THE first flutterings of Christmas festivities are beginning to take hold as people organise parties, dinners and the big day itself.

At the Wine Centre in Great Horkesley the celebrations kicked off with a Christmas Fayre where 70 guests enjoyed the culinary expertise of five local chefs.

Tied in with the food was a wine tasting, with a range of wines matched to the food cooked by the chefs on the night.

Anthony Borges, owner of the Wine Centre in the Causeway, Great Horkesley, says the event was aimed at showing people what they could cook for the big day, and how they could make their dinners extra special with wine pairings to complement the dishes.

“We organise wine-tasting dinners throughout the year but the Christmas one is a special one where we can bring wine and food lovers together for a fayre in which they can try a whole range of foods and wines,” says Anthony, who owns the shop with wife Janet.

“We have a a pool of six local chefs we use – Tony Bell, Gareth Boothby, Carl Shillingford, Annie Riedy and Malcolm Long, who come as a pair, and Charlie Stocker, the young Masterchef quarter-finalist. Five of the chefs were here for our big night, and each had a responsibility for a different course. They were set a challenge – to produce a festive dish or nibble which is a bit different to the norm.”

The evening gave guests a chance to try pates, meats, cheese and wines they could work into their own Christmas festivities, says Anthony.

It may still only be November but with the change in weather and Christmas decorations and music filling the shops, it is a perfect time to start thinking about making the food over Christmas as best it can be, he says.

“I truly love the way autumn rolls into winter, not least for the smells and the cold it brings – the bonfire smoke and the crackling of wood in our open fires, the twinkle of candles in the bathroom, the Christmas songs and the woolly jumpers, the magic of Christmas Eve and the feast on Christmas Day.

“I love it all, but most of all I absolutely adore the food – the root vegetables, the stews, Sunday roast, chunky soups, iced gingerbread cake, cinnamon-and-clove-spiced stewed apple – even brussel sprouts trigger in me a deep sense of satisfaction, in the knowledge it is Christmas.

“So when customers ask me about wines to go with the Christmas meal, you’ll appreciate I take the business of matching very seriously.

“Anyone with an alternative Christmas meal in mind has my full attention, absolutely!

“I live for the chance to put my years and years of wine drinking to good use, to recommend the best wine match possible.”

 

Gazette:

 

THE WINES ON THE NIGHT

JULIE Maitland was set with the task of choosing the wines...

1. Waipara Springs Home Creek Sparkling Riesling, £13.99 – offer price £12.59. Deliciously fruity and refreshing with a delicate sparkle. Lovely with the canapes and snacks.

2. Paul Cluver Elgin Chardonnay, South Africa 2013, £16.99 – offer price £15.29. Rich yet refreshing, with buttered toast and brioche on the nose.

3. Hollick “Tannery Block” Cabernet Merlot 2012, £18.99 – offer price £17.09. Its soft perfume and luscious savoury fruits would no doubt be an excellent match with turkey – and also worked a treat with the Jacob`s Ladder.

4. Hollick “the Nectar” Botrytis Riesling, Coonawarra, Australia 2011, £15.99 (half bottle) – offer price £14.39. Golden sweet wine – the perfect foil to Christmas pudding, but also a fine backdrop for the Black Forest gateau.

5. Catherine Marshall Myriad, Elgin, South Africa 2008, £15.99 (half bottle) – offer price £14.39. Dark, rich fortified red (Merlot), rich in blackberry and cherry flavours, ideal with chocolate and cheeses.

 

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS MEAL

ANTHONY says: “Late morning, the smoked salmon blinis are served and we pop a bottle of Champagne (typically Joseph Perrier) – it’s fresh and pure, lovely as a wake-me-up.

“For a traditional main, Pattock’s Farmbronze turkey and all the trimmings. With this, we opt for both white and red on the table. If we are at my father’s house, probably white burgundy and red Bordeaux (a Pomerol or Margaux).

“Otherwise, I like a more vibrant, fruity red, such as a Rhone (Seguret or Cairanne), Old Vine Zinfandel or NZ Pinot Noir – nothing overly expensive.

“Yet, it’s a big day and you want to push the boat out so you want flavours which will hold their own, so I would typically choose wines between £10 and £20, £25 tops. Heru Pinot Noir £24.99 would be a good call.

“I tend to choose a golden sweet wine to drink alongside the Christmas pudding, the Hollick Nectar is exemplary.

Then I like a long walk (in the new jumper), followed by the cheeses and port.”

Janet says: “Choosing and purchasing the cheeseboard can be a tricky job. It’s always tempting to try to please everybody, but it’s often best to go for fewer cheeses, but larger amounts. This not only maintainsamore harmonious balance of flavours, but larger pieces generally keep better.

“Four pieces of cheese seems to be a good number – a blue, a hard and a soft cheese, along with maybe a goat’s or sheep’s cheese for anyone who is lactose intolerant.”

Janet says Stilton, Cheddar – Montgomery Cheddary or Lincolnshire Poacher – provide an extra mature tang with a fruity finish, or Godminster for something creamy.

For something different, try the Lancashire bombs from Shorrocks Farm, says Janet.

“These round waxed cheeses come in a variety of flavours – three-year matured Golden Vintage, red onion and luxury spiced apple and port,” she says.

“For the soft cheese you could try something really decadent such as our Brillat-Savarin with a layer of black truffle running through the centre – it not only looks striking but tastes delicious as well. And at Christmas you can often buy it with cranberries on top!

“If you’re a fan of sweet wine, try Epoisses for your soft cheese choice, coupled with Catherine Marshall’s Myriad sweet wine.

“Alternatively if you’d prefer something a little milder, try La Tur, a triple milk cheese (sheep, goat and cow) from Italy.”

As a guide, 50g of cheese should be allowed per person if it’s at the end of ameal, or 100g per person if it’s a meal in itself, says Janet.

“Bring it out of the fridge an hour before serving to allow it to come up to room temperature, but keep it wrapped or cover any cut surfaces with a damp cloth.

“Try a selection box of crackers or get in a few different ones – they’ll all bring out something different.

“We also have a large variety of chutneys to complement the cheeses. Our new favourite is the sweet olive, fig and almond chutney from Olive Branch – great with blue cheese. Or why not try Ouse Valley Clementine and Chilli Chutney (hot, hot, hot!) for something different.

“Not forgetting of course the most important accompaniment – the wine! We can help you choose a wine to complement your cheeseboard.

“Don’t forget, you can always freeze cheeses and enjoy the leftovers another time.

“Finally, there’s the four-hour rule (though the French largely ignore this) – it’s apparently best not to leave cheese out for more than four hours

 

WHAT THE CHEFS COOKED

CARL SHILLINGFORD, Michelin-trained in Paris and passionate about foraging, Carl and wife Beth run Shillingfords at the Quay in Sudbury on Friday and Saturday evenings – Partridge in a pear terrine.

ANNIE REIDY, formerly of the Company Shed in Mersea and manager of the Peldon Rose, and MALCOLM LONG, former senior lecturer in catering, now run the Assington Country Kitchen – Black Forest gateau previously with Chimneys, is now head chef at Jam Tartz in Sudbury – Jacob’s Ladder (beef) with wicked roast potatoes and sticky red cabbage.

TONY BELL, previously with Lay and Wheeler Wine Merchants, is the Wine Centre’s main chef. He is also their wine tutor, running a wine school at the Wine and Centre on Wednesday evenings, January through March – Christmas canapes.

 

WINE-TASTING DINNERS

WINE-TASTING dinners have become an important part of the Wine Centre’s social calendar. Anthony chooses up to nine wines for tasting alongside the foods, for 18 guests at each dinner.

The next wine-tasting dinner is on January 29, 2016, where the wines of New Zealand will be on show. Cost £65 per person.

 

Gazette:

 

RECIPES

PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TERRINE (Carl Shillingford’s starter)

THIS fruity and moist terrine works well with the crunchy walnuts, the earthy rowan jelly and refinement of sherry adding to the light meat of the partridge.

Ingredients

12 partridge fillets

1.5kg sausage meat

200ml sherry

200gms walnuts

4 pears

10 gm tarragon

Pinch of; Nutmeg, ground ginger, ground coriander, 18g sea salt,

7g cracked black pepper

200 ml Rowan jelly

40g gelatine

 

Method

Fillet the partridge, season with the salt, pepper and marinade in the sherry. Chop the walnuts, mix with the sausage meat, herbs and tarragon.

Layer the sausage meat and fillets of partridge alternatively in a terrine mould or a bread tin. (Use cling film to line the mould.) Slice the pear and place on top of the terrine, cover with tin foil and cook in the oven at 180 degrees for 40- 50 minutes or 72 degrees with a probe.

Leave to cool for 15 minutes before gently pouring off the juice.

Heat 800ml of water with 200 gm of rowan jelly (you can use redcurrant instead) until dissolved, remove from heat before whisking in gelatine, season and pour onto your terrine, leave to cool in the fridge over night.

 

JACOB’S LADDER 

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

Half a Jacobs Ladder (tasty cut of ribbed beef)

Half a bottle of red wine

1 mulled wine sachet

1 bulb of garlic, cut in half

4 sprigs of rosemary

1 red onion, roughly chopped

1 star anise

2 cloves

6 juniper berries (smashed)

1 pint of good quality beef stock

Butter

Cracked black pepper 

Maldon Sea Salt – to season

 

Method

Ask your butcher for half a Jacob’s Ladder, sometimes called Short Ribs, then ask him to saw it in half lengthways.

To cook – put a frying pan on the heat with a dash of oil and a knob of butter. Season up both sides of the ladder with cracked black pepper and Maldon Sea Salt and seal until it is crispy and dark.

Put the ladder in a deep casserole dish or roasting tin and add all the remaining ingredients.

Cover with the lid or seal with tin foil and place in a pre-heated oven at 120°c (Fan 100°C / Gas Mark ½ or the bottom simmering oven in an Aga or similar cooker) for about five hours, or until the meat will shred off the bone.

Carefully remove the Ladder out of the pot/stock and place on a flat tray.

Then strain the stock into a saucepan and reduce it by two thirds by boiling and occasionally stirring. Just before serving thicken the stock by whisking in a tablespoon of butter whilst it is boiling and serve immediately.

While the stock is reducing you need to glaze the Jacobs Ladder:- In a large frying pan melt a large knob of butter - when it starts to bubble (take care not to burn it) place the beef, bone side down, in the pan and carefully keep spooning the bubbling butter over the meat until it is crispy and a lovely colour.

Serve by carving the beef from the bone (it should just fall away) and serve with the stock, Wicked Roast Potatoes and Sticky Red Cabbage.

You can prepare and cook the Jacob’s Ladder the day before you need it so that the flavours can mature and intensify and then reheat ready to serve.

WICKED POTATOES

Maris Piper potatoes make the best Wicked Roasties – peel as many as you need (always do more than you think as everyone will want seconds as these are so delicious).

Boil in slightly salted water until they are fluffy and breaking at the edges.

Drain and shake to increase the ‘fluff’ and to break them up slightly.

Leave to steam dry in a dry pan or colander Put a heavy duty roasting pan with good covering of Rape Seed oil in a hot oven until the oil is almost smoking. Tip in the par-cooked potatoes into the oil – DO NOT TOSS THEM IN THE OIL. Don’t touch them for about 25-30 minutes, until they are brown and very crispy.

Then turn them once and cook again for 25-30 minutes.

When both sides are brown and crispy drain off the oil and smash the potatoes lightly until they are squashed and cover with crushed garlic, chopped rosemary, smoked sea salt and knobs of butter.

Quickly mix the potatoes with the toppings and form into a single patty. Roast for a further 20mins and enjoy.

 

STICKY RED CABBAGE

Ingredients

One medium sized red cabbage

Quarter bottle of red wine (190ml)

1 cup of sugar (200g)

180ml Balsamic Vinegar

A handful of sultanas or chopped apple

Cinnamon stick

1 Star Anise

2 Cloves

Half jar or redcurrant jelly (approx 170g)

 

Method

Thinly slice the red cabbage and place into a think bottom saucepan.

Add all the ingredients except for the redcurrant jelly and then top up with water until the liquid level is the same as the cabbage.

Put lid on pan or seal with tin foil and place on the heat. Gently boil for about 40 minutes. Keep checking that it has not boiled dry. When the cabbage is cooked and liqueur has reduced by three-quarters add the red current jelly. Stir in and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes until it goes thick and sticky. Serve immediately

 

ABOUT THE WINE CENTRE

DESCRIBED as an Aladdin’s Cave of treasures, the Wine Centre in Great Horkesley is packed full with festive delights and sparkling with goodies.

With Christmas music to shop to, the Wine Centre also has a liqueur bar and on Fridays and Saturdays after midday, there’s a cheese board and snacks, with wines to taste alongside.

Gift ideas are everywhere – food hampers, wine-gifts, Riedel glasses and decanters, spirit and liqueur gifts and Christmas ales and ciders.

And in the room next door there’s the Wine Centre’s Gift Room with its toiletries, home ware, fashion, jewellery and handbags.

For Christmas gift ideas and hampers, visit thewinecentre.co.uk, call 01206 271236 or email borges@thewinecentre.co.uk Visit between 10am to 6.30pm, Monday to Saturday.