I always talk a lot about certain dishes being ones that I love or could not live without but if you had to ask me for one last meal before I died this would have to be it. The film crew on lookandtaste still talk about this as one of their all time favourite dishes out of the 300 or so we have cooked and if it was slightly healthier I would happily eat it every single night of the week.
I would serve it with some simple mashed potatoes and if you cook it correctly and keep it moist you really won’t need a sauce and I guess the only thing that remains to compliment it perfectly is a great bottle of red. As I always say I would go with my old reliable Chateauneuf du Pape but I am fairly sure the boys in Curious Wines will have better ideas than that, over to you boys to match it up…..
Mike’s wine match:
Niall’s gone the complete opposite this week in giving us something that can be matched with a hugely broad spectrum of wines. The basic advice here is, pick a favourite red wine, and provided it’s got a bit of body and preferably a bit of spice, you really can’t go far wrong on this one.
I was drawn initially to France because of the similarity with the French dish filet de bœuf en croût, believed by some to have been the original Beef Wellington before a patriotic British chef renamed it. The beef needs a bit of body and tannin, so Bordeaux‘s always a safe bet, or Niall’s suggestion of the Rhône (home of Chateauneuf) could be equally good. Interestingly the mushrooms could even have you looking to Burgundy for those earthy flavours of a Pinot Noir, the lighter body being compensated by concentration of flavour in the good stuff.
My two suggestions however are a long way from France. It tends to be barbeque season before I jump to Australia for food matches, but a bold and spicy Aussie Shiraz would go fabulously well with this dish – they’re easily understood, available everywhere, and everyone has a favourite. For under a tenner, try the “scrumptious” Last Stand Shiraz reviewed by the lovely Elf in Amsterdam, or if you can stretch to the €15 to €20 bracket this is your chance to try the stellar Glaetzer range with the Wallace, with the classic Shiraz/Grenache blend of the Rhône.
Niall Harbison is Co-Founder and Master Chef at Look and Taste.
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