St. Georges Day Sherry Trifle

Love rhubarb. Love sherry. Love this l’atelier des chefs recipe and wine match.

Rhubarb and sherry trifle, a twist on the English classic trifle dessert with refreshing seasonal rhubarb.

For the sherry, use Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez Viejo ‘Napoleon’ – the ultimate sweet wine!

Ingredients

* For the fruit: Rhubarb : 750g Oranges : 2 whole Caster sugar : 200g

* For the base: Sponge fingers : 18 whole Sherry : 20cl of Pedro Ximenez sherry

* For the custard: Semi-skimmed milk : 25cl Double cream : 25cl Egg yolks : 6 whole Plain flour : 60g Caster sugar : 60g

*For the chantilly cream: Double cream : 12cl Icing sugar : 60g Vanilla pods : 1 whole

Recipe method

1. For the rhubarb: * Preheat the oven to 180′C. * Wash and cut the rhubarb into small pieces. * Juice and zest the oranges and mix with the sugar and the rhubarb. * Bake in the oven for around 10 to 15 minutes until tender.

2. For the base: * Break the sponge fingers in half and drizzle on the sherry.

3. For the custard: * Separate the eggs. * Whisk the egg yolks, flour and sugar together in a bowl. * Bring the milk and cream to the boil in a heavy bottomed pan. * Pour the boiling liquid onto the egg mixture, return to the pan cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick. * Allow to cool, transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate.

4. For the chantilly cream: * De-seed the vanilla pod, combine with the sugar and cream and whisk until thick. * Spoon the cream into a piping bag.

5. To plate: * Place the sponge fingers in the bottom of a glass. * Top with the rhubarb, add a layer of the cold custard before finishing by piping on the vanilla cream.

Chef’s tip

Use different liquor such as Drambuie or Cointreau to add a different taste to the dish depending on the occasion.

Wine Pairing

Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez Viejo ‘Napoleon’. Produced by the Hidalgo Family bodega, established in 1792 in Sanlúcar. Made using grapes dried on straw mats, fermented and fortified, then aged under the solera system. One of the sweetest wines in the world, PX is about as sweet as things can get – perfect drizzled on ice cream with your rhubarb trifle.

Enjoy!!

Malbec World Day is celebrated across the world every year on the 17th April; the same day Domingo Faustino Sarmiento vowed to transform Argentina’s wine industry in 1853.

Domingo brought Malbec to Argentine shores with the help of French soil expert Michel A. Pouget. They experimented with a number of different vines from France, but it was Malbec from Cahors in the South West that proved it’s worth. In fact, it took to the Argentine climate so well it is now Argentina’s flagship grape variety – cause for us all to celebrate!

Producing deep inky purple wine with dominant full bodied plum like flavours, it goes with nothing better than the famous Argentine cuisine – steak! Yum.

You can choose from a number of great Malbecs at Majestic either in store or at majestic.co.uk

The best way to see the Malbec hype and it’s cult following is on twitter, look for the hashtag #malbecworldday

St. Georges Day Sherry Trifle

Love rhubarb. Love sherry. Love this l’atelier des chefs recipe and wine match.

Rhubarb and sherry trifle, a twist on the English classic trifle dessert with refreshing seasonal rhubarb.

For the sherry, use Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez Viejo ‘Napoleon’ – the ultimate sweet wine!

Ingredients

* For the fruit: Rhubarb : 750g Oranges : 2 whole Caster sugar : 200g

* For the base: Sponge fingers : 18 whole Sherry : 20cl of Pedro Ximenez sherry

* For the custard: Semi-skimmed milk : 25cl Double cream : 25cl Egg yolks : 6 whole Plain flour : 60g Caster sugar : 60g

*For the chantilly cream: Double cream : 12cl Icing sugar : 60g Vanilla pods : 1 whole

Recipe method

1. For the rhubarb: * Preheat the oven to 180′C. * Wash and cut the rhubarb into small pieces. * Juice and zest the oranges and mix with the sugar and the rhubarb. * Bake in the oven for around 10 to 15 minutes until tender.

2. For the base: * Break the sponge fingers in half and drizzle on the sherry.

3. For the custard: * Separate the eggs. * Whisk the egg yolks, flour and sugar together in a bowl. * Bring the milk and cream to the boil in a heavy bottomed pan. * Pour the boiling liquid onto the egg mixture, return to the pan cook over a medium heat until the custard is thick. * Allow to cool, transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate.

4. For the chantilly cream: * De-seed the vanilla pod, combine with the sugar and cream and whisk until thick. * Spoon the cream into a piping bag.

5. To plate: * Place the sponge fingers in the bottom of a glass. * Top with the rhubarb, add a layer of the cold custard before finishing by piping on the vanilla cream.

Chef’s tip

Use different liquor such as Drambuie or Cointreau to add a different taste to the dish depending on the occasion.

Wine Pairing

Hidalgo Pedro Ximenez Viejo ‘Napoleon’. Produced by the Hidalgo Family bodega, established in 1792 in Sanlúcar. Made using grapes dried on straw mats, fermented and fortified, then aged under the solera system. One of the sweetest wines in the world, PX is about as sweet as things can get – perfect drizzled on ice cream with your rhubarb trifle.

Enjoy!!

Malbec World Day is celebrated across the world every year on the 17th April; the same day Domingo Faustino Sarmiento vowed to transform Argentina’s wine industry in 1853.

Domingo brought Malbec to Argentine shores with the help of French soil expert Michel A. Pouget. They experimented with a number of different vines from France, but it was Malbec from Cahors in the South West that proved it’s worth. In fact, it took to the Argentine climate so well it is now Argentina’s flagship grape variety – cause for us all to celebrate!

Producing deep inky purple wine with dominant full bodied plum like flavours, it goes with nothing better than the famous Argentine cuisine – steak! Yum.

You can choose from a number of great Malbecs at Majestic either in store or at majestic.co.uk

The best way to see the Malbec hype and it’s cult following is on twitter, look for the hashtag #malbecworldday

We’re delighted that our store-based social media programme picked up ‘Customer Service Initiative of the Year’ at the 2013 Oracle Retail Week Awards.

We’ve long seen social media as a great way to keep in touch with our customers. Every store has its own Facebook page and Twitter account, making it easier for you to connect with your local Majestic team and stay up to date with what’s in store. It’s fantastic that the hard work and creativity of all our teams has been recognised with such a high-profile award. Even better that it came in such a competitive category against the likes of ASDA , Boots, B&Q, Pets at Home and Hotel Chocolat. Steve Lewis

Chris Brook-Carter, Editor in Chief of Retail Week commented:

It is fantastic to see an employer empowering its staff in this way. Majestic takes on bright graduates who can communicate with customers and wine lovers on a local basis via the effective use of social media. In this way, they show they have understood what today’s market expects of retailers and taken the key steps to provide the customer with what they require.

Steve Lewis, Chief Executive of Majestic Wine said:

I am delighted with this achievement; these are highly regarded awards in the industry and this was a very competitive category. I would like to thank our staff for the enthusiasm and creativity they show whilst engaging with customers in-store and online and congratulate them for winning this award.

We'll be opening a bottle of Chile's finest tomorrow!

Montes Folly Syrah from the Apalta Valley - a full bodied syrah, deep purple in colour with dense black fruit and tones of vanilla and chocolate.

We will have the wine available to try - but only while it lasts.

Well worth a try - don't miss out!