Triona’s Crab Cakes (makes 8 cakes for starters)

1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 thumb fresh ginger, peeled & finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 a red chilli, chopped
2 teasp ground coriander
1/4 teasp chilli powder
1 teasp garam marsala
pinch of sea salt
2 tablesp lime juice
1Ib crab meat
1 large egg
2 tablesp mayo
2 cups of bread crumbs
handful of fresh coriander
3 tablesp veg/olive oil

Saute the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli until soft. Turn off heat and stir in all the spices and lime juice before leaving to cool.

In a bowl mix all the ingredients together excluding the veg/olive oil (this is for pan frying the cakes). Then shape the crab cakes into the size of the palm of your hand.

Heat veg/olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat, carefully place cakes in and cover with a lid. Fry until golden brown on one side, which only takes a few minutes, then turn over and brown the other side, then serve.

There is so much flavour there is no need for a serving sauce or dip really, just a nice glass of wine. If you like you can substitute the crab meat for any white fish and lemon juice can be used instead of lime, its up to you, enjoy.

This weeks curious wine match is the Blanck Gewurztraminer, which possesses a wonderful balance of mouthwatering fruit flavours and flinty, spicy overtones with all the subtly and elegance of the finest Alsace whites. A stellar match for a sumptuous starter.

Thanks goes to Triona O’Sullivan (recipe) and Monica Jones (picture).

For my next recipe a very simple and basic noodle salad, delicious by itself and also great with beef, chicken or prawns. Santa Cruz, Pasadena Valley, California in the Brock resident’s was the first time I tried these and wow, they’re great for a hangover after a few too many Napa Valley Chardonnays in 95degree heat. I call them Cho Cho’s Tangi Noodles.

1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chilli oil
half teaspoon of sugar
pinch of salt

Mix together in a large bowl. 200g of Rice Noodles will only takes a few minutes to cook in boiling water, then strain before tossing them in the dressing.

Add 3 green onions thinly sliced and a handful of chopped fresh coriander, and it’s ready to serve.

Our suggested wine match for Cho Cho’s Tangi Noodles is a Viognier from the Languedoc. We tried this vintage at the London International Wine Fair with winemaker Eric Monnin, and it’s drinking really well. It has developed quite a full body with plenty of complex flavours, retaining a real freshness. A little spice, typical of this variety, means it won’t get lost in the heat of the dish. Dignité Viognier is on offer until the end of May – Buy 5 get one free.

Once again, sincere thanks to Triona O’Sullivan and her food stylist, Monica Jones. I have tagged Triona’s name below, making it easy to see all of her recipes to date.

Our food hero, Triona O’Sullivan is back with another classic recipe. This time she’s grilling chicken on the bone for additional succulence, and showing once again that there’s no need to complicate good food.

Hello to all Curious Wine fans. Matt kindly introduced me here when I passed on my 1st recipe to you all, which I picked up on my travels. This week is a great follow up of adding chicken to the salad or just having the best grilled chicken ever in 25 minutes. A lot of the time people over cook and have dry, juice-less meat, well… not any more.

Captain Harry’s Grilled Chicken (serves 2)

Ingredients

double breast of chicken on the bone 750g split in two so you have 2 breasts
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & cracked black pepper

Preheat grill

Drizzle enough olive oil to coat the chicken then rub in garlic, salt and pepper all over. Place the chicken bone side up and grill with the door closed for 5 minutes then turn the breast over and cook for a further 5 minutes. Repeat this step so the total cooking time is 20 minutes. Pop into a bowl & cover with foil, letting them rest for 5 minutes. Carve & serve with salad.

Fresh herbs like chopped rosemary could be added (as in the picture) and you could serve it with mash potatoes & your favourite veg. It’s also great on the BBQ.

We’re in South African mode this month, with 20% off every bottle from the sun soaked paradise. Our Paarl Heights Chenin Blanc is a very versatile, food-friendly white, showing a touch of minerality, which is a great sign at this price level. The light-medium bodied Long Neck Merlot, recently tasted and shot on camera by yours truly, is a lovely choice for those red drinkers.

Big thanks to our guest blogger, Triona O’Sullivan.

For this weeks foodie post we’re delighted to welcome one of our curious customers onto the Curious Wines blog. Triona, a former professional chef, has been tasting her way through our range for some time now, and she’s even brought us some yummy treats into the shop for us to try, including this Caesar Salad. Take it from us, ditch the squeezable sauce and the pre-packed croutons for a class above.

Mama Tina’s eggless Caesar Salad (serves eight)

The Sauce

1 cup finely grated Parmesan
8 anchovies
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of dijon mustard
6floz extra virgin olive oil
A dash of Worcester sauce
black pepper

Whiz the first 5 ingredients in a blender for a couple of seconds, transfer to a bowl and slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking at the same time. Add worcester and black pepper to taste.

Garlic Croutons

(As important as the dressing, simple and tasty)
1/2 a crusty baguette, cubed
6 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped
2floz olive oil

Heat the olive oil in pan on a low heat, add the garlic and allow it to sizzle for a few seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the bread, coating the cubes with the garlic and oil as much as possible. Spread out on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 200c. Pick out the cubes as they turn golden brown and crunchy.

The last ingredient is romaine lettuce – simply toss the salad and serve with our suggested accompaniment, a dry Italian Trebbiano.

Thanks to Triona O’Sullivan for providing the recipe and that lovely picture!