Zonnebloem's go slow for winter

RECIPES

May 6th, 13:33

Food fundi and meat merchant, Andy Fenner, has magic-ed up a range of slow-cooked, falling-of-the bone recipes to relish with Zonnebloem wines.

In this dish, he cleverly combines sweet and savoury flavours to bring out the best in the wine and food. Discover how sparks of cranberry lift the risotto and add a delicious dimension to the Pinotage, that's alive with juicy cherry, berry tastes and an appealing hint of chocolate.

Zonnebloem cellarmaster, Deon Boshoff, appreciates the time this dish needs to cook. "At Zonnebloem we don't like to rush anything that needs time to deliver the best results. A slow-cooked dish like this is just right with a slow-made wine. It's on the menu for my next dinner party. Everyone who knows me, knows my patience. They can sip on the wine while they watch me ladle the liquid into the risotto to get the texture absolutely spot on."

Zonnebloem Pinotage is stocked by retailers nationwide and retails for around R60 a bottle.

Smoked ham hock and cranberry risotto, with Zonnebloem Pinotage

Ingredients

1 whole smoked ham hock, bone in
One large carrot, one white onion and a handful of black peppercorns (for the stock)
1 pack top-quality Arborio rice
1 white onion, peeled and very finely diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup grated Parmesan
A few knobs of butter
Chives or parsley, finely chopped (to garnish)

Method

Soak the ham hock in cold water for one hour to remove excess salt. Remove, pat dry and place in a deep pot. Cover the ham hock with cold water and add a large carrot, cut in half, one peeled white onion and a few whole black peppercorns. Gently bring water to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for two and a half hours or until the meat pulls away from the bone easily. Add hot water throughout the cooking process if necessary.

When you're happy the meat is cooked, remove and set aside to cool. Using a pair of tongs, remove the skin carefully. Shred the meat. Carefully strain the cooking liquid (stock) and discard the vegetables. Now make the risotto as you normally would (gently frying onion in butter and oil before adding the rice and coating it). Ladle the stock into the rice, slowly, stirring as you go. Repeat until you're happy with the consistency of the rice and then add the shredded meat. Just before serving, add a heap of grated Parmesan and a knob of butter, along with the dried cranberries. To serve, spoon into bowls and garnish with chopped chives or parsley. Click here for more information on Zonnebloem