Jul 22

Clairet – A clear winner over rosé

The first time I encountered clairet was on a bicycle tour through Bordeaux in France. At one vineyard we visited they talked about it briefly when they told us how they made their rosé. To begin with I thought they were just mispronouncing claret, but there is a connection. Centuries ago clairet, known as rouge clair (clear red) was exported throughout Europe and became very popular especially in Britain. However the word became Anglicized to claret, which then somehow later came to mean only red wines from Bordeaux instead. Just to confuse things a little further, there is a white grape called Clairette blanche which is used to make Clairette de Die AOC a sparkling white wine from the Rhône Valley, but there is not connection between this grape and clairet which can made from Malbec, Cabernet franc, Carmenère, Merlot rouge, Cabernet Sauvignon or Petit Verdot grapes

Clairet is not rosé, but it isn’t red wine either. It is a very different creature with its own Appellation d’origine contrôlée, AOC Bordeaux Clairet, but it isn’t that well know outside of Bordeaux, let alone the rest of the world, as very little of the vineyards in Bordeaux are given over to its production. The demand for more complex reds and the competition with rosé wines have also seen its decline. However if you look in some larger wine merchants you may find a bottle tucked away in the Bordeaux or rosé section.

Rose and Clairet

Rosé and Clairet

Clairet is an odd sort of wine, in that it sits between red wine and rosé and is nether one or the other. It can be drunk chilled like a white wine, or at room temperature like a red when it becomes smoother and has more mouth feel. It’s position between red and rosé can also be explained by its production. During maceration, i.e. the time the juice spends sitting on the grapes, rosé is only in contact with the red grape skins for a few hours, clairet is allowed to sit for a few days and red wine can sit on the grapes for a couple of weeks. Because of the long maceration time, this give clairet a darker colour and more complex flavour than rosé, but it is still a light flavoured wine compared to a red.

My first taste of clairet was on the same bicycling holiday later in the week at another vineyard, Château de la Rivière in the Fronsac region of Bordeaux. It was a 2006 Prince de la Rivière Bordeaux Clairet. I was intrigued by the lovely dark pink coloured compared to any rosé that I had ever seen. It tasted less acidic and smoother than a rosé with lots of red currant and cherry aromas. Since then I keep a look out for the odd bottle of clairet, and also at our wedding reception we made sure there was a case of clairet for guests to try.

A few nights ago I opened a 2011 Château de Campuget Rosé to go with our Le Grand Aïoli. It should have Provence Rosé, but Nimes is close enough. I also opened a 2010 Château Penin Clairet made with 100% Merlot to compare it against the Rosé. As you can see from the photograph above, the clairet, on the right, is a much darker pink, nearly red. It was also our favourite wine of the two. It had plenty of red fruit aromas, a bit like summer pudding. Though it was sweeter and far smoother than the rosé, it still had a slight grapefruity edge.

I hope clairet doesn’t disappear altogether, because in my opinion it is a far superior tasting wine than rosé.

2010 Château Penin Clairet

2010 Château Penin Clairet

2011 Chateau de Campuget Rose

2011 Chateau de Campuget Rosé

 

Jul 22

Homemade Peach Ice Cream, No Excuse Needed to make this Cool Treat

To make Homemade Peach Ice Cream, fresh handpicked peaches are not absolute requirement. Yes, the peaches used in this ice cream recipe were handpicked but because so many peaches had been picked, the peaches used for this batch of homemade ice cream been frozen whole and peeled and stoned at a later date.

One of the great things about making homemade ice cream using the Kitchen Aid Ice Cream attachment is that once you are comfortable with the basic Vanilla recipe, the possibilities are endless as to the flavors that can be added. In short, to make Homemade Peach Ice Cream only requires two additional steps; prepare the peaches and add the peaches.

Peaches Prepared to make Ice Cream

2 Cups of Peaches Prepared for Ice Cream

Homemade Ice Cream Churning in Bowl

Homemade Ice Cream Churning in Bowl

Peach Ice Cream Being Churned

Homemade Peach Ice Cream Being Churned

Fresh Homemade Peach Ice Cream Scooped into a Container

Homemade Peach Ice Cream Scooped into a Container

Fresh Homemade Peach Ice Cream ready for the Freezer

Homemade Peach Ice Cream ready for the Freezer

Ingredients for Homemade Peach Ice Cream

  • 3 Cups of Half-And-Half
  • 2 Cups of Whipping Cream
  • 8 Egg Yolks
  • 1 Cup of White Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
  • 1/8 Teaspoon of Salt (basically a pinch of Salt)
  • 2 Cups of Chilled Peaches (Diced, Mashed, it is your personal preference)

Basic Steps to make Peach Ice Cream

  1. In a medium size sauce pan, heat the three cups of Half-And-Half stirring occasionally until it is scalding hot, but do not boil. Remove sauce pan from the burner.
  2. Separate the eight Egg Yolks and add them to the mixing bowl with one cup of Sugar and bring together with the wire whisk attachment for two minutes on speed setting two.
  3. Add the heated Half-And-Half to the blend of Egg yolks and Sugar and mix for two minute on speed setting two.
  4. Pour the contents of the mixture into the sauce pan and heat until small bubbles form on the edges of the sauce pan, stirring occasionally, but do not bring to a boil.
  5. Pour the contents of the sauce pan into a large bowl and add the two cups of Whipping Cream, 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract and the pinch of Salt, thoroughly mixing all of the ingredients together.
  6. Cover the bowl and store in the refrigerator for at least eight hours (overnight is recommended).
  7. Once the ice cream mixture has been thoroughly chilled, attached the frozen ice cream bowl and churning attachment to the Kitchen Aid machine and set the speed setting to one.
  8. Begin adding the ice cream mixture to the bowl and churn for about 13 – 18 minutes allowing the frozen ice cream bowl and churning attachment to transform the mixture to soft ice cream.
  9. Two minutes before the process is complete add the two cups of prepared Peaches to the bowl allowing the churning attachment to blend the fruit into the ice cream.
  10. When finished, quickly scoop the ice cream into air tight containers and store in the back of the freezer for at least eight hours before serving.

When I took my first taste of the Handpicked Homemade Peach Ice Cream I knew that it was everything that I imagined the taste and texture would be for homemade peach ice cream. The ice cream was smooth with a hint of peach flavor and the chunks of frozen peaches reminding me of that first handpicked peach that I ate this summer. I know why making homemade peach ice cream is such a popular dessert to make with peaches.

Homemade Peach Ice Cream in a Container

Frozen Homemade Peach Ice Cream in a Container

What is great about homemade peach ice cream is that as long as you have peaches (fresh or frozen), you can make this ice cream at home any time of the year.

Homemade Peach Ice Cream in a Bowl

Scoop of Homemade Peach Ice Cream in a Bowl

 

Jul 21

Zen and the art of making aioli sauce

I was at dinner the other night, speaking about food while we were eating, when Janette told us that her husband had been trying to make aioli sauce. He had first tried to make it in a blender, but had given up in frustration, but after watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s ‘No Reservations’ in Provence, France, he saw that the traditional method uses a mortar and pestle. While watching the old French woman making the aioli, Anthony says “It’s very gentle, the process…You gotta be careful. You have to keep your voice down. Show a little respect for the process…”. Janette said that after watching the show he sat down quietly and carefully made some amazing aioli. The process she described made me want to try it myself.

Aioli sauce and bread

Aioli sauce and bread

Aioli (pronounced eye-oh-lee) is similar to garlic mayonnaise, but different. The difference is hard to determine and probably comes down to its method of production. Mayonnaise can be made from different types of oil, but aioli is only ever made from olive oil. Though I’m sure you could just take some mayonnaise and mix in some crushed garlic, the process of making aioli using a motar and pestle is a reason in itself to make it from scratch, as well as the amazing, pungent, delicious sauce that results from your efforts. On a scale of 1 to 10, the taste of this sauce is 11 and it is well worth taking the effort to making yourself.

Aioli is said to be ‘the butter of Provence’, probably because of its hilly nature which is more suitable for goats, sheep and olive trees than cows. Today aioli is closely associated with Provence, though it is probably derived from the Roman sauce ‘aleatum’ which was made from garlic and olive oil. Also in Catalonia, Spain, the same sauce is called Allioli, but it doesn’t contain eggs.

Making aioli

Aioli Ingredients

Aioli Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 3 medium cloves of garlic, sliced
  • 0.5 tsp of coarse salt such as kosher or sea salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1.5 tsp of lemon juice
  • 0.5 cups (118ml) of extra virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

First prepare your ingredients to hand. Take the phone off the hook, turn off the television, clear your mind and find a quiet place to work. Put the salt and the garlic into the mortar, and using the pestle crush the garlic into a smooth, creamy paste.

Garlic and rock salt

Garlic and coarse salt

Add the egg yolk and the lemon juice, and mix to combine.

Egg yolk and garlic paste

Egg yolk and garlic paste

With one hand slowly, smoothly and methodically turn the pestle around the mortar in continuous circles. With the other hand add a single drop of olive oil to the mortar while continue to turn the pestle. Add another drop once the first has been fully incorporated. Continue this process, small drops of oil at a time, until the mixture starts to thicken and an emulsion forms, then you can add a bit more oil at a time. However DO NOT try to hurry the process, as the emulsion may split and the oil separates. It should take about 10 minutes. Once all the oil has been absorbed, add some black pepper.

Aioli

Aioli can last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator if you can stop yourself from eating it all in one sitting. As well as spreading it on bread like butter, it makes a great dip for vegetables, or to accompany fish or chicken. In Provence it is quite common to have aioli as the centrepiece in ‘Le Grand Aïoli’ which is boiled fish, usually cod, but sometimes chicken, boiled eggs and a selection of vegetables such as green beans, potatoes, carrots or whatever is in season at the time.

Le Grand Aioli

Le Grand Aioli

Jul 21

Simmered Grape Pulp + Cheese Cloth = Homemade Grape Jelly

Recently I picked about 15 – 20 pounds of wild Mustang Grapes near my house and generated 15 Cups of Grape Pulp after boiling down the whole grapes and straining the mixture through a colander to separate the juice and pulp from the skins and seeds. I was prepared to make three batches of Homemade Wild Grape Jam, but my friend Emily, a fan of my homemade jams suggested that I make homemade grape jelly.

I had never made homemade jelly before, but could not imagine it being that difficult to make. I had read enough instructions on the making of jams, preserves and jellies that the most significant difference between jams and jellies is that the majority of the fruit pulp is removed prior to adding the Pectin and Sugar.

A pot of 15 Cups of Mustang Grape Juice and Pulp

15 Cups of Juice and Pulp of Mustang Grapes in a Pot

To filter the pulp from the grape juice, I layered a colander over a large bowl with four layers of wet cheese cloth. Then I poured the grape juice and pulp mixture into the colander and over the period of a few minutes a large amount of the pulp was removed from the grape juice.

First Filtration of Wild Grape Juice and Pulp For Jelly

First Filtration of Wild Grape Juice and Pulp For Jelly

I repeated the process a second time to ensure that I removed as much of the fruit pulp from the grape juice. I discarded the cheese cloth with the fruit pulp and the result was 9 Cups of filtered grape juice.

Second Filtration of Wild Grape Juice and Pulp for Jelly

Second Filtration of Wild Grape Juice and Pulp for Jelly

Since the standard batch size to make jams or jellies from grapes if 5 Cups of grape juice, I went to the store to purchase a bottle of filtered unsweetened white grape juice to add 1 Cup of juice to the second batch of jelly that I was going to make.

5 Cups of Filtered Wild Grape Juice

5 Cups of Filtered Wild Grape Juice

At this point the process to make homemade grape jelly is no different that the steps required for homemade grape jam. To the 5 Cups of grape juice that I brought to a boil in a pot, I added a box of Pectin and then brought the mixture to a boil. I then added 7 Cups of Sugar, stirring often until the combined ingredients came to a roiling boil. I removed the pot from the burner and then ladled the grape jelly into the canning jars that had been sterilized earlier. Once the jars were capped, I placed them in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Once removed, the lids popped indicating that a good seal was made and I allowed the jars to cool prior to adding labels. As with all of my posts on making jams and jellies, the instructions included in the box of Pectin or from the following PDF from Ball Preserving offer the easiest set of instructions to successfully make your own homemade fruit jams and jellies.

Jars of Homemade Wild Mustang Grape Jelly

Jars of Homemade Wild Mustang Grape Jelly

Once the first batch was complete, I then repeated the same process for the second batch which included 1 Cup of filtered unsweetened grape juice from the grocery store. For the “taste testing”, I spread the Wild Mustang Grape Jelly on toast with butter. The color of the jelly was just as dark as the jam, but it was clearer, less cloudy and spread on the toast as one expects of jelly. The flavor was just as intense and the texture of the jelly was “jelly-like”. Yes, I said it. Is there any other possible way to describe the texture of jelly on the tongue? Personally, it was a success and the activities to make homemade grape jelly from grapes is very easy.

Homemade Wild Grape Jelly with Butter & Toast

Homemade Wild Mustang Grape Jelly with Butter & Toast

 

Jul 20

Halloumi Cheese Salad with Mint Dressing

Halloumi cheese is a unique amongst cheeses, in that it doesn’t really melt, except at higher temperatures than other cheese. The higher melting point comes about because during its production, the curds are heated before being placed in brine. This property means that it is excellent for grilling or frying. Another distinction between halloumi and other cheeses is that no acid producing bacteria are used in its production.

Halloumi is originally from Cyrus, but it is also found in Greece, the rest of the Balkans and the middle east. It is usually made from a mixture of sheep and goats milk, but it sometimes mass produced varieties use cow’s milk instead. The taste is similar to mozzarella or panela, but saltier and it has a sort of layered structure.

I usually keep a pack of Halloumi in the refrigerator, for a quick starter or salad. It lends itself very well to pan frying or grilling (broiling) as it takes quite a bit of heat to even begin to melt it. I find that coating the halloumi slices in some seasoned flour before cooking helps keep the cheese moist during cooking and it also creates a lovely crust.

Halloumi and zucchini salad with a mint dressing

Halloumi Cheese Salad with Mint Dressing

Halloumi Cheese Salad with Mint Dressing

Ingredients

  • 8oz (225g) of halloumi
  • 3 tbsp of plain (all purpose) flour
  • 1 tsp of paprika
  • 1 large zucchini (courgette)
  • Mint Dressing
    • 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves, chopped
    • 1 clove of garlic, chopped or crushed
    • 4 tbsp of olive oil
    • 2 tbsp of lemon juice
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Drain and then slice the halloumi into about 6 slices. Mix the flour with the paprika, salt and pepper. Dredge the slices through the seasoned flour. Slice the zucchini into squares about the same size as the halloumi slices. Fry the halloumi and zucchini in some olive oil until they are golden brown on each side. Arrange the zucchini and halloumi alternately on a plate. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mint, garlic and some salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the halloumi and zucchini and serve while it is still warm.

This dish is great as a starter for 2 or as part of a meze with lots of other dishes.