RECIPE OF THE MONTH

The "Recipe of the Month" page is provided by Terry Farr MCGB, a member of the Executive Committee for the Master Chefs of Great Britain and Chef-Patron of Friends Restaurant in Pinner, Middlesex.

Terry’s new book "Better Cooking by Farr" was launched in the Autumn of 2000.

Harmony Down Under

Back in January, and not unconnected to the fact it was Australia Day, we were visited by a couple of Australian winemakers. They had come over to attend a tasting in the capital of their country’s finest. Whilst here they took the opportunity to visit those of us who stock their wines.

Aussie wineries have always had a reputation for producing “big, buttery chardonnays”, and “heavy, full bodied shiraz”. Looking beyond that stereotypical view, the fact is that these particular wines “demand” to be drunk with food. It is currently very fashionable on the other side of the globe to promote wine as an accompaniment to food. This is not as daft as it sounds: we often hear our own experts telling us about the difference between "quaffing" wines, and those that are best enjoyed with food. I have been trying out a selection of fine wines from Basedow, a winery founded over a hundred years ago in the Barossa Valley. Chris Hill, their winemaker, enthusiastically told me about the way in which his and other companies are working with chefs in Oz to produce dishes to accompany their wines. This, of course, was right up my vineyard! Sadly, Chris declined my offer to spend a month at the winery devising tasty recipes for Basedow.

So, back in Pinner, on went the thinking cap (Crocodile Dundee-style, with dangling corks et al) , and some time later, this is one of the recipes I came up with:-

Poached Chicken, with Lemongrass and Herbs

(Served with Basedow Eden Valley Riesling, 1997)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 Supremes of corn fed chicken

1.l ltr/2 pts water

2 pieces of lemongrass, cut ito fine slices

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

2 pieces of star anise

1 small bayleaf

6 crushed peppercorns

Pinch of LoSalt

1 tbsp arrowroot

Method:

Make a stock by adding all the ingredients to the water, except the chicken and the arrowroot. Bring to the boil in a shallow pan, and simmer for 15 minutes. Poach the supremes in the liquor for about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the stock and keep warm. Dilute a level tablespoon of arrowroot with water and stir into the stock. Re-boil and season to taste. Spoon the slightly thickened stock over the chicken and serve at once with the chilled Riesling. Enjoy!