Mum Of One

Who is actually a Mum of two, and didn't think her blog name through.

The Wine Corner: M and S Falanghina 2011 paired with a chicken and courgette tagliatelle.

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I must confess that I only stumbled across this grape very recently, though the Falanghina grape varieties are amongst the oldest type cultivated in Italy for wine-making.

This particular bottle hails from the hillsides of the Beneventano region of Italy, a few hours drive North-East of Naples.  It is thought that it’s name is derived from the Latin falangae, or the stakes used to support the growing vines.

It is an extremely light, zippy little white, pale in colour with a fresh zesty taste and a mild hint of pears.  It is delicious served very chilled and I think could fast become my favourite aperitif on a hot summers day.

It is a delicate white and as such would pair well with seafood or fish as it should not overwhelm.  It would be perfect on a summers day served with a grilled tuna steak and salad, or some spicy prawns.

I also found it to pair very well with the following recipe as it was able to balance out some of the spice and compliment the ginger without overpowering the flavour of the courgette.

It is currently for sale at just £5.99 in Marks and Spencer, and I will certainly be keeping one in the fridge for the next sunny evening in the garden when the boy has gone to bed.

Tagliatelle with Chicken and Courgettes:

Serves 4.

Approximate cooking time 50 minutes.

Approximate calories per serving 610.

  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 4 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 3 red chillies, de-seeded and chopped
  • 65g butter
  • Coarse sea salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 courgettes thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 400g fresh tagliatelle
Place chicken breasts in one layer on a large sheet of foil and sprinkle with the ginger, garlic and chillies.  Dot with 1/3 of the butter and season generously with salt and pepper.  Wrap the foil tightly to form a parcel, place on a baking tray and cook at 200°C for 30 minutes or until tender and cooked through.
While this is cooking melt the remaining butter in a large pan, add the courgettes and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly, until tender and lightly browned.  Stir in the herbs, cook briefly and remove from the heat.
Five minutes before the chicken is cooked place the tagliatelle in salted boiling water until ready, then drain.
When the chicken is cooked, lift out and slice or cube but retain the juice in the foil.  Add to the pan with the courgettes and herbs.  Throw in the pasta and toss altogether with the juice from the foil.  Season again if required.
This dish is lovely served alone or with a crisp mixed-leaf salad.
This post forms part of Mum of One’s Wine Corner.
To read more about this click the magic button.
It also forms part of the April Blogging from A-Z challenge: F is for Falanghina

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