Thursday, September 21, 2017

The annual Muratie Du Toitskloof cook-off

It was time again for the annual cook off between these two wine producers (one a family-owned Stellenbosch estate, the other a huge consortium of wine producers on the other side of the DuToitskloof Pass in Rawsonville); both renowned not only for their wines but their good cooking. They take turns in hosting this fun competition. The object is to each braai the same meat, prepared in two different ways and then have the attending guests taste them, and vote for their favourites. This year, the sixth time the cook off has happened, it was at Muratie in Stellenbosch and the theme was pork. They were to cook two different cuts each, they could choose which..
The weather was warm enough for the cooking and the sampling and judging to take place outdoors in the historic courtyard in the shade of the estate’s ancient oaks
A welcoming glass of Muratie Lady Alice MCC
The chefs relaxing with glasses of the Lady Alice MCC while the fire cooks the meat
Hattingh de Villiers is the Muratie winemaker
To keep the guests happy and from starvation (!) the traditional baked brie covered with strawberries was sitting warming on a mini Weber braai accompanied by some sourdough bread baked by Chef Kim Melck. There were also olives, biltong and droëwors and chicken liver paté from DuToitskloof
This Brie is so moreish that you have to stop yourself from eating too much. There was lots of food coming
Classic wrestling... or is it? A small sculpture from Georg Canitz's collection. He was an artist and was a previous owner of Muratie
The Muratie team, Kim Melck and winemaker Hattingh de Villiers, chose a deboned neck, smoked and drizzled with ginger, honey and soy, and rashers prepared with lemon juice, rosemary and coarse salt
The DuToitskloof team, headed up by winemaker Shawn Thomson and his wife Elrine, opted for neck steaks prepared with honey, mustard, orange, garlic and ginger, and short ribs marinated in red wine and star anise
Bernard Kotze, Marketing Manager of DuToitskloof, enjoying the refreshing cocktails Muratie made. It was made with Amber Forever, their Muscat d'Alexandrie dessert wine, topped up with lime juice, tonic and lots of ice
 Time to put the meat on the fire. Hattingh with the pork rashers, Shawn with his pork neck
The DuToitskloof spare ribs which had been marinated and precooked in red wine, are now ready for the fire. Definitely a method to try at home
They were using their Pinotage to baste. And to drink
The smoked pork neck from Muratie had been slowly cooking in the Weber
Rashers ready; more rashers waiting to be cooked
While the cooking was going on we repaired to the cellar where we were given a tasting of Muratie's 2017 Laurence Campher, shortly to be bottled. This is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Verdelho and small quantities of Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. And it is topped up with some Chardonnay if there is any left. The Chenin and Viognier show on the nose with the merest whiff of smoke. It has a full mouth feel, nice kicky fruit acids and flavours of loquats, peaches and lime. An absolute must with food
How is it going chefs?
The new chef at Muratie, Tinus du Toit, who has come to assist Kim Melck in their restaurant, checking the Du Toitskloof progress
We take our seats; the first dish is on its way
And have a toast with the rather technicolour Pinotage rosé from du Toitskloof
Pork ribs cooked in 2016 DuToitskloof Pinotage, soy and five spice. They fell off the bone, flavoursome on the outside and tender and moist inside, most of the fat having been rendered by the fire. Voted a huge success. The pork neck was glazed with orange, honey and mustard, garlic and ginger. Very flavourful but the meat could have rested a little longer
From Muratie; the smoked pork neck, was rather like gammon, quite salty, very tender. It was given a honey soy and ginger splash. They like minimal seasoning. The Belly of Pork rashers were seasoned just with fresh lemon and sea salt. These two were served with the Ansela van de Caab red blend, full of heady dark fruits. We all tucked in and then realised that lunch was to follow!
Time to vote. Each team had a cork with the wine’s name and each of us chose one and popped it into the wine box
Time for lunch, which was roast chicken and roast sweet potatoes flavoured with rose water, very unusual and we liked it. There was also a potato salad and a huge mixed green salad with green beans. This was served with Muratie's Semillon 2014, an Orange wine, tasting rather like a weak Fino sherry
Everyone there had a vote. Chef Pete Goffe Wood was the chief judge and arbiter
 The chefs waiting to hear the result
Pete spoke amusingly about the competition and the meats and the cooking
Rijk Melck's dogs waited for scraps. Later boys, later
DuToitskloof Chairman Johan de Wet and Hattingh de Villiers wait, anxiously 
The Trophy! And the winner is....
The team from DuToitskloof
winemaker Shawn Thomson and his wife Elrine

Rijk Melck enjoying himself. They are already discussing what the theme for next year should be. And where it will be. A great fun competition that must continue

Afternoon tea at the Leeu Collection, Franschhoek

How can one refuse an invitation to take tea with friends? We were invited to try the afternoon tea at the Leeu Estates this week with other members of the media and they kindly arranged transport from Cape Town to get us there and back. Should you wish to partake of this lovely experience, the tea costs R190 per person and includes a pot of tea. Afternoon Tea will be served from 2pm to 5pm every day of the week. The Leeu Estate is the 17-room country house retreat and boutique winery in the Franschhoek valley and it is part of the Leeu Collection owned by Mr Analjit Singh
It was a lovely day, the gardens are looking splendid and the vineyards have the buds breaking. Mr Singh is a partner in award-winning Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines which are located on the property
The views of Franschhoek from the terrace are lovely. You can see the Franschhoek pass winding up the mountain in the distance.
The invited media group was welcomed with a glass of Bas MCC from the Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines - this is the nickname by which Mr Singh is affectionately known
or some sherbet if you did not want alcohol
It makes a very pretty picture
PRO Nicolette Waterford chats to Journalist/publisher Ingrid Jones
The Estate is filled to the brim inside and out, with art, some of it very whimsical like this sculpture
Diana letting loose the Dogs of War
The main Leeu Estate building
Time for tea, or perhaps something a little stronger? Refreshments for the hotel guests
We were seated in the main dining room
which has two magnificent lion sculptures
Executive Chef Oliver Cattermole came to chat to us and tell us about the tea
Martin Senekal, who is a well known and respected chef has joined the Leeu Estates and is the pastry chef
The Afternoon Tea Menu
One of these three tiered cake plates served two or three of us. It is an overwhelmingly good selection, and vast. Lynne has been watching a TV programme where professional pastry chefs compete for the top award, many of these fine classic French and English pastries were part of that programme and made one's mouth water. Now we had a chance to taste them
On the top tier were Leeu Pina Colada macarons, a guava Paté de fruit 
a fruit jelly topped with a crumble and fresh cream
On the next tier you can see a pastry shaped like a little nun or choir boy, this is a Religieuse - the lightest crisp choux pastry, crusted with nuts, filled with crème patissière (flavoured confectioner custard), given a cream frill and topped with its own white chocolate halo; scrumptious. The strawberry gateaux are more like a strawberry jelly and they are filled with a lovely tart passion fruit gel
On the other side of the second tier are the chocolate gateau, so light and fluffy and very chocolatey, topped with roasted hazelnuts. And the Mille-feuille (thousand leaves), thin layer of puff pastry sandwiched with creamy pistachio custard and given a chocolate sail anchored with a pistachio nut.
On the bottom tier is the savoury selection - more Lynne's cup of tea. Spicy Coronation Chicken sandwiches, tiny, well seasoned spinach and feta quiches with crisp, crumbly and buttery short crust pastry. There are mini Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato baps, small oak smoked salmon sandwiches on Banting seed loaf with pickled cucumber and dill crème fraiche - could have done with more of those. And then there are the lightest scones most of us have ever tasted. Made with buttermilk, they nearly float off the plate. They are accompanied with fig or apricot jam and real clotted cream
Mr Singh came to meet everyone
And both chefs had to answer lots of questions about the pastries and other treats. It really is a magnificent tea. Three of us shared one cake tier and we each just had half of each of the pastries. And half a scone each. This normally would have been far to many sweet things for Lynne but because they are so light and delicious, she coped. We drank some lovely Earl Grey tea on our table, John stuck to water and another glass of BAS MCC. If you come for the tea, the wine and bubbles are extra
Carriages awaited outside the reception area
Journalists Anel Grobler and Ingrid Irma Jones enjoying some sun while waiting