What would the festive season be without a little bit of bubbly? As the end of the year comes near there is much to celebrate and what would a party be without a good glass of Steenberg 1682MCC (Méthode Cap Classique)?

Whether it’s to toast a milestone, brighten up a breakfast or to simply wind down the day, a glass of bubbly is always a welcome treat. The bubbles have an uplifting effect both literally and figuratively, making MCC a suitable drink for all occasions. When it’s time to eat however, MCC is often overlooked as a potential partner to the meal. Done correctly it can enhance the dish, lifting the flavours and textures, transforming the entire experience.  Below are two food and fizz pairing suggestions for the holiday season as well as a fun cocktail idea.

The Spring Rolls recipe is taken from the book Celebrating Méthode Cap Classique by Di Burger (available at Cellar Door for R300). If you need the perfect reason to start drinking a bit earlier in the day however, try the Eggs Royale recipe from our very own Bistro 1682. Pop a bottle and enjoy!

Prawn and Rice Noodle Spring Rolls

Paired with Pinot Noir 1682MCC

Makes 12 portions

250g peeled and deveined prawns, chopped

100g mange tout, cut into thin diagonal strips

100g carrots, cut into 3cm julienne

100g celery, cut into 3cm julienne

3 tbsp roughly chopped coriander

1 tbsp chopped mint

Finely grated rind of two lemons

1 tbsp sesame seeds, briefly toasted in a pan

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chilli

1 egg white, lightly stirred

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tsp fish sauce

2 tbsp lemon juice

150g cooked rice noodles, cut into 3cm lengths

2tsp salt

12 spring roll wrappers

Cornflour for dusting

Sweet chilli sauce, to serve

• In a mixing bowl, combine the prawns, mange tout, carrots, celery, coriander, mint, lemon rind, sesame seeds and chilli. Mix well
• Combine the liquid ingredients in a separate bowl, then pour over the prawn mixture and mix through. Lastly, add the rice noodles and gently toss through. Season with salt
• Place the wrappers one by one on a clean dry surface. Place two heaped teaspoons of the mixture just off centre, towards yourself. Fold the side of the wrapper closest to you over the filling and tuck in, to make a round cylindrical shape. Fold the one side over the filling and roll over once. Fold the other side over the filling and roll to the top of the wrapper to seal the spring roll. Seal the edge with water. Store on a plate, lightly dusted with cornflour and keep covered, while rolling the rest.
• Pre-heat the oven to 200°C and bake rolls for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Alternatively deep-fry spring rolls in warm oil until golden brown and crispy.
• Cut in half, diagonally, and serve warm with sweet chilli sauce. 

 

Eggs Royale Paired with Pinot Noir 1682MCC

For the Eggs Royale

Use fresh traceable free range eggs for poaching (an old egg will not allow the whites to coagulate and set).

Use the best possible local smoked trout and good quality toasted English muffins or homemade potato rosti.

Plate up the muffin or rosti topped with sautéed baby spinach, smoked trout and then your poached eggs, covered in hollandaise. 

HOLLANDAISE:
Makes 200ml

· 175g unsalted butter
· 2 free range egg yolks
· 2 table spoons warm water
· Juice of 1 lemon
· Salt and white pepper
· Cayenne pepper

• Clarify the butter by melting it, so the solids are separated from the rich yellow oil. Remove from the heat and allow the solids to settle to the bottom of the pan. Any solids floating may be removed with a spoon.
• Place the yolks, water and the juice of half the lemon into a mixing bowl, and place this over a pan of simmering water. Whisk continuously until it reaches ribbon stage. This is very important, as this is what gives you a beautifully aerated hollandaise.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and, very slowly, start to add the clarified butter while whisking continuously. If the sauce becomes too thick, add another tablespoon of warm water. Continue to add all the clarified butter.
• Season with a pinch of salt, white pepper and cayenne. Allow to stand in a warm place for 2 minutes, then pass through a fine sieve. Add more lemon if required. 
• Use within 1 hour of making.

 

Cocktail Suggestion

1682 MCC Chardonnay and Cuciarin (Coo-Chee-Ah-Rin)

Cuciarin means little spoon in Piemontese. Cuciarin is simply a sugar cube soaked in aromatic (orange) pure alcohol. It is served after dinner, on a spoon, set on fire for a few seconds, blown out and eaten! Followed by a glass of Chardonnay MCC of course! Alternatively you can drop a cube in your glass to add that extra citrus kick! Jars of Cuciarin are available at Cellar Door at R90 each.

“I made bubbly as a young winemaker at Môreson but didn’t really appreciate then what it was all about,” John said. “It was during my time working with Peter Ferreira at Graham Beck in Robertson that I started appreciating how complex and fascinating it truly is.”

Loubser believes that South Africa has huge potential both as a consumer and maker of sparkling wine, pointing out that one winery has grown its production to a million bottles of Methode Cap Classique annually. “But then some of the larger producers in Champagne make 20 million bottles alone – and there are a few which have base wine stretching back 27 vintages!”

He is of the opinion that winemakers, during their careers, naturally gravitate towards an area of specialisation – white or red – and admits his is MCC. “About 80% of what I drink is white – and a high proportion of that is bubbly. I find it utterly absorbing from a technical point of view, there’s a precision required, a complexity involved and overall it’s a helluva challenge. I believe we are only just beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible in South Africa.”

The alchemy involved in the secondary fermentation in bottle to produce the millions of bubbles is well understood but there’s so much scope for experimentation locally. More and more producers are adding sparkling wines to their ranges while few are focussing solely on bubbly production.

Loubser revealed that Steenberg’s production is set to grow dramatically over the next five years. “We’re currently making 2 500 cases by 12 bottles and we’ll be increasing that to 10 000 by 2015/2016! The potential is amazing and it’s an exciting challenge that we look forward to.”