🥂 Friday 1 May is International Sauvignon Blanc Day! We’re celebrating with a glass of Sav and a screening of Romeo & Juliet Live from our Living Rooms!

Our friends at Nautilus Estate Wines of Marlborough, our long-standing wine partner and sponsor of Soloist Kirby Selchow, not only pour a fine wine, but have shared two divine recipes from Kelly Gibney, perfect matches for your glass of Sav.

If you’d like to join us with a glass of Nautilus Estate, visit their website here, plus they are offering free shipping (within NZ) at the moment.

Scroll on and jot down your supermarket list, will it be Crunchy Fish Tacos or Green Risotto?

Crunchy Fish Tacos
with zesty yoghurt, lime & chive sauce

These are an absolute crowd-pleaser. Perfect for a relaxed family meal or a fun dinner with friends. The flavours are more zesty than spicy, making it a perfect match for Nautilus sauvignon blanc.

Serves 4
Make 8-10 regular sized tacos or 14-16 small tacos

600g firm white fish
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon sea salt
Oil or ghee for frying

Yoghurt sauce
1 cup unsweetened Greek yoghurt
1/3 cup finely diced chives
Zest of 1 lime
½ teaspoon sea salt
Cracked black pepper

To serve
Soft corn tortillas (I like the Tio Pablo brand)
Finely shredded cabbage ( I used a mix of red and green)
1 avocado – stone removed and sliced thinly
2 radishes – sliced thinly
Handful fresh coriander – roughly chopped
Lime wedges

Combine the yoghurt sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Check seasoning and adjust as desired. Set aside until ready to use.

Combine the flour, curry powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir well.

Cut the fish into bite-sized pieces and toss together with the flour. Leave to sit in the flour for 20 minutes.

Heat 1.5cm oil/ghee in a sauté pan over a medium / high heat. Cook the fish in 2 batches until golden and crunchy. About 2 minutes on each side should be plenty.

To assemble
Heat the tortillas. Top each with a small handful of shredded cabbage, 1-2 slices of avocado and some radish slices. Place a few pieces of fish on each, drizzle with the yoghurt sauce and garnish with coriander. Serve immediately.

Green Risotto
with goat cheese & herbs

Bright, vibrant, fresh flavours are wonderful as the seasons change. There are layered flavours of herbs and a lively tang from the goat cheese. A glass of sauvignon blanc will sit beautifully beside this dish.

Serves 6

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion – finely diced
6 cloves garlic – finely diced
1 teaspoons dried tarragon
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup white wine
Zest of 1 lemon
6 cups vegetable stock
150g goat cheese – crumbled
2 large handfuls fresh mint – roughly chopped
Handful fresh dill – freshly chopped

Pea and parsley puree
1 cup frozen peas – left to defrost for 30 minutes (then drained of any liquid)
Large handful fresh parsley – roughly chopped
¼ cup olive oil

To serve: Pumpkin seeds, additional fresh dill and mint to garnish

Place all the pea puree ingredients into a food processor and blitz until the texture of a rough pesto. Set aside until ready to use.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over a medium / low heat. Cook the onion and garlic gently, without browning, until translucent and tender. Add the tarragon and the rice. Ensure the rice is evenly coated in the oil. Cook for a minute. Add the wine and stir. Cook until the wine has been completely absorbed by the rice.

Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot. Add the hot stock a half-cup at a time to the rice pan. Keep the rice over a medium heat during this time and stir constantly. Keep doing this until you’ve used all the stock. Your risotto should be creamy and not gluggy at all. Keep in mind it will keep absorbing liquid as it cools. Add the pea puree. Heat for 1 minute. Add the goat cheese, fresh mint and dill. Remove from heat and stir through. Season to taste.

Serve immediately with remaining goat cheese sprinkled on top, additional fresh herbs (if desired) and a scattering of pumpkin seeds. I also like to drizzle with a little good-quality olive oil.