‘Chenin is a refreshing varietal that can be made in completely different styles – and it goes really well with summer foods,’ says Spier Wine Farm executive chef Lolli Heyns. Chenin Blanc is also my own personal favourite wine to sip all summer long, and I can’t wait to try it in Lolli’s West Coast mussels in white wine cream sauce this weekend.

By Roxy Greeff

A Chenin Blanc’s ability to make your mouth water is reason enough to open up a bottle and pour yourself a glass. Its fruity, tropical taste makes it that much more beautiful. Best paired with earthier flavours, the crispness cuts right through, giving your palate the perfect balance between crispness and richness.

Spier’s 21 Gables Chenin Blanc grapes come from vines 40-year-old vines in a single vineyard in Durbanville. From there, the wine is oak-fermented and then matured for 14 months. On the nose there are immediately notes of ripe apples, and on the tongue it is slightly savoury, helping to create a complexity of flavours that go beyond just ‘fruity’. It is a powerful, full-bodied wine that will age well in your wine rack for up to 10 years.

But back to the food…

West Coast mussels with white wine, leeks, lemon and cream

SERVES 4-6 // COOKING TIME 30 min

INGREDIENTS
1.5 – 2 kg mussels
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 small bunch leeks, finely chopped
2–3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ bottle Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc
125 ml cream
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper
Chopped herbs, to serve

METHOD
1. Rinse the mussels under cold tap water to clean them. Scrub the outsides if they are a little hairy, then pull off the grassy ‘beard’ from the pointy side to the round side. Remember, any mussels that won’t close before cooking must be discarded. And any mussels that won’t open after cooking, can also be tossed.
2. In a wide heavy-based pot or casserole, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Fry the leeks and garlic until soft and translucent, but not too brown.
3. Add the wine, turn up the heat and bring to a boil.
4. Add the mussels all at once and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil again and steam for 5–8 minutes until they are open and just-cooked.
5. Add the cream and heat through, then take off the heat and add the lemon. Season to taste with salt and pepper (some mussels can be very salty already, so be careful).
6. Serve scattered with chopped herbs and a glass of Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc.

The post Chenin Blanc, perfect for late summer sipping (and cooking!) appeared first on MyKitchen.

It’s the perfect time of year to pop some seafood on the coals, and this ocean-fresh West Coast paella will have you firing up the braai right away! What are you waiting for?

SERVEs 4–6 // COOKING TIME 20 min, plus simmering time

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
150g chorizo, sliced 5 mm thick
1 onion, peeled and cut into petals
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
1 tsp smoked paprika
410g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp brown sugar
500 ml chicken stock, hot
250 ml rice
500g West Coast mussels
250g prawns
250g hake, cubed
Salt and pepper
Handful parsley, chopped

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a cast-iron pan. Fry chorizo until the fat is released and the sausage is crispy.
2. Add onion, garlic, peppers and paprika. Cook for 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Add tomatoes, sprinkle with sugar and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add the stock and rice to the pan and cover with a lid or foil. Simmer until most of the stock has been absorbed and the rice is almost tender.
4. Add the mussels, prawns and hake. Cover and cook for a further 5 minutes, until the mussels have opened and the prawns have cooked through. Add a little hot water, if needed.
5. Season, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

The post West Coast paella appeared first on MyKitchen.

You don’t have to miss out on the fresh taste of the West Coast just because it’s cold outside. Treat yourselves to our scrumptious seafood soup this weekend.

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 30 min

INGREDIENTS
50g butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
350 ml white wine
600 ml fish stock
1 kg mussels
300g fresh hake, chopped
1 cup cream
Parsley, chopped, to garnish

METHOD
1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and fry the onion for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the wine and fish stock and bring to a simmer.
2. Add the mussels and hake and cover. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through and the mussels have opened, discarding any that haven’t.
3. Add the cream.
4. Serve garnished with parsley.

The post West Coast seafood soup appeared first on MyKitchen.