A great review of the Folium trade masterclass by Raymond Chan
Lunch at The White House
The White House Restaurant on Oriental Parade, and Paul Hoather's fine and contemporary cuisine has come into the spotlight again, and is enjoying a great deal of positive comment from public and hospitality trade. Such is the fickle nature of restaurant appreciation, as Paul has always been a superb chef! Attendees to the Folium Vineyard launch were treated to a three course luncheon. Diners were given choice of three entrees and three mains to select from, followed by three cheeses to enjoy with the wines after the tasting. www.whr.co.nz
The entrée choices were:
•Waikanae crab cake, spiced coconut caramel
•Victor's rabbit pie, Otaki carrots
•Chicken liver parfait, Greytown apple, micro salad
My choice was the pie, with perfect pastry, rich, buttery, but crisp, and moist cubes and cuts of rabbit with plenty of salty gravy. Comforting, yet not heavy in any way. Weight for weight, ideal with any of the Pinot Noirs, with the rabbit mildness allowing the red wine fruit to feature, and the meatiness absorbing the tannins. As the Sauvignon Blancs were restrained in varietal expression, they did not clash with the gentle rabbit flavours, but the acidity was a a good cutting foil for the richness and textures of the food. The pie was a very workable match with both wines.
Choices for the mains were:
•Pirinoa Station lamb, braised lentils, mint gel
•Blue cod, Lavender's Green preserved lemon, potato, watercress, crayfish bisque
•Turkey, Parkvale mushroom, tarragon, turkey jus
I chose the turkey which was surprisingly subtle in flavour, the mushroom also being so. To me the Pinot Noirs were stronger in fruit expression than the food elements, but texturally there was a closer association. Nothing clashing, and the contrasting not a feature, I longed for the lamb cutlets that neighbouring diners had!
The three cheeses were all excellent, perfect in temperature and distinctively different in flavours and textures and at good maturity:
•Gorgonzola Dolce
•Camembert du Bocage
•Black Jack Vintage Cheddar
served with blushing pear, walnut bread |