Wine & food pairing recipes for Global Drink Wine Day

We love wine. And we love food! To celebrate one of our fave days of the year – Global Drink Wine Day – which happens to be on this fine 18th of February, we are making sure you enjoy your ‘vino’ with the perfectly paired recipe. Our friends from the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association have helped us put together the most delicious mushroom-inspired meals…so all you have to do is choose one (or all – we are not judging) and let the wine flow.

Barley & Mushroom Salad paired with Klein Constantia Sauvignon Blanc

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 cup pearl barley

500g portabellini mushrooms, sliced

1 garlic clove, finely grated

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp thyme leaves

1 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped

1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 endives

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Cook barley in a pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain; spread out on a clean tray and allow to cool.
2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high. Cook mushrooms until golden brown all over. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper. Add garlic, shallots, butter and thyme and cook until just tender and fragrant.
3. In a large bowl; toss cooled barley with cooked mushroom mixture. Fold in coriander, parsley, lemon juice and taste for seasoning.
4. Arrange endive leaves on a large platter or in individual bowls. Spoon over the herby mushroom and barley mix and serve.

Klein Constantia Sauvignon Blanc

This perfectly poised Sauvignon Blanc is well rounded and has a creamy texture. Bursting with flavours of citrus and passion fruit it finishes fresh and vibrant with lingering acidity while retaining its full body. The brightness cuts through the buttery mushrooms and barley making it a perfect companion for this umami rich, summery salad.

Mushroom Bunny Chow paired with Paul Cluver Riesling

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 thumb size piece of ginger, grated

500g button mushrooms, quartered

1 Tbsp garam masala

1 tsp chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

4 pods green cardamom

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 x 400g tin crushed tomatoes

1 cup vegetable stock

1 x 400g tin coconut cream

1 x 400g tin butter beans, drained

200g green beans, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces

Juice of ½ lemon

Fresh coriander for serving

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

6 mini sourdoughs or other mini loaves

Method:

1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pot. Add onions and cook on medium until tender. Add garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant. Add mushrooms and cook until golden. Add spices, salt and pepper to taste, and fry together for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon remove the spicy mushrooms and set aside.
2. Add potatoes and pour in chopped tomatoes and stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer until potatoes are tender and sauce has reduced and thickened. Add coconut cream, butter beans and green beans. Simmer until the green beans are tender.
3. Return the mushrooms to the pot and stir to reheat. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
4. Finish the curry with fresh lemon juice and coriander.
5. Cut the tops off the mini breads and gently scoop out the bread inside. Fill the bread ‘bowls’ with the filling. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve immediately.

Paul Cluver Dry Encounter Riesling 2016

Riesling has an impressive ability to accommodate a vast variety of flavour packed foods. In this spicy, coconut, creamy curry, the Riesling’s acidity cuts through the rich sauce, and the palate cleanses in harmony with the dish. The nose shows ripe green apple, apple blossom and fynbos honey notes. There is a perfect balance and playfulness between the natural residual sugar and the acidity resulting in a very refreshing wine pairing perfect for this spicy curry.

Mushroom Pizza Omelette paired with Mason Road Chenin Blanc

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter

2 garlic cloves, grated

150g baby button mushrooms

1 tsp dried oregano

6 eggs

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

8 sundried tomato halves

¼ cup pitted kalamata olives

100g feta cheese

Salt & pepper, to taste

Extra virgin olive oil

½ lemon

Fresh rocket, basil and chilli flakes for serving

Method:

1. Preheat oven grill to high. Melt butter in a 24cm cast iron (or oven proof) pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant. Add mushrooms and oregano, and cook until golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, whisk eggs well and season, then pour into the hot pan, swirling to evenly coat. Scatter with fresh tomatoes. Cook, without stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the bottom of the omelette is set. Transfer omelette to oven and grill until the top is cooked and lightly golden.
3. Scatter with sundried tomatoes, olives and feta. Toss rocket and basil with a little lemon juice and olive oil. Serve immediately with dried chilli flakes alongside.

Mason Road Chenin Blanc

Mason Road Chenin Blanc is a zesty, fresh and vibrant chenin with a lengthy finish of dried apricot, pear and honey that  balances a little residual sugar with bright acidity. The acidity compliments the rich omelette and umami mushrooms. This versatile wine is incredibly food-friendly and well-balanced with a creamy round texture and a lingering aftertaste. The balance of flavours in the omelette work perfectly with its crispness.

Portabellini & Spring Veg Risotto with Poached Eggs paired with De Wetshof Bon Vallon Chardonnay

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 litres vegetable stock, kept warm on the stove

2 Tbsp butter

500g portabellini mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 shallots, finely diced

2 large leeks, whites and pale greens only, chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely grated

2 cups arborio rice

1 cup / 250ml dry white wine

200g runner beans (or similar), cut into 2cm pieces

200g asparagus, cut into 2cm pieces

2 Tbsp sour cream

1 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1/4 cup Italian parsley, stalks removed, for serving

6 large eggs

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until tender and golden brown. Season. Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon, and set aside.
2. Heat oil and remaining 1 Tbsp butter in the same pot over medium heat. Add shallots, leeks, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are softened. Add rice and stir to coat and get slightly toasty. Add wine and reduce until fully absorbed. Add about one ladle of stock. Stir until stock is almost absorbed. Add remaining stock one ladle at a time, stirring almost constantly, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more. When rice is almost cooked add asparagus and beans and cook until tender. Cook rice until tender but still firm to the bite and mixture is very creamy, about 20 minutes.
3. Finally add sour cream, Parmesan and reserved mushrooms to risotto. Stir well and then cover the pot with a lid. This is where the magic happens and the Parmesan melts and everything gets very saucey and gooey.
4. A few minutes before risotto is done: Bring a large pot of salted water to a bare simmer over medium-low heat. Swirl the water with a slotted spoon to create a vortex. Crack 1 egg into a small tea cup, then slide into simmering water. Cook until whites are fully cooked but yolks remain runny, about 2.5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer poached egg to a plate and repeat with the remaining 5.
5. Check seasoning and then serve risotto in warm bowls and top with eggs. Season the eggs well and scatter the dishes with fresh parsley.

Paired with De Wetshof Bon Vallon Chardonnay

An unwooded Chardonnay, Bon Vallon exudes clean freshness with citrus and wild flowers on the nose and a lingering minerality on the aftertaste. The juicy palate structure makes this an ideal food wine, superb with this rich and creamy risotto. The peachy notes pair ever so well with the salty Parmesan laden risotto and the palate shows good weight, holding up to this dish and giving the meal a balanced satisfying finish.