November 2005 : Eat Your Words!

In last month’s column I mentioned a tasting we were presenting on 30 October comparing new world with old world wines. There were 15 categories and during lunch a vote was taken on preferences. Old World scores = 13. New World = 2 (!)

What should we conclude? It seems European wines have a strong edge over New World wines when it comes to taste - but that’s not the full story. Remember we were voting during lunch – when all of the wines were being compared. The main course was Seared Rump of Beef and before tucking into the meat the preference was for an Australian Shiraz. However, with the meat the Crozes Hermitage from Rhone was voted the best. Why was this?

The Australian was full of fruit and spices, high in alcohol – very much ‘in your face’. The Rhone was lower in alcohol and with a dryish finish on the palate which worked much better with the meat. The moral being, never judge a wine before food!

Here’s something to make you all jealous – on Nov 9th in New York 35 people paid $16,500 each to taste their way through some rare wines (average price $2,000 per bottle). There were even some from 1920s where the cost was $15,000 per bottle! Altogether they tried 100 wines with a value of $230,235.

Apparently it was a sold out event! Plans are afoot for another one next year. The twist in the tale comes with the news that many of the older vintages were profoundly ‘off’ - however the guests realised this was inevitable and didn’t dissuade them at all.

The mind boggles.

Happy & Healthy Drinking!
Kenneth Harry Putt

This Month's Recipe : Oriental Smoked salmon salad

This is a very simple but tasty starter or main course buffet salad which has a slight twist, with flavours that I feel make smoked salmon rather more special.

You can serve this in a big bowl for your guests or in individual dishes. What I do is to divide the dressing between the 4 bowls and then put the salad on top - when you serve the starter you just mix in the dressing from the bottom of the bowl. All self contained!

Ingredients: (for 4 people)
1 medium packet of smoked salmon
2 Cos lettuce
1 red chilli pepper
Handful of baby spinach leaves
6 spring onions
1 small packet sugar snap peas
Handful of Coriander
Handful of Basil
1-2 Limes
1 chilli, green or red
Soya sauce
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method:
All very simple. Cut up the Cos lettuce using more the inner parts of the lettuce rather than the outer greener leaves and put into a bowl (the outer leaves can be kept in the fridge and used another time). Pick the spinach over, removing any big stalks and add to the Cos lettuce - mix together.

Cut the red pepper in half and de-seed. Slice thin strips of pepper on the angle and add to the salad leaves (depending on your taste you can add as little or as much as you like).

Remove the outer leaves from the spring onions, cut off the roots and slice on the angle - it looks pretty and also oriental. Cut the sugar snap peas on the angle too, as these do look good as you can see the peas inside. Tear the basil leaves, then add everything to the salad and season with a little grind of pepper.

For the dressing, use a glug or two of olive oil (about 6 tablespoons), the juice and rind of 1 lime, chopped chilli and 2 table spoons of soya sauce.

The best thing with this dressing is to taste as you go along. We all have different taste buds and like strong or weaker flavours, so keep tasting and either adding a bit more soya or lime etc until you get the correct taste for you. Add in half the coriander.

Place the salad into your serving bowls, sprinkle over the remaining coriander for decoration. Slice the salmon and decorate the top of the salad with the fish so that it looks good. You are ready to serve to your guests. Enjoy!