My birthday is over...and a success. The food and wine I mean.
It was on a Saturday. Good planing from my parents 75 years ago!
The way I have run my business stood me in good stead to cook for 7 people. Organised...and keep your cool.
Table prepared the day before...and the Iberico Cutlets put into a marinade of Mustard and Honey. 24 Hours in the fridge.
On the Saturday morning...the post arrived...and I had received a letter from the Hessen State Minister, Volker Bouffier, congratulating me on reaching 75!
Nice touch...hope Prince William remembers me in 25 years.
The Panko Crusted Sea Scallops were prepared and placed in the cool cellar.
Fresh mushrooms fried...garlic added...then cream and coconut milk.
Cooked pasta...and added to sauce. Now all I had to do later was warm it up...and I always think it tastes better after leaving it all to enjoy each others company for a couple of hours.
The Cutlets taken out of the fridge...2 hours before...so that they would not get a shock later.
All ready to go...so made myself beautiful...and waited for my three daughters and two son-in-laws to arrive.
Salad washed and ready to be covered in Sesame Oil and Raspberry Vinegar.
Scallops 4-5 minutes in the frying pan...only a little olive oil. On to the salad and served. Mmmmm...was the verdict.
I am a clean cook...and the kitchen always looks tidy...would not feel happy if it looked like a battlefield.
Cutlets into the pans...five minutes in all...then into oven for about 15 minutes...just circulating air 160 degrees.
Warmed up the sauce slowly and was able to sit at the table..so not to lose any points for not being visible. Only joking...but the children were telling me I may lose points for not having made the baguette on offer.
Now...I was going to take a photo of the cutlets...just forgot...and by the time I thought about it...there were only the bones. Not pleasant viewing...so I leave it to your imagination. Again...and I repeat again...it was all excellent.
Man...was I proud of myself.
A few wines were tasted... my concentration on two.
Adelaida District Paso Robles
San Luis Obispo County
California
U.S.A.
Notes from the Estate:
The wine is a blend of three estate-grown varietals, propagated from budwood cuttings from the Château de Beaucastel estate. Roussanne(72%) provides the core richness, minerality, and flavors of honey and spice, while Grenache Blanc(23%)adds green apple and anise flavors, a lush mouthfeel and bright acids. Picpoul Blanc(5%) completes the blend, adding a saline minerality and tropical notes.
My notes...
Lovely honey and yellow pear aromas...with a touch of wax. The palate is beautifully smooth and would not have to hide itself next to it's Rhône relatives.
Rich texture...again...honeyed..and spicy pear. The Grenache Blanc giving it a lift at the finish.
Points 18
Gritsch Singerriedel Ried Smaragd Grüner Veltliner 2018
Wachau
Austria
The Singerriedel in the east of Spitz is one of the most famous sites of the Wachau with soils of paragneiss, mica slate and silicate-rich brown earth.
Dense -yes oily- nose with quince...almonds, orange zest and lots of dark minerality. Very much lush Wachau! Plump texture on the palate tobacco, fresh orange peel, mineral underlay. Restrained acidity and minerality in the finish, but never heavy-handed despite 15 vol% alc.
Points 17.5
A good night's sleep...then only a little bit to tidy up as I had done most of the cleaning while cooking. Nothing worse than getting up to a pile of plates and glasses.
Just to prove I can eat without wine...I prepared myself a good breakfast before I left to play 5 hours of snooker. My way of spending a perfect Sunday.
1 comment:
A belated happy birthday to you, Barry. Very impressed with the letter from Hessen's 'Landesvater'. (À propos of nothing: Herr Bouffier always seems to me to have a genial expression on his face.)
Best wishes,
Simon
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