Saturday Kitchen 15.8

(by Susie Barrie MW)

If you didn’t see it, Saturday Kitchen was in the news this weekend after James filled the studio with smoke and flames (BBQ chicken, since you ask). On a personal note, I was heartened to see that not only did James and studio guest Suzi Perry carry on in true professional style through the smoke without missing a beat, they also resisted the temptation to use any wine to put the flames out.

My wine choices for this week were as follows:

Wine for Indian stuffed sea bass with a tomato patia by Cyrus Todiwala:

• Finest Tingleup Riesling, Australia (£9.99, Tesco)

Susie’s comments: we tried quite a few wines to get the right match here. A richer style of Pinot Gris works well (like the Waimea Estate at Majestic). But it was a Riesling with a bit of bottle age that worked best – giving it the added richness and roundness to match the vibrant flavours here, on top of the refreshing acidity to cleanse the palate. NB: the vintage of Tingleup that I used was the 2012, so do try to find that one if you can.

Wine for Tony Singh’s strawberry sundae with monkey blood:

• The Ned Noble Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand (from £9.74, Majestic)

Susie’s comments: James found this a bit sweet (though Tony liked it) but this is a rich dessert dish and you need a wine with some intensity to balance it out. The key is the lovely zingy acidity that also underscores the wine, meaning the effect isn’t sickly. It’s a beautiful match, albeit an indulgent one (good if you have a sweet tooth!) One of the best value pudding wines around, for our money.

Recipes, links and details

My wines for Suzi Perry’s heaven and hell, as cooked by James, were:

Lemon sole Véronique – Macon Villages 2014 (from £7.50, Marks & Spencer)

Duck spring rolls with dipping sauces – Palataia Pinot Noir 2013 (from £7.50, Marks & Spencer)

NB: prices for the M&S wines are quoted as 25% off normal retail price, as they currently have a 25%-off discount when you buy multiple bottles.

This week I have to make a big point of saying a massive THANK YOU to Saturday Kitchen producer and our amazing wine VT director Andy Clarke, who’s leaving the show after many years of outstanding service. He is one of the nicest and most talented men in television, and we are very sad to see him go (but wish him well!)

We’d like to say thank you also to the wider Cactus TV team as well as James, Suzi, Tony and Cyrus – and of course Majestic and Tesco. Thanks also to you for reading – you can find the show’s recipes on the BBC Food site and the show is available on iplayer for a limited time. Until next time – cheers!