Wineshark Home Cooking - 45. Crispy Potato Fritters

Ingredients (for 4):

• Potatoes - 2
• Bacon finely - 2 strips
• Self-raising flour - 1 tbsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• White pepper powder - dashes
• Cooking oil - 2 tbsp

Procedures:

1. Peel the potatoes and then cut into julienne.

2. Soak in water to remove the starch.

3. Drip dry the potato julienne and then mix with bacon, flour, salt and white pepper powder.

4. Heat the pan and then put the mixture in, then add some oil to pan fry till firm and crispy, before flipping over to pan fry the other side.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 44. Ragout de Porc

Ingredients (for 4):

• Pork chop - 2 lb 8 oz (8 pieces)
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Black pepper finely - 1 tsp
• Flour - 2 oz
• Tomato paste - 2 oz
• Rosemary - 1 tsp
• Bay leaf - 2
• Stock - 10 oz
• Red wine - 2 oz
• Carrot wedges - 6 oz
• Onion wedges - 6 oz
• Turnip wedges - 6 oz
• Fettuccine - 1 lb 4 oz

Procedures:

1. Marinate the pork chop with salt and black pepper.

2. Coat the pork chop with flour, then pan fry till golden on both sides.

3. Use cooking oil to saute the vegetables, and then add tomato paste, stock, herbs and red wine. Add the pork chop to braise for 35 minutes.

4. Serve with Fettuccine.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 43. Filet de Porc, Sauce a la Moutarde

Ingredients (for 4):

• Pork filet - 8 pieces
• Shallot - 50 g
• Butter - 10 g
• Madeira - 150 ml
• Stock - 400 ml
• Whole grain mustard - 30 g
• Butter (for seasoning) - 20 g
• French beans - 100 g
• Potato - 120 g
• Mushroom - 60 g

Procedures:

1. Wrap the filet in strings to keep a circular shape, and then season with salt and black pepper on both sides.

2. Saute the pork filet with butter and olive oil, when the oil started to turn colour and having bubbles. Try not to move the filet during the saute process.

3. When the side is browned, then flip the filet over and continue to saute the other side. 

4. Use the rolling method to cook the sides of the filet, then put them on a rack to absorb back the juices into the filet.

5. Add the chopped shallot to the fan, and then add the madeira wine.

6. Let the mixture reduce to 1/4 and then add the stock. 

7. Sieve the sauce througha chinois.

8. If necessary, add corn starch to the sauce. Then add butter and the whole grain mustard. Season with salt an black pepper.

9. Blanch the French beans in salted water and then saute with butter.

10. Saute the mushroom and put the potato as the side dish.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 42. Jambon ham with Melon Mousse

Ingredients (for 4):

• Iberico ham - 4 slices
• Melon - 200 g
• Gelatin - 10 g
• Water - 4 tbsp
• Cream - 100 ml
• Sugar - 10 g
• Black pepper finely - dashes
• Salt - dashes

Procedures:

1. Mix the gelatin with water, on a hot water bath.

2. Cut the melon into pieces, then blend.

3. Add sugar to the cream and whisk into a thick texture.

4. Add the blended melon to the cream, then add 1 tbsp of cream to the gelatin, mix well together.

5. Keep the mousse in the fridge for 4 hours.

6. Serve the mousse in a glass rock cup, then add a few pieces of melon. Fold the ham into a flower shape and put on top.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 41. Fried Fish Hawaiian Style

Ingredients (for 4):

• Fish filet - 1 lb
• Cooking oil - 2 oz
• Salt - 1 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Flour - 2 oz
• Egg - 1
• White wine - 2 oz
• Worcestershire sauce - 2 tsp
• Stock - 10 oz
• Green bell pepper - 2 oz
• Red bell pepper - 2 oz
• Lemon juice - 1/2 
• Butter - 2 oz
• Diced pineapple - 1 slice
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Tomato paste - 2 tbsp
• Tomato ketchup - 1 oz
• White thickened - 2 oz

Procedures:

1. Wash the fish filet, drip dry and then marinate with lemon juice, white wine, salt and white pepper powder.

2. Wipe dry with tissue paper, then coat with flour, egg and then pan fry with oil.

3. Saute bell pepper with butter, then add diced pineapple, white wine, white sauce, ketchup, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and other seasonings.

4. Pour the sauce on top of the fish.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 40. Gnocchi, Florentine-Style

Ingredients (for 4):

• Fresh spinach - 300 g
• Garlic - 2 cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• Salted butter - 25 g
• Gruyere cheese - 60 g, grated
• White pepper powder - dashes
• Butter - 45 g cubed
• Flour - 75 g
• Egg - 1
• White pepper powder, salt - dashes
• Butter - 30 g
• Flour - 30 g
• Milk - 500 ml
• Ground nutmeg - dashes
• Salt, black pepper - dashes

Procedures:

1. Remove the stem of the spinach leaves and wash them well. 

2. Chop the garlic cloves.

3. Prepare a beurre noisette (butter that is melted until brown) with garlic and saute the spinach in it. Leave to cook over low heat for 5 minutes and then season.

4. Sift the flour, and bring to boil 125 ml of water, the cubed butter, salt, and ground white pepper. Remove from the heat and add all the sifted flour at once.

5. Return the saucepan to the heat and dry the batter by stirring energetically with a spatula until the moisture has evaporated.

6. Transfer the choux batter to a bowl and leave to cool. Mix in the egg using a spatula to stir them in until completely incorporated. 

7. Bring about 1 litre salted water to the boil. Spoon the choux pastry into small olive. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove the water and strain.

8. Make a white roux with the butter and flour. 

9. Pour over half the cold milk and add the grated nutmeg.

10. Bring the mixture to the boil over high heat, stirring constantly with your whisk. Pour in the remaining milk, bring to the boil again, and season.

11. Spread a little bechamel sauce at the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Arrange the spinach over it, and then the gnocchi.

12. Cover with bechamel sauce. Scatter with grated Gruyere cheese and bake until brown and crisp on top, about 15-20 minutes.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 39. French Onion Soup

Ingredients (for 4):

• Onion - 1 lb 4 oz
• Stock - 2 lb 8 oz
• Bay leaf - 2
• Salt - 1.5 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Butter - 2 oz
• French bread slices - 4
• Gruyere cheese - 4 oz

Procedures:

1. Thinly slice the onion.

2. Saute the onion until it turns golden.

3. Add the stock and season.

4. Thinly slice the cheese on the soup.

Wineshark Home Cooking - 38. Braised Chicken in Red Wine

Ingredients (for 4):

• Chicken - 600g
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Black pepper finely - dashes
• Flour - 1 tbsp
• Potato - 1
• Pearl onion - 12
• Carrot - 1
• Onion - 1/2 
• Carrot diced - 1/3 
• Celery diced - 1
• Leek diced - 1
• Red wine - 1/2 bottle
• Tomato juice - 1
• Bay leaf - 1
• Water - 2 cup
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Tomato paste - 2 tbsp
• Worchestershire sauce - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Butter - 1 tbsp
• Salt and white pepper powder - dashes

Procedures:

1. Marinate the chicken with salt, black pepper and flour.

2. Heat the pot with oil, then cook the chicken till the skin turns golden.

3. Add butter and saute the diced vegetable on medium heat, cover the lid and stir well frequently.

4. Add the red wine and turn to high heat until half the wine is evaporated.

5. Add the sauce mixture of tomato juice, bay leaf, water, salt, tomato paste and Worchestershire sauce. Cook using low heat for 1.5 hours, stirring frequently. Then turn off the heat to braise for another 20 minutes.

6. Add the potato, pearl onion and carrot, and cook for another 30 minutes on low heat, stirring frequently. Then turn off the heat and continue to braise for another 10 minutes.

7. Heat the dish again and season with salt and white pepper powder.

Chateau La Couspaude

The history of Chateau La Couspaude stretches back to at least the Middle Ages when it was known as La Croix Paute, referencing to the cross that sits at the centre of the junction at one corner of the property. The cross once served as the meeting point for pilgrims making their way to St-Emilion, towards Santiago de Compostela.

The current owners are the Aubert family, who also owns several minor properties in and around the St-Emilion appellation, but La Couspaude has been under their ownership for over one hundred years. It was acquired in 1908 by Prosper-Jean Robin and upon his death the estate was bequeathed to his son Andre-Marcel, and in turn inherited by Andre’s daughter Edith in 1963.

It was Edith who took the property into the hands of the Auberts, as a dowry when she married to Etienne Aubert. At the helm today are the three brothers, Alain, Daniel and Jean-Claude, the sons of Edith and Etienne, with Alain’s daughter Heloise and Daniel’s daughter Vanessa managing the administrative side.

The estate is ranked a Grand Cru Classe in the current classification, but the position was not consistently held, when it was demoted in the 1986 revision, just because the wine was not bottled at the chateau. It was promoted again in 1996 and stayed that way till today.

The vineyards cover 7 hectares on the limestone plateau, exactly the same site Prosper-Jean Robin acquired. The vines have an average age of 30 years, planted at 6500 vines per hectare, with 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The yields are well controlled between 30 and 35 hl/ha, using a combination of hard pruning and bunch thinning. Harvest is manual, into small crates, with a sorting prior to pressing. In the cellar the fruit is fermented in small wooden vats with temperature control, with malolactic and elevage in new oak barriques for 18 to 20 months.

The ultimate blend is typically close to the vineyard plantings, and Jean-Claude Aubert oversees the vinification, with consultation from Michel Rolland. The grand vin is Chateau La Couspaude, with a second wine Junior de la Couspaude, with the total production only about 3000 cases per annum.

I have recently tasted the 2008 vintage and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, it has medium ruby color, with slight garnet rims and legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium (-) intensity aromas of black fruit such as blackberry and plum, oak notes of cedar, dried fruit of prune, sweet spice of clove, kernel notes of mocha, maturity notes of tobacco. The wine is developing. 

Palate

Dry with medium acidity, medium tannin of ripe and a bit grippy on texture, with medium alcohol and medium body, with medium intensity flavors of black fruit such as blackberry and plum, oak notes of cedar, kernel notes of chocolate, sweet spice of clove. The wine has a medium finish.

Conclusion

Good quality St-Emilion with the typical regional characters, though the nose is less intense than I would expect, but still with good complexity. The wine has good structure but the tannin is a bit grippy, with reasonable concentration and finish. Ready to drink now but can benefit from further ageing of another 2-3 years.