Spring is around the corner, when nature bursts back into life in an explosion of sight, sound and colour, bringing new life and fresh hope to the world. The 1 st September is not only the first day of Spring, it is also #CapClassiqueDay! A sparkling celebration is definitely in order so pop open a bottle of Krone Rosé Cuvée Brut… and perhaps try your hand at a classic French Mille-Feuille for a complementary sweet treat – see attached a Mille-Feuille recipe, from well-known food stylist, trained chef and photographer Bianca Davies, specially created to enjoy with Krone Rosé Cuvée Brut.
KRONE VINTAGE ROSÉ CUVÉE BRUT 2018
BLEND: 87% Pinot Noir and 13% Chardonnay.
CREATION: The classic varieties of pinot noir and chardonnay are handpicked in the cool of the night. Only the free-run juice, the first 500 litres per ton, is used for Krone Rosé Cuvée Brut which is bottle-fermented on the lees and packed in wooden pupitres. The rémuage (turning of bottles) is done entirely by hand while it matures on the lees in the cool of our historic underground cellar before disgorgement.
TASTING NOTES: Salmon-pink. A floral bouquet of rosewater meets the sweet-sour-salty scent of coastal sour figs. Fresh red fruits—pomegranates, cranberries—take centre stage on the full, soft palate, unfolding into candied orange and white-fleshed nectarine. The complexity of the 2018 vintage is on show here; the drought resulted in
smaller harvests that culminated in base wines with pure fruit expressions. There’s a fragility and elegance to the pinot noir. The vivid acidity is cushioned in a fine, creamy mousse, finishing with lingering notes of toasted
hazelnuts.
FOOD PAIRING: Krone Rosé Cuvée Brut delights in food that favours honest expression; from a simple picnic with slivers of charcuterie, crusty sourdough bread, ripe, melty Camembert. A tug-of-war between density and weightlessness, the structure lends itself to the refined too; salmon with crispy skin crackling and wild black rice to rolled porchetta, and duck with cherries. For a sweet treat, the ultimate pairing is a classic French mille-feuille.
Classic French Mille-Feui - by well-known food stylist, trained chef and photographer, Bianca Davies.
Pastry Cream:
500ml full cream milk
5 XL free-range egg yolks
125g sugar
30g cornstarch
30g flour
1 vanilla pod or 1 Tbsp vanilla paste / extract with seeds
350g raspberries
2 x 250g all butter puff pastry sheets
¼ cup pistachios, roughly chopped
Icing sugar for dusting
1—If using a vanilla pod- slice the vanilla pod lengthways and using the back of the
knife, slide it down the length of the exposed pod to scrape out the seeds. Add both the
pod and the seeds to the milk.
2—In a large saucepan add the milk, roughly a third of the sugar and vanilla. Heat to a
simmer. While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Then add the cornstarch and flour. Whisk well to combine.
3—Once the milk has come to a simmer, remove the vanilla pod if using. Pour a third of
the hot milk over the egg mixture in a very slow stream and whisk vigorously until
smooth and thoroughly combined.
4—Pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk
and continue to whisk over a medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture
thickens, being careful not to let it burn on the bottom of the pan. Once the pastry
cream starts to bubble cook for another two minutes, then remove from the heat.
5—Pour pastry cream into a shallow dish and place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the
surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin forming. Leave to cool slightly and then
refrigerate until cold.
6—Make the puff pastry layers: preheat oven to 220°C, and line two baking trays with
baking paper. Cut squares of pastry in half to form 3 identical rectangles out of your
pastry and place on baking trays. Save the fourth piece for something else like cheese
straws or cinnamon sugar twists.
7—Place another piece of baking paper on top of each tray of pastry rectangles. Place
another baking tray on top of the parchment – this helps weigh the pastry down during
baking, so it doesn’t puff up too much.
8—Bake the pastry layers for 15 minutes, then remove the top baking sheet and baking
paper and bake for 4-5 minutes more, until they are deeply golden brown. If the underside isn’t crisp- flip them over and bake until both sides are golden and cooked
through. Let cool completely.
9—Assemble the mille-feuille just before serving.
10—Whisk the cold pastry cream until smooth again. Add a dot of pastry cream to the
serving plate/ board to act as ‘glue’ and put a piece of pastry on top. Generously spread a layer of pastry cream over the pastry and add a layer of raspberries. Scatter with a few
pistachios and repeat the stages until you have a three layered showstopper of a dessert. Finish it off with a generous dusting of icing sugar.
11—Serve immediately with a cold bottle of Krone Brut Rosé
RETAIL PRICE: Krone Vintage Rosé Cuvée Brut 2018 is widely available nationally in select liquor retailers and grocers at approximately R165 per bottle.recipe provided by well-known food stylist, trained chef and photographer, Bianca Davies.
RETAIL PRICE: Krone Vintage Rosé Cuvée Brut 2018 is widely available nationally in select liquor retailers and grocers at approximately R165 per bottle.
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