It's Nicer in Nice

It's Nicer in Nice – as the song from Sandy Wilson's musical The Boyfriend goes. It most certainly feels that way at the moment. After another cold February day in London I fully understand how in the 19th and early 20th centuries many privileged folk spent their winters on the French Riviera.

Back in November we treated ourselves to a weekend in Nice for our fifth wedding anniversary (which coincided with my birthday). Many years beforehand I had passed through Nice with my Inter-rail ticket, staying in the youth hostel and spending most of my time in neighbouring Villefranche as high-season Nice seemed too oppressive. I had just done my A levels and it was late July: too busy and sticky.

Our flight arrived at Nice-Côte d'Azur just after lunch on the Friday, having flown beyond the French coast, over the Mediterranean, before curving back to the airport that's located practically on the beach. In the glinting sunlight our descent offered us stunning views of the Cap d'Antibes to the west and broad views towards Nice and Monte Carlo to the east. Stunning. As we got off the plane, almost blinded by the strength of the light and feeling the unexpected warmth, we couldn't believe we had left cold, dreary London just a couple of hours earlier. Happy birthday Lucy!

I could ramble on at length about how impressed we were by Nice, particularly at this quieter time of year, but I'll try to put it succinctly. It is a surprisingly substantial city – the fifth largest in France (although it only formally became part of France in 1860) – and, consequently, has a lot to offer the visitor. We stayed near the old town, at the bottom of the Baie des Anges and Promenade des Anglais, just around the headland from the harbour. Our views of the coast could not have been better – along the coast, rather than straight out to sea. The picture below shows the view from the hotel's roof terrace.

A couple of minutes' walk from our hotel (La Pérouse) was the Marché aux Fleurs in the Old Town, a glorious, bustling market fringed with bars and restaurants. This is where we had our breakfast each morning – outside watching the world go by – and memorable strolls salivating over glorious Provençal produce (check out the ceps, the figs and even the raw olives in the pics below). Perhaps it was the purity of the light, but everything seemed larger than life – bigger and more intensely coloured. What's more, I have never seen so many varieties of rose, except at New Covent Garden market with my florist mother; Grasse is only a few kilometres inland. It was perfect for picking up a few Christmas presents.

You can dine out very well in Nice, as you can in any large, varied city. On our first evening we ate close to our hotel at Créations Don Camillo on the recommendation of an old colleague from Oddbins, Rod Smith MW, now based on Riviera. We had a remarkable tasting menu with imaginatively selected wines to accompany the seasonal dishes. On the Saturday evening we had a much simpler meal of poulet roti frites in a restaurant in a pedestrianised shopping street in the New Town, a couple of blocks away from the Negresco Hotel where we spent the rest of the evening sipping Champagne, listing to some live jazz and people watching. (And strolling around the bonkers art-filled reception.)

Multi-faceted Nice is well worth exploring. We enjoyed visiting the Italianate old port and arcaded Place Garibaldi, quirky Mont Boron further east with some extraordinary Gothic villas (see pic above). Inland is the 19th century suburb of Cimiez where Queen Victoria and Russian royalty regularly spent their winters; Matisse had a home here which is now a museum dedicated to him. Back down by the seafront Nice gets more Miami Beach-like with sleek Art Deco apartment blocks and, of course, the Promenade des Anglais. I hadn't realised just how satisfying Nice was on so many levels and what an infectious energy it has.

On the Sunday, just before leaving, we had some spare time and popped into the Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain and saw works by Yves Klein whose iconic paintings are so redolent of the Riviera and that unforgettably vivid, uplifting shade of blue. Even while we were there in mid November it took your breath away. People were sunbathing on the beach, topless even, while some were swimming in the sea. It was truly another world and an unexpectedly good out-of-season break. And not just for wintering dowagers.

A practical note
We deliberately travelled to Nice out of season and decided against hiring a car, having been reassured about the quality of the public transport in this part of France. I am sure this enhanced our visit. If we'd been stuck in busy traffic travelling along the coast road and worrying about parking in central Nice, it would have been an entirely different experience. We used local bus services, but the rail network along the Côte d'Azur is excellent, as are the trams serving Nice.

http://www.hotel-la-perouse.com/
http://www.doncamillo-creations.fr/
http://www.mamac-nice.org/
http://www.rivierapebbles.com/

Jacquesson Avize 1996: a Valentine's Day treat

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and a good excuse to open a decent bottle. We'd had a busy day and Nathan had some DIY to do when he got back from work. However, once the chores were done I rustled up a simple supper of smoked salmon, new potatoes and a delicately dressed salad – perfect for some special fizz.

I adore great Champagne and happily avoid overpriced and disappointing Grandes Marques in favour of smaller houses and individual growers. At our wedding we served Gimonnet Premier Cru Cuis bought directly from them and I'll never forget driving towards the Côte des Blancs and seeing the dramatic ridge that boasts so many great Champagne vineyards. I hadn't realised how similar it was to the Côte de Nuits in Burgundy – another thrilling sight for a wine lover. I'll also never forget how the Champagne flowed at our wedding and how we even had several bottles left over (bliss). I'd negotiated corkage per head (rather than per bottle) with our wedding venue, Middle Temple, so there was no need to hold back.

Our Valentine's bottle was also from the Côte des Blancs, but from the Grand Cru village of Avize. I'd been given this bottle as a 40th birthday present by my friend Martine Bounet who works for Fields Morris & Verdin, the importers of Jacquesson. Following her recommendations, I laid it down for a while before deciding to pop the cork yesterday. It had a deep golden yellow colour and an opulent nose of toasted brioche and caramelised tropical fruit as well and complex savoury notes. On the palate there were layers and layers of flavour, but all bone dry (extra-brut), despite the rich concentration. The finish went on and on, tangy, saline and mouthwatering. An amazing, substantial wine that stood up magnificently to the food – a superb match for the smoked salmon, cutting refreshingly through the oily richness. It may well have benefited from longer cellaring (given 1996's unusual combination of high acidity and ripe fruit), but it tasted beautifully harmonious last night. Next up will be a bottle of Krug 1988 – a wedding present that's been maturing nicely in our wine storage cabinet. Maybe for Nathan's 50th next year? We'll see...

Turkey and ham pie: post Christmas comfort

Every year I have a routine after Christmas which is to use up the leftover turkey and ham for pies to stash away in the freezer. There is something so comforting about luxuriously creamy pies and it is a great way of making sure the leftover meat stays deliciously moist and tasty. What's more, they are absolutely delicious in their own right (as opposed to just being a handy way of using up leftovers).

Last weekend we enjoyed the first of these pies from the freezer on a bitterly cold Sunday evening and it was so welcome. I don't bother with potatoes when serving these pies, just some vegetables on the side, so it's a very easy meal.

Preparing the pies, I use a generous base of turkey and ham and add some softened diced onion, fried mushrooms, peas, sometimes carrots or other vegetables (depending on how much I need to bulk out the meat). Using the pan juices, I make a creamy sauce with stock, double cream, dried tarragon and plenty of seasoning.

I top the pies with bought pastry – short-crust or puff depending on how I feel and what I have handy. This year it was short-crust. I like to decorate them all with pastry leaves made with the off-cuts. Then cover the pies with foil and carefully position them in the freezer.

De-frost the pies before cooking. I glaze the surface with beaten egg (though not shown in pic) before cooking them at 180°C for about 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown.

Wine
Refreshing, supple reds would be good here – a particular favourite is Cabernet Franc from the Loire, such as Chinon or Saumur-Champigny. Red Burgundy would also work well, its lifted acidity balancing the richness of the dish.

Theatre of Wine opens in Tufnell Park

As a long-time wine professional and complete wine nut, I am delighted that a notable independent wine merchant has opened a short stroll from my home. Not only has a decent new shop opened in our neck of the woods, but it sells wine!

This rather glamorous, thoughtfully run shop sells a broad range of interesting wines, spirits and beers, often too off-beat to be found on supermarket shelves. What's more, they showcase their range with regular evening wine tastings. As the name suggests, it is run with theatrical flair and exuberance.

Owner, Daniel Illsley used to be an actor but became disenchanted and in the late 1990s gravitated to Oddbins (where I started my wine career a few years earlier). Soon he was managing the Greenwich branch before launching Theatre of Wine nearby in 2001. A decade on, he decided to expand north of the river and, last December, opened a branch in Junction Road, having realised that Tufnell Park, Archway and Dartmouth Park form somewhat of a black hole as far as decent drinks shops are concerned.

The eclectic range offers a good potted selection of European classics and a discerning en primeur offering, but Theatre of Wine comes into its own with lesser-known, quirky wines. As I write this I am sipping a glass of Casa Lapostolle Semillon 2007 from Rapel Valley in Chile, from low-yielding old vines – rich and concentrated, with an almost waxy texture, stony and sweetly spicy. It's a big, satisfying mouthful of wine and, at £9, a distinctive bottle to serve at or take along to a dinner party. I'm looking forward to tasting some of their wines from Germany, Austria, Greece, Italy, let alone an apparently Chablis-like Georgian wine (Tbilvino Tsinandali £10.90). Often overlooked wines from provincial France also appear to be well represented.

If your new year's resolution has been to reduce your alcohol consumption, decent local independent merchants like Theatre of Wine give you the chance to trade up a bit and focus more on quality, rather than quantity. Your palate and your liver will thank you.

124 Junction Road
London
N19 5LB
Tel 020 3490 2147
www.theatreofwine.com

A couple of classics and an attempt at a balanced diet

I'm afraid I'm being a bit self-indulgent here by reliving a couple of recent meals. Last Thursday I had the privilege of cooking an absolutely magnificent t-bone steak – a perk I'd received the previous day, when I helped out at a rather meaty photo-shoot. Consequently, on Friday night, we opted for something a little lighter –  cheese soufflé. Which did I enjoy most? It was a close thing, but I'd have to say it was the steak – an awesome piece of meat, beautifully tender with deep, complex flavours (the fillet side was surprisingly flavoursome and gamey) and perfect for sharing.

We enjoyed the steak with potatoes sautéed in duck fat with rosemary and some broccoli. I seasoned the meat generously with Maldon salt and black pepper and there was no need to used any oil the pan.

As the steak was nicely thick, I made sure the fatty edge had the chance to colour up and render. I had boiled the potatoes first and given them a good shake to roughen them up (chuff them) before frying.

A bottle of youthful, vigorous Jones Rouge from the Languedoc provided some tannic grip and succulent ripe, spicy fruit.

Such was my reverence for this beautiful piece of meat, at the end of the evening I couldn't resist photographing the stripped bone. There was something powerfully arresting, dark and pagan about it that really caught my imagination (or perhaps it's just me being a hard-core carnivore).

After such a meat-fest, on Friday we needed something a little lighter (and preferably meat-free). Cheese soufflé seemed a sensible choice. I cook this on quite a regular basis and have always got good results following the clear recipe in the Leith's Cookery Bible. Friday's soufflé was particularly cheesy as I used up some Keen's Extra Mature Cheddar that we'd had since Christmas. It wanted using up and was great to cook with. A well-dressed mixed salad would make an easy and refreshing accompaniment, but we kept things simple and roasted some tomatoes in the oven at the same time as the soufflé. A bottle of Valpolicella Ripasso worked well with the cheese and tomato flavours, its fresh acidity standing up nicely to the eggy richness.

Cheese soufflé 
60g butter
dried white breadcrumbs
45g plain flour
3/4 teaspoon dry English mustard
a pinch of cayenne pepper
385ml milk
112g strong Cheddar of Gruyère, grated
6 eggs separated
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves 2–3

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Melt a knob of the butter and brush a 20cm soufflé dish with it. Lightly dust with the breadcrumbs.

Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour, mustard and cayenne pepper. Cook for 45 seconds. Add the milk and cook, stirring vigorously, for 2 minutes. The mixture will get very thick and leave the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the cheese, egg yolks, salt and pepper. Taste; the mixture should be very well seasoned.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff but not dry, and mix in a spoonful into the cheese mixture. Then fold in the remainder and pour into the soufflé dish, which should be about two-thirds full. Run your finger around the top of the soufflé mixture. This gives a "top hat" appearance to the cooked soufflé.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes and serve immediately. (Do not test to see if the soufflé is done for at least 30 minutes. Then open the oven just wide enough to get your hand in and give the soufflé a slight shove. If it wobbles alarmingly, cook for a further five minutes or so.)

http://eastlondonsteak.co.uk/
http://www.domainejones.com/

Back to basics: some tips to help you feel less intimidated by wine

Unfortunately, as wine is such a huge subject and riddled with traditions and ceremony, most people still find it quite intimidating. Going back to basics, here are a few tips that might help enhance your drinking:

• Get yourselves some decent size tapered wine glasses (ie ones that go in at the top) and only half fill them. This increases the surface area and really helps open up the wine. Give the glass a good swirl and take a good deep sniff.

• Hold the glass by the stem to keep the wine cooler and help avoid nasty greasy fingerprints.

• Think about the wine’s temperature. Most red wines are served too warm and end up tasting heavy and soupy with a warm alcoholic kick. Bare in mind that the term “room temperature” predates central heating; it’s closer to “cellar temperature”. I often leave reds in the fridge for an hour or so – particularly in hot weather. Once you’ve opened the bottle, it’ll soon warm up. Wine should refresh you regardless of its colour. 

• Don’t serve white wines too cold. This is fine for something a bit rough or bland, but if you actually want to taste it, don’t serve it ice cold and let it open and breath in the glass. Treat it a bit like a red wine.

• Think quality rather than quantity. This may be a hangover from the odd tentative sip I had while pregnant and we do only have the one liver. This approach does allow you to trade up to something a little more special. Half bottles are very useful or reseal any unfinished bottles (see below). 

• Screwcaps are no longer just for those dodgy flagons of cheap Vin de Table or Lambrusco – they are a sign of careful winemaking. Screwcaps seal in fresh fruitiness and help prevent cork taint.

• Check the level of alcohol. This can range from 8 degrees to 15 or even degrees. If you’re looking for something light and refreshing for lunch, it might be best to give that 14.5° Aussie Chardonnay a wide berth.

• Don’t save bottles indefinitely on the basis that they will improve. Aside from vintage port or smart Bordeaux and Burgundies, most wines are released to the market ready to drink and won’t benefit from more than a few months’ ageing. The fruit will fade leaving the wine tasting stale and tired (and if you don’t keep the bottle on its side, the cork will dry out causing the wine to oxidise). With most white wines, drink the youngest available. 

• Invest in a Vacu Vin – a small pump with stoppers that allows you to keep the bottle for a few days. These are available from John Lewis.

• If you particularly like a wine, make a note of it. There are so many wines out there that unless you can remember some key details, it can be difficult to repeat the experience. Note down the producer’s name, the grape variety (check the back label if it isn’t mentioned on the front), country or region of origin and the vintage. Also note whether it or not it has been aged in oak as this can really affect the flavour.

• Try to seek out a local independent wine merchant who you can chat to about what you like, being frank about your budget and how you intend drinking your wine (eg the occasion, what kind of food you'll be eating etc). 

• Remember that fixed costs for wine (ie duty) are high in the UK, so spending a couple of pounds more on a bottle will make a big difference to the quality. 

• Finally, relax and enjoy. Cheers!