We will be having a Market Day wine sale at our Welmoed cellar door in Stellenbosch.

Dates: Thursday 30 September to Saturday 3 October 2010

Venue: Welmoed Cellar door.

Directions to Welmoed

The following wines will be on sale:

If you have any queries regarding the Market Day sale, please contact our cellar door directly on 021 881 8062.

 A recent article in Wine magazine states that there’s nothing quite as tasty and fresh as linefish braaied over hot coals.

Not only were they spot-on with this statement, but they were also spot-on with their recommend wine to accompany this dish.

“The Arniston Bay Chenin Blanc Chardonnay, a fresh white blend to be enjoyed with seafood, salads and antipasti encapsulates the laid-back Arniston lifestyle,” the article stated.

Here’s how they created this mouth-watering dish:

Use a hinged grid to prevent the fish from breaking or falling out.

Squeeze lemon juice over the fish while braaing it or use your choice of basting mixture, eg lemon butter or olive oil.

The fish is cooked when it’s opaque but not dry. You can test it with a small paring knife – the flesh should part with no resistance. A lean game fish like yellowtail is best cooked fast over high heat.

Place the fish flesh side down 3-4cm from the coals until it starts to brown, then turn it over and brown the skin – this way you retain the juices. If you braai it skin side down first, then turn it over to brown the flesh, all the juices will run out, and the fish will lose some its flavour and become dry.

To remove the fish from the grid easily and without breaking it, turn it so that the flesh side of the fish is facing downwards. Open the grid and then place a serving platter or chopping board upside down over the skin side. Close the grid over the platter, invert the grid and then remove the platter with the fish on it.

From: winemag.co.za

Congratulations to Sheila Walsh from Nottinghamshire. Sheila is the winner of the UK “Win a beach holiday to SA” competition. Well done and we hope that you enjoy your holiday in our beautiful country.

Life can be such a rush and often we feel that we don’t have time to prepare a decent meal. But the truth is there are great recipes for amazing dishes where the total preparation time is less than 20 minutes.

For some people making food can be therapeutic and helps them to unwind.  Here’s a great recipe which is simple, quick and really delicious

Recommended wine: Arniston Bay Chardonnay 2010 . This is a fruity wine with good acidity and some toasty, spicy complexity from well judged oak. Really attractive with lots of character and elegance.

Ingredients

• 8 small chicken cutlets (700g pounds total)
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 400g  sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup goat cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

1. - Season chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. - Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plates.
3. - Add mushrooms and remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. - Stir in heavy cream, goat cheese, parsley, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve over the chicken

Source: realsimple.com

Chicken recipes are sometimes to extravagant and complicated because chefs suggest that you must add a number of different herbs and spices. Here is a nice and easy recipe with just the right amount of extras. 

With this meal I would suggest the well balanced Arniston Bay Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2010. This wine has grassy and green pepper undertones with a good crispy and lengthy finish which will definitely complement this dish.

Ingredients

• - 750g  small chicken cutlets (8 to 12)
• - Salt and pepper
• - 2 tablespoons olive oil
• - 700 ml grape or cherry tomatoes
• - 3/4 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
• - 4 spring onions, sliced
• - 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

Directions

1. -Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook the chicken until browned and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to plates.
2. -Add the tomatoes to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they begin to burst, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. -Add the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the spring onions and rosemary and serve with the chicken.

Source: realsimple

This month’s recipe / food article (blogger) of the month is Alida Ryder for her mouth watering Chili Risotto with Calamari recipe.

Alida creates the most amazing recipes and the way she presents it on her blog is so appetising and looks extremely delicious.

Alida’s blog (simply-delicious.co.za ) is also nominated for a SA Blog award in the Food and Wine category and we wish her the best of luck as she definitely deserves to be a finalist.

Recommended wine:

The Arniston Bay Chardonnay will pair perfectly with this creamy, chilly spicy calamari  dish.

Here is the recipe:

Chili Risotto with Crispy Calamari

Serves 4

Ingredients

- 2 leeks, finely chopped

- 2 tbsn butter

- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

- 2 cups Risotto rice

- 250ml white wine

- 1-1.5l chicken stock

- 1/2 cup cream

- 2 fresh chillies, finely chopped or use as much crushed chillies as you can handle.

- 1 cup grated parmesan/pecorino

- Salt and pepper to taste

- 500g baby squid and calamari steak cut into strips

- 15ml cajun spice mixed with 4tbsn flour

- oil for deep frying

Directions

• - In a large pot/pan,  fry the leeks in the butter until soft. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or two.
• - Add the rice and stir, coating the rice with the oil. Add the wine and allow to reduce
• - Now, add the stock ladle by ladle. Stirring in between and allowing the rice to absorb the stock. The rice shouldn’t be completely dry before you add more, it should always be moist. Take care not to stir too much as you don’t want it to go stodgy.
• - Meanwhile, coat the squid and calamari with the seasoned flour.  Try to get the squid as dry as possible before coating with the flour, otherwise it will go a bit gloopy.
• - Heat the oil in a pot/wok and fry the squid and calamari until crisp. Set aside.
• - Finish the risotto by adding the cream, chillies and cheese.
• - Serve in bowls topped with a handful of the squid and calamari and some extra chillies and cheese.

Source: simply-delicious.co.za

Alida Ryder

This blog has been nominated for SA Blog Awards in two categories, namely Best food and wine blog and the best company blog.

Thanks to everyone who nominated this blog. If you haven’t already voted, please do vote for us. It’s easy. Click on the banner on the right of the page. Scroll down.  Fill in your email (confirm) and you’re done.

Thanks!

The Arniston Bay UK competition is now closed. Thanks to all the people who entered.

We will be announcing the winner within the next few days so be sure to hold thumbs and keep checking the website.