For Father's Day, Pete-Goffe Wood took over the MasterChef SA kitchen at Nederburg to cook a man-sized meal for a pair of wine fans. TASTE's Abigail Donnelly was there to keep the boys in line.
The boys are back in town. Paarl, to be specific. Congregated at Nederburg’s awesomely outfitted MasterChef SA kitchen is the inimitable Pete-Goffe Wood, as well as Cape Wine Master Allan Mullins and Nederburg winemaker Razvan Macici, the duo who was tasked with crafting bespoke white and red blends for the MasterChef SA series.
Today, there are no glaring lights, booms or directors shouting, “action”, though. “I never realised how much I missed it until now; it’s like coming home,” says Pete, who spent six straight weeks on set, bestowing his expert opinion along with fellow judges Benny Masekwameng and Andrew Atkinson.
Adding a female touch to the proceedings is TASTE Food Editor Abigail Donnelly, who, in between styling shots, will join the band of brothers in sampling Pete’s food-and-wine pairings.
Pete starts off with a zingy ceviche of panga, a sustainable fish not dissimilar in texture to red roman or snapper, marinated in lime juice, olive oil, chilli and preserved lemon, and served with slightly astringent capers, creamy avo and pickled fennel.
WATCH THE BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO:
CREDITS:
- Video: Harry Phillips
- Video Editing: Ian Felmore
- Music: Simon And Garfunkel - Mrs. Robinson
Next on the menu is Pete’s rolled shoulder of lamb, slow-roasted for two-and-a-half hours and served with turnips, baby carrots and caramelised shallots in a red-wine sauce, alongside buttery mash. Stepping up to the plate is Razvan and Allan’s 2010 Nederburg Grenache.
“This is the epitome of gourmet peasant food,” concurs Allan, while mopping up some of the delicious sauce with a slice of freshly baked sourdough bread. “It’s balanced perfectly with mouthfuls of the rustic, slightly gutsy Grenache.”
Before long, a Provençal-style dessert of apple tarte tatin, served with a dollop of crème fraîche, is brought to the table. For this satisfying meal clincher, Pete has chosen Razvan’s Nederburg Winemaster's Reserve Special Late Harvest as the complementary tipple.
“It’s a brilliant way to end off a meal,” adds Razvan. “Sipping this dessert wine is like tasting a basket of fruit. It brims with the flavours of apricot, peaches and honey that especially come through after a taste of the lovely apple tart.”
Following the three-course lunch, had one of MasterChef SA’s directors been present, he would most certainly pick this instance to pipe up with a triumphant “Cut!” before the camera fades to black.
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