Saturday Kitchen 14.2

(by Peter Richards MW)

Wine-on-iceWho knew Canary Wharf had such brilliant shops, restaurants – and an ice rink that runs to the end of February?

Many people, clearly, including our über-producer and esteemed wine VT director, TV’s Andy Clarke. Hence my being carted onto the ice to deliver a slightly-more-blustery-than-normal introduction with plenty of Valentine’s references. You can catch the show on iplayer via this link (wine bits at 13:05 and 54.00).

Wine match for Gennaro Contaldo’s calamari ripen (click here for recipe):

  • Greco Sannio 2013, Italy (from £7.50, Marks & Spencer)

Peter’s comments: Good Greco doesn’t come cheap – this is a special offer when you buy six bottles in M&S (normally it’s £10). But what you get is a lovely rich texture with good pear fruit, which is essential to offset the saltiness of the capers and anchovies in the stuffing. It’s a brilliant example of a wine with full weight but subtle flavour, hence very food friendly. So good that studio guest Martin Kemp wanted to take the bottle home with him.

Wine match for Anna Jones’ banana, blueberry and pecan pancakes (recipe):

  • The Ned Noble Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand (£12.99 for 375 ml, Majestic)

Peter’s comments: two key things to match here are the general sweetness of the recipe and the tanginess of the blueberries and lime. This isn’t the cheapest bottle but it’s really luscious and indulgent – while being balanced and refreshing too.

Links, recipes and other wines

Squid!My wines for Martin Kemp’s heaven and hell, as cooked by this week’s host Brian Turner, were:

Lobster on Morecambe bay shrimp hash – Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2014, New Zealand (£6.75, widely available but Sainsbury’s has a good deal at the moment)

Sweet and sour pork fillet – Torres Las Mulas Cabernet Sauvignon rosé 2014, Chile (£6.99, Waitrose)

Thanks to Brian, Anna, Gennaro and Martin. Kudos as ever to the brilliant Cactus TV team and our amazing wine VT gang this week of Andy, Mike and Emma. You can find the recipes on the BBC Food site and the show will be on iplayer (I’ll upload the wine clips in due course).

My thanks also to Laura at Marks & Spencer and Emma at Majestic for their help on the wine front. Finally, the show would be nothing without all you amazing viewers so thanks for the loyal support and checking in here!