Confit de Canard (Duck Confit) is a classic French dish and is a speciality of the Aquitaine. It’s amazingly tender and succulent as well as being packed with flavour. Confit takes its name from the French word confir meaning “to preserve” and Duck Confit is made with duck legs that have been cured (partly or fully) in … Read more
Many moons ago we bought a book at the Roman Museum in Cirencester by Mark Grant as we thought it might be fun to revive some of the recipes and provide the children with a Roman meal or two. The Romans are thought to have brought vines to Bordeaux in approximately 50 AD and many etymologists … Read more
As the nights draw in and the temperature drops we have some warming suggestions to tempt your taste buds! We have compiled an exclusive range of Autumn recipes complete with wine pairings for you to try. We have some fabulous French recipes covering a wide range of seasonal Casseroles and Stews. The word “stew” actually comes from … Read more
Goulash is an ancient Hungarian dish which uses Paprika and Garlic. It’s thought that Christopher Columbus introduced Paprika to Europe having found it as a domesticated plant among the Native American people (the explorers named it ’Indian pepper’). The pepper plant adapted to the Mediterranean climate and from Spain it was introduced to Southern France … Read more
Duck shooting season may be over but I have a lovely recipe for Wild Duck to share with you. You can also use the recipe with farmed Barbary Duck that’s more readily available in the shops. Barbary Ducks are none other than the Muscovy Duck (which, by the way, is the only domesticated duck not related to … Read more
I am not sure how you celebrated Mothering Sunday but my youngest daughter Rosie wanted to cook something special for her Mum rather than go out. Having put our heads together we decided to cook a Fillet of Beef Wellington which we know is a favourite of Sue’s. Beef Wellington is a traditional dish adored … Read more
We have a glut of tomatoes on our hands this year and surprisingly it is the beefsteak and plum varieties that have done the best. We grew the heritage beefsteak Marmande tomato which takes its name from the town of Marmande, south of Bordeaux. There is a story about the Marmande tomato told by locals in … Read more
Chateau Ballan Larquette is the new label for our most popular Clairet: Domaine de Ricaud Bordeaux Clairet. The award winning estates (Domaine de Ricaud, Chateaux Ballan Larquette and Peynaud) are owned by the Chaigne family who have been wine makers for several generations. Their wines are award winning and this Clairet was awarded a Silver Medal by the Concours des … Read more
Halibut is a great fish for barbecuing and I love its firm flesh, mild but slightly sweet flavour. It’s the largest flat fish in the ocean and they live in the freezing cold waters off Scotland, Norway, Iceland and Newfoundland. They used to be eaten instead of meat during Lent and were popular on Holy Days … Read more
Bordeaux red wines are great with food and given the fact that they are made from a blend of grapes you can find a Bordeaux red to suit most dishes. There are 6 permitted grape varieties in a Bordeaux blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere. Today Malbec is very seldom used … Read more
