Zevenwacht Z SMV 2006 food pairing

Zevenwacht Z SMV 2006 food pairing

Historians might still be disputing the origin of Shiraz, but it has to be Persia reckons Adele Stiehler after enjoying the Zevenwacht Z 2006 with a bowl of rose and saffron-scented Mast-o Khiar.

“I prefer peasant food to court food,” says caterer and ethnic cookery teacher Ishvara.

 

Legend has it that Shiraz takes its name from a town in ancient Persia. With the grape’s roots in mind, caterer and ethnic cookery teacher Ishvara was inspired to pair the Zevenwacht Z 2006, consisting of 71% Syrah, 25% Mourvèdre and 4% Viognier, with a vegetarian Persian menu: black mushrooms marinated in red wine, garlic and mint with a dip combining yoghurt, cucumber, walnuts, sultanas, saffron and rose petals.

Chilling the wine not only makes it easier to pair with a lighter dish, but is also true to Middle Eastern traditions where wine is enjoyed in scorching temperatures. “This meal is best served in a romantic rose garden on a hot day with your lover reading excerpts from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam as you sip the chilled red wine,” says Ishvara.

Having grown up in Johannesburg and studied Psychology and Comparative Religion at Wits University, he started cooking professionally in Los Angeles in the 1980s. He fell in love with India at a young age, which led to a culinary fascination with the Middle East, Far East and North Africa. “The more a country is colonised and pillaged the better the food seems to be.”

He travels from beaches in Bali to markets in Marrakech, studying the food of street vendors and learning from locals. “I prefer peasant food to court food and for $10 most people are happy to take you to their house and teach you.”

Apart from catering and hosting culinary tours, Ishvara presents short courses at the Prue Leith Chefs Studio, exploring the flavours of the Magreb, Moghul, Sicilian, Thai and Ottoman kitchens. A passionate teacher, his classes combine insight into ancient history and modern culture with ingredients, techniques and authentic flavour combinations.

Ishvara’s Persian meal and the wine seem to be a floral flavour match, with the sweet crushed “ward” (Arabic dried roses) on the Mast-o Khiar loving the violets and hint of chocolate in the Z 2006. Serving the wine chilled may sacrifice some of the complex aroma but makes it very quaffable on a hot summer’s day.

Mast-o Khiar

400ml thick Greek yoghurt
1 cucumber (grated)
12 walnut halves
50g sultanas
Black pepper, coarsely ground
Salt
2 T dried mint
1 T ward (dried rose petals from the Middle East.
Don’t replace with potpourri as the fragrance isn’t
the same and the roses are often sprayed with
pesticides. Drying fragrant red or pink rosebuds
from your own garden is a better alternative.)
A generous pinch of Spanish saffron
Saffron syrup

Grate cucumber finely and squeeze out all the juice by hand. Remove the skin of the walnuts by scalding them in boiling water, and chop the nuts into chunky pieces. Combine with the sultanas, cucumber and yoghurt, then season with salt and black pepper. Rub the dried mint into a fi ne powder in your fingers and add to the yoghurt mixture. Let it stand in the fridge for at least an hour. Before serving, crush the ward over the yoghurt mixture, drizzle with the saffron syrup and sprinkle over the saffron threads.

BLACK MUSHROOMS IN WINE
12 large black
mushrooms
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
Fresh mint
1 glass of Zevenwacht
Z 2006
4 cloves of garlic
Olive oil

Marinate the mushrooms in the Zevenwacht Z 2006 overnight, then fry in olive oil with the bay leaf, garlic and salt for about 10 minutes. Add the finely chopped fresh mint just before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature with the Mast-o Khiar and Nan.

NAN
Take thin Laffa (Lebanese flat bread) and slice into thin strips. Place on a tray, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and dried mint, then place in an oven preheated to 180°C. Toss regularly so that it browns evenly without burning.

Adele Stiehler studied journalism at the Tshwane University of Technology and worked for Beeld before succumbing to her passion for cheese and sausages. She trained at Prue Leith Chefs Academy and worked in catering and restaurants before returning to the Academy to teach.