Saturday Kitchen 8.5.10

(by peter)

This week, Gennaro Contaldo and Tana Ramsay were treated to a VT of me thoroughly enjoying mucking about in a dinghy while ostensibly on a mission to find wines to match with their dishes.

I also (and I have no idea how) got away with using the phrase “Tana’s beautiful bangers” on BBC1 at 10am in the morning.

All this as part of the weekly gastronomathon that is Saturday Kitchen.

As a result of these on-screen antics, my mother apparently has a few words to say to me (supposedly about my nautical technique).

Either way, I’m currently keeping a low profile.

For Tana’s aforementioned lamb sausages, I went for the dangerously gluggable Passo delle Mule Nero d’Avola 2007 (£7.99, Sainsbury’s).

It went down very well indeed. Tana was full of the joys of Italian red, describing it as, “absolutely delicious, absolutely lovely – it goes perfectly with the sausages: just delicious”.

Closet wine connoisseur Sophie Ellis-Bextor also gave the thumbs up, saying, “I do like wine and I think this is lovely; really nice and very drinkable”.

James Martin variously described it as “a bargin at £7.99; delicious, quaffable,” while Gennaro, as well as helpfully translating the label, was enthusiastic: “Very very good, such a fantastic wine.”

Even studio guest Keith joined in, proclaiming about its fruit qualities.

Moving onto Gennaro’s Mozzarella sandwich, the chosen one was Zenato’s fine Lugana Villa Flora 2008 (£7.99, Waitrose), often a staple at our restaurant table in Italian venues.

Gennaro – bless him – was characteristically lovely. “Pete always selects beautiful wine,” he declared, “but this goes so well – thank you!” (At least I think that’s what he said.)

James said: “it’s delicious to drink – you don’t need to eat with it”. Sophie termed it “lovely”.

Sophie was subsequently given her food heaven – the very heavenly sounding griddled lemon and parsley tuna with romesco salad. I matched this with the Domaine des Maréchaudes Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2007 (Oddbins, from £7.99).

“It’s French is this,” said James.

He added “it’s a great wine to go with it”, and finally kindly said how the wines on the show had been “cracking”.

All in a nautical day’s work.

(BBC iplayer has the show for the next week: click here to see this. Wine bits at 17:00 and 54:51 minutes. Also see my previous blog about the day’s filming – including boating antics – by clicking here.)