Food and wines...
Swinging Bridge Estate have asked some of our favourite restaurants, chefs and suppliers to provide us with a recipe to match a Swinging Bridge Wine.
Tuna Crudo
This editions recipe is to compliment our 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. See how you go and then test yourself against the amazing Tuna Crudo from Fix St James which is on the menu at our upcoming Wine Dinner.
Crudo is the Italian version of sashimi: Raw fish at the peak of freshness, dressed simply with olive oil and lemon. This recipe serves 4-6 as an entree.
Ingredients:
- 250g of sashimi grade tuna
- 1 lemon cut into quarters
- 1/4 cup of your best extra virgin olive oil
- Maldon sea salt
- Basil or mint leaves, for garnish
To firm up the fish to make slicing easier, pop the tuna (wrapped in clingfilm) in the freezer for an hour. Cut your tuna into 5mm slices across the grain using a really sharp knife.
Pop the tuna slices in the olive oil in the fridge to marinate for 20 minutes or so (reserve some oilve oil for serving). It's not a bad idea to keep the tuna on a bed of ice to keep it really cold and fresh.
Serve the marinated tuna slices sprinkled with finely sliced mint or basil and drizzled with the reserved olive oil with the lemon quarters and little bowls of sea salt on the side.
Simple lambshanks with chickpeas - Jules Clancy
We were lucky enough to be on a stand at the Sydney - GOOD Food & Wine Show with food author and blogger Jules Clancy. To go with our new Cabernet, she offered us a great winter recipe from her new self published cookbook 'and the love is free' available at www.thestonesoup.com
Ingredients - Serves 6
375g (13oz) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
6 lamb shanks, thawed
3 brown onions, peeled & quartered lengthwise
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 medium carrots, halved crosswise and quartered
lengthwise
1 x 400g (14oz) tin tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups white wine, red wine, beer, more stock, or just
water
3 sprigs rosemary, optional
3 sprigs thyme, optional
1 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
crusty bread, to serve
If you don’t have the time or the inclination to soak chickpeas, you could always go for the canned variety. Just drain and add to the pot about half an hour before everything is done. Feel free to play around with the types of veggies you use. If you’re anything like my favourite Irishman, you’d probably prefer to do away with the chickpeas and substitute in some scrubbed kipfler potatoes.
Preheat oven to 160C (320F). Place shanks in a large oven proof casserole dish. Add onion, garlic, carrots, tomatoes and their juices, stock, wine or other liquid and herbs. Drain chickpeas and scatter over the top. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper.
Bake for 4 - 5 hours, turning the meat occasionally until the shanks are meltingly tender and the meat is starting to fall off the bone. If the shanks look like they are drying out at any stage, add a little water, cover with foil and continue cooking. You can either serve now with crusty bread and a green salad or allow to cool and refrigerate until needed.
When ready to serve, preheat oven to 180C (350F). Skim solidified fat from the surface of the shanks and place shanks, uncovered in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until heated through.
The really slow food method
We start at the very beginning of a good meal. We have put our normal food recipe on hold this time to feature Tom's successful compost recipe. Perfect for those with a green thumb.
Type of ingredient and where it is sourced from |
% of compost |
This ingredient was good or bad because…. |
Council Green Waste |
40 |
Provide the bulk of the compost. It had already gone under some composting so it varied in condition. The difference between particle size was a little bit of an issue as was non green waste but these are things that are able to be worked on into the future. It was good as it is a resource that is in plentiful supply and at present is problem for council to remove. |
Cow Manure |
25 |
Great Ingredient- Was in fantastic condition and was fairly fresh. It had not undergone composting so was a extremely suitable addition. My ute stank for the next month and the flies have only started to leave me alone now but I think it was worth it! Manure is rich in Nitrogen which is used to provide food for the microbes which break down the compost. It must have not composted or we are unable to get the benefits. |
Barley Hay |
20 |
Good bulking material and provides structure. It is lower in Crude Protein (generally around 7%) It was from a fully developed crop so it has seed in the head. This was used as we did not have any access to grape matter at this time of the year. The idea was for the seed to act similar to the grape seed – to try and get some pellets and things combing to the seed. Also the straw of the barley provided some structure. This was good as it was a product derived from the farm. We were able to do it specifically for the making of compost because of the haymaking equipment on the property. |
Lucerne Hay |
20 |
Extremely high in crude protein(average 20.2%) and again sourced from our own farm. The beauty of the breakdown in lucerne is that it does not need nitrogen for this process to occur – which is the problem with straws. This draws away the nitrogen that is able to be used by the microbes as food. This lucerne was added as a dry product with moisture around 15%. Fresh cut lucerne is above 70% moisture in value. As we were adding water to the compost we were putting the lucerne for its protein value not moisture content. |
Vegetable Green Waste |
15 |
From the community and the local green grocers. It also came from our place and involved a change in our placing of our food scraps and stopping of the dogs eating them! It engaged the community. This is to be developed further trying to involve the schools in the growing of the vegetables and eventually using their green waste in things such as this. |
Compost Method
- First started with the council green waste. The products were more added in the order that they were procured rather than a magic formula!. Initially the straw and lucerne were added to start the process. These products were both from the farm and were baled up for the purpose of putting with the compost. This was done by splitting a lot of small bales up into small squares and spreading and teasing over the top.
- Then cow manure was shoveled from the back of the ute and I commenced mixing it with the other ingredients. Also at this time to get the composting process moving (and also because Justin Jarrett had failed to deliver with his starter food!) I mixed some sugar and water up and added it to the mixture. I also added some nitrogen fertilizer to start kicking things along. I then proceeded to mix it all up with a front end loader trying to get as uniform mixture as possible.
- The vegetable waste was the next addition and it came from various sources in the town. Mainly from the green grocer and it was ready for composting when it arrived (had been sitting in the heat) This happened about three days later and I again mixed up the pile again so as to incorporate all of the ingredients together.
- The temperature was then checked daily to see where the pile was progressing and the temperature was managed by either turning or water the pile (either by rain or hose) This occurred for the last 7 weeks and then we had to send some product off to be tested. This is to be continued for another 2 weeks from sampling day.
The Perfect Christmas Turkey
Coming from a very large extended family our Christmas lunch can cater for up to 60 people. So cooking turkey for that many people requires a military exercise. We thought we would share our top tips to ensure that it is you that gets toasted (congratulatory that is) at the Christmas dinner and not your turkey.
- Pour yourself a glass of your favourite Swinging Bridge wine.
- Always use the hooded BBQ (it would be un-Australian not to). Pre-heat to 180 degrees and allow 35-40 mins cooking time per kilo.
- Disposable foil trays are a must. Trust me - your good baking dish may never recover.
- Always use a turkey trivet in your roasting pan.
- Keep a good couple of centimetres of water in the bottom of your tray at all times (moisture is your friend).
- Foil, foil, foil. Cover the turkey completely in foil until the last 30 mins. Tuck the foil around the edges of your pan to make a steaming tent to keep your bird moist. Make sure you individually wrap the drumsticks and wings so that they don't burn.
- Put an orange in the microwave for 30 seconds. Once hot take it out and put it in the turkey cavity. This helps keep it moist and cook evenly inside and out.
- Baste regularly with orange juice.
- Take the foil off for the last 45 mins for browning.
- To make sure your turkey is cooked use a meat thermometer and ensure internal temperature of the turkey reaches 82ºC. Another good indicator is that the juices run clear when pierced with a knife or skewer.
- Cook your stuffing separately
- Let you turkey rest while you have another glass of your favourite Swinging Bridge wine.
- When carving your turkey - slice the thigh parallel to the bone and the breast sliced downwards from the breastbone.
Mandagery Creek Australian Farmed Venison
Mandagery Creek Australian Farmed Venison was established in July 2002 with a commitment to process superior, young Australian Red deer. They produce a lean and subtle venison that is an exciting, accessible and healthy alternative red meat. Venison is a versatile and extremely tender meat that is easy to cook while also possessing the desirable qualities of being low in fat and high in iron.
Seared Venison with Roasted Garlic, Cauliflower Cream & Sauteed Radicchio
Serve with the soon to be released Swinging Bridge Estate 2008 Verdelho
Ingredients:
3 heads of garlic
Cauliflower Cream:
Head of cauliflower, hard stalks removed
300mls cream
200mls chicken or vegetable stock
salt to taste
Venison:
2 Venison Tenderloins or 1kg Venison Leg piece
2 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
6 radicchio leaves, tough white bits removed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Cauliflower Cream:
Place all ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan. Cook over a low heat until the cauliflower is soft. Puree the cauliflower in a food processor, adding liquid from saucepan as necessary to achieve a thick consistency.
Roasted Garlic:
Leaving the outer skin on the head of garlic, cut each one in half (acrossways) so that the effect is that of a flower. Place in a moderate oven for 35-40minutes until soft, aromatic & golden brown.
Venison Tenderloin:
Bring the venison to room temperature, rub with olive oil and freshly cracked pepper. In a hot pan or on a hot BBQ plate, sear the venison and cook for 3 minutes on each side; set aside to rest under loose foil for 5 minutes. When serving, slice the tenderloin as medallions.
Venison Leg Piece:
Heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Bring the venison to room temperature, rub with olive oil and freshly cracked pepper. In a hot pan sear the venison on all sides. Place in a roasting pan and roast the leg piece for 25 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. When serving, slice in to thick pieces.
Radicchio:
In the same pan, sauté the radicchio and season with salt and pepper. Remove the leaves from the pan and deglaze with the balsamic vinegar. Pour all the pan juices over the radicchio.
Slice the venison as desired, place on a bed of warm cauliflower cream and serve with the roasted garlic & radicchio.
Serves 6.
The Quarry Restaurant - chef Paul Loveridge
Just 5km south of Cowra on the Boorowa Road to Canberra, The Quarry shows the finest wines from the Cowra Region and introduces you to many new labels now coming on line and which have restricted commercial access. Enjoy the outside atmosphere of the garden courtyard under shaded gum trees and beautiful gardens with Cowra’s finest food and wine. Chef Paul Loveridge is renowned in the region for his innovative use of fresh & delicious local produce – a winning partnership that earned The Quarry 3 stars in Mietta’s Best Restaurant Guide.
Warm Asian Salad of Cowra Lamb (serves 4)
Serve with Swinging Bridge 2007 Rosé
2 Racks of lamb (6 cutlets each) well trimmed
2 bunch green asparagus
1 tbl fresh coriander
100gm semi-dried tomatoes
1 red onion, thinly sliced
300gm loose lettuce leaves
Poaching Liquid
2 cups good quality beef stock
1/3 cup Soy sauce
2 tbl sweet chilli sauce
1 tbl tomato paste
1 tbl chopped coriander
1 tbl chopped lemongrass
1 tsp grated ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
- Bake lamb racks in a hot oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with foil & keep warm.
- Combine all poaching liquid ingredients in a large skillet, stir to combine and bring to the boil. Then reduce to a simmer.
- Cut the lamb into individual cutlets and gently poach for 10 minutes with the asparagus.
- While lamb is poaching, make up 4 plates of mixed lettuce, sprinkle with fresh coriander. Place drained asparagus and 3 lamb cutlets on top of the salad and spoon poaching liquid over as a dressing. Garnish with semi-dried tomatoes and thinly sliced red onion.
Onesta Cucina - chef Luke Latimer
Onesta Cucina or ‘honest kitchen’ is Bowral’s newest Italian restaurant. Owner Luke Latimer and wife Gemma have returned to Bowral after 10 years living in Sydney. Luke has identified a great opportunity to introduce his own brand of fresh and seasonal Italian cooking to the Highlands.
Luke has been working in the hospitality industry for over 12 years. He has honed his culinary skills working in a number of Sydney’s most reputable restaurants including Fuel Bistro, Fratelli Paradiso, Post and Prime Restaurants and most recently Café Sopra. In 2005 he was heavily involved in assisting Café Sopra host the Gourmet Traveller Magazine’s Restaurant of the Year Awards.
Onesta is defined by Luke’s passion for honest Italian food. Luke's key to honest food is that it is always fresh, seasonal and affordable.
Luke has provided us with the perfect summer recipe to go with a glass of the award winning Swinging Bridge 2006 Chardonnay.
Seared Dory Salad with Asparagus, Broad Bean, Leek & Lemon
For Salad
2 Baby Cos Hearts
10 Asparagus Tips
4 Broad Beans Podded
8 Baby Leeks ParsleyBasil
360g Mirror Dory Fillets
8 Sprigs of Watercress
½ Lemon
Lemon Vinaigrette
50mls Lemon Juice
50mls White wine vinegar
50mls White Wine
25mls Vegtable Oil
25mls Olive Oil
Combine all ingredients together
Method
- Heat fry pan until very hot
- Season Dory fillets with Salt & Pepper.
- Place in fry pan.with a splash of Olive oil and fry until opaque.
- Leave Fish to rest for 2 mins.
- Squeeze juice of ½ Lemon over fish.
- Combine all salad ingredients & dress lightly with Lemon Vinaigrette.
- Esemble on plate with fish spread evenly throughout.
Restaurant elio - chef Daniele Giannuzzi
Restaurant elio is a family inspired business headed by Elio Cordaro. "After growing up in a large Italian family where large family lunches were a regular occurrence, operating a restaurant with 100 guests just feels like being at home". Elio Cordaro first caught the eye of Norton Street diners when he opened the still operating Portofino Trattoria directly opposite elio. After feeding the masses pizza and pasta for a number of years and following a 6 month eating expedition in Sicily, the designers, architects and builders were called in to create a destination for fine Italian food in a more contemporary atmosphere.
Ten years since opening you will still find one of the Cordaros (Elio, Daniel, Frank, Carmel or Leonard) greeting you with a warm hello as you enter this Norton Street icon.
Elio has recommended this delicious lamb recipe to go with the darker fruit characters of blackberries and plums in the Swinging Bridge 2005 Shiraz.
Lamb Rump Encrusted with Green Peppercorns
Ingredients
6 x lamp rumps
4tbsp Dijon mustard
Crust
10gm green peppercorns
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves
10gm salt flakes
- Trim lamb, leaving a small amount of fat to keep lamb moist
- Put through blender, all crust ingredients until a sandy texture
- Heat roasting pan with oil, seal presentation side first. (One minute on each side)
- Take lamb off heat. Brush presentation side with Dijon mustard and roll in crust mixture
- Roast in oven with presentation side facing up.
- Serving suggestion is medium (around 10 minutes) at 220 Degrees C
- Let meat rest for 3 minutes. Slice and serve with roasted vegetables
