Smoked eel with claret.

This week may have has pushed the boundaries of food and wine matching, however in supporting the cause I have been challenging the waistline as well.
On Monday evening we hosted a winemaker dinner at Henry Harris’ Racine for Cháteau Clauzet and Cháteau de Côme from St Estèphe. For our starter, Henry produced an unlikely sounding food and wine match of Smoked eel and Ventrèche bacon salad, red butter sauce which worked particularly well with Cháteau de Côme 2005. The smoked eel was delicious and an unexpectedly successful match. The mellow and balanced Cháteau Clauzet 2001 is really good drinking now and combined nicely with rump of lamb with peas, broad beans, mint and new potatoes and pea puree. Earlier we had the opportunity to taste several vintages of Cháteau Clauzet including the 2010, which has a great future, although it will take some to soften, whilst both the 2006 and 2004 are appealing now.
Racine was very busy for a Monday night, with their helpful team successfully managing to keep a Knightsbridge neighbourhood feel in the restaurant. We will be going back again soon to sample Henry’s superb cooking and the relaxing atmosphere.
Also this week I hosted the first of the Taste of London Safari lunches where I presented my food and wine matches – more on those soon – and attended the launch party for the London Restaurant Festival at The Ivy Club.
This week I’m presenting at the largest trade wine event in the UK: The London International Wine Trade Fair at Excel, then the consumer shows come along with The Art, Design & Taste of Summer at Blenheim over May Bank Holiday weekend, followed by Taste of London in mid June and Passione Italiana at Chatsworth House where I am the MC. In between these shows I’m heading off to champagne.
I have also started my training for the three 10K races I have entered.