4. Kaapzicht The 1947 2014
5. Keermont Riverside 2014
6. Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve 2014
7. Mullineux Granite 2014

Roussanne

1. Bellingham Bernard Series Whole Bunch 2015

Sauvignon Blanc

1. Cederberg David Nieuwoudt Ghost Corner 2014
2. Nederburg The Young Airhawk 2014
3. Neil Ellis Groenekloof 2015
4. Spier 21 Gables 2014

Semillon

1. Constantia Uitsig 2014
2. Mullineux CWG Auction Reserve The Gris 2014

Viognier

1. The Foundry 2014

White Blends

1. Bloemendal Kanonberg 2014
2. Cape Point CWG Auction Reserve White 2014
3. Constantia Glen Two 2014
4. Constantia Uitsig Natura Vista 2014
5. David & Nadia Sadie Aristargos 2014
6. Mullineux White Blend 2014
7. Newton Johnson Resonance 2014
8. Nitida Coronata Integration 2014
9. Oak Valley Mountain Reserve White Blend 2011
10. Sadie ‘T Voetpad 2014
11. Spier Creative Block 2 2014
12. Waterkloof Circle of Life White 2013

Méthode Cap Classique

1. Anura Brut 2011
2. Cederberg Blanc de Blancs Brut 2010

Dessert Wine, Unfortified

1. Miles Mossop Kika Noble Late Harvest 2014
2. Nederburg Winemaster's Reserve Noble Late Harvest 2014
3. Klein Constantia Vin de Constance Natural Sweet 2011
4. Mullineux Olerasay Straw Wine NV

Dessert Wine, Fortified

1. La Couronne Muscadel NV
2. Boplaas Heritage Reserve White Muscadel 2012

Port-Style

1. Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve 2012
2. De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2013

Brandy/Husk Spirit

1. Dalla Cia 10 Year Old Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot Husk Spirit
2. KWV 10 Year Old Vintage
3. KWV Nexus
4. Van Ryn 15 Year Fine Cask Reserve

Wines & Winery of the Year are:

White Wine of the Year

Warwick The White Lady Chardonnay 2014

Dessert Wine of the Year

Mullineux Olerasay Straw Wine NV

Red Wine of the Year

Mullineux Iron Syrah 2013

Winery of the Year

Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines

Publication notes for Platter’s by Diners Club

• Published by: John Platter SA Wineguide (Pty) Ltd
• Publisher: Jean-Pierre Rossouw
• Editor: Philip van Zyl
• Tasters for 2016: Angela Lloyd; Master of Wine Cathy van Zyl; Cape Wine Masters Winnie Bowman, Greg de Bruyn, Tim James, Christine Rudman and Meryl Weaver; David Biggs, Joanne Gibson, Higgo Jacobs, Cathy Marston, Fiona McDonald, Ingrid Motteux, Gregory Mutambe, Jörg Pfützner & Dave Swingler.