We were recently invited to join Pete Goffe-Wood and Tabasco at his 'home' - Kitchen Cowboys. On arrival, I was already 'wowed' by the set up - a long table, elegantly laid for a formal dinner - not quite what I had in mind when I received the invitation.
The aim of the evening? To introduce Tabasco as an ingredient when cooking, not merely a condiment for eggs. Pete was wonderful - it was the first time I'd seen him in the kitchen. Entertaining, informative and pretty darn funny.
There was, of course, wine - free flowing, and a new favourite in the form of the Secateurs Chenin Blanc. But more on that later. We enjoyed nibbles with our wine, before we were seated - a truly gorgeous prawn and sweet corn bisque with a basil oil flavoured with Green Pepper Tabasco. We also enjoyed bite-sized lamb burgers - topped with tzatziki, we could have happily filled up on these if we hadn't know dinner was waiting.
On to starters - ceviche with a little bite. Topped with shaved fennel, there was some heat from the Green Pepper Tabasco, but not fanning-your-mouth-hot. Tasty, light and a great start.
Now, a moment to appreciate the wine : I had never heard of AA Badenhorst Wines before - also, not being much of a white wine drinker, it would never be a wine I was naturally drawn towards. However, due to some lucky chance of fate, a little of their Secateurs Chenin Blanc landed in my glass. Smooth, fruity and downright delicious, here are the 'official' tasting notes:
Bright, light yellow. Peachy fruit salad and spice aromas
are enlivened by grapefruit pith. Rich and silky, with a slightly sweet
impression nicely countered by harmonious acidity. Round and fairly
full in the mouth and still a bit youthfully aggressive. Finishes nicely
dry, with hints of ripe stone fruits and quince.
Delightful, right? If you'd like a case delivered to your door, hop on over here.
Back to the food.
Mains took the form of blackened Cajun chicken on 'dirty' risotto, topped with avo. Perfectly cooked chicken, Pete turned the meat into a more interesting concept than it sounded on the menu. Turning the 'rice' into risotto with a few drops of RedTabasco, also made it a more 'crowd friendly' dish.
Dessert was a rum-soaked chocolate mud cake - wish dashes of Red Tabasco. There was a slight warmth, but difficult to tell if it was coming from the rum or Tabasco. It was a true Pete-sized portion, rich and dense - I battled to make much headway into mine, but tried - bravely.
It was a truly lovely evening. Good, wholesome food, interesting people and rather lovely wine. One of the better Thursdays I've had.
Note : We were invited to attend this event by Tabasco.
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