Saturday Kitchen 24.10

(by Susie Barrie MW)

Cooking I was hard at work avoiding cheap puns at the National Fruit Show in Kent for this show – which saw an all-female cast lining up alongside James Martin.

Wine for Ching He Huang’s hot and sour chicken

Finest Torrontes, Argentina (from £6.50, Tesco)

Susie’s comments: not an easy dish to match and I took a bit of a risk with this perfumed, gently spicy white. But it went very well when we tried it at home, and Ching described it as, ‘the perfect partner’. James commented how much it smelt like rose water, which is spot on. ‘Delicious,’ commented Dawn.

Wine for sausage, cauliflower and fennel seed bread pudding by Claire Thomson

Taste the Difference Limoux Chardonnay, France (from £8, Sainsbury’s)

Susie’s comments: Our whole family enjoyed this indulgent comfort food dish at home. It’s really wine friendly and if you fancy a red, go for a lighter style (like a Barbaresco or Pinot Noir). But the best is actually a white, and this creamy, buttery and refreshing white works really well. ‘Delicious’ commented Claire.

Recipes, links and details

My wines for Dawn French’s heaven and hell, as cooked by James Martin, were:

Bolognese with tagliatelle – Feudo dei Tari Negroamaro, Italy (from £6.66, Majestic)

Fennel and chocolate mousse cake with passion fruit cream and candied fennel – Campbells Rutherglen Muscat, Australia (£12.49, Waitrose)

Thanks to James (despite the comment about his granny’s sink), Dawn, Ching and Claire. Everlasting gratitude to all the brilliant team at Cactus TV, including our fine wine VT crew. Thanks also to the fine people of Maidstone as well as Sainsbury’s and Majestic. You can find the show’s recipes on the BBC Food site and the show is available on iplayer. Finally, thanks to you for reading!