Master stock and red cooked chicken
Date: Wed, Sep 10, 2008 Wine Tasting
After making Phở, I've become mildly obsessed about making stock. The new found interest coincides with a new larger fridge, which gives us almost twice the storage capacity of before. I thought I'd try my hand at making a Master stock.
To a sauce pan add the following:
400mls of light soy sauce
250mls of Chinese rice wine
3 cups of homemade chicken stock
1/3 of a cup of palm sugar
3 cloves of garlic - chopped
1 knob of ginger - peeled and sliced
The roots of 4 coriander plants and the leaves of one
3 star anise
1 large chicken - which has been halved
Now turn the heat on and slowly bring to the boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes before turning the heat off and leaving covered for a further three hours.
When ready to eat, carefully remove the chicken and cut into desired serving portions. The liquid (aka master stock) should be strained through muslin immediately and refrigerated or frozen for later use. It can be replenished with spices, soy and water periodically, and should keep for years - provided it is; used often, boiled, strained and refrigerated/frozen afterwards.
Ata Rangi Craighall Chardonnay 2005
Date: Tue, Sep 9, 2008 Wine Tasting
Martinborough, New Zealand. Chardonnay. 13.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A45.
Clearly being a wino sapien is not compatible with completing Super Mario Galaxy. I've spent the best part of two nights trying to finish Sweet Sweet Galaxy. . .
Made from the millerandage prone Mendoza clone this is rounded and rich, whilst being nuanced and long. Flinty and transiently sulphurous there is the obligatory scent of stonefruit and a more esoteric note of candied lemon. In shape, this is soft, billowing and voluminous before a long tail of sappy acids. The flavours too are curved and lush with a dominant note of melon and butterscotch.
Very good - excellent.
92.
Now - 2012.
technorati tags: wine
Domaine Confuron Cotetidot Nuits St Georges 1er Cru 1999
Date: Sun, Sep 7, 2008 Wine Tasting
Nuits Saint Georges, Burgundy, France. 13%. Cork. Purchased May 2007.
A very good wine, which is perfectly typical and ever so slightly dull. Truffle, raspberry and undergrowth play second fiddle to the scent of stem and stalk. Well weighted and balanced this is quite brisk, sappy, firm and drying. Slightly plain, though blemish free and not without merit. . .
Very good - excellent.
91.
Now - 2013+
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Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Riesling 2008
Date: Sat, Sep 6, 2008 Wine Tasting
Eden Valley, South Australia. Riesling. 12.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A20
The very talented Abstract Gourmet, Matt, wrote a lovely restaurant review recently for Jaws Mint. The words and photos convinced me to visit, this small but tasteful space. I went tonight and had a simple but delightful meal. The menu choices are limited, but what is offered is very well done. The garnish for the sashimi for instance is fresh edible seaweed, rather than the customary plastic grass. The only mild disappointment - the paucity of choice. There were only 5 mains (and two came with mashed potato!) and the only desserts on offer were non Japanese (chocolate cake, crème brûlée and cheese cake). The starters (I'd recommend the beef Tataki and the Kara-age) and sushi were faultless, but more attention could to be given to the concluding plates.
My favoured wine, especially for sashimi is Eden Valley riesling. Tonights wine smelt of talc, blossom, lime zest and green apple. A delicious, pure and enticing wine, with caressing flow and beautiful pace and line. It has the faintest hint of sweetness, softness and silk to offset the crunch and zesty acids.
Very good - excellent.
93.
Now - 2013+
technorati tags: wine, australian wine
Penfolds St Henri Shiraz 1998
Date: Thu, Sep 4, 2008 Wine Tasting
South Australia. Shiraz (with a small amount, 5%, of Cabernet). Cork (half stained). 14% alcohol. Source: Cellar.
Like an infant woken from slumber, this wine is stern and unresolved. It's large and rich and laden with texture and flavour, while still possessing form and spine. Compared to recent vintages I have tried, this is somewhere between the 2004 and the 96. I suspect this will outlive my Liebherr wine cabinet and still be a rewarding drink in the 2020s. . .
Excellent.
94.
2013 - 2020.
technorati tags: wine, australian wine
Vinaceous Snake Charmer Shiraz 2006
Date: Wed, Sep 3, 2008 Wine Tasting
Limestone Coast, South Australia. 14% alcohol. Approx $A40 (from wine list).
To my son, I've been reading Roald Dahl's Charlie and the great glass elevator. All the adventures and talk of vermicious knids has obviously done something to my mind. For tonight, I felt compelled to order this from the Brisbane Hotel's wine list. . .
The label and the wine remind me most of Mollydooker. It's very ripe and very full (and seemingly bigger than the stated 14%) and certainly not for the mild and meek. Volatile and port like, this will appeal to many (though not me).
technorati tags: wine
d'Arenberg The Galvo Garage 2002
Date: Tue, Sep 2, 2008 Wine Tasting
McLaren Vale and Fleurieu, South Australia. Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot, Petit verdot and Cabernet franc. 14.5%. Cork. Source: Cellar.
One of the pleasing things about wine blogging, is the people you come to know. Joe is one such individual. He lives somewhere on the opposite side of the globe and he is a very talented wine blogger with a deep passion for d'Arenberg.*
After a hard day in the sun, I was procrastinating about what to drink (does that mean I have too little or too much wine at home?), after half an hour of indecision (I even toyed with the idea of an alcohol free day), I settled on this wine. . .
To begin with form, this is rounded, fleshy and full. Of course there is Cabernet structure and hardness - seams of coal and graphite, followed by muscled tannins, but there is also plenty of padding and suppleness. The scent is exaggerated, tomato leaf and an impossibly ripe blackcurrant, that makes me think of dimethyl sulfide. It's full of character (which is of a polite way of saying this lacks grace, but has lots of energy and interest) and is faintly medicinal.
Very good.
90.
Now - 2012.
*The d'Arenberg Peppermint Paddock Sparkling Chambourcin is more than likely to be on Joe's shopping list, as he drives to 100. . .
Duck ham. . .
Date: Mon, Sep 1, 2008 Wine Tasting
I posted the recipe a few days ago. Despite the cadaveric appearance, this is sweet smelling and pink inside. The golden brown flecks on the surface are not colonies of bacteria, but spice fragments. . .
Serving suggestions - I've been eating this plain, but last night I topped a poached egg with a few thin slices, allowing the egg to take on some of the spice and saltiness.
Wine? A pinot dominant sparkling wine. A moderately priced local example would be the convincing 2004 Domaine Chandon Rosé Brut. (Multi region, 12.5%, Diamant cork, Approx $A35). Pale pink and scented with rose petal, raspberry and apple. Mouth-filling and creamy and then taut, savoury and dry. 90. Now - 2010.
Penfolds Koonunga Hill 'Seventy six' Shiraz Cabernet 2006
Date: Mon, Sep 1, 2008 Wine Tasting
South Australia. Shiraz, Cabernet sauvignon. 14.5%. Screwcap. Approx $A20.
I first read about this wine back in March. I looked for it momentarily, but gave up. I liked the idea that in celebration of 30 years of Koonunga Hill, a special wine and retro label was created. Not being able to find it initially, I settled on the standard release.
I fortuitously found a few bottles this week. Which coincidentally is the week that Fosters (the current owner of Penfolds) made their full year profit announcement. For 2008, their net profit fell by 88% (to $A111m), thanks largely to a decision to write down the value of their under-performing wine division by $A603m.
From what I can gather, the 'seventy six' is aimed at restaurant wine lists and boutique retailers (mine was purchased from Lamont's in Cottesloe), who presumably would not bother with the standard release of Koonunga Hill. Over 30 years, the value of Koonunga Hill has also been written down, at least in the eyes of the average consumer. Will the 'seventy six' restore the faith, or just create more confusion? There is a risk that it will merely highlight the apparent decline in quality. . .
Compared to the standard release, this is 100 basis points north in terms of weight (14.5% versus 13.5%) though it is clearly recognisable as Penfolds, and as Koonunga Hill. Smelling of malt, dried herbs (lavender and bay leaf), mulberry and well toasted oak, this is concentrated, sweet and silken. It's Balsamic like in intensity, with lovely length, polish and poise. A pleasing wine, where the hand of the maker is clear and present.
Very good - excellent.
92+
Now - 2016+
technorati tags: wine, australian wine
Salt cured duck breast
Date: Sat, Aug 30, 2008 Wine Tasting
Despite loving small goods, I've been reluctant to make my own. I guess a fear of botulism can be hard to overcome. . .
I was pleased then to come across the notion of Duck 'Prosciutto' and the simplicity of the recipe renewed by interest, while a quick re read of McGee helped overcome any lingering fears.
How?
Day 1: Make one quantum of spiced salt by (1) pounding 100g rock salt and 20g of brown sugar in mortar and pestle. (2) Add the zest and then juice of one lime. (3) Pound 2 cloves of garlic, a small knob of ginger, a small hand full of thyme and the roots of 3 fresh coriander and add to the salt/lime mixture. Then (4) grind/pound 4 Cloves, 3 star anise, 6 coriander seeds and half a cinnamon stick and add this to the salt/lime/herb mixture.
Take 4 duck breasts, and remove the skin (I rendered the fat from the skin for later use). Coat the duck breasts in salt, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Day 2 - 8: Remove the duck breasts, which will now be smaller and firmer, quickly rinse and pat dry. Encase each breast in muslin and then hang outside, in a shaded but breezy spot for one week. . .
Post card: The giant Boab of Kings Park
Date: Fri, Aug 29, 2008 Wine Tasting
Warmum is a long way from Perth. It's sub tropical, red, sparse and over 3000km away. It's where this grand, 750 year old Boab lived and grew up. It's now in the relatively cold surrounds of Kings Park, after being transported at great cost (well over $A120000). Apparently it weighs 14 tonnes, and it was decided it would be easier to move it, than divert the Great Northern Highway extension around it.
It's a spectacular tree, broad, gnarled and silent. It's too cold, injured and weary from it's travels to show any signs of life, though in the bare branches there are seed pods waiting. . .
Review: Lamont's wine store - Cottesloe
Date: Thu, Aug 28, 2008 Wine Tasting
I went late at night, and my hand seemed even more unsteady than usual, so sadly no photos worth publishing. . .
12 Station St is yet another venture for Kate Lamont, this time with her partner and local wine guru John Jens. Situated in the heart of Perth's gentrified Western Suburbs (and filled with local residents), this is really a marvelous place (where else in Perth can you buy hard to get bottles of wine after 10pm). The food is of high quality and very loosely Tapas in concept (though it needs to be ordered and it takes time) and the wine selection is compact and focused, with a combination of hometown favourites (Lamonts is well represented), Australian boutiques and well regarded internationals.
Curiously for Perth, this is a hybrid space, being part wine store and part Tapas bar. I sampled 6 dishes, and all were appealing and well presented. The Italian prosciutto was creamy and indulgent, whilst the Confit duck leg was excellent.
I had a bottle of 2006 Castle Rock Pinot noir (Great Southern, Western Australia, 13.5%, screwcap). It was very convincing and not unlike a Central Otago / Oregon model. Fragrent, very creamy and textured with a frontal emphasis. 90. Now - 2010.
4 sleeps till Spring. . .
Date: Wed, Aug 27, 2008 Wine Tasting
Spring is almost here, and this Rhodanthe chlorocephala is getting ready to open. Beautiful on its own and even more striking in concert.
Off cuts. . .
Date: Mon, Aug 25, 2008 Wine Tasting
A concise Chinese-English dictionary for lovers by Xiaolu Guo is annoyingly staccato and filled with broken English. You'll need to overcome these affectations and literary gimmicks to finish this book. The protagonist, a young Chinese woman in her twenties, is an empty vessel who carries around a copy of Mao's red book and a concise Chinese - English dictionary. Sent to England by her parents, so she might learn English, the book, set out as a diary, follows her progress and documents her many and varied misunderstandings (as well as her disgust at English food). I can empathise with tales of alienation and not belonging, but even so, I found this book particularly unrewarding.
Port wine flavoured jelly is something I remember from childhood. Now I have children of my own, it is something I occasionally make and eat. Not surprisingly it smells and tastes nothing like port wine. It's actually quite floral and reminds me most of magnolia. This particular brand contains additive 151, which the Hyperactive Children's Support Group recommends be eliminated from the diet of children. . .
Kiester's An incomplete history of World War 1 is far more interesting. Written with modern eyes, this is intentionally episodic and punctuated. It's brisk, lucid, very compelling and highly recommended.
30 Days in Sydney, by Peter Carey, was first published in 2001. Though 7 years old, his description of the City's personality is in my opinion unsurpassed. It's unforced, at times tangential but always captivating.
