Matching cold cuts, cheese and chutney

A couple of years ago I went to a chutney-making demonstration and tasting. No, not at the WI - it was held by the family owned company Tracklements at leading London cheesemonger La Fromagerie which has recently expanded its empire into the neighbouring shop and now has a fancy new tasting room.

Guy Tullberg of Tracklements gave a fascinating account of how pickles differed from chutneys and relishes (in essence you cook the former and simply boil boiling liquid over the latter. Pickles are veg-based, chutneys can include fruit) but the highlight of the event was a tasting of different styles of relish with cold meats and cheeses.

It was an interesting reminder of the important role these traditional preserves play in livening up a simple meal but also forcibly reminded me of the problem that pickles and chutneys pose for wine - I could only think of a couple of pairings where I’d wouldn’t have preferred a beer or a cider.

Here were the combinations and my suggested pairings:

Classic English Pork Pie and Piccalilli
English pork pies, for those of you who are not familiar with them are classic pub fare with a hot water crust and faintly peppery filling. The sharp mustardy piccalilli which contains tumeric and other spices cut perfectly through the heavy pastry and fattiness of the meat.
Suggested match: a strong English ale such as Timothy Taylor Landlord

Cold ham and Farmhouse pickle
A sweet, fruity Branston-style pickle made with carrot, courgette, turnip and onion with dark muscovado sugar, tamarind and dates which added a nice edge to some smoky, thick-cut ham.
Suggested match: Maybe because of the smoky note in the ham but I liked the idea of a porter with this.

Curried fruit chutney and chicken
A spicy but not overly hot chutney based on tomatoes, apples and dates spiced with fenugreek, coriander, cumin and cardamom. Sweet and rich. Slightly overwhelmed the accompanying chicken but apparently makes a great Coronation Chicken.
Suggested drink match: With these spices I’d enjoy an Indian Pale Ale. Also quite good with the Breton farmhouse cider that was laid on.

Apricot and ginger chutney with farmhouse Cheshire
A mild crumbly cheese with a mellow, sweet chutney. The chutney enlivens what would otherwise be a slightly bland taste experience
Suggested drink match: one of the only chutneys that wouldn’t have overwhelmed an accompanying wine. A Spanish tempranillo or garnacha, I thought

Apple and Cider Brandy chutney with Camembert
I didn’t think this combination worked. The chutney with its spicy mince-pie like flavours was too powerful for the cheese. It would have been better with a strong cheddar and I’d have preferred the Camembert with some kind of berry compote.
Suggested drink match: The accompanying cider was stripped of flavour by the chutney. You really needed something like an apple aperitif or digestif such as Somerset Pomona or Pommeau

Fig Relish and Goats Cheese
Guy Tullberg said that this combination was well received by people who didn’t like goats cheese. I can see why - with its powerful cinnamon, clove and allspice notes it cancels out the taste. I think it might work in a hot tartlet though using fig relish as a base and a slice of goats cheese on top. Apparently this is their most successful product.
Suggested drink match: Guy suggested Pedro Ximenez but for me that’s too powerful for goats’ cheese. A sweet oloroso maybe.

Montgomery’s cheddar with organic plum chutney
This combination of award-winning artisanal cheese and a sharp, zesty plum chutney with a touch of orange was perfect - but lethal to wine!
Suggested drink match: A strong British ale such as Adnams Broadside

Sausage roll and onion marmalade
Sausages and caramelised onions are a match made in heaven. This was an unusually sweet, concentrated version that would go as well with hot sausages as cold.
Suggested drink match: an English bitter or could possibly take a gutsy southern French red such as a Cotes du Rhone Villages

Wholemeal bread and butter with cucumber pickle
A very mild sweet cucumber pickle - like an old-fashioned sandwich spread. Nice but not spectacular with the bread and butter. Would be better with a burger - it makes a fantastic barbecue relish
Suggested drink match: Again not too powerful to accompany wine - I’d suggested a ripe soft red like a Merlot or, possibly even better, a fruity New World rosé. Cider would be good too.

The important point to bear in mind is that sharp pickles will make an accompanying drink taste sweeter and less bitter and a sweet one will make it sharper. It’s the combination of sweet and sour that’s the problem

Photo by Nicolas Postiglioni

Matching wine and saffron

Coincidentally I’ve received two recent requests for help with pairing main course fish dishes that include saffron, a tricky spice with a slightly medicinal, taste.

The first was a dish of seared red mullet with a coriander and saffron bouillabaisse (preceded by a carpaccio of Scotch beef fillet, horseradish parfait and sprouting peas)

My advice in this case was to reverse the normal ‘rules’ and serve white with the beef and red with the fish. With the mullet I suggested a softish medium-bodied red - nothing too muscular or tannic. The ideal hunting ground for such a wine would be the south of France - something like a decent Côtes du Rhône Villages or a Faugères with a couple of years bottle age.

An alternative - and a good one though people are still resistant to serving rosé for a dinner party - would be to drink a strong, dry rosé with both dishes. Not one of those magenta-coloured ones that taste of boiled sweets - given the provenance of the dish I’d go for a Bandol rosé.

The second, more recent request was for a wine to accompany a Spanish-style dish of monkfish. A subscriber wondered whether I thought it was a good idea to offer sherry as the dish (which came from the Moro cookbook) was cooked with fino. But looking at the ingredients it was clear that the saffron in the recipe (a large pinch of 50 strands) along with a generous amount (8 cloves) of garlic was likely to be the more important factor in the pairing. He also suspected his guests would want to drink red - no problem, obviously with monkfish - so again in keeping with the inspiration for the the dish I suggested a Rioja reserva. A dry rosé from Rioja or Navarra would have worked too .

White wine is obviously also a possiblitity with both these dishes. Again I’d be inclined to reach for something dry and unoaked or very subtly oaked - a white Cotes du Rhone, maybe or a new wave Languedoc blend of Roussanne, Marsanne and Viognier. Even an oaked white Rioja in the case of the second dish.

Unblended Viognier has an affinity with saffron but given the other ingredients involved in these dishes, is slightly more of a risk. Could be sensational, could just miss the mark!

Image by Leopictures from Pixabay

A beginner's guide to juicing

If you’re planning a brunch it’s quite fun to lay on a DIY juice bar where your guests can run up their own fresh juices and smoothies. If you don’t already have a juicer you’ll probably have a couple of friends who have. Or you may feel that with the warmer weather coming up (though it’s hard to believe that today in the grey, drizzley UK) now’s a good moment to get into juicing.

Here are some basic tips on what to buy and how to get started - and just why juicing is so good for you:

To make the full gamut of juices you need a purpose made juicer which will tackle hard fruits and vegetables like carrots and apples.

Most juicers work by centrifugal action. You feed ingredients through a tube and a powerful motor spins them round. The juice is forced through a filter and the pulp is discarded. Machines tend to start at around 40 and go up to several hundred pounds for heavyweight American models that have the construction of a tank. But you don’t really need one of those unless and until you become a juice fanatic.

The big advantage of having your juice freshly made is that you don’t lose any of the nutrients. And compared to packaged or bottled fruit juice it gives you the most amazing lift. According to natural health expert Michael Van Straten, author of the best-selling Superjuice it’s because all the nutrients are digested immediately. “When you juice fresh produce you release all their ingredients in an easily absorbable form which goes straight through the stomach wall.”

“With sweet fruits you’re also getting a sugar explosion that gives you a burst of energy. It’s a bit like taking ten glucose tablets at once only much healthier. And because you get the pulp and fibre as well you get a secondary, slower release which boosts your energy over a longer period.”

As Van Straten points out that you couldn’t possible munch your way through the amount of solid fruit that you get in a glass. “A glass of carrot juice is equivalent to five or six carrots so you’re getting all that goodness in an instant hit”. And, he points out, raw fruits and vegetables offer significant protection against degenerative diseases like cancer and heart disease. “Citrus for example offers much more than vitamin C. There’s a substance called limonene which is a cancer and heart-protecting antioxidant which is very intensely concentrated in the pith which you get the benefit of if you juice whole segments rather than using a citrus juicer.”

It has to be admitted that there is a slightly anorakky tendency among hard core juicers who will pulverise almost anything including wheatgrass, a vile tasting, concoction which is enough to put anyone off juicing for life. It’s a personal view but with a few exceptions (notably carrots and tomatoes) I think most vegetables taste too bitter to be enjoyable though, as Michael Van Straten points out in his book, you can add them in very small quantities and still get a considerable health benefit.

If you’re a first time juicer though it’s better to concentrate on fruit juices which tend to have naturally sweet flavours. The trick is not to combine too many different kinds of fruit otherwise you can end up with a juice that doesn’t taste of anything in particular and which goes a strange muddy colour. (Remember mixing paints? Red and yellow is great. Red, yellow and green makes khaki) It’s hard for example to improve on the perfect pairing of carrot and apple or watermelon and strawberry, beautifully clean flavoured juices that enable you to really taste and enjoy the fruit at its best.

As you gain confidence you will undoubtedly want to invent your own concoctions though - not least to make use of the seasonal produce which is available. Here a few tips that may come in handy.Apples, pears and melons for example make useful bases because they produce a lot of juice. But because they don’t have a great deal of flavour of their own you need to add a lift with a more strongly flavoured fruit like strawberries or raspberries. If you need to add a touch of sweetness add a few grapes while a touch of of lemon or lime will add zest to a juice that is slightly bland. You can also add other ingredients for flavour like fresh ginger or mint and - though orthodox juicers might frown on it - even season them with a little sugar or, as I do with fresh tomato juice, salt, pepper and Tabasco.

You’ll undoubtedly get the best results (and save yourself money) if you use whatever produce is in season. For a start ripe fruit has more flavour. If you attempt to juice peaches or tomatoes right now in March they won’t taste nearly as good as a mixed citrus juice using ruby grapefruit or blood oranges. But vary your juices as much as possible to get the maximum health benefits.

Although you might think of juice as a natural breakfast time drink I drink it at any time of day - frequently as a meal replacement. If you’re working, a big glass of juice and a salad at lunchtime makes you feel much less sleepy than a carbo-heavy meal whereas if you’ve had a big boozy lunch with friends having juice instead of supper in the evening leaves you feeling bright-eyed the next morning.

And there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use your juices as the basis for some stunning cocktails or drinks when you’re entertaining. Fresh peach juice for example is sensational topped up with champagne - or any sparkling wine, tropical fruits like pineapple, papaya and mango are great with a dash of rum and a Bloody Mary made with fresh tomato juice is - well, like no other Bloody Mary you’ve ever tasted.

Top juicing tips and techniques

• Cut fruit and vegetables into chunks that will fit the feeder tube. Press down firmly but steadily. Don’t rush or you’ll force through too much peel.

• Most fruit - other than citrus - doesn’t have to be peeled but wash or scrub it thoroughly before you use it.

• Stone fruits like peaches, apricots and cherries

• Juice soft and harder fruits alternately. Harder fruits like apples and pears help to force softer fruits like strawberries or mango through the filter

• Very soft fruits like banana or ultra ripe peaches or mangos are better liquidised than juiced.

• Small hard fruits like grapes, cherries, cranberries and cherry tomatoes can come jumping back at you out of the feeder tube. Pack in a chunkier piece of fruit on top.

• Adjust the temperature of your juice to the time of year. If it’s winter serve them at room temperature. In hot weather add ice (though not too much or you’ll dilute that lovely intense fruit flavour)

• Don’t attempt to prepare your juice beforehand and store it. You should drink it immediately

• Don’t overload your machine or it won’t juice as efficiently. If you’re making a lot of juice do it in batches, emptying the filter in between.

• Clean your machine immediately after you use it. It’s much harder to remove bits of pulp once it’s dry.

Here are a couple of easy juices and a delicious smoothie to get you going. All make 2-3 glasses.

Carrot and apple juice

Carrot and apple is the juice everyone starts with and you can hardly better it. The exact balance will depend on what type of apples you use. Use organic produce for preference.
2 medium or 3 small flavoursome apples (Cox’s are ideal)
4 medium sized carrots
1/2 a lemon (optional)
Cut the apples into quarters or pieces that will fit the feeder tube. Scrub and top and tail the carrots and cut up as necessary. Peel the lemon removing as much of the pith as possible. Push through the feeder tube alternately.
Alternatives: you could add a stick of celery and replace the lemon with a small cube of fresh ginger.

Pineapple mango and lime juice

One of my all time favourite juices
1 small to medium pineapple
1 large ripe mango
1-2 limes
Peel the pineapple and remove the hard core. Peel and stone the mango. Peel and cut up the limes. Juice the pineapple and mango alternately then finish with the lime.

Strawberry and orange smoothie

This can be made in an ordinary blender.
1 ripe banana
100g ripe strawberries
The juice of one orange
150ml carton natural yoghurt
Peel and slice the banana. De-stalk and halve the strawberries. Place both in the liquidiser goblet with the juice of one orange and whizz until smooth. Add yoghurt and whizz again.

This article was originally published in Sainsbury's Magazine

The tricky task of pairing wine and citrus - wine matches for orange and lemon

This is the perfect time of year for buying oranges and lemons but what effect do they have on the recipes you’re making? Quite a marked one, if truth be told. Lemons in particular have a high level of acidity which will make any wine you drink with them taste sweeter. If that’s counterbalanced in the recipe by sugar as in a lemon tart or lemon meringue pie, for example, the result is a dish that’s really quite hard to match.

Wine with lemon

Many wines have some citrus notes in them of course but I find the lemon flavours in the dish are usually stronger. So a lemony chicken or pasta dish, for example, can make a citrussy Sauvignon Blanc taste flat. Or, if it holds its own, can unbalance the dish by creating an overload of citrus flavours.

Surprisingly the answer is often to pick a red, particularly a red with marked acidity of its own. The Italians do that instinctively when they reach for a bottle of Valpolicella with a spaghetti al limone or squeeze lemon over a bistecca alla fiorentina and pair it with a tannic Chianti. The acid in the fruit subdues the acid in the wine. Lamb cooked with lemon and herbs tastes great with a rustic red. I’ve even found oak-aged Spanish reds such as Rioja reserva taste good with a chicken and lemon tagine.

There are occasions when red doesn’t ‘feel right’ though, especially with seafood and here I find a neutral Italian or Spanish white can work well - something like an earthy Verdicchio, an Albariño or Spain’s up and coming white Godello. A good Pinot Grigio can also do the trick.

Intensely lemony desserts are harder as you have to contend with both acid and sweetness, qualities you need to find in any wine you choose. I find top quality late-harvest Riesling does the job best but even then it’s a struggle. Some advocate ice wine but that can add to the intensity of an already intensely flavoured dish. I still have to find a perfect solution - mint tea, maybe. Or perhaps one of the orangey liqueurs mentioned below - orange and lemon being natural bedfellows. (Though I'm not sure it would work the other way round - Limoncello with an orange-flavoured dessert.)

With a lighter lemon dessert like a souffl or mousse a sweet sparkling dessert wine like Asti or Clairette de Die generally works well.

Wine with orange

Orange is easier and more forgiving. I’ve noticed a lot of chefs putting orange into savoury dishes this winter and it almost always enhances the match with an accompanying red wine. Usually they’re meat-based such as the tagliatelle with duck livers, trompettes de la mort, orange and marjoram I had recently (ideal with a Barbera) but I’ve also had a couple of robust fish dishes with orange such as sea bream with hazelnut crust, fennel, chard, orange zest, capers and parsley and braised squid with fennel where a Mediterranean red also proved a good match. (Syrah, Mourvèdre and Tempranillo all seem to pair well with orange)

With lighter dishes such as some lightly cooked fish with a salad of fennel and orange I’d go for a light, lush white with some acidity such as a Semillon or Semillon-Sauvignon blend, in the latter case one without too many herbaceous notes. A fruity Australian Colombard can also work well with chicken dishes that are flavoured with orange.

With orange-flavoured desserts, one’s instinct is to think of matching orange flavoured wines such as an Orange Muscat but I tend to find that the orange in the dish wipes out the orange in the wine. For orange-flavoured cakes and richer puddings I find sweet - even cream - sherry a great match. With lighter dishes such as an orange fruit salad try a Champagne - or Cava - cocktail or a frozen shot of Cointreau (also a good match in dishes where chocolate and orange are paired together).