I recently received some of Van Loveren’s Rhino Run wines to try. If you haven’t heard of this range yet, you can read a bit more here: Van Loveren continues its fight against poaching with its latest release Rhino Run wines (PR)
What a noble cause, it is always great to see what brands, like Van Loveren, actively and passionately get behind conservation efforts.
One of the Rhino Run wines we got to sip was their 2018 Chenin Blanc.
Reading the tasting notes I thought it would be a good idea to pair it with a dish that is light and green, so let’s try having it with asparagus? And, added bonus, it is currently in season.
To increase the depth of flavour in the asparagus pancakes, I reckoned it was a good idea to add some herbed feta as well, to add to the fresh flavours to accompany the crisp and floral notes of the wine.
I got the recipe from the BBC Food website, but tweaked it a bit – so here is my version.
200 g self-raising flour
½ tsp salt
300 ml buttermilk (after the first batch I did add a bit of milk because the batter was quite thick)
1 egg, beaten
50 g butter, melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
18 fresh asparagus spears, halved to make 36 shorter spears
1 – 2 wheels feta with herbs to serve
Fresh rocket to serve
- Mix flour and salt in a bowl
- Whisk buttermilk, egg and 3 tbsp melted butter together in another bowl
- Gradually wish buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients to make a smooth batter
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat – add the remaining butter and oil, plus the asparagus and fry for 3 – 4 min until almost tender
- Turn the heat down and scoop about all but 6 of the asparagus spears
- Arrange the 6 left in the pan in 2 groups of 3 and spoon a little batter over each group of asparagus, making 2 round pancakes, with the asparagus hidden underneath.
- Cook the pancakes until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 – 3 minutes. Flip over and cook for 1 – 2 minutes more until golden and set.
- Remove and keep warm in the oven while you make the rest of the pancakes (12 in total).
- Serve in stacks of 2 – 3, topped with feta and fresh rocket.
- Enjoy with a chilled glass of Van Loveren Rhino Run Chenin Blanc