Plonk pairings: Bank Holiday
Elevate midweek meals effortlessly with Ixta Belfrage’s selection of sauces and spices. This vegan-friendly four-piece – inspired by her childhood growing up in Mexico, Brazil, and Italy – is versatile enough to rustle up a quick dinner or unleash your culinary creativity with something entirely new. Here you’ll find some of Ixta’s favourite recipes to get you started.
Serves: 2
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INGREDIENTS:
300g frozen mixed berries, defrosted
1 tangerine
1 lime
1 tsp caster sugar
200g yoghurt, fridge-cold
150g mascarpone, fridge-cold
1 tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
Peanut Fudge Sauce
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Add your berries to a bowl with the zest & juice of the tangerine and lime. Add some sugar to taste and crush.
In another bowl, mix the yoghurt, mascarpone, maple syrup and vanilla vigorously until smooth.
Serve like a sundae - in a glass, layer berries, yoghurt and Peanut Fudge Sauce - building until the glass is full.
Mexican Spiced Duck by El Pastor Food with a bit of spice is always a fun challenge when it comes to wine. Bottles with lower acid and ripe fruit are the winners here. Domaine Duseigneur "La Goutte du Seigneur" Blanc 2021 ticks both those boxes.
Bank Holiday Lamb Banquet by Michel Roux Jr. The archetypal Bank Holiday feast – the roast! We’d always go for a bottle of Bordeaux in this situation - Domaine Jean-Yves Millaire Bordeaux "Château Cavale" 2020 would be perfect. Good tannin and fruit intensity means the wine stands up brilliantly to the lamb.
Handmade Pork Wontons by Poon’s Pure oily, fatty heaven here, which calls for a juicy red to cut through those delicious flavours. Château de la Selve Petite Selve VDF 2021 does this exquisitely – crunchy red fruit with great acid and hint of spiciness.
Beef Rendang by Roti King We love going for fragrant, aromatic wines when pairing with curries. Domaine Dirler-Cadé Memoire 2020 is ideal. A blend of grapes from Alsace, all bringing a fresh, floral nature to balance the dish nicely.
Black Rice, Octopus & White Wild Prawns by José Pizarro So much depth of flavour in this menu. That can only call for one thing – Chardonnay. Whilst the grape has received a bad rep over the years, there is honestly no better wine with rich seafood-orientated dishes, but only when left in the hands of the right winemaker. Eric Thill is one of those, producing Chardonnay that perfectly balances body and texture with freshness.
Use code DISHPATCH15 at checkout on any of Plonk’s ‘Fresh Drops’ subscriptions, and get 15% off your first month’s box. Offer ends 31st July 2023. Limited to one use per customer.