The Bouchard brothers of Chablis. Organic is a method. Biodynamique is a philosophy.

The Bouchard brothers of Chablis.

Organic is a method. Biodynamique's a philosophy.

That was the word from the Bouchard brothers (above), Damien and Romain (left), as they presented an lively and informative masterclass, the latest in a series of Zoom events from Liberty Wines. The brothers, the 5th generation of their family to be involved in wine run the relatively recent Domaine de L’Enclos, relatively recent  because in 2016 the family domaine concentrated their vineyards under the Domaine de L’Enclos name (Romain had been running a smaller winery since 2007). They are in the heart of Chablis with a newly acquired winery and are “living the dream”.

Going organic takes a few years. Damien: “When chemicals stopped, it takes 3 or 4 years for the soil to recover. Now we have brought back a large variety of plants in the vineyard.” The vines of course need care. Romain: “We do some treatments but really low quantities… copper has no bad influence on our soils. We use low amount, no problem. Mistakes can happen when you are not experienced but now we have the experience.”

They were asked about the costs if going organic. Romain: “Organic is more expensive, costs are higher. Much of the process is manual so more employees (they employ 15 year round), more material, and yields are a bit lower. We now spend less on treatments - chemicals cost a fortune.”

Would they consider going biodynamic? Damien: “We are often asked that question. Organic is a method, bio is more of a philosophy. Some say ‘I don’t believe in it’ but then say ‘it is working’. Next step maybe, a big maybe!”

How have your wines been received by your neighbours? “We are not alone, we have colleagues and friends, is not a problem. A lot of people are quite interested. It is moving, if slowly, but you will sell your wines!”

While they have terrific soils (Portland, J9 on map below, and Kimméridgien J8) in their fields, they also have obstacles. The weather, including cold nights and rain and hail, can be a problem and so too can the steepness of those stony slopes in the area. 

Romain: “The weather and the slopes mean there are not that many organic wine-growers in Chablis. The steep slopes and the stones make for difficult work as does the complicated climate. But we can testify that the climate is changing. Now the problem is becoming a lack of rain!”

Care of the soil is a major ongoing part of the business. They want it “living and balanced” to get plants in good health. “We don’t touch it this month (November), we let it regenerate. First ploughing will be the end of March and we will then also cut the grass that has grown between the rows. The grass and weeds would provide too much completion for the vines if allowed to thrive between March and July.”

They are happy with progress. “Now after years of organic, we can see many different varieties of grass and herbs - very satisfying. When you have healthy soil, your vines are stronger - key to making good wine.” Pruning starts December. It is long and slow work (it continues until March) but very important,

Beauroy. And its lake!

Do they net against frost? Romain: “I would prefer nothing! But, in Beauroy, we do have a lake, created in 1978 and we use the water to spray against the frost. And we pray!”

How has acidity impacted on their wine-making over the last decade? With riper fruit, acidity has reduced. Damien: “This is another frequent question but acidity is only a part of the process. I prefer to talk balance. Can we have good balance now? Yes, even if we don’t have the acidity of earlier decades. It is not just a question of acidity. Thirty years ago it was quite difficult to have balance because of the acidity at that time.”

Their winery in Chablis

Chablis is of course famous for its acidity. “It is a strength we built in the 70s and 80s, but you cannot fix nature you know! But there’s been no need to add sugar since 2011.” Romain: “Last few years, ripeness is quite high, it is a different Chablis from that if the 90s. We want to do the wines with the grapes we have.”

Could global warming lead to vineyard re-classification in Chablis? “That’s a good question,” replied Damien. But they said it would not be easy to change in the area as the slopes face in all the directions, even though Premier Cru are south-facing mostly. They emphasised that such changes would be long-term, maybe 50-years. Besides, there is a lot of politics around this question. ”Best thing may be not to touch it!”

The brothers are “very happy with the 2020 vintage” though the long dry spell (May-July) and then rains in August didn’t help. Yet harvest was early - it was their first time starting in August. Maturity was a bit lower compared to 2018 and 2019. The result “is quite a classic Chablis style, more fresh and light. You’ll see!”

Liberty MD David Gleave, who brought the masterclass to a close, has been impressed since he began to deal with the brothers, impressed “by the beauty of the property, the energy and enthusiasm of the brothers, the quality of the vineyard and the quality of the wines.” 

Here’s to many more vintages from Domaine de L’Enclos. Check out the Liberty website for availability in your area. Ireland: https://www.libertywines.ie/  

UK: https://www.libertywines.co.uk/en-gb/home 

Mead Cocktail Recipes from Kate and Denis of the Kinsale Mead Company. Intriguing!

Mead Cocktail Recipes from Kate and Denis

 of the Kinsale Mead Company. Intriguing!

Many of you will know that Kinsale Mead are holding a series of online tastings. Cocktails keep coming up during the conversations. Kate and Denis (left) have kindly supplied some of their recipes and they look tempting! I enjoyed one of their tastings last month - details here. Keep an eye on their Facebook page here for the next one!

Bees Knees This is a mead take on the classic 1920's prohibition era cocktail. Honey and lemon was added to mask the taste and smell of bathtub gin. 1 measure of premium Irish Gin 2 measures of Atlantic Dry Mead ½ measure of honey syrup ½ measure of fresh lemon juice Shake and pour in a coupe cocktail glass with a lemon twist garnish. The gins we mentioned were Beara Ocean Gin, Blacks of Kinsale, Dingle Gin and Gunpowder Gin. Mulled Mead A warming drink for cold winter evenings. 1 bottle of Wild Red Mead 1 cinnamon stick Piece of star anise Strip of orange peel 2 tsp of honey to taste Warm gently in a pan and soon the whole house will be filled with the lovely aromas. Serve in a heatproof glass.  We're working on a version using Atlantic Dry Mead but we haven't perfected it yet. Trial and error! Watch this space.  Mead Sangria This Mead Sangria is summer in a glass, all year round! ½ measure of Cointreau 2 measures of Hazy Summer Mead 1 ½ measures of cranberry juice Dash of fresh lime Serve over ice with an orange slice You can substitute the Hazy Summer Mead with our Wild Red Mead.  More Cocktail Recipes New mead cocktails coming so keep an eye out. We sometimes include them in our email newsletter along with other recipes such as the boozy chocolate and cranberry brownie recipe. Not a subscriber? Subscribe on our sign up page.

Crawford Gallery Café At Home Every Saturday

 Crawford Gallery Café At Home Every Saturday

Dinner, lunch, coffee and cakes all available now from the Crawford Gallery At Home service. We were tempted by the dinner menu for last Saturday, called in between 12.00pm and 2.00pm and had a lovely chat with Sinead as we collected our boxes of the good stuff.

Very little “homework” required to get the dinner going later on that evening and soon we were enjoying a rather splendid meal. The menu: 

Starter: 

Beetroot, pumpkin, goats cheese & Horizon Farm leaves

Goats cheese and beetroot is something of a local classic at this stage. And, with such splendid goats cheese as Ardsallagh on our doorstep, why not? The pumpkin added a seasonal touch and the beets and the ever first-class Horizon leaves, topped with a terrific dressing, all enhanced the cheese. No shortage of cheese by the way in a very generous starter.

Main:

Lamb shanks with tomatoes, white beans and rosemary

And the mains was equally generous. The shanks, fore shanks, were huge. Due to the shank muscle being used so much, when properly cooked, it renders to a beautifully tender piece of meat. And ours was spot on! And that bean and tomato sauce was the perfect accompaniment for this dirty old winter’s night. 

Dessert:

Gingerbread cake with caramelised pears

After a French-style pause (trou), dessert was served. Again it was generous and sumptuously sweet. Beautifully caramelised pear atop a cake moistened to dripping point with a caramel sauce. Sweet dreams after all that.

Lots of other good stuff in the Crawford. Note those puddings!

You can order online (the lunch and dinner menu is posted on their Facebook page in midweek, also on their website). Your pre-ordered food will be available for collection between midday and 2pm on Saturdays. You can also walk in and order while stocks last. They also have take away Coffee & Cake!  Just drop in to collect Saturday 12pm - 2pm. And, hot tip, I did spot Christmas puddings on the counter as well!

Perhaps you'd like a drink with your dinner?

Pizza Lunch!

On the way into town on Saturday, we realised that Stuart Bowes and his amazing Curly Stu sourdough pizzas were operating in a new regular base at the Coalquay Farmers Market. We called over and nine euro bought us the special of the day. The Pumpkin with Gorgonzola blue cheese, red onion and fresh chives special was demolished, in almost total silence, at lunchtime. Check him out next Saturday.

Quartet of Fabulous Recipes from Ballymaloe Foods, celebrating 30 years in business!

Quartet of Fabulous Recipes from Ballymaloe Foods, celebrating 30 years in business!

Ballymaloe Foods has compiled some very special Christmas recipes for you to enjoy.

This has been a very special year for Ballymaloe Foods as they celebrated 30 years in business. 

Ballymaloe Foods was established by Yasmin Hyde, the daughter of Myrtle Allen 30 years this year. Myrtle established a country house hotel and restaurant at Ballymaloe in the 1960s and it was here she developed her now famous, Original Relish recipe. In 1990, Yasmin decided to start Ballymaloe Foods from her kitchen. 

Today the company has 33 staff and 18 products and exports into the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and the US and its products include relishes, mayonnaise, pasta sauces and dressings. 

 

Christmas Recipes:

Sausage Roll Garland

Ingredients

-  For the sausage mix:

-  225g Lean pork, minced

-  225g Pork fat, minced

-  1 Clove garlic, crushed

-  2 Teaspoons thyme, marjoram, basil and rosemary, mixed and chopped

-  1 egg, beaten

-  1 ½ cups soft breadcrumbs

-  Salt and pepper to taste

-  For the pastry:

-  350g all butter puff pastry

-  Ballymaloe Original Relish

-  1 egg, beaten

-  A little milk

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

2. Combine all the ingredients for the sausages together and mix well. Fry a little of the mixture on a frying pan to check the seasoning, adjust if necessary.

3. On a floured work surface, if using homemade puff pastry: roll the pastry out into a big rectangle, a little thicker than a one euro coin. Roll the sausage mixture into a sausage shape with your hands and lay it lengthwise on one side of the rectangle.

4. Spread Ballymaloe Original Relish over the pastry, leaving the last ¼ free for sealing.  Roll the sausage and pastry into tube, pressing the seam together. Join both ends together forming a circle, pressing to seal tightly. 

5. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Mix the egg and milk and brush the pastry with the mixture. Using a sharp knife, score through the garland to within 1cm of the inside, at 2.5cm intervals.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until puffed, golden and cooked through. Serve with more Ballymaloe Original Relish on the side.

 

Chicken and Camembert Crostini with Ballymaloe Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

-  Half a baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices

-  A clove of garlic, cut in half

-  Some good quality extra virgin olive oil

-  A chicken breast

-  Salt and pepper

-  A round of camembert (Cooleeney make a delicious Irish camembert)

-  Ballymaloe Cranberry Sauce

Recipe:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan, add some olive oil and fry the chicken breast on a medium heat until it is golden on the outside and cooked through. Slice the chicken breast into 1/2 inch slices and keep warm.

2. Grill the slices of bread until they are just golden on both sides. While they’re still hot, rub them gently with the cut side of the garlic and drizzle with good quality extra virgin olive oil.

3. Slice the Camembert into small wedges. On a serving plate arrange on the crostini, with a slice of chicken, camembert and a teaspoon of Ballymaloe Cranberry Sauce.

 

Loin of Bacon with Ballymaloe Ham Glaze

Ingredients

4-5lbs (1.8-2.25kg) streaky or loin of bacon, either smoked or unsmoked

whole cloves 20-30 approx.

Ballymaloe Ham Glaze

 

Method

1. Cover the bacon in cold water and bring slowly to the boil, if the bacon is very salty there will be a white froth on top of the water, in this case it is preferable to discard this water. It may be necessary to change the water several times depending on how salty the bacon is, finally cover with hot water and simmer until almost cooked, allow 25-30 minutes approx. to the lb. Remove the rind, cut the fat into a diamond pattern, and stud with cloves.

 

2. Spoon Ballymaloe Ham Glaze Spread all over the bacon. Bake in a fully preheated hot oven 250°C/475°F/Gas Mark 9 for 20-30 minutes approx. or until the top has caramelized – baste the bacon 3-4 times during this time.

 

3.Remove to a carving dish. Carve in thick slices lengthwise so each slice includes some of the eye of the loin and streaky bacon.

Bread and Butter Budding with Ballymaloe Cranberry and Prosecco Sauce

Ingredients

25g softened butter

100g white chocolate chopped/ broken into pieces

150ml cream

150ml milk

2 large eggs

1 oz cater sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 small jar Ballymaloe Cranberry and Prosecco sauce

7 thick slices of bread (use 9 slices if regular sliced pan)

1 tblsp sugar to sprinkle

 

Whiskey Cream

250 ml cream

25ml whiskey

 

Enamel dish (28cm) or similar oven proof dish.

Serves 4 (this recipe multiplies beautifully).

 

Method

1) In a medium saucepan gently warm (do not boil or simmer) the milk, cream, sugar and white chocolate. Stir until the chocolate dissolves then set aside.

2) In a separate bowl beat the eggs with the vanilla extract.

3) Combine the egg and chocolate cream mixture, stir well, then pass it through a nylon sieve to remove any lumps and place in a jug. Pour 100ml of the white chocolate mixture into a clean bowl, cover and refrigerate (this will become the white chocolate custard tomorrow).

4) Using a serrated knife cut off all of the crusts and use for breadcrumbs in stuffing.

5) Now butter each slice of bread all the way to the edges

6) Generously slather each slice of buttered bread with Ballymaloe Cranberry Sauce

7) Butter the serving dish then start to assemble by placing two slices of bread cranberry side facing down.

8) Place another layer of bread on top again cranberry side down

9) The remaining three slices- cut each slice in half to create 2 triangles, do the same with the remaining two slices. Take these triangles cranberry side facing down and overlap each one to cover the top layer fully.

10)  Take the remaining chocolate cream and egg mixture and pour it over the bread ensuring full coverage.

11)  Carefully sprinkle the sugar over the triangles then wrap and refrigerate for 24hrs.

12)  After 24 hrs… preheat your oven to 180* Conventional.

13)  Place a bain-marie in the oven half filled with hot water. (you can use a roasting tray for this).

14)  Remove the pudding from the fridge. Discard the foil and place CAREFULLY in the bain-marie and bake for 1 hr until deliciously golden brown and fully cooked.

15)  Just as the pudding is baked, put the remaining custard into a small saucepan and place on a gentle heat. Stirring continuously allow the custard to thicken slightly. This can take up to 10mins. Remove immediately from the heat and place into a warm jug to serve over the pudding.

16)  The whiskey cream- lightly whip the cream then fold in the whiskey. Jameson is delicious but it will work with whatever your favourite is. Don’t be shy with the measure- adjust according to your taste.

17)  Once the Ballymaloe Cranberry and white chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding is out of the oven, bring it straight to the table.

18)  On warm dessert plates serve each portion of delicious pudding with a great big dollop of whiskey cream and lashings of white chocolate custard. Enjoy every mouthful!

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