Waitrose Cellar Food & Wine Pairing For Easter

25% off fine wines plus Easter Food pairing at Waitrose Cellar

The specialists at Waitrose Cellar have put together great tips to match food and wine for Easter. Discover a mouthwatering lamb recipe & wine match, as well as tips from specialist Rebecca Ayoub to match your Easter food with delicious wines.

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Beronia Rioja with Roast leg of lamb with rosemary & garlic potatoes & fresh mint sauce

There’s nothing quite like a leg of lamb to feed the family for Sunday lunch, so it needs to be matched with a wine to complement, not overpower it. The Beronia Rioja Reserva is an enjoyable pairing.

Beronia Rioja Reserva | Rioja, Spain, 2011, 13.5% ABV

Juicy black cherry fruit is overlaid with more earthy notes of leather and coconut. The wine is underpinned by a smooth, sleek texture and fine tannins.

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Recipe

Serves 6
Prepare 15 minutes
Cook 2 hours + resting

Ingredients

75g unsalted butter, melted
1.2kg Charlotte potatoes, thinly sliced
20g pack rosemary, leaves only, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1.8kg whole leg of lamb on the bone
Olive oil
500ml lamb or chicken stock

For the mint sauce:

100ml cider vinegar
50g caster sugar
2 x 25g packs mint, leaves only

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Put the melted butter, potatoes, rosemary and garlic into a large bowl and season. Toss everything together then arrange in an even layer in an ovenproof dish.

Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Rub the lamb with olive oil and season generously. Add to the pan and sear all over until golden brown. Remove from the pan and lay on top of the potatoes. Deglaze the frying pan with the stock, scraping up any sticky bits, then pour over the potatoes. Roast for 1 hour 40 minutes (for medium-well). Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 30 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, return the potatoes to the oven for 20 minutes until crisp and golden.

While the lamb roasts, make the mint sauce. Combine the vinegar, sugar, 50ml water and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely. Finely chop the mint leaves and stir into the cooled vinegar mixture.

Serve the lamb with the potatoes and mint sauce.

A Guide To Easter Food & Wine Pairing

By Rebecca Ayoub, Waitrose Cellar Specialist

The world of wine and food pairings can seem complex but the key is simple - match weight with weight and flavour with flavour. Here, Rebecca Ayoub from Waitrose Cellar, helps with her guide to the perfect Easter pairings.

Cooking Poultry?

For a citrussy style of chicken, try a fresh style of Chardonnay such as the Waitrose Chablis. With goose or duck, you need something with brightness to cut through the richness, so try a Pinot Noir from the New World.

Goes well with Roast Duck...

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Seifried Estate Nelson Bay Pinot Noir | Nelson, New Zealand, 2011, 13.5% ABV

The bright cherry flavours and refreshing acidity work beautifully with this rich meat.

Cooking Lamb?

For full-flavoured and robust lamb dishes, reach for Rioja, like the Beronia Reserva, the red fruit flavours and vanilla are a perfect accompaniement. Cabernet Sauvignon or a Bordeaux blend would also be a great match. For a lighter, juicer meat try the softer Waitrose Cotes du Rhone Villages, the acidity cuts through the fattiness of the meat.

Goes well with Lamb...

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Baron de Ley Club Privado Rioja | Rioja, Spain, 2012, 13.5% ABV

This wine has deep dark fruit flavours that will compliment your Roast Lamb perfectly.

Cooking Fish?

For a creamy salmon dish try a rich oaked white such as the Rustenberg Chardonnay or for a truly elegant choice try a delicious white Burgundy. If the dish is lighter with more herbs, move to a lighter style. Italian whites are often brilliant, such as the St Michael Eppan Pinot Grigio.

Goes well with Fish...