What we've been eating and drinking

Friday 16th January 2009

Got home at 7pm Beverley-the wife- had already put some Pommes dauphinoise in the oven. I had bought some locally reared lamb chops from our village butcher.
Under the grill with fresh rosemary and garlic cloves. Carrots and pettit pois
for veg plus some flageolet beans mixed with coarsely ground black pepper and fresh sage. Now here’s a tip. The finer you mill pepper the hotter it becomes. White pepper is much hotter than black by the way. So if you want your dish to be imbued with a gentle spicy heat don't even use the pepper grinder. Just get some black pepper corns and crush them with the heal of a heavy saucepan or cover them with a tea towel and crush with a rolling pin. Instead of chopping up the sage leaves just tear them in half or quarters. Toss the whole lot into the beans and heat.
For me Flageolet beans and lamb are a marriage made in heaven. Don't bugger around with dried beans just by a tin!
I like to have a glass of Vino when I'm cooking so I was delighted to find in the fridge at least two large glasses left in the bottle of last nights Vouvray.
Until we started stocking this wine I had forgotten just how good it can be.
I personally think that Chenin Blanc is one of the worlds most underrated grapes. It makes both dry and sweet wines and indeed you can get both sweet and dry Vouvray.
This particular one is dry made from old Vines by Bourillon Dorleans. It is just sensational. Dry full with ripping acidity but perfectly balanced with a hint of apricots. Can't stop drinking it.

By 7.30 we were sitting down. The lamb was pink and succulent. The dauphinoise were creamy and fab. The beans orgasmic.

This was washed down with an inexpensive Chateauneuf-du-pape from Domaine Pere Eugene 2005. Light but very fruit driven with good regional character.

Dessert was a lemon cheese cake then of course 'The Cheese' I don't have many vices but cheese and chocolate are certainly two of them. I don't have to do a whole cheese board to get my cheese fix after a meal just one or two really good ones will do. Now this particular one purchased at a local village grocers was an absolute delight. unpasturised farm house cheddar from the Isle of Mull! It was terrific.
Who'd have thought it.Cheese from the Isle of Mull bought in a village store in Kent!
There be women driving lorries soon. Anyway by 10pm I was feeling no pain and had fallen asleep in the armchair watching 'Iron Man' Hey! I know how to live.

Both wines mention are available on our web site www.maison-du-vin.co.uk
or give me a call on 01580 753487