Back to the main event though, the feast. I returned to what is rapidly becoming one of my favourite cookbooks, Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc At Home, to see what ideas he has for roast leg of lamb. I wish I could claim that he had some new, fancy method, but he didn't - it was the tried and tested method of inserting garlic and rosemary into strategically placed cuts in the flesh. He did, however, advocate the 'slow and low' cooking method in order to get the inside a more uniform pink colour (medium, not medium-rare) in the same way that he does for his Blowtorch Rib of Beef recipe that I made a little while ago, and it turned out very well. This beautiful leg (from New Zealand) was served with mashed sweet potatoes, red cabbage, roasted asparagus with Parmesan, and tomato basil marmalade (recipe also from Ad Hoc At Home), and it followed our appetizers, kindly brought by our guests - Kristen's famous deviled eggs, and Kate's now-famous kale crostinis - most splendid, thank you ladies! Dessert, courtesy of Mrs. Fatboy, came from one of our other favourite cookbooks, Bistro - Favourite Parisian Bistro Recipes, and was a fruit tart with a pastry base and creme fraiche instead of custard, not too sweet and absolutely delicious - well done Mrs. Fatboy!
The wines: the lamb was accompanied by a surprisingly good (to me) wine, a magnum of 2003 Jarvis Cabernet Franc from the Napa valley, though once I found out a little more about it I wasn't surprised at all. It was made by Dimitri Tchelistcheff, a winemaker for over 50 years, and son of the legendary Andre Tchelistcheff, and and the experience clearly shows in this wine. I have had a good number US Cab Francs that have just been over-extracted fruit bombs, but this one was stunning in its elegance and balance. It was aged for 19 months in 100% new French oak, but Tchelistcheff has managed it skillfully, keeping it from being an overpowering element, and has balanced it beautifully with the black cherry and plum fruit. There is also a hint of greenness to it that I find somewhat refreshing. It is smooth and rich in the mouth, medium/full-bodied, has velvety tannins and a lingering complex finish. This is what all US Cab Francs should aspire to, easily the best I have tasted in a long while.
The dessert was served with a botrytised Chenin Blanc, a 2005 Domaine des Baumards Coteaux de Layon, Cuvee de Laon, an excellent wine that went very well with the tart, sweet but not overpowering at all, and the cheese (a giant 2lb block of mature, creamy English cheddar that my parents brought over) was paired with Graham's 'Six Grapes' Reserve Port. Apparently referred to as "the everyday Port for the vintage Port drinker", it is a dark ruby colour, with lots of bold cherry/plum aromas and flavours, fine structure and a decent finish, very good value indeed for a $13 (for 375 ml) wine.
Dear me, I feel like I've just relived the meal, and I've put 5 lbs on just writing this!! O dear Fatboy...
