The second most important reason for drinking wine.
Think of wine as the extra spice for food...
 

Click HERE for recipes for medium bodied shiraz.

My hit prediction for a modern classic.

• 8 lamb fillets
• 1 medium sweet potato (skin on, dice into 2 cm cubes)
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 1 large red onion (sliced)
• 1 cucumber (seeded and sliced)
• 200 g mix lettuce leaves
• 10 mint sprigs (finely chopped)
• 250 g reduced fat natural yoghurt

Method

• Coat lamb fillets with Moroccan seasoning.
• Pre-heat oven to 180C. Place diced sweet potato on baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 10 minutes.
•  Heat grill, and cook fillets until golden brown. Combine cucumber, red onion, sweet potato and mixed leaves.
• Slice lamb and toss through salad.
• Add mint to yoghurt and dress salad.

Ingredients

• 2½ lb (1.15 kg) rolled brisket or silverside  
• 15 fl oz (425 ml) red wine
• 1 oz (25 g) butter
• 2 bay leaves a small bunch fresh thyme
• 1½ level tablespoons flour
• salt and freshly milled black pepper
  
  For the red onion marmalade:
• 12 oz (350 g) red onions, very finely chopped
• 1 oz (25 g) butter
• 1 level teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 8 fl oz (225 ml) red wine
• 2 fl oz (55 ml) red wine vinegar
• salt and freshly milled black pepper

• Take a casserole dish, melt ½ oz (10 g) of the butter in it and when it begins to foam turn the heat up high.
• Dry the meat thoroughly with kitchen paper and then brown it on all sides in the hot butter, browning one flat side first, then turning it over on the other side and moving it around to get the round edges browned as well.
• Then remove the meat, wipe the casserole with some kitchen paper and return the meat to it, adding the herbs, the wine and some salt and pepper.
• Bring it all up to simmering point, put on a tight-fitting lid, using foil if necessary, then transfer it to the oven and leave it to cook without looking at it for 3 hours.

While the beef is cooking, make the red onion marmalade:

• Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan.
• Stir in the chopped onions and the thyme and let them soften for about 10 minutes.
• Then add the wine and wine vinegar, bring it all up to a gentle simmer and add a seasoning of salt and freshly milled black pepper.
• Turn the heat to its lowest setting and let the whole thing cook really slowly with the lid off for about 50 minutes to 1 hour or until all the liquid has evaporated.
• Remove it from the heat, but re-heat gently before serving.

When the pot roast's cooking time is up:

• Remove the meat from the casserole, cover it with foil and leave it to relax for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove the herbs, place the casserole over direct heat and boil briskly to reduce the liquid slightly.
• Mix the flour and remaining butter to a smooth paste, then add this mixture in small pieces to the hot liquid and whisk with a small whisk until it comes back to the boil and you have a smooth, slightly thickened sauce.

Red Wine, Biscuit and Chocolate Mousse.

Impress your friends at a dinner party with this truly decadent treat. The best bit is you make it the night before, leaving you time to relax with  your guests,  sipping a glass of fine wine... Cheers to that, say I!
Serves 4                                                                      
Preparation Time: 15 minutes.                                       
Cooking time: Overnight

Ingredients

• 140g/5oz good quality plain chocolate, broken into pieces.

• 40g/1½oz butter, melted.

• 4 egg yolks.

• 55g/2oz caster sugar.

• 2 egg whites.

• 12 small macaroon biscuits.

• 150ml/5fl oz good quality red wine, ideally Coonawarra or any good Cabernet.

• 1 small orange, zest and juice only.

• Place the chocolate in a bowl and melt either over a pan of hot water or in a microwave for 30 seconds.

• Stir in the melted butter.Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until light and thick (the ribbon stage), then pour into a large bowl.

• Whisk the egg whites until stiff, and then leave to one side.

• Take four large wine glasses and place three of the biscuits in the bottom of each. Pour half the wine evenly into the bottoms of the glasses.

• Stir the orange zest and juice into the sugar and egg mixture and then quickly fold in the melted chocolate followed by the egg white.

• Be careful and take your time with this stage so as not to lose the air.

• Half fill the glasses with this mousse mixture and then top with the remaining biscuits.

• Pour the rest of the wine over the top and then fill the glasses up to the top with the remaining mousse.

• Put in the fridge to set for a few hours, preferably overnight, before serving.