Cauliflower Cheese
Spring, having popped out of hibernation, still seems a tad reticent and this morning feels as if it has decided to head back under the duvet for another week.
Reaching for the thicker jumper that had been put away, grabbing the heavier jacket when walking, the result of the return of chilly weather has also resulted in stews, cassoulets, and hearty sausages coming back on the menu over the last few weeks.
To perfectly accompany those warming dishes, then what better than a rich, and slightly spicy, cauliflower cheesy - see my notes at the bottom of this missive for a warming alternative to the traditional recipe.
To find a white wine to accompany meat and richly flavoured cauliflower cheese, then a very well-made Soave from North-East Italy is the perfect solution. A Malbec from Argentina might be the red solution.
Soave, made from the Garganega grape, produces an array of different quality levels. The vast majority of wine produced in this region is not particularly noteworthy, but there are a couple of exceptions.
The Inama family is one of these exceptions. They have been making Soave for more than fifty years, and the third generation is now involved in the business. Two of their wines were lined up: a Soave Classico DOC @ £14.99 from Majestic and a di Foscarino Soave Classico DOC @ £21.99 from Waitrose.
There is no question that the slightly more expensive variant was considerable ahead of its sibling.
Inama Vigneti di Foscarino Soave Classico DOC 2020
Waitrose - £21.99
Lightly gold in colour, the nose mixes herbs with white fruits and baked apples. The palate is engaging, with richly textured fruits in an almost honeyed but bone-dry finish. It needs food to marry the complexities of the flavours plus a structure and density that would work with the cauliflower cheese, but also - if by chance it appeared on the menu over the coming weeks - coronation chicken.
Mendel Unus, Mendoza 2019
Wine Society - £24.00 - also available from other merchants.
I visited Mendel about a dozen years ago, and have bought their wines ever since. This blend of 65% Malbec, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot are grown on two plots, one at 980m above sea level and the other at 1,100m. The Malbec vines are nearly 100 years old, and the Cabernet a sprightly 30. Deep colour, and the nose needs a little time to open. On the palate the 16 months in French oak barriques is evident, supported by rich red plums, raspberries and cassis flavours, with a defined structure, integrated tannins and length. Not a long-term keeper - probably drink over the next 5 years - but what a class act. Again, with BBQs on the horizon, certainly a very fine option.
A spicy cauliflower cheese. Follow a traditional recipe. 400ml of milk for a large cauliflower. Mix 2 tablespoons of tomato purée into the milk. For the flour, add 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes, nutmeg, and paprika: stir together. When you add the flour and spices to the melted butter, it looks like the inside of a Cadbury’s Crunchie Bar! Slowly add the milk mixture. Once the milk has thickened, add 1 tablespoon of Lea & Perkins before adding the cheese: 150g Gruyère and 30g Parmesan. If you want to add a little smidgeon more texture and flavour, then pan fry 250g of diced pancetta before starting to melt the cheese, and then add the pancetta after the cheese.
