Christmas SK 2013

(by peter & susie)

Saturday Kitchen went into overdrive for this Christmas special.

Not two but three wise chefs were in action in the studio (Gennaro Contaldo, Giancarlo Caldesi and Antonio Carluccio). And we doubled up on the wine front too, having lots of fun in Hemel Hempstead’s snow dome in silly Santa outfits after an intense bout of wine & recipe testing to find the best bottles.

We’d like to wish everyone a very delicious Christmas and happy New Year. Thank you for watching, reading and generally taking an interest in these wonderful things we call wine and Saturday Kitchen. Cheers to a fabulous 2014!

Wine for Antonio Carluccio’s pickled veg and salami

• Villa Jolanda Prosecco Extra Dry NV (£9, Asda)

Notes: Tough gig! Pungent vinegary flavours with ingredients like anchovies, capers and olives definitely make things difficult on the wine front. For us, this needs an aperitivo style wine, one that you can dip into (like the dish) throughout the day. This easy-going fizz has enough freshness and succulence to cope with the dish and is also great value and not too high in alcohol (always a help on the big day).

Wine for Giancarlo Caldesi’s hot and cold smoked salmon

• Taste the Difference Riverblock Sauvignon Blanc (£9.99, Sainsbury’s)

Notes: Susie was partial to a drop of English fizz with this fabulously hedonistic and delicious dish. I had a hankering for all sorts of delightful vodka-based cocktails… Our compromise with this tangy, uplifting white that works beautifully with the dish.

Wine for Gennaro Contaldo’s Christmas porchetta

• Valpolicella Ripasso 2011 (£8.99, Marks & Spencer)

Notes: If you’re a confirmed white wine drinker then go for something rich but understated, like a nice Greco di Tufo, which works like a dollop of apple sauce. But for us, red is the more satisfying choice and this ripasso has the extra oomph and raisiny richness to work brilliantly with the pork and stuffing.

Recipes, links and details

Studio guest Johnny Vegas had his food heaven and hell cooked by James Martin. Our wines for these were:

Vodka and tonic soft shell crab with saffron aioli and seasonal salad – Nyetimber 2004 Classic Cuvée (from £23.99, Majestic) OR Laurent Miquel Nord Sud Viognier 2012 (from £8.99, Majestic)

Christmas pudding ice cream with sautéed pineapple and a star anise and cinnamon caramel – Anthemis Muscat of Samos 2005 (£9.99, Waitrose)

You can find the recipes via the BBC Food site. Wine clips are as below. Our thanks to James, Giancarlo, Antonio, Gennaro and Johnny. And HUGE festive hugs and cheers to the brilliant crew at Cactus TV, especially Amanda, James W, Andy C, Charlotte J, Claire P and all the gang who make such a brilliant show on such a regular basis.

Roll on tasty 2014..!