Duck, cherry and beetroot salad with Lambrusco

A couple of weeks ago we were treated to a particularly memorable meal at Quo Vadis that featured a main course salad of duck with cherries and beetroot, topped with crunchy toasted breadcrumbs. It was the perfect dish for a warm summer evening. Grown up and satisfying, yet not too earnest – large pieces of crisp, salty duck skin were a deliciously naughty touch.

We had friends round for dinner last Friday and I recreated it as a starter. Flicking through my new copy of Diana Henry's A Change of Appetite I noticed a recipe for goat's cheese and cherry salad in which she macerates the cherries in brandy or grappa, along with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. I used kirsch, olive oil and apple balsamic (I don't yet have any white balsamic) and found the dressing didn't need any lemon juice, leaving them for a couple of hours or so before combining with salad leaves, sliced cooked beetroot and the flesh and skin from duck legs I'd roasted earlier. The crunchy breadcrumbs were made by roasting chunks of bread in the pan used for the duck. Once they had dried out I scraped the pan thoroughly to incorporate all the tasty duck bits and then pounded the toasted bread in a pestle and mortar.

We enjoyed it with a bottle of Albinea Canali Lambrusco Ottocentonero from the Wine Society (a steal at £7.95) – dry, fresh and appetising with plenty of lush cherry fruit and spot on with the salad. It was a steal at £7.95, but has (not surprisingly) sold out. However, their other Lambrusco would also be worth trying, but keep an eye out elsewhere, especially while dining out, for proper dry examples (not to be confused with the naff sweet versions of the past). Following New York's lead, interest in this 'forgotten gem' is growing in the UK where, for example, Ottolenghi restaurants report booming sales. Great news for summer drinking.

Turkey, pea and ham risotto

It's almost New Year, but you might still be wondering what to do with all the leftover turkey. Each year I make turkey and ham pies to freeze, but last night we used some of our leftovers in a risotto. I finely diced an onion and sweated it until translucent in some duck fat, then added the rice, stirring it for a while. Shredded turkey and ham came next with frozen peas and some fresh fennel (which had been used in a salad earlier in the week), gradually stirring in turkey stock. Once the rice had cooked and the consistency was creamy, I served the risotto with more fresh herbs and a slick of olive oil. It was delicious with our bottle of fresh, fragrant Guardiolo Falanghina from The Wine Society, although it would also be good with a fuller bodied, even oak-aged white – Burgundy would be a especially good. Happy New Year!

Beaujolais 2011 and The Wine Society

A couple of months ago I wrote about my recently reignited passion for Beaujolais, so I was delighted when a letter arrived earlier this month from The Wine Society detailing their comprehensive selection of these wines from the delicious 2011 vintage. Decent Beaujolais can be a challenge to track down, yet The Wine Society is offering more than two dozen wines, representing all 10 crus. (Berry Bros also has a good range from this vintage, but it is about half the size.)

This offer from The Wine Society reminded me why I love the organisation so much – it is a co-operative, so owned and run by its members and able, therefore, to make some interesting things available to their well informed and enthusiastic customer base. Their mailings are a pleasure to read, in this case, explaining the differences between the 10 crus, with nuggets of information such as how Chénas's name is derived from the local oak forests and that Juliénas is named after Julius Caesar (and that it's a 'perfect steak-and-chips red').

Moulin-à-Vent and Côte de Brouilly are particularly recommended from 2011, but mixed cases will also give a memorable taste of the vintage and include wines from these crus. The offer continues until Sunday 11th November while stocks last.

If you aren't yet a member yet of The Wine Society, you should join up (it costs £40 for lifetime membership). As well as an expansive and competitively priced range of wines, the Society organises regular tastings and dinners, as well as offering other benefits to members. They also have an outlet in France, so wines can be purchased at duty-free rates – handy in the run up to Christmas!

(I have to confess, I am not actually a member myself, but had the good sense to marry someone who is!)

Collioure: gorgeous place, great wines

Collioure is a gorgeous place. It's an old French fishing port close to the Spanish border on a craggy stretch of coastline where the Pyrenean mountains tumble into the Mediterranean. Historically it's more famous for its anchovies than for wine, although the spectacular terraced vineyards that overlook the town have produced wine for centuries. A large, but declining proportion of this is bottled as Banyuls AOC (its southerly neighbour). Whereas Banyuls is a sweet port-like fortified wine, and one of the few wines that's reliably good with chocolate, Collioure AOC produces supple flavoursome red and white dry unfortified wines, often with a distinctive saline tang. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre perform beautifully here, being well suited to warm, coastal locations. Whites are drawn from a broad palette of grapes including Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Marsanne, Rousanne and Vermentino. I'm rather partial to Collioure as we regularly spend holidays in this part of France. (Apparently, Brigitte Bardot seriously considered Collioure before settling on St Tropez as her holiday retreat. That decision was fine by us – it keeps this generally overlooked corner of France within our budget.)

I am often drawn to quirky wines and particularly like Collioure Blanc. We bought this artistically labelled bottle on holiday in the summer. I admit I do like the picture on the label – well, the wine is called Cuvée des Peintres – and, at about 8 Euros, it was quite a reasonably priced example.

It was surprisingly good with complex layers of flavour: tropical fruit, savoury and nutty, with a powerful underlying saline minerality. Impressive stuff from the local Cave de l'Abbé Rous co-operative and memorably good with our recent butternut squash risotto with chorizo and sage.

The Wine Society currently stocks some great examples of this style of wine both from Collioure and from the broader region which are labelled Côtes du Roussillon or Vins de Pays des Côtes Catalanes. Expect to pay in excess of £10 or £15 for these and £23 for Domaine de la Rectorie Collioure Blanc l'Argile 2010. However, Sainsbury's are currently stocking a Languedoc Blanc in their reliable Taste the Difference range. It's made from a similar blend of grapes (in this case Grenache, Marsanne and Vermentino) and is a big, satisfying, complex wine that, at £7.99, really punches above its weight (and is selling well – the big Camden branch had sold out when I was there last week).

Christmas treats

Need some last-minute Christmas gift ideas for food and drink lovers? Here is a selection of personal favourites.

Paul A Young chocolates

Whether it’s just a bar or a whole box of chocs from this gorgeous shop in Islington, your chocoholic friends or relatives will be delighted. The infectiously enthusiastic Mr Young constantly experiments with ingredients (sweet and savoury) and how they combine with different types of chocolate. The results are spectacular. As unusual as some of the chocolates may be, there is something for every taste. Personal favourites are the salted caramel truffle and his little bars in different flavours and types of chocolate. For serious chocolate lovers, you might want to consider treating them to a chocolate tasting.

http://www.paulayoung.co.uk

Speciality sea salt

Maldon Salt is made up of the most beautiful little pyramid shaped crystal flakes and is perfect for sprinkling. This salt comes from the Essex coast and was prized by the Romans. Lovers of the West Country might be interested in Cornish Sea Salt that comes from the Lizard peninsular and has a really intense taste of the sea and more granular texture. I’ve also been a great fan of French fleur de sel, but a particularly favourite is smoked salt. Halen Môn from Anglesey in Wales is excellent with eggs, fish and poultry and the Maldon Salt people now offer a smoked version.

Saffron

Since ancient times saffron, from the stigmas of the crocus flower, has been one of the world’s greatest luxuries and weight for weight more valuable than gold. Thankfully, a little goes a long way. Just a few strands of saffron add colour as well as delicious, aromatic flavour to sweet and savoury dishes. Even something as mundane as scrambled eggs can be transformed to five star luxury with a sprinkling of this precious spice.

Maple syrup

This is one the whole family can enjoy. I love honey, but it tastes a bit two dimensional alongside the complex butterscotch and caramel flavours of maple syrup. It’s such a treat and so versatile, and nothing beats pouring it over breakfast pancakes or yoghurt and fruit. Locally, Waitrose and health food shops are good hunting grounds. 

London smoked salmon from Forman and Field

This Billingsgate based family company developed the original ‘London Cure’ for smoking salmon. Two types of smoked salmon are available: a regular smoked salmon and a special wild smoked salmon and the prices differ dramatically due to the rarity of wild salmon. Many other delicacies are available, as are top-notch hampers and the company also offers gift vouchers. They also have a restaurant on their premises in New Billingsgate.

http://www.formanandfield.com

The Wine Society Lifetime Membership

The Wine Society, established in 1874, is run as a partnership, with each member owning shares. In order to be a customer you need to join and the £40 life membership fee entitles you to access a superb range of wine at extremely competitive prices. Members receive a regular newsletter and details of the Society’s frequent events. There is an enormous temperature controlled wine storage facility at their base in Stevenage if you want to lay down wines and don’t have the space at home. Furthermore, there is an outlet in northern France where cases of wine can be bought duty free.

http://www.thewinesociety.com

Sample wines at The Sampler

This wine merchant is unusual as visitors to the shop can pay to taste small samples of 80 wines at any given time. They use special wine storage equipment that allows open bottles to be enjoyed over an extended period. Prices for samples start at 30p for fino sherry, rising pretty much as high as you like for rare, classic wines from great vintages and the selection changes every fortnight. To experience these wines you use a Sampler Card, credited to at least £10, and help yourself to wines that take your fancy. The Sampler also organises themed tastings; recent examples include wine and chocolate (£25) and Bordeaux 1996 (£75). Sampler Cards can be used as gift vouchers, as well as for sampling. There is now a branch in South Kensington as well as the original branch in Upper Street, Islington.

http://www.thesampler.co.uk

Lunch at Le Gavroche

You might have seen Michel Roux Junior on television (recently on MasterChef: The Professionals) and this is his restaurant – one of London’s finest. This is classic French, but with a light, contemporary touch. Dining here is the culinary equivalent to a ride in a Bentley – sleek, smooth and impeccably luxurious, yet if you can get down to Mayfair for their set lunch, for £48 you can enjoy three courses with half a bottle of wine, mineral water and coffee. Note: you need to book a few weeks in advance.

http://www.le-gavroche.co.uk

The Oxford Companion to Food by Alan Davidson

From aardvark to zuppa inglese, this makes for extremely enjoyable, informative reading, either looking up specific entries or randomly dipping into. It is beautifully written, witty and highly authoritative. Alan Davidson’s books on seafood are also well worth seeking out as, like this book, they are absolutely classic reference works.

£40 Oxford Companions

The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson

Wine is all about geography and climate, so maps are central to understanding this complex subject. This comprehensive book is updated every few years and, along with the Oxford Companion to Wine (see below), is considered the benchmark work on the subject. It is a beautiful book and would appeal to anyone who loves travelling, eating and drinking.

£40 Mitchell Beazley

Oxford Companion to Wine

This encyclopedia, like the World Atlas of Wine, is regularly kept up to date and could not be more highly regarded. It is compiled by Jancis Robinson (co-author of the Atlas) who draws on her own considerable expertise and from a broad international team of specialists. Used together, these two books will comprehensively cover this enormous subject.

£40 Oxford Companions

How to Drink by Victoria Moore

For a more practical treatment of the subject of what we drink – wines, beers and spirits, cocktails, soft drinks, hot drinks, smoothies, juices – this excellent book by the Guardian’s wine columnist encourages you to get the most out of every sip or gulp. It’s an entertaining and informative read and should inspire you, whatever the season, weather or occasion.

£15.99 Granta