Laithwaite Sémillon 2005
Top food matches: Baked fennel, Chicken casserole, Christmas Turkey, Grilled trout.
Rich, luxurious, old-vine Sémillon - pride-and-joy private project white!
Pure Sémillon is every bit as classic in Bordeaux as Sauvignon is to Sancerre and Chardonnay to Burgundy ... "Laithwaites shows what can be achieved when Sémillon stands by itself" (Financial Times). And the 9th vintage just confirms the fact.
The grapes come from Bordeaux's best vintage in "10, 50 or even 100 years" (Decanter) and Monsieur Menguin's old, hilltop vines in the historic Entre-Deux-Mers region. Ageing took place in new oak barrels and Jean-Marc Sauboua of Laithwaite Sauvignon (and Haut-Brion) fame the winemaking expertise.
Honeyed, glowing gold with lively aromas of citrus, nectarine and toasty oak. Deliciously rich, with layers of juicy lemon, pear and apricot giving way to moreish oak on the finish. Luscious chilled and great with food.
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Grape variety:
Semillon
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Country:
France
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Style:
Medium
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Appellation:
Bordeaux AOC
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Type:
Still White Wine
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Alcohol:
14.5% -
Serving Temperature:
12.0
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Units:
10.875
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Drink By:
N/A
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Latest Award:
2006
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Bottle size:
75CL
Awards
International Wine Challenge 2006 , Australia
Vegetable recipes
Ricotta and Roasted Vegetable Tart
A crumbly shortcrust bake with a rich cheesy filling, topped with colourful chunks of sweet roasted vegetables.
Serves 4–6
Total time: 1 hour 20 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients
1 small aubergine
1 red pepper, halved and deseeded
2 small courgettes
1 onion
1 small sweet potato, peeled
100ml olive oil
375g ready-made shortcrust pastry
300g ricotta cheese
2 eggs
50g grated Parmesan cheese
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5 and grease a loose-bottomed tart tin measuring about 30cm x 11cm.
- Cut the aubergine, pepper, courgette, onion and sweet potato into 2cm chunks. Place in a bowl with the oil and toss to coat. Tip the vegetables onto a large baking tray and spread out evenly. Roast for 30 minutes, or until tender and slightly charred, then set aside.
- Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line the tin. Line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans, then bake blind for 10 minutes. Remove the beans and paper.
- Meanwhile, beat together the ricotta, eggs and Parmesan. Fill the pastry case with the ricotta mixture and bake for 15 minutes, or until set. Top with the roasted vegetables and return to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through. Remove from the tin and serve hot or at room temperature.
Variations
Add some finely chopped chives or spring onions to the ricotta mixture for a more pungent flavour, or a little grated nutmeg to enhance the sweetness of the vegetables.
Perfect partner
Cabalié 2008 - This warming and flavour-packed wine sets off the roasted vegetables and cheese to perfection, and is particularly good in the winter.
Spinach and Mushroom Roulade
This chilled roulade can be served as an impressive starter or a light main course, garnished with a few dressed salad leaves.
Serves 6–8
Total time: 45 mins, plus cooling
Cooking time: 20 mins
Ingredients
45g butter, plus extra for greasing
250g mixed mushrooms, sliced
juice of ½ lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed
600g spinach
4 eggs, separated
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
200ml crème fraîche
2 tbsp chopped parsley
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7. Grease a 33cm x 23cm Swiss roll tin and line with non-stick baking paper. To make the filling, melt 15g butter in a frying pan, add the mushrooms, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper to taste and cook for 3 minutes, until just softened. Leave to cool.
- Put the spinach leaves in a large saucepan with just the water that clings to them after washing. Cook, covered, over moderate heat for 1–2 minutes, or until wilted, then drain very thoroughly and chop coarsely.
- Transfer the spinach to a large bowl and beat in the remaining butter, egg yolks, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until firm but not dry, then fold gently into the spinach mixture. Pour into the tin and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until firm.
- Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on a sheet of greaseproof paper. Turn the roulade out onto the paper and leave to cool for 5–10 minutes, then peel off the lining paper. Trim the edges.
- Drain the mushrooms, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Put them into a bowl and add the crème fraîche, parsley and salt and pepper to taste, plus a little of the reserved liquid if too thick. Spread the filling over the roulade, leaving 2.5cm border. Roll up from a long side, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Cut into thick slices to serve.
Top tip
Use the greaseproof paper to help you roll up the roulade in Step 4, and avoid overfilling it or it will be difficult to roll.
Perfect partner
Domaine Raimbault-Pineau Cuvée Cassandra 2008
The purity of this lovely wine makes a classic match with this pretty roulade.
Stir-fried Vegetables with Halloumi
Halloumi is a salty, firm sheep's milk cheese from Cyprus that is even more flavourful when cooked – it also holds its shape well. When mixed with a colourful selection of vegetables this is a recipe that you'll want to make again and again.
Serves 4
Total time: 40 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 lemon grass stalk, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp vegetable stock
pinch of caster sugar
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
250g halloumi cheese, cubed
2 courgettes, sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
150g button mushrooms, sliced
150g mangetout, sliced lengthways
2 tbsp vegetable oil
handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
steamed rice, to serve
- Combine the garlic, chillies and lemon grass in a small bowl and reserve. In another small bowl, mix the soy sauce, stock, sugar and lime zest and juice.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan and dry-fry the cheese cubes until golden. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
- Preheat a wok, add the oil and heat. Add the garlic mixture and stir-fry until fragrant, making sure the garlic does not burn. Add the courgettes, then the red pepper, then the mushrooms and lastly the mangetout, stir-frying for a couple of minutes between each vegetable until just tender but still crisp.
- Add the soy sauce mixture and stir well, then stir in the fried halloumi and coriander. Serve at once, with steamed rice.
Variations
Make this vegetarian main course suitable for vegans by substituting squares of firm tofu, fried in a little oil, for the cheese.
Perfect partner
Villa Masetti Pinot Grigio 2008
This distinctive Italian wine will add a classy twist to a lovely meal.
Walnut and Vegetable Crumble
Butter beans have a sweet taste and a slightly creamy texture. They absorb the flavours of the carrots, leeks and celery beautifully to create a filling dish, top with cheese and walnut crumble for a divine combination!
Serves 4
Total time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 50 mins
Ingredients
15g butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
2 leeks, sliced
1 celery stick, thinly sliced
250g new potatoes, diced
800g butter beans, drained and rinsed
400g canned chopped tomatoes
75g wholemeal bread
25g chopped walnuts
small bunch of parsley, chopped
100g Cheddar cheese, grated
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion, carrot, leeks, celery and potatoes. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butter beans and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper to taste, then cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the crumble topping by placing the bread, walnuts, half the parsley and 75g of the cheese in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Stir the remaining parsley into the butter bean mixture, then transfer to a shallow 2-litre ovenproof dish. Scatter the remaining cheese over the top, cover with the crumble and level with the back of a spoon. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the topping is crisp. Serve hot.
Serving suggestion
This is already a substantial meal, so all it needs is a crisp green salad.
Perfect partner
Bourg Lachamps Chardonnay 2007 - The creamy finish of this Chardonnay is a terrific match for this dish.
Nutty Vegetable Stir-fry
You can vary the vegetables in this stir-fry according to what’s in season, but be sure to keep the mixture colourful.
Serves 4
Total time: 25 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Ingredients
150g cashew nuts
1 tbsp groundnut oil
4 spring onions, thickly sliced on the diagonal
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
125g baby sweetcorn, halved lengthways
250g button mushrooms, sliced
150g mangetout
4 tbsp black bean sauce
- Dry-fry the cashew nuts in a wok for 2 minutes or until golden, then set aside.
- Add the oil to the wok and heat. Stir-fry the spring onions and red pepper for 2 minutes. Add the baby sweetcorn, mushrooms, mangetout and toasted cashews and stir-fry for 4 minutes.
- Add the black bean sauce and 2 tbsp water. Stir-fry for a further 2–3 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Variations
Make this more substantial by adding 250g dried egg noodles, cooked according to packet directions and drained, with the bean sauce in Step 3.
Perfect partner
Visionario 2008 This spectacularly popular Italian white is very good with this tasty stir-fry.
Spicy Vegetable Parcels
Curried vegetables topped with chilli-spiced peanuts and cooling yoghurt are attractive and delicious when served in little golden filo cases.
Serves 4
Total time: 50 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil , plus extra for brushing
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tsp mild curry powder
2 carrots, chopped
100g broccoli, cut into very small florets, stems chopped
3 baby sweetcorn, chopped
200ml vegetable stock
4 sheets filo pastry, cut into 25cm squares
½tsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste
75g peanuts
Greek-style yoghurt, to serve
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. To make the vegetable curry filling, heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, 1½ tsp curry powder, the carrots, broccoli and baby sweetcorn and fry for 2 minutes, stirring, then add the stock and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and keep warm.
- Brush the sheets of filo with a little oil. Place 4 x 15cm ring moulds on a large baking sheet and line with layers of filo, letting it overhang the sides. Bake for 5 minutes, or until crisp and golden.
- Meanwhile, to make the spiced peanuts, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the remaining curry powder, the chilli flakes and peanuts. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the nuts are aromatic, stirring constantly. Transfer half the nuts to a food processor and process until smoothly ground.
- To serve, fill the filo cases with the vegetable curry, sprinkle with the whole peanuts and drizzle with yoghurt. Top with the ground nuts.
Top tip
Filo pastry is very thin and dries out quickly, so keep the sheets you are not working with covered with a damp tea towel or clingfilm. It should always be brushed with oil, melted butter or a combination of the two before baking to give it its characteristic crisp texture and keep the layers separate.
Perfect partner
Dominius del Marquesado 2007
The aromas of fruit and toasted spices are seriously delicious with these delicate parcels of multi-coloured vegetables.
