Our ecstatic Louis Roederer Competition Winner, Carmen Muller, also happens to be the head chef at Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons. A master of wine pairing, we wanted to find out what she ended up pairing her Cristal with, and true to form, we weren’t disappointed. Read her account on what to pair with the world’s finest Champagne here:
Champagne definitely lends itself to being the ultimate pairing for a variety of food and ingredients. The classics are well-known and documented including super luxurious pairings like succulent and sweet Crayfish, briny Caviar and Oysters, and especially rich, oily fish like wild Salmon with creamy velouté. I have decided to take a slightly different, modern approach that proved to be, quite possibly, the perfect pairing: Crispy fried Chicken! We decided on the following as a canapé for Christmas Eve as we usually start celebrating in the early evening and prefer something adequately festive to kick-off proceedings. The richness and slightly spicy tang of the Fried Chicken really cut through the balanced yet fresh acidity of the Champagne. The rich notes from the foie gras parfait really complemented the slight nuttiness and cinnamon spice notes, hence my adding the Hazelnut crumble for added texture as well as flavour. The Apricot Preserve provided just a slight sweet and tart note that did not overpower the champagne. While the rich, buttery Brioche complemented the citrus notes and overall freshness, without having to compete for attention.
The Cristal would also perfectly suit a number of desserts, of which I would definitely recommend a Pear and Honey Curd Tartlet with Pine Nut Shortbread or even a Spiced Pumpkin flan with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. Even an Artisanal cheese platter could pair well, including a fresh Chevre or Ricotta with toasted baguette.
For those who would like to recreate our Christmas Eve canapés I have put together the recipe here:
Crispy Fried Free Range Chicken on Whipped Foie Gras Parfait, Toasted Brioche, Hazelnut Crumble and Apricot Preserve Recipe
serves 6
Brioche
Ingredients
- 270g cake flour
- 6g instant yeast
- 32g granulated sugar
- 7g fine sea salt
- 136g eggs
- 45g full cream milk
- 120g butter, cut into cubes
Method
Place the flour and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix to distribute the yeast evenly. Add all of the remaining ingredients, except the butter, and mix on a low speed for about 20 minutes. There will be some dough sticking to the sides after a while, but just scrape it down with a spatula. Add the butter a few pieces at a time, incorporating each addition before adding the next. Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and push the dough off the hook. Continue to mix for about 5-8 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and allow to prove overnight in the fridge. The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and shape into the bread tin. Allow to rise and let the core of the dough come up to room temperature. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 35 minutes at 180°C.
Whipped Foie Gras Parfait
Ingredients
- 250g foie gras
- 250g free range duck livers
- 125ml ruby port
- 125ml Madeira
- 60ml cognac
- 150g shallots, peeled and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 5 free range eggs
- 500g butter
- 1ml pink salt (curing salt) – this preserves the parfait and also adds a slight appealing pink colour to your parfait
- 5ml fine sea salt
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 100°C. Chop the foie gras and duck livers into small pieces, place them in a large pan and bring them up to room temperature over the lowest of heats on your stove (there should be no discolouration) Crack the eggs in a large bowl and also allow to come up to room temperature Melt the butter in a pan and keep warm. Place the shallots, garlic, thyme with all of the alcohol in a large pan and reduce till almost dry and evaporated. Liquidise the foie gras, duck livers and eggs till smooth, and then add the melted butter in a slow and steady stream and blend the mixture for another minute. Strain through a chinois. Pour the mixture in a terrine mould and fill till just below the lip and cover with foil. Place the parfait into a bain-marie with the water level with the parfait mixture. Cook in the pre-heated oven for about 80-90 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 65°C. Remove from the bain-marie, leave to cool to room temperature then refrigerate overnight. The next day, lightly whip by hand and place in a piping bag until ready to use.
Crispy Fried Free range Chicken
Ingredients
- 1kg Free range, preferably organic de-boned chicken thighs
- 500ml buttermilk
- 10 garlic cloves
- 6 serrano/chipotle peppers
- 1 cup fresh coriander
- 35ml sea salt Canola oil for frying
- 1kg cake flour for dusting
Method
In a blender, combine the buttermilk, garlic, peppers, coriander and 2 tablespoons of the salt and purée until smooth. Place the chicken in a large container with lid, and pour the buttermilk marinade over the chicken. Toss the chicken in the marinade, making sure it is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 18 hours and up to 24 hours. When ready to fry the chicken, fill a large cast-iron skillet with 1 inch of oil and heat gently over medium heat until the oil reaches 180°C. Place a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. While the oil is heating, remove the chicken from the marinade and gently shake off the excess marinade. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, coating thoroughly. Place the chicken in the hot oil, taking care not to crowd the pieces. Cook the chicken until it is deep golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Drain the chicken on the cooling rack.
Apricot Preserve
Ingredients
- 500g fresh ripe and organic apricots
- 400g granulated sugar
- 2 cloves
- The juice of 1 lemon
Method
Finely chop the apricots, and place with the sugar and cloves in a medium pot, and bring to light simmer, whilst dissolving all the sugar over a low heat. Gently simmer for about 30 minutes until desired consistency is reached, and season with the lemon juice. Allow to cool.
Hazelnut Crumble
Ingredients
- 200g hazelnuts, shelled and toasted
- 200g granulated sugar
Method
Make sure that the hazelnuts are toasted quite dark brown, as that provides more flavour. Roughly chop the nuts, and spread out on a Silplat (non-stick silicone mat).Gently melt the sugar in a medium pot/pan over a medium heat. Be careful not to stir the sugar, but that it caramelises evenly (you can swirl the pot around to aid to process). As soon as the caramel reaches a dark caramel colour (be careful not to burn it), you can pour it over your toasted hazelnuts. Allow to cool. Chop finely just before you want to use the crumb.
To assemble
Cut your brioche into desired shapes and toast lightly. Pipe the Foie gras parfait on the toasted Brioche, place your crispy Fried Chicken piece on top (cut the crispy chicken smaller if necessary), with a small dollop of Apricot Preserve and a light dusting of Hazelnut Crumble.
NOW go get the Cristal.
