A Prawn Pairing
The Dish
Tiger prawns, chargrilled in the Josper grill served with a spicy piri piri sauce of red peppers, chillies, lime and coriander are the most recent addition to our menu.
Piri piri is interestingly an Angolan name for a type of small hot chilli; the term was then eventually used all over the Portuguese empire for hot dishes usually of fish and meat. It was with great pleasure that we tasted these fantastic prawns that had been tossed gently in the fiery, fragrant piri piri sauce.
Tiger prawns are large-bodied prawns that are native to the Indo-West Pacific Ocean and acquired their name from the stripes that cover their shell. The prawn’s fresh, mildly buttery characteristics make them the perfect foundation for many flavoursome dishes, being able to stand up to the strong flavours of accompaniments such as garlic and the spices used in fusion dishes. The kick of the piri piri is a perfect match for the delicate shellfish – a real must-have on our menu.
The Wine
Our sommeliers would recommend pairing this with a glass of 2016 Le “G” De Château Guiraud.
Le G de Guiraud is a dry white wine, produced by Château Guiraud, a 1er Cru Classé property in Sauternes located next door to Château Yquem. Whilst Château Guiraud may be best known for its sweet whites, the same attention goes into making this modern dry white.
This 2016 vintage is a blend of Sauvignon blanc (50%) and Sémillon (50%) with only perfectly ripe, healthy grapes selected carefully by hand across three pickings. This is a rich, fruit driven wine with fresh aromas of stone fruit, lime and gooseberry. The palate is well balanced with pure and elegant acidity alongside a richness of texture from 7 months in barrel. With the refreshing acidity, the fruity tropical flavours balance the spicy elements of the dish, and the oak and roundness of this white Bordeaux perfectly matches the chargrilled notes beautifully.