Food  summary by James Hill and wine report by Stephen O'Halloran

An Italian-themed lunch today by James Hill.

Canapés

Firstly, Gary Linnane made a white bean anchoïade topped with some Cantabrian anchovies served on a cracker. Gary used the Tarbais beans that Society member Scott Witt had provided.

The beans were puréed with some Parmigiano-Reggiano, cream cheese capers, anchovy, lemon zest and EVOO. Full of flavour, creamy, thick and rich.

Secondly, acciughe al verde on baguette

Parsley, garlic, EVOO, red wine vinegar cayenne, 16 good quality anchovies

Recipe

One bunch of Italian parsley leaves only and two garlic cloves peeled.

6 tablespoons of best EVOO, 2 tablespoons of best red wine vinegar pinch of cayenne.

Process garlic and parsley in a food processor, be careful not to make a purée add the oil and vinegar and cayenne for one more quick whirl.

Place anchovies in a bowl and fold the parsley sauce through the fish.

Cover, leave at room temperature and serve four hours later with grissini or bread.

Thirdly and lastly ‘Nduja (spicy spreadable pork salami) on pumpernickel with pickled carrots on top.

Main

Pollo al forno con funghi e Verza e pure.

Number 5 spatchcocks marinated in garlic and parsley and EVOO then baked in the oven. It sat on top of some mash mixed with parsley and spring onions. Surrounding the mash and spatchcock was cabbage and mushroom that had been reduced with butter and wine.

The cabbage was a head of Savoy cabbage finely sliced and three kilograms of Swiss brown mushrooms cut into bite-sized pieces. This was cooked with 750gm of Italian unsalted butter and two bottles of Tahblik Marsanne. The vegetables were reduced to create a flavoursome sauce.

Big bread love from Sonoma ‘Miche’, a dark sourdough which is characterised by a distinct smokey flavour. It has a dark caramelised and blistered crust and an open and chewy crumb.

The butter today was Copper Tree chefs' series truffle butter.

Cheese

James Healey provided an ‘in theme’ Piedmontese semi-hard cheese made from cow and sheep’s milk called Testun Di Barolo.

Known as Formaggio Umbria or Drunken cheese this speciality of Piedmont is aged in traditional wooden barrels containing the grape skins of Barolo wine. The marinade leaves a purple stain which gradually penetrates the rind of the cheese leaving a very distinctive wine barrel flavour. The wheels then age for a further two months in Langhe marc and Barolo wine during which time the cheese develops a rich flavour, semihard texture and lingering sweetness. The flavours of the cheese and grapes mingle together to create a flavour that is bitey, creamy, sweet, windy, buttery and sharp all at once.

The cheese accompaniment was ‘Pastilla’ a honey walnut and prune log provided by Lynette MacDonald.

It’s a version of a recipe from Zina Komonoski a woman who is in her nineties and still cooking pastilla for her family. The method was handed down from her great-great-grandmother. It was a perfect match for our cheese course today.

Wine

I must confess that writing this wine report is somewhat difficult to produce, as I have nothing to whinge about or poke fun at!  Usually, I can find a wine or two that invites deserved criticism or ridicule, however, today’s offerings were completely unhelpful. They were all like Caesar’s wife, beyond reproach!  Not one to be sent to the sink . . How boring!  Doing the best I can to liven things up, my comments are, the first wine was a Soave from 2020. A tasty little number, a popular wine, a blend of  Garganega and Trebbiano and some others. I tasted this wine when in Italy 40 years ago and it impressed me then, being more flavoursome than many of the white wines then on offer.  The wine hails from the Veneto region.  Great wine with the pass-arounds, balanced with excellent fruit/acid combination. More please.

Our acting Winemaster Nick Reynolds then produced six excellent red wines to accompany the superb food and cheese by James Hill and James Healey. We were treated to five straight Nebbiolo, and one blend with other varieties. My picks were wine 1 the Gattinara, a Nebbiolo, clean and fresh,  light body, but tons of flavour, great food wine, not too tannic.

Next was wine 3  the 2009 Uvaggio Coste della Sesia Rosso, a Nebbiolo blend. I really liked this wine. Big colour, not too tannic affected (now 13 yo), deep ruby colour stood out from the rest on colour alone. Great wine. Next on the Honours list was the  2012 Barolo from Massolino.   Noticeable tannins but the integration of fruit and acid and tannin was perfect. Elegant yet powerful, Nebbiolo living up to its expected standards.

The other wines not reported were all excellent and there is simply nothing more to say. I cannot wait for next week when we may have some hopeless joke of a wine that possesses several winemaking faults and other atrocities I can have some fun with.

Wines Served: 2020 Monte Ronca Colle Marianna Soave, 2017 Nervi Conterno Gattinara, 2016 Sandro Fay Carteria Valgella Riserva Valtellina, 2009 Proprieta Sperino Uvaggio Coste della Sesia Rosso, 2014 Massolino Langhe Nebbiolo, 2012 Massolino Barolo, 2012 Massolino Barolo Parussi