Creation shines at prestigious awards dinner

The Oyster Box, the quintessential beach hotel, sits right up against the sands just north of Durban in Umhlanga, KZN with the waves of the Indian Ocean not far off. This beautiful setting played host to the awards dinner for the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs 2014 National Jeunes Chef Rôtisseur Competition.

The dinner in the form of a 5 course wine pairing with wines from Creation’s versatile range was prepared by urbane executive chef Kevin Joseph, who is also the current chairman of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs KZN branch. The theme, ‘Honouring our KZN Food Heroes’, ensured that local products sourced from the Midlands took centre stage. Having worked as far afield as Singapore and London, award-winning chef Kevin is known for putting modern twists on classic dishes. However, he always pays tribute to home-grown harvests in his cooking; one of the country’s ‘food heroes’ who creates menus around local, seasonal produce.

Creation Wines is of course equally passionate about this cause, with 80% of the produce used in our Tasting Room sourced from within 50 km of the estate – a clear indication of our food philosophy: ‘what grows together, goes together’.

Chef Kevin kindly agreed to share the recipe for his exquisite APPLE POACHED DARGLE VALLEY PORK BELLY, TANDOORI MANGO AND CAULIFLOWER PURÉE, SAFFRON AND ALMOND MASALA CREAM with us. Click here for the recipe. The dish pairs beautifully with the Creation Syrah Grenache 2013 – what better way to spice up a chilly winter evening?

“The key to this successful pairing is the freshness of the wine – the cooler climate of the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge means excellent natural acidity and this helps to cut through the richness of the pork dish. The sweet fruit from the Grenache component works well as a foil to the spices of the tandoori sauce, while the soft spices of the Syrah complement the exotic flavour combination,” explains Creation co-owner and marketing director, Carolyn Martin.