What I should have been concerned with was folding the pastry up and over to retain the heavily (overly!) mounded filling. Instead my concerns rested with wondering if the meat would cook fully in he suggested time and which of the Aussie or the Argentine red I should open to accompany. The dilemma was resolved by cranking open both.

Of course the meat cooked fully; seldom does a recipe in Delicious magazine let me down. The filling, a mound of beef topping a teaspoon of superb (English Provender Co) Spicy Onion Marmalade, had spilled and slid around the baking tray. The sticky residue from the marmalade just beginning to catch at the edge and the mozzarella doing its stuff by crisping against the hot pan edge. Gonna be a devil to clean. The smell though was gorgeous. The dish, simplified from the Delicious recipe, is Beef, Onion, Rosemary and Pine Nut Parcels, the full recipe being on SpittoonExtra. (I’ll get the recipe details up on SpittoonExtra shortly).

In selecting the wine there were several considerations - the fresh rosemary should match the herby top-notes found in the Argentine Malbec while the sweet edge of the marmalade should be balanced by the inherent sweetness in the Aussie blend (of Cabernet and Shiraz). Red wine of course being a natural partner with beef. Finally the mozzarella - being relatively mild in taste practically any wine should accompany.

On balance the Australian, (Alpine Valleys Cab Mac Cabernet Sauvignon 2006), with its sweeter fruit and softer structure, was the more successful match. The Argentinean red, (Bodegas Esmeralda Tilia Malbec, 2007), with a more full-bodied palate, heartier tannins and drier structure struggled and clashed with the buttery pastry and the Marmalade.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Alphine Valleys CabMac Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, 2006, King Valley, Australia
Stockist: Threshers Price: £9.99 [More on Adegga/Snooth]
Interestingly the name, CabMac, is Aussie-speak for Carbonic Maceration, a wine making process. Alcohol 12.5%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 86/100 [3.25 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Bodegas Esmeralda Tilia Malbec, 2007, Mendoza, Argentina
Stockist: Threshers Price: £7.99 [More on Adegga/Snooth]
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 84/100 [3 out of 5]

What I should have been concerned with was folding the pastry up and over to retain the heavily (overly!) mounded filling. Instead my concerns rested with wondering if the meat would cook fully in he suggested time and which of the Aussie or the Argentine red I should open to accompany. The dilemma was resolved by cranking open both.

Of course the meat cooked fully; seldom does a recipe in Delicious magazine let me down. The filling, a mound of beef topping a teaspoon of superb (English Provender Co) Spicy Onion Marmalade, had spilled and slid around the baking tray. The sticky residue from the marmalade just beginning to catch at the edge and the mozzarella doing its stuff by crisping against the hot pan edge. Gonna be a devil to clean. The smell though was gorgeous. The dish, simplified from the Delicious recipe, is Beef, Onion, Rosemary and Pine Nut Parcels, the full recipe being on SpittoonExtra. (I’ll get the recipe details up on SpittoonExtra shortly).

In selecting the wine there were several considerations - the fresh rosemary should match the herby top-notes found in the Argentine Malbec while the sweet edge of the marmalade should be balanced by the inherent sweetness in the Aussie blend (of Cabernet and Shiraz). Red wine of course being a natural partner with beef. Finally the mozzarella - being relatively mild in taste practically any wine should accompany.

On balance the Australian, (Alpine Valleys Cab Mac Cabernet Sauvignon 2006), with its sweeter fruit and softer structure, was the more successful match. The Argentinean red, (Bodegas Esmeralda Tilia Malbec, 2007), with a more full-bodied palate, heartier tannins and drier structure struggled and clashed with the buttery pastry and the Marmalade.

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Alphine Valleys CabMac Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, 2006, King Valley, Australia
Stockist: Threshers Price: £9.99 [More on Adegga/Snooth]
Interestingly the name, CabMac, is Aussie-speak for Carbonic Maceration, a wine making process. Alcohol 12.5%.
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 86/100 [3.25 out of 5]

Review0.3
Wine Tasting Note: Bodegas Esmeralda Tilia Malbec, 2007, Mendoza, Argentina
Stockist: Threshers Price: £7.99 [More on Adegga/Snooth]
Andrew BarrowScribblings Rating - 84/100 [3 out of 5]

A pleasant way to spend a couple of hours - delving through recipes from books and magazines with the aim of matching 5 dishes to 5 different wines. These were all white wines from the Hugel stable in Alsace ready for the Twitter Tasting organised in America but stretching across to these shores and down to France with Etienne Hugel himself participating.

With each course to be as simple as possible a couple of matches were easy: with the Gewürztraminer a foie gras (with toast and a little fig chutney) and with the Pinot Blanc an Alsace speciality (or the closest we could locate) an onion tart. I read somewhere that coconut macaroons were a sensational match to sweet Gewürztraminers, so that was the final dish sorted which left a course for the mixed grape blend and another for a top-notch Riesling. The host, Rob, insisted on a pork dish and I came up with Pork Medallions with Mustard Mash with Apple and a Cider Reduction. A triumphant match as it transpired. Scallops from Borough Market formed the opening course; which I was unexpectedly asked to cook!

A few shavings of fresh ginger, a little garlic, slithers of a mild, fresh red chilli and a sprinkling of dried coriander were added to the pan before the scallops turned rubbery. A splosh of white wine and a pinch of pepper, a quick shake of the pan and a squeeze of lemon and then out to the expectant guests. To be honest I thought I had overdone the spice but nods all round seemed to indicate a success!