Our wine specialist Jasper Van Papeghem is ex Best Sommelier of Belgium 2017-2018 and former sommelier of two-star restaurant De Jonkman in Bruges. Each month, he brings his own unique perspective on the world of wine. And he gives insight into his notebook with 'coup de coeurs'.
barbacoa y la buena vida
With summer officially underway, the world is opening up its aromas: the garrigue fields in the Rhone, the lavender in Provence, the flower fields of our southern neighbours and the barbecue in Belgium. When you walk through the village and city centres of Belgium now, you invariably smell the heavenly scents of burning charcoal and the soft, wee smell of grilled meat. The Belgian and his barbecue are simply two hands in one glove and if Corona has already taught us anything, it is probably how much we missed our grilling moments with family and friends.
To grill or not to grill, that is the question
But what exactly happens during the grilling process? Obviously, there is a huge difference between frying, roasting, grilling, cooking etc which means that we also have to change our choice of wines. In short, we can say that grilling/roasting is a short baking process in which the product is seared at a high temperature whereby the aromatic juices do not get the chance to escape and are, as it were, encapsulated. Especially with short grilling processes such as roasting beef on the barbecue, the meat does not really get the chance to soften up, so we can only use the best pieces of meat for grilling.
Smoking hot
The high temperature also creates a caramelisation on the outside which gives a slightly sweeter taste. Finally, we come to the last unique aspect of grilling: the smoke flavour. This smoky flavour adds a little extra spice and a broader aroma profile, which goes very well with different wines. You can influence the smoke flavour yourself by, for example, adding herbs to the barbecue, using a smoker or closing the lid of the barbecue. Don’t forget to put a pot of water on the barbecue when closing the lid, because too large a change in temperature during smoking can cause dishes to dry out and become tough. In recent years, the green egg has been on the rise, making grilling and smoking at a professional level (with or without wood chips) accessible to everyone.
We are very grateful that we have been able to secure two absolute top chefs for this article who have taken the noble art of grilling to a higher level: Peter De Clercq (world champion BBQ and owner of the renowned Elckerlijc grill restaurant) and Hendrik Dierendonck (from the famous butcher’s family and owner of the starred restaurant Carcasse). For the wine, we chose the godfather of Spanish wine in Belgium: La Buena Vida.
DISH 1 MUSSELS WITH LIME GRASS:
Mussels with lime grass:
Supplies:
- 1 kg mussels
- 3 cloves of garlic pressed
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 stalks of lime grass finely chopped
- 3 cm galanga root grated
- 2 red chilli peppers chopped
- 2 lime juice
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- bunch of basil chopped
Preparation:
- Place a wok in the fire and add a generous dash of rice oil.
- Fry the garlic and onion chips in the oil and add the rest.
- Place the basil branches on the charcoal with stalks of lime grass and a bunch of coriander.
- Place the mussels on top until they open.
- Add the mussels to the sauce and shake.
- Serve.
Wine pairing with this dish
As we described in our previous article (link to asparagus here), we start by dissecting the dish.
I chose the Viñatigo Blanco de Canarias 2019 Listán Blanco de Canarias 2019, 75 cl. (Viñatigo | D.O.P. Islas Canarias – Tenerife | Canarias) | La Buena Vida
100 year old vines
Jésus Méndez wants to give a face back to autochthonous Canarian grape varieties that are almost extinct with his Viñatigo project. All his wines are vinified in very limited volumes and are much sought after by sommeliers worldwide. The Listan is a textbook example of the unjustly forgotten grape varieties that make the Canary Islands so unique. The vines for this cuvée are more than 100 (!) years old and are still on the original vines, thanks to the volcanic soil, Phylloxera has never struck. The wine itself has in the nose mainly fresh citrus notes with a fine, slightly smoky minerality. The mouthfeel is refreshing with mainly mineral notes and a fine bitterness that makes the wine shine. The acidity counteracts the light spiciness of the chilli while the citrus and the bitterness form the perfect combination with the lemongrass and the mussels. A unique wine at a low price, it can be done!
crowdfunding for an ethical wine
The following wine ¿Y tú de quién eres? 2019 ¿Y tú de quién eres? 2019, 75 cl. (Bodegas Gratias | D.O. Manchuela | Levante) | La Buena Vida is a true vino de pueblo which freely translated means as much as village wine. It is a unique crowdfunding project that only works with the typical grapes of the region and old vines from local farmers. The ethical aspect of winemaking and respect for nature (biodynamics) are paramount. The nose is already promising with some white pome fruit, fresh green herbs and a floral accent that adds some complexity. Mouth-filling wine with a light touch of wood for extra power and depth. The wine has a supporting function with this dish with the light plumpness and especially the spicy touch while the chili and lemongrass provide a spicy boost to the wine.
Competition
How to participate?
1. Follow our Instagram Page of Puredeluxe: https://www.instagram.com/puredeluxe.be/
2. Follow Lannoo Publishing’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/uitgeverijlannoo/
3. Tag 3 friends with whom you want to try a delicious BBQ recipe from this book
4. Explain why these friends deserve it
5. You will have an extra chance of winning if you mention this competition in your stories
.
The winners will be those who have met all the conditions and given the most original reason why your friends deserve this!
The competition runs from Sunday 27 June 2021 to Sunday 4 July 2021 at 00.00. The winners will be notified personally via a direct message on Instagram.
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