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RecipesSnacks, Soups & Starters  Angels on Horseback2 tins of Smoked oysters (John West do them and they are in most supermarkets) 1/2 Lemon 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce Pepper 3 or 4 streaky Bacon rashers Squeeze the Lemon and Worcestershire Sauce over the oysters. Cut each rasher of bacon into 2” lengths (long enough to wrap around each oyster. Wrap around the oyster and secure with a cocktail stick. Heat in the oven (200C/400F, Gas 6) until bacon is crisp. Serve. White chilled port will really pick up the flavour of the almonds. Devils on Horseback  8 oz Prunes4oz Almonds 3 or 4 streaky Bacon rashers Hot Mango Chutney to serve Remove the stones from the prunes and replace with an almond. Cut the rashers of bacon as above. Wrap the bacon round the prunes. Secure with a cocktail stick. Heat as above. Serve with the Hot Mango Chutney for dipping. Gazpacho  3 ripe medium beefsteak tomatoes cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice2 small red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice 2 small cucumbers, one peeled and the other with skin on, both seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice 1/2 small sweet onion or 2 large shallots, peeled and minced 2 medium cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons salt 1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar Ground black pepper 5 cups tomato juice 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as 8 ice cubes Extra-virgin olive oil for serving Combine the tomatoes and their juices, bell peppers, cucumbers, onion, garlic, salt, vinegar, and pepper to taste in a large bowl. Let stand until the vegetables just begin to release their juices, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato juice, hot pepper sauce, if using, and ice cubes. Cover tightly. Refrigerate to blend flavours, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and remove and discard any un-melted ice cubes. Serve cold, drizzling each portion with about 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil and top with chives and toasted bread cubes. The ideal wines to go with Gazpacho are Tours Chapoux and the red Brissonet. The Brissonet really is a must with tomato based dishes as it brings out that lovely ripe flavour. It’s a powerful fruity wine that can handle the Balsamic Vinegar. Tours Chapoux is made predominantly with the Sauvignon Blanc grape and it shouts of summer fruits and flowers on the nose. It’s flavours are very expressive with those exotic fruits coming through and it has a long freshness in its taste. Borscht  4 medium beets5 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar fresh lemon juice white granulated sugar salt and pepper to taste sour cream hot boiled potato chopped hives and dill Cut stems/leaves off beets but leave on skins and cover with water ( add a splash of vinegar so beets remain red ) and cook about an hour until tender. Drain and peel off skins ( slips off easily ) under running cold water. Coarse shred beets by hand into a soup pot. Cover with the 5 cups of chicken stock. Add vinegar and lemon juice along with sugar to make a sweet and sour taste as desired. Heat and stir to dissolve sugar and let soup simmer a few minutes to blend flavours. Remove from heat and cool and chill well. To serve stir in some sour cream into the soup (it becomes a vivid pink!!) or just dollop sour cream onto individual portions. Sometimes a hot boiled potato is placed into the cold soup too. Either way, sprinkle with chives and dill. As for a wine Chateau Laures would be perfect as it will bring out the sweetness in the beetroot. Chateau Laures is an aromatic wine with intense fruit and honey flavours. Sainte Marie is another good choice as it will compliment the Borscht’s lemony after taste. Sainte Marie has great aromas of lemon, lime and grapefruit, with hints of elderflower and is perfectly balanced on the palate offering a well structured and a long lasting, complex finish. Vichyssoise  4 medium leeks (about 3 pounds), washed very well and sliced very thin, use white part only 1 1/2 pounds potatoes (waxy variety), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted 4 cups chicken broth, water, or milk 1 cup heavy cream salt and pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon of finely chopped chives, for garnish Add the butter to a large pot over medium-low heat add the butter. When melted, add the leeks and gently sweat (you don't want them to brown) until they are soft (about 5 minutes). Add the potatoes and chicken broth, water, or milk. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer until potatoes are soft and easily pierced with a fork (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Add the mixture to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Do this in small batches (no more than half full) as the hot soup creates pressure and can spray out. Return the soup to the pot and whisk in the cream. Stirring all the time, bring the soup to a boil and immediately turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes and remove from heat. If the soup is too thick, add a little water or broth. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper. Cool quickly to room temperature, cover with plastic, then refrigerate until chilled (preferably overnight). Just before serving, sprinkle chives over the top. Wines to accompany Vichysoisse should be French! Chateau Au Berton is a very honest, good value Domaine du Ricaud Bordeaux Clairet is a beautiful presentation of a Clairet in |
