harrods food & entertaining

ChampagneTuesday 9th – Tuesday 30th November 2010

2 | Champagne

Our sparkling celebration is once again upon us. From Tuesday 9th to Tuesday 30th

november, harrods hails the Champagnes that have captured our hearts and graced

our events over the past years. as the excitement and festivities of the Christmas season

build, now is the perfect opportunity to find your favourite bubbly. Choose from over 70 prestigious

wines on offer throughout the month – from brut non-vintage to vintage rosés and prestige cuvées.

Rediscover the legendary stars of the Champagne region and become acquainted with Champagne

philipponnat and Joseph perrier, new on our shelves this year.

Throughout the world, fine Champagne is considered a mark of luxurious celebration, whilst

in its country of origin France, Champagne is as equally enjoyed with a meal. Champagnes are

usually made from either Chardonnay, pinot meunier or pinot noir and are typically banded into

‘non-vintage’ or ‘vintage’ – each offering great wines, although the latter will naturally show the

characteristics of that particular harvest, while non-vintage wines are produced to a house style

and blended each year to deliver a certain taste. each Champagne house offers its own unique

style, playing with grape source, variety, blending and ageing to achieve the desired characteristics.

Our specialist team at harrods are available to aid you in finding the blend that best suits your style.

Champagne | 3

A worthy cause for a Champagne celebration, november also sees the grand opening of

the new harrods Wine Shop. Come and explore our exciting new space, complete with

a glass-walled wine vault and two new spirit rooms. plus, put your senses to the test with

the tasting bar and aroma area, in association with Le nez du Vin.

Weekend Tastings

Sample a selection of our highlighted Champagnes on offer throughout november, every Saturday

throughout the month, from 2pm to 6pm in the Wine Shop, Lower ground Floor.

eRRORS and OmiSSiOnS diSCLaimeR: please note that all wines listed are 75cl, and all spirits 70cl, unless otherwise specified. Stocks are limited and subject to availability. The right is reserved to withdraw stock or alter prices without notice if the cost of replacement rises or falls due to fluctuation in supplier prices, exchange rates, duty or VaT. O & e accepted. Usual price refers to harrods usual price. Offer prices are valid until Tuesday 30th november 2010.

4 | Champagne

Contents

Billecar t-Salmon . . . . . . . . . . . . . p6

Charles heidsieck . . . . . . . . . . . . p7

Bollinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p8

dampierre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p10

deutz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p11

duvan Leroy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p12

harrods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p13

gossett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p14

henriot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p15

Jacquar t. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p16

Joseph perrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p17

Krug . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p18

Lanson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p19

Laurent-perrier . . . . . . . . . . . . .p20

Louis Roederer . . . . . . . . . . . . .p22

moet & Chandon . . . . . . . . . . .p24

g.h. mumm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p25

perrier-Jouet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p26

philipponnat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p28

dom pérignon . . . . . . . . . . . . .p30

piper-heidsieck . . . . . . . . . . . . .p31

pommery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p32

pol Roger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p34

Ruinar t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p35

Tattinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .p36

Veuve Clicquot . . . . . . . . . . . . .p38

Spirit of the month – Tanqueray no. Ten . . . . . . . . . .p40

Spirit of the month – Johnnie Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . .p42

Champagne | 5

The story of Champagne Billecart-Salmon begins in 1818, with the marriage

of nicolas François Billecart and elisabeth Salmon. To this day, the house remains in the hands of its founding family. now in its seventh generation, Billecart-Salmon is run by François Roland-Billecart, who works and lives in the beautiful château situated in picturesque mareuil-Sur-aÿ, creating cuvées with the family motto ‘give priority to quality, strive for excellence.’

Brut Rose’ NVThis stunning flagship rosé is produced upon Billecart-Salmon’s traditional recipe and production secrets, as used by the house’s very first generation. The wine unveils subtle aromas and an elegant bouquet with fine notes of red fruit. a light, refined palate offering toast and red fruit meets a long fresh finish.

USUaL pRiCe £56.50

PROMO PRICE £51

SIX-BOTTLE CASE PRICE (PER BOTTLE) £45

Vintage 2004This extra Brut is a blend of ‘grand Cru pinot noir’ (70%), completed by the elegance and the minerality of the Chardonnay (30%), 20% of the cuvée is vinified in five-year oak barrels. a 70% dominance of grands Crus pinot noir is softened by Chardonnay and a proportion of blend produced in old oak barrels. Beautiful and intense aromas emanate from the wine, reminiscent of apples, citrus and dried fruits, followed by notes of brioche, fresh butter and warm madeleines. Once sipped it is refreshing and delicately complex with flavours of orchard fruits. Well rounded, this wine enjoys a powerful finish dominated by exceptional fruit maturity.

USUaL pRiCe £66

PROMO PRICE £58


Grande Cuve’ e 1998This great wine, produced from the finest sites of selected grands Crus, comes into its own after ten years of ageing in the Billecart-Salmon cellars. Complex, highly expressive aromas will delight the senses with a combination of ripe fruit and toasty notes. power and finesse distinguish the grande Cuvée – an ideal match for the finest foods.

USUaL pRiCe £185

PROMO PRICE £165

6 | Champagne

Charles heidsieck boastsa long and illustrious history dating back to 1815. Founded

by Charles himself –a vivacious and affable character, widely known as ‘Champagne Charlie’ – he not only graced the european courts but was also the first Champenois to sell Champagne to america. Today, ‘Champagne Charlie’ lives on through his indulgent and rich wines, which are aged in 2,000-year-old gallo Roman cellars, deep under the city of Reims.

Brut Re’ serve NVThe nose exudes notes of pastry, cocoa, praline and fresh almonds alongside hints of tiramisu and herb. it is crisp and light in the mouth with fruity tones, reminiscent of white peaches, fresh almonds and pineapple. Beautifully harmonious throughout, this wine is a stunning and classic example of a brut non-vintage.

USUaL pRiCe £44.50

PROMO PRICE £41


Brut Rose’ Re’ serve NVTo the eye, this gorgeous rosé has a tint of english roses and cherry blossoms, illuminating a strand of fine and lively bubbles. The nose reveals fruity aromas of grapefruit and wild strawberries, enriched by hints of fresh tobacco, cinnamon and liquorice stick. Fresh and soft in the mouth with toasty, buttery nuances alongside notes of blueberry, this wine strikes the perfect balance between freshness and development.

USUaL pRiCe £56.50

PROMO PRICE £48.50

Blanc de Mille’ naires Vintage 1995This delightful vintage Champagne is pale gold in colour with a generous effervescence. The bouquet is perfectly balanced between elegance and richness, with fern, tea and linden notes complemented by hints of pastry, cinnamon and vanilla. mature yet fresh on the palate, initial silky notes of candied apricot and quince lead to dried fruits, almonds and hazelnut. it is divinely well structured with a heavenly balance.

USUaL pRiCe £150

PROMO PRICE £125

Champagne | 7

Madame Bollinger, who charismatically owned and extensively developed the

Bollinger brand during the 1940s, once said: “i drink Champagne when i’m happy, and when i’m sad. Sometimes, i drink it when i’m alone. When i have company, i consider it obligatory. i trifle with it if i’m not hungry, and drink it when i am. Otherwise, i never touch it, unless i’m thirsty.”

now a regular feature in the iconic James Bond movies and a coveted figure around the world, Bollinger benefits from a 180-year history of being meticulously and traditionally family owned and run. Utilising the methods that have been applied for generations, the house enjoys prestigious vineyard sites and an extended ageing process to create the powerful Bollinger signature house style.

8 | Champagne

Special Cuve’ e NVThe very essence of Bollinger is found in the house’s Special Cuvée. This brut non-vintage is crafted year-after-year to represent Bollinger’s signature and style – being composed of a blend of multiple vintages. This wine is proof of the power and finesse of pinot noir with a fine combination of palate weight and elegance, vinosity and length.

USUaL pRiCe £42.95

PROMO PRICE £39.95

Rose’ NVin the signature Bollinger house style, the Rosé is modelled upon the Special Cuvée blend. This rosé combines the fruits of previous harvests with réserve wines from the Bollinger cellars in aÿ. The final component of this wine comes exclusively from grand Cru vineyards in the Côte d’aÿ and Verzenay, delivering a delightful colour and a delicate aroma of ripe red fruits. This wine is inimitably Bollinger, exuding a fresh, fruity and yeasty nose with wild raspberries. The palate is fresh, clean and succulent with a good crunchiness and a luscious finish.

USUaL pRiCe £52.50

PROMO PRICE £47.95

La Grande Anne’ e 2000Crafted solely in outstanding vintages, the grande année is a blend of 65% pinot noir and 35% Chardonnay, displaying the characteristic richness and puissance that is Bollinger. The nose reveals a beautiful harmony of honeyed notes, red berries and biscuity aromas. Full-bodied and opulent, the palate has layer-upon-layer of mature fruit and spicy characters, lifted by a citric freshness and completed by a long toasty finish.

USUaL pRiCe £76.50

PROMO PRICE £69.95

La Grande Anne’ e Rose’ 2002Crafted from grand Cru and premier Cru vineyards in 16 villages, each cru is fermented separately in old oak barrels, ensuring the final blend comprises only the finest parcels. Sensual nuances of strawberry and wild red fruits mingled with cream and a touch of chalk arise from the glass. Full-bodied and tantalising, the palate delivers what the nose hints at. a perfect pairing with duck and lamb or a homemade red berry crumble.

pRiCe £110

Champagne | 9

Cuve’ e des Ambassadeurs Premier Cru NVThe superb Cuvée des ambassadeurs premier Cru is blended from 50% grands Crus Chardonnays from avize, Cramant and mesnil, and 50% grands and premiers Crus pinots noirs from Bouzy, ambonnay and Cumieres. pale gold in colour with very fine bubbles, this outstanding brut non-vintage has a robust nose with a full, deep and perfectly balanced, long-lasting finish.

USUaL pRiCe £35

PROMO PRICE £30


Prestige Grand Cru Blanc des Blanc 1998aged between 8 and 12 years, this magnificent Champagne is sourced entirely from grand Cru Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs. The result is a mature, soft, creamy and long-lasting wine – a stunning example of the finest Côte des Blancs. The cork is secured by a hand-tied piece of twine, a traditional method dating back to the 1800s, requiring great skill and patience and providing a flourish that is wholly justified by the exceptional contents of the bottle.

USUaL pRiCe £125

PROMO PRICE £100

For more than 700 years, the dampierre family has been associated with the

Champagne region. as early as 1300, the jurisdiction of guy de dampierre, who was Count of Flanders and governor of Champagne, stretched from Bruges to Reims. a royal city, Reims was the place of the king’s coronation and as such, the ensuing celebrations saw the royal court attendees and local citizens drinking their fill of local wine. Today, dampierre Champagnes have reached cult status amongst the bubbly cognoscenti, leaving little doubt that these wines and their pure, vibrant taste will surprise and delight.

DAMPIERRE

10 | Champagne

Deutz is the epitome of understated excellence. Founded in 1838, by William

deutz and pierre hubert geldermann, the house sits among the vineyards of one of the region’s greatest communes – aÿ. William deutz was a firm believer in the value of land and was convinced a great wine could only come from a fine vineyard. his philosophy is central to the deutz approach, in which style is always matched by substance. Under the management of five generations of the same family, the house has flourished and is now a gem of the region, offering all the charms of Champagne made with flair.

Brut Classic NVThe Brut Classic is a definitive non-vintage blend, with equal proportions of Chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier rounded by a high proportion of réserve wines. The result is a beautifully pure, elegant wine, with a refreshing lemony aroma and a delicate mousse. dry with plenty of substance.

USUaL pRiCe £38.50

PROMO PRICE £32.95

Blanc de Blancs 2004This wine holds delightful aromas of ripe white fruits and kumquats. powerful yet refined on the palate, with the citrus of the nose combining deliciously with the biscuity flavours of classic Blanc de Blancs. a delightful Champagne and superb value for money.

USUaL pRiCe £66.50

PROMO PRICE £60


Amour de Deutz Blanc de Blancs 1999The grapes of the amour de deutz were sourced from grand Cru (95%) and premier Cru vineyards within a twenty-mile radius of the house, ensuring their arrival in pristine condition. This is a transcendent example of the 1999 Vintage; concentrated, fine, and very fresh, with a creamy depth and great length.

USUaL pRiCe £135

PROMO PRICE £118

Champagne | 11

Paris Brut NVThis non-vintage brut is simply bursting with exuberance with a lively mousse, delicate fine bubbles and a beautiful cordon. a powerful and elegant fresh fruit nose combines hints of white flowers, honeysuckle and hazelnut. Overall this wine is well balanced, with a fresh palate and a rich, elegant and long finish.

USUaL pRiCe £29.95

PROMO PRICE £25.95

Brut Rose’ NVSalmon pink in the glass, this harmonious rosé has been crafted from pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes. The bouquet releases a wealth of aromas in wild cherries, figs, ginger and geraniums. With a solid maturity and balanced vinosity, this wine will undoubtedly delight fine rosé lovers.

USUaL pRiCe £41.95

PROMO PRICE £35

Femme de Champagne 1996The house’s prestige cuvée, Femme de Champagne is produced from grand Crus vineyards in a 79% Chardonnay and 21% pinot noir blend. its refined elegance is layered by flowery flavours with hints of lime blossom, honey, brioche and hazelnuts. a deep intensity and velvety mousse balances the delicate flavours, giving a lively impression overall.

USUaL pRiCe £75

PROMO PRICE £68


Located in the heart of Chardonnay country – La Côte des Blancs –

duval-Leroy has been independently owned and run for over 150 years. Today, Carol duval-Leroy holds the prestigious position as president of the company and is one of a few women to do so in the Champagne region. Carol has had an incredible impact on modernising and expanding the house, breathing new life into the family legacy. Their cuvées are blended predominantly from Chardonnay, attributing a finesse, lightness and elegance to the duval-Leroy style.

12 | Champagne

Premier Cru NVpinot noir and pinot meunier grapes selected from premier Cru rated vineyards makes the harrods premier Cru non-Vintage a joy to savour. harrods is particularly proud of this particular Champagne, with a peachy, apple fruit and biscuity edge leading to a delightfully crisp acidity and a highly desirable intensity.

USUaL pRiCe £26.50

PROMO PRICE £24

Rose’ NVFor a striking alternative, this rosé is created in the traditional Saignée method. The bled grapes bestow a harmonious, rich and complex pinot element to the cuvée, which displays aromas of berry fruit, orange peel and rose petals. The palate is rich yet fresh with hints of strawberry and biscuit, completed by a long and elegant finish.

USUaL pRiCe £29.95

PROMO PRICE £25

Grande Re’ serve Blanc de Blancs NVaged in the bottle for up to six years, this 100% Chardonnay grand Cru nV is the most delicate and floral of our prestigious range, making it an ideal aperitif or accompaniment to lighter dishes. an extraordinarily elegant and complex wine, it can be enjoyed today or cellared for several years.

USUaL pRiCe £29.50

PROMO PRICE £27

Grand Cru Vintage 2004produced from selected cuvées of Blanc de Blancs, derived from Chouilly and aged for four years, this Champagne has crystalline qualities in the glass with fine bubbles and a pale golden colour. The complex aromas, laced with white flowers and brioche, are enhanced by partial oak ageing. The palate is crisp, clean and full-bodied with layers of elegant fruit and a wonderfully long finish.

USUaL pRiCe £34.50

PROMO PRICE £29.50

The harrods Champagne range is the work of the hostomme family who have been crafting

delightfully classic wines for over three centuries. Based in the grand Cru village of Chouilly, their unique style of Champagne is elegant and deliciously fruity. every part of the process, from growing to bottling is overseen and carefully managed by the family, using artisan skills passed down through the generations. harrods carefully chose hostomme to produce its own-label Champagne over 14 years ago and invites you to discover this classic range that offers a cuvée to suit every personality.

Champagne | 13

Brut Excellence NVThis lively cuvée offers subtle floral and fruity aromas, followed by further rich and complex notes. The palate is fresh and delicate throughout; a perfect match for a variety of dishes from saltwater fish to chicken or duck.

USUaL pRiCe £39.95

PROMO PRICE £34.95

Grand Rose’ NVdelicately pink in hue and embellished by ruby red reflections, this wine brings forth aromas of wild berries, sweet spices and freshly baked brioche, followed by roasted almond and warmed mandarin peel. Candied, generous and full-bodied in the mouth with red fruit jams invading the lightly structured palate; this remarkable rosé is delicate and refined from entry to finish.

USUaL pRiCe £59.95

PROMO PRICE £51

Celebris Vintage 1998 Extra Brut gosset’s low dosage Champagne, offers spring flowers, fleshy fruit, tobacco and hay aromas on the nose. it has a wonderfully lively palate with quince, pear, apricot and toasted almonds. it is long and fresh on the finish, with notes of vanilla and brioche – a sensational fizz to be enjoyed with friends.

USUaL pRiCe £125

PROMO PRICE £105

Gosset lays claim to being the oldest house in Champagne – dating back to 1584 when red

wines were produced by winegrower and alderman pierre gosset. during the 18th century the gosset wines found their fizz, and the gosset family turned to the production of Champagne. Their superb wines are harvested from grapes sourced from premier and grand Cru vineyards located in the most highly regarded villages of the marne region. The house prevents malolactic fermentation in order to preserve acidity and to instil the typically fruity aroma of their wines, allowing their fine Champagnes to develop and prosper with ageing in bottle.

14 | Champagne

Vintage Brut 2003The wonderfully rounded Brut 2003 is a result of most unusual weather conditions experienced throughout the year. This complex cuvée, dominated by black fruit, is a blend of roughly equal portions of Chardonnay and pinot noir from grands Crus vineyards, complemented with fruit from a number of premier Crus sites. The wine has a complex nose with rich aromas revealing layers of black fruit. The richness of the pinot dominates the palate complementing rich Chardonnay notes. With the fullness to enjoy alongside rich meat dishes, this wine pairs fantastically with duck and morello cherries or roast chicken stuffed with mushrooms.

USUaL pRiCe £82.50

PROMO PRICE £69.95

Since 1808, the house of henriot, still a family-run and independent house, has

continued its dedication to excellence. For seven generations, the family has selected only the very best vineyards, magnified the purity of Chardonnay and has held the utmost respect for time, in order to ensure that each cuvée has the opportunity to reach its full expression.

Champagne | 15

The home of Champagne Jacquart is a 19th-century mansion in the historic centre

of Reims. This prestigious brand was developed in 1962 when a group of growers with access to some of the finest vineyards, united to create their own luxury Champagne. They selected excellent quality fruit from the main regions of Champagne, the montagne de Reims, Vallee de la marne, Côtes des Bar and predominantly the best Chardonnay from the Cotes des Blancs. Today 2,620 hectares of vineyards are meticulously cultivated by 1,800 vignerons who all contribute to the celebrated Jacquart cuvées.

Brut de Nomine’ e NVa Champagne of much stature, this brut non-vintage is created from select réserve wines that themselves were stored for at least a year in tanks or wood before bottling. Combining equal parts of pinot noir and Chardonnay in a display of freshness and power, it has fresh, ripe aromas and an impressive length.

USUaL pRiCe £60

PROMO PRICE £53

SIX-BOTTLE CASE PRICE(PER BOTTLE) £45

Brut de Nomine’ e Magnum 1990, 150clThis fine Champagne has a delicate effervescence with hints of warm brioche. The first impression is dominated by toasty notes of mocha, hazelnuts and fresh almonds followed by subtle oaky, creamy pinot noir, leading to a suitably long finish.

USUaL pRiCe £110

PROMO PRICE £99

Mosaique Grande Mille’ sime’ 2000The nose is a seductive blend of white acacia flowers and honey with hints of raspberries and sweet mirabelle plums. The same ripe, red fruit flavours carry through to the palate, this time with hints of peach. intensely aromatic and fresh, this is a ‘food Champagne’ par excellence and a delicious match for grilled fresh Foie gras and grilled or tempura-style langoustines.

USUaL pRiCe £49.95

PROMO PRICE £44

16 | Champagne

Entering the cellars of Joseph perrier is to enter the heart of the hill of Fagnières. Walking

into the three-kilometre stretch of ancient chalk galleries, as started by the Romans, visitors become privy to the house’s millions of bottles ageing peacefully. The grande marque house of Joseph perrier was founded in 1825, and is now overseen by the fifth generation of the family, Jean-Claude Fourman, who runs the house with the same exceptional attention to detail as his predecessors. Since its foundation, Joseph perrier has been based on the left bank of the marne River in Chalons en Champagne and is the last Champagne house based in the prefecture of the marne; as Jean-Claude likes to say: “the last of the mohicans.”

Cuve’ e Rose’ Vintage 2002Created to a blend of Chardonnay, pinot noir and a touch of pinot meunier, this rosé is derived from four different premiers and grand Cru villages: mailly, Rilly, Chouilly and mesnil sur Oger. Well balanced with a refreshing acidity lifted by a fine bead, this wine spends seven years on lees in the cellars before disgorgement to ensure that the resultant cuvée is lively, complex and above all deliciously fruity.

USUaL pRiCe £53.50

PROMO PRICE £48.50


Vintage Blanc de Blancs 2002exclusively crafted from Chardonnay harvested during the excellent 2002 harvest, this wine holds the essence of the vintage: a fine sugar to acid balance with ripe aromatic fruit. each individual parcel harvested from the vineyard was vinified separately and carefully blended to create the final assemblage. aged for a minimum of seven years in the cellar, this great Champagne has the structure and quality to reward considerable ageing.

USUaL pRiCe £53.50

PROMO PRICE £48.50


Champagne | 17

Krug has been quietly defining excellence in Champagne since 1843. Six generations

of the Krug family have cultivated the markedly individual character of their exceptional Champagne, showing the same single-mindedness and sense of purpose with which Johann-Joseph Krug founded the house upon over 155 years ago. Krug has specialised in producing only prestige cuvée Champagnes since its inception, its dedication being to quality without compromise. They remain the only Champagne house to still ferment their Champagnes the age-old way; in small oak casks that enable Krug’s intense bouquet and complex flavour to fully develop.

Grande Cuve’ eThe flagship of the house, the grande Cuvée, is extremely age-worthy with an imposing character and a stunning mosaic of flavours. a wonderfully creamy bouquet leads to a delightful combination of weight and palate balance. The long, lingering finish is both nutty and toasty, ending with a final flourish of freshness. in the words of henri Krug: “This is a symphony, a composition where the instruments play together, complementing each other in total harmony.”

pRiCe £140

18 | Champagne

One of the few houses to date back to pre-French Revolution times, Lanson

remains a remarkably independent family business. Champagne Lanson is graced with 800 acres of the region’s most prestigious vineyards upon which to gather its grapes from – each of which is imbued with the unique characteristics of the land’s chalky soil. it is also one of the few houses of the region that chooses not to include malolactic fermentation in its production process to soften the perception of acid, thus ensuring an unprecedented freshness with optimal flavour development and a complete evolution of aromas to the final cuvée.

Rose’ Brut NVa rosé Champagne with beautiful pale salmon touches that express aromas of fruit and roses, with discreet underlying notes of red fruit. The initial impression is delicate, well rounded and fresh leading to a harmonious balance and a good length on the finish.

USUaL pRiCe £38.95

PROMO PRICE £33.95

Lanson Gold Label 1999assembled from a fairly equal blend of Chardonnay and pinot noir, the Lanson gold Label Vintage 1999 has a complex and generous nose, hinting at citrus fruit and honey. it is ample and persistent on the palate, suggesting that it will benefit from ageing. Serve with creamed fish, white meat or a matured Comté cheese to truly enjoy this wine.

USUaL pRiCe £43.50

PROMO PRICE £37.50

Noble Cuve’ e Blanc de Blancs 1998elaborated from 100% Chardonnay, this prestige cuvée spends a minimum of five years ageing in the deep Lanson cellars and excludes a malolactic fermentation thereby ensuring that it will gracefully age and develop over time. now nearing its peak, this 1998 vintage wine offers citrus fruit and floral notes. The palate is well balanced and fresh with full flavour intensity from start to finish, constituting the perfect aperitif or partner to seafood.

USUaL pRiCe £95

PROMO PRICE £78

Champagne | 19

Grand Sie’ cle Grande Cuve’ eTo produce Laurent-perrier’s luxury cuvée, family member and chairman Bernard de nonancourt decided to concentrate on the two mainstays of Champagne’s know-how: the blending of different Crus and the blending of different harvest years. The epitome of Champagne ‘assemblage’ (the ‘marriage’ of different wines from several vintage years which are then aged together for six years) this handcrafted prestige cuvée has unique depth, finesse, complexity and consistency with a remarkable length of honeyed, nutty flavours.

USUaL pRiCe £126.50

PROMO PRICE £99

Brut NVFreshness, elegance and balance encapsulate the Laurent-perrier range and continue to be showcased in the brut year-after-year. With 45% Chardonnay and up to 20% réserve wines delivering consistency, the Brut nV is fresh and delicate with a good complexity and a hint of citrus.

USUaL pRiCe £34.95

PROMO PRICE £31.95


Brut Vintage 1999This exceptional wine is only produced during the very best years and vintage 1999 was one such year. Laurent-perrier Brut millésimé is composed of roughly equal parts Chardonnay and pinot noir. in keeping with the house style, it is pure in its flavour and crisp in its definition. This wine is a bottled extract of the quintessential character of the vintage 1999: elegant, full of character and pleasantly crisp.

USUaL pRiCe £46.50

PROMO PRICE £39.95

Established in 1812, Laurent-perrier is one of the most distinguished, independent

and family-owned Champagne houses. Based in the heart of the region, the house has a pedigree for innovation; handcrafting a diverse and pioneering range of fine Champagnes that are produced to traditional, time-honoured methods. Laurent-perrier was acquired by the nonancourt family in the late 1930s and for over 50 years Bernard de nonancourt has dedicated his life to creating and perfecting the Champagnes of the house. Today, Laurent-perrier is a great success story and now stands as the fourth largest Champagne brand worldwide.

20 | Champagne

Ultra BrutThis is a rare Champagne of zero dosage, which can only be made in years when the grapes are of optimum ripeness – with a good balance of acidity and natural sugar. Only relatively small volumes are produced of this intensely perfumed wine that exudes citric, white fruit and honeysuckle aromas, completed with light floral flavours and a delicately fresh finish.

USUaL pRiCe £51.50

PROMO PRICE £44

Rose’ Brut NVadored for its fresh red fruit flavours, this iconic rosé was instrumental in making pink Champagne both stylish, sophisticated and well respected. Soft salmon in colour, it displays hints of strawberries, raspberries and red cherries. With a delightful freshness and a supple rounded finish, this is the benchmark rosé. Superb as an aperitif and equally tantalising as an accompaniment to charcuterie and red fruit desserts.

USUaL pRiCe £59.95

PROMO PRICE £53.95


Champagne | 21

In 1833, Louis Roederer inherited the Champagne company that was originally

founded by his uncle in 1776. he immediately began spreading the fine Roederer reputation throughout europe, concentrating his efforts in Russia and it was not long before the Tsar himself was drinking Roederer’s Champagne. in fact, it became such a favourite of Tsar alexander ii that he asked Roederer to create his own personal cuvée from their finest wines. as a result, the now globally acclaimed Cristal was born; the first ever Cuvée de prestige.

at Roederer, the réserve wines that are used to maintain the house style are stored in barrels and it is perhaps the only Champagne house to have such an extensive cellar of these wines. This ensures Roederer Champagne of its distinctive style: rich, round, toasted and highly complex.

22 | Champagne

Brut Premier NV a blend of 40% pinot noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% pinot meunier, this wine is full and generous, integrating mature notes with more youthful and fruity tones. This is a complex wine that is both modern and powerful whilst retaining the status of a great classic.

USUaL pRiCe £42.50

PROMO PRICE £38.95


Carte Blanche Demi-SecThe Carte Blanche is essentially the same blend as the Brut premier with a higher dosage, resulting in a deliciously rich, medium-dry Champagne. intense floral, honey and caramelised apple tones alongside hints of warm sugar almonds can be found. The dosage adds a rich, creamy texture providing great length, supported by freshness and delicate bubbles. perfect with desserts or foie gras.

USUaL pRiCe £42.50

PROMO PRICE £36.95

Brut Vintage 2004predominantly pinot, the Brut Vintage 2004 has a subtle nutty and citric nose, enticing the senses with hints of orange and hazelnuts punctuated by warm, fruity notes followed by caramel. The palate is deep and full on first attack, showing rich, rounded vinosity but with all the refined sweetness, acidity and tight-knit texture of pinot noir fruit from the Verzenay vineyard. a classic vintage brut with all the traditional flavours of Champagne expressed with a refinement, precision, purity and harmony that is quintessentially Roederer.

USUaL pRiCe £64.95

PROMO PRICE £59.95


Cristal 2004assembled from 45% Chardonnay and 55% pinot noir, this stunning cuvée has a highly expressive, elegant and precise aroma. hints of citrus fruit and a pure minerality lead through to generously rich tones. Full and creamy on the palate, revealing a fine concentration of stone fruits balanced by a fine acidity and exhilarating freshness. The overriding impression is one of a true harmony of flavours, senses and silky textures – an absolute sensation.

pRiCe £175

Champagne | 23

Uncompromised quality is at the heart of moët & Chandon – one of the biggest

names in the Champagne region. having developed strong ties with vine growers over the years, moët & Chandon ensures a superlative standard of the grapes is used. The renowned company also owns a collection of excellent grands and premiers Crus vineyards. The vast array of sites available for selection is at the heart of the company’s signature technique, enabling the wine-makers to blend hundreds of different vineyard plots. moët & Chandon is therefore able to represent the variety and diversity offered by the Champagne region.

Moe..t & Chandon Brut Impe’ rial NVThe moët & Chandon impérial is a balanced combination of the three wine varieties; disclosing a succession of elegant and harmonious sensations, a fresh maturity, supple and refined lines, inspiring wellbeing and an emotion which is appreciated and shared. The nose and palate are in perfect harmony, with rich and striking aromas of vine and lime blossom.

USUaL pRiCe £36.95

PROMO PRICE £31.95

Grand Vintage 2002The 69th grand Vintage from the maison is mature, harmonious and precise. Seven years in the cellars have developed the mature, toasty flavours – both sweet and dry – notes of frangipane alongside toasted almonds, mocha and light tobacco come to the fore, followed by ripe autumn fruits. The palate leans towards a fresher citrus tone with mandarin orange and pink grapefruit flavours, enlivening the creamy and round mid-palate.

USUaL pRiCe £52.50

PROMO PRICE £48


Grand Vintage Rose’ 2002This gorgeous rosé Champagne offers flavours of cherry, plum and fresh fig combined with notes of wild strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. Warm spicy notes and a subtle smokiness enrich the flavours of the palate. aged for seven years this delightful wine is mature, harmonious and utterly compelling.

USUaL pRiCe £63.95

PROMO PRICE £58.50


24 | Champagne

The house of g.h. mumm has been offering Champagnes with a sense of tradition since

1827. Founder and pioneer georges hermann mumm became one of the first Champenois to buy vineyards to gain control over all aspects of production. Today, mumm still owns 218 hectares of spectacular vineyards, which are predominantly located in the seven most renowned grands Crus of the Champagne growing region: aÿ, Bouzy, ambonnay, Verzy, Verzenay, avize and Cramant.

Mumm de CramantBottled under low pressure to enhance the freshness and delicate flavours of the fruit, this single Cru cuvée is blended in the time honoured tradition, with a strict selection of 100% grand Cru Chardonnay Cramant wines. Fresh and elegant on the palate, it boasts crisp lime, lemon and grapefruit flavours with delicate bubbles that seem to melt-in-the-mouth, along with a graceful and lingering finish.

USUaL pRiCe £52.50

PROMO PRICE £45

Mumm Cuve’ e R Lalou, 1998a blend of Chardonnay and pinot noir, this prestige wine is created in honour of the legendary and now obsolete Cuvée René Lalou; a tribute to the man himself who charismatically headed the house for nearly half a century during the early 1900s. it is the culmination of the house style, a close-knit wine of extreme depth and great sophistication that still displays freshness, mineral notes and balance.

USUaL pRiCe £115

PROMO PRICE £97.50

Champagne | 25

Champagne perrier-Jouët has been renowned since 1811 for its boutique Champagnes,

which combine exceptional elegance with ‘Belle epoque’ art de vivre. The avant-garde spirit for which the house is fêted finds its purest expression in the iconic anemone bottle of its prestige cuvée, ‘Belle epoque’, designed in 1902 by emile gallé. This creative philosophy has earned perrier-Jouët a cult following, resonating across the social spectrum from decadent bohemia to refined luxury and attracting such eclectic admirers as Oscar Wilde and Coco Chanel. When combined with a signature house style of grand Cru Chardonnay-driven purity and elegance, the result is a timeless work of art.

Belle Epoque 2002Characterised by the house’s signature grand-Cru Chardonnay, it is complemented by pinot noir full fruit notes and with tremendous balance in the finely judged dosage. aged for over six years in perrier-Jouët’s cellars, the Vintage 2002 displays fine aromas of white fruits, with floral notes of acacia and hawthorn, rounded off by citrus and a hint of vanilla. The intensity of the palate leads into a beautifully delicate wine, which displays the excellent balance of structure and acidity that creates Belle epoque’s characteristic harmony and elegance.

USUaL pRiCe £105

PROMO PRICE £87.50

26 | Champagne

Perrier Joue..t Belle Epoque Rose’ 2002a Champagne of exemplary finesse and elegance, with the balanced fruit underlining the Rosé hue. Composed of 45% Chardonnay, 50% pinot noir and 5% pinot meunier, the Belle epoque Rosé is completed with a final 8% dose of still red wines from ambonnay and aÿ – added to give the distinct rosy colour. Light and floral on the nose, with hints of wild strawberry, raspberry and forest fruits, this distinctive and elegant wine is fresh, yet silky and balanced on the palate with excellent ageing potential.

USUaL pRiCe £135

Grand BrutThe assemblage combines to create a wine that is elegant yet delicate. This Champagne reveals an attractive floral bouquet with creamy hints and touches of yeasty autolysis that give way to crisp citrus flavours in the mouth and a lingering finish.

USUaL pRiCe £36.50

PROMO PRICE £33

SIX-BOTTLE CASE PRICE (PER BOTTLE) £29.50

Blason Rose’The Blason Rosé shows hints of red fruits on the nose and a rich long palate. Up to 15% red wine from Bouzy is added to the blend, giving extra body and fruit to produce its attractive salmon pink colour. The assemblage includes around 15% réserve wines and spends two to three years on the lees before disgorgement.

USUaL pRiCe £48.95

PROMO PRICE £44.95


Champagne | 27

In the heart of Champagne country for 500 years, the philipponnat family

and Champagne house has been established in aÿ and mareuil-sur-aÿ since 1522. The house is now run by Charles philipponnat who oversees the 18th-century cellars and 20 hectares of vineyards, comprised predominantly of pinot noir (the flagship variety of the house style). Their premium-quality wines are classically quite dry with a fantastic balance of ripe fruit flavours – perfect for gourmet dining and connoisseurs seeking Champagnes of great character. new to harrods this year, we are excited to offer a selection of their cuvées which we believe offer a glimpse of the superb standard and style that this house has to offer.

28 | Champagne

Royale Re’ serve Non Dose’The Royale Réserve non dosé is a subtle variation on the emblematic blend of the house of philipponnat, combining crispness and vinosity. By not adding any sugar once the first ageing process is completed, philipponnat offers a leaner and crisper expression of the Royale Réserve. This wine will delight lovers of mineral toned wines and will be a great companion to aperitifs and seafood.

USUaL pRiCe £34.95

PROMO PRICE £32


Royale Re’ servea house signature for philipponnat, the Royale Réserve takes advantage of the rich and powerful pinot noir grapes from the southern side of the montagne de Reims, which always makes up the majority of the blend. With three years’ ageing, this wine is sufficiently mature, yet remains delightfully crisp.

USUaL pRiCe £34.95

PROMO PRICE £32


Grand Blanc 2004The grand Blanc is exclusively blended from Chardonnay grapes from the best growths of the Côte des Blancs and montagne de Reims, including some white Clos des goisses. This wine is a noteworthy exception in the otherwise pinot noir-dominated range of philipponnat wines. While possessing vinosity and a creamy texture, it is true to the lightness and finesse of a great Blanc de Blanc. a superb aperitif or wonderful companion to all seafood.

USUaL pRiCe £53.95

PROMO PRICE £48.50


Le Clos de Goisses 2000Belonging exclusively to philipponnat, the Clos des goisses is an exceptional vineyard of just 5.5 hectares on a steep, south-facing slope. This unique wine is characterised by incredible length and body, in which pinot noir predominates red fruits and floral notes, followed by deeper earthy tones. This fabulous wine is extraordinarily mineral and intense. a marvellous companion for gastronomy matching game, mushrooms and even cheeses.

USUaL pRiCe £135

PROMO PRICE £114

Champagne | 29

Benedictine monk dom pérignon was a historic and important figure in the

development of fine Champagne to the superior standard as we know it today. moët & Chandon adopted his name in the late 1920s for their prestige Cuvée Champagne. in honour of the care and craftsmanship with which dom pérignon originally elaborated his wines, moët & Chandon categorically insists on choosing only the best harvests and thereafter, a long, slow ageing of the wine for a minimum of seven years on its lees.

Vintage 2002The first hints of fresh almond and harvest aromas immediately open up into preserved lemon and dried fruits, rounded off by darker smoky and toasted qualities. The presence of the wine on the palate is immediately captivating. paradoxically concentrated yet creamy, it is energetic and warm in the mouth, focusing on the fruit, then gradually taking on more profound bass notes. This distinctive cuvée holds its note perfectly, intensively and with just a subtle hint of underlying vivacity.

pRiCe £120

30 | Champagne

Florens-Louis heidsieck founded his Champagne house in 1785. Forty-three

years later, following his death, his nephew Christian heidsieck and cousin henri-guillaume piper assumed control of the house and changed the name to piper-heidsieck. in 1953 marilyn monroe declared that she: “goes to bed every night with a drop of perfume and wakes up each morning with a glass of piper-heidsieck.” piper-heidsieck’s award-winning winemaker, Régis Camus, maintains the predominant use of pinot noir in his celebrated range of wines, adding crispness and radiance to complement the great finesse of Chardonnay.

Rare 2002a dazzlingly impressive wine, Rare contains a complex mineral composition and fruit character that can only be described as pure. pale gold with subtle reflections of green, this wine expresses a subtly complex, vegetal nose with notes of wood, pepper, ginger and cumin, combined with distinctive coffee bean aromas. Refined and elegant on the palate, its impression is light, however it’s neither lacking richness nor density. Soft spices and ginger complement the fresh mouthfeel of this extravagant wine, which will delicately linger on.

pRiCe £145

Champagne | 31

Madame pommery createdthe first successfully marketed brut Champagne, entitled

‘pommery nature 1874’, at a time when most Champagnes were excessively sweetened by sugar. This set the benchmark for the rest of the Champagne houses, and with this pioneering spirit and a focus on excellence, pommery ensured the enduring signature house style. Today, all pommery wines are expertly crafted by Chef du Cave, Thierry gasco, who oversees some of the finest cellars in Reims covering over 18 kilometres of galleries hollowed out of chalk. at a depth of 30 metres underground, these cellars keep the maturing wine at a steady 10°c throughout the year.

R E I M S - F R A N C E

CHAMPAGN E

Cuve’ e Louise 1999made from grapes hailing from the grand Cru vineyards of avize, Cramant and ay – three of the Jewels in Champagne’s crown – the Cuvée Louise Vintage is created as a tribute to Louise pommery. a wine of stunning purity and finesse, it is a signature of the vintage and a classic Louise. elegant, yet refreshing, this Champagne betrays the dominance of Chardonnay in the blend. Floral and citric, packed with lemon zest, mirabelle, greengage and ripe juicy apple with white flower nuances enriching toasty notes, overlaying a gloriously smooth, silky texture.

USUaL pRiCe £100

PROMO PRICE £92

Cuve’ e Louise Rose’ 2000This Louise Rosé cuvée is complex, charming and the epitome of finesse. its colour is close to pale amber pinks which indicate fine maturity and promising delicacy. it opens up in the glass to reveal the aromatic notes of small woodland strawberries combined with white fruit, like peach, along with a few notes of apple. The taste leaves a memory of suaveness but also of freshness and infinity on the mouth.

USUaL pRiCe £335

PROMO PRICE £285

32 | Champagne

Brut Royal NVWith a blend that emphasises the Chardonnay grape, this brut non-vintage has lively flavours of fleshy fruit and red berries. Originating from 40 selected villages in the Côte des Blancs, montagne de Reims and other areas in the Champagne region, the liveliness and delicacy of the Chardonnay grape is enhanced by the climate. its freshness shows hints of citrus and white flowers and is made possible by cool primary fermentation, which prevents the naturally volatile subtle flavours from escaping.

USUaL pRiCe £37.95

PROMO PRICE £32.50

Apanage Rose’The captivating pastel hue of the apanage Rosé enhances its fine bubbles. With a great freshness and wonderful elegance, this rosé reveals aromas of little red berries combined with sharper notes of granny Smith apples. Rich and well balanced, all the flavours hinted at on the bouquet are harmonised in the palate. expect an easy to savour Champagne that culminates in an unforgettable, wonderfully fresh finale.

USUaL pRiCe £42.95

PROMO PRICE £39.50

SIX-BOTTLE PRICE (PER BOTTLE) £35

Champagne | 33

Winston Churchill was quoted to say: “i cannot live without Champagne. in victory,

i deserve it and in defeat, i need it.” his Champagne of choice was pol Roger. This, one of the few remaining family owned houses in Champagne, was founded by monsieur pol Roger in 1849, and for the proceeding 50 years until his death in 1899 he pioneered one of the most respected brands in the region. Today, the prestigious company is run by the fourth and fifth generations, who preside over 86 hectares of vineyards in the Vallée d’epernay and the Côte de Blancs. With stocks equivalent to five year’s normal sales and some of the coolest and deepest cellars in epernay, pol Roger Champagnes offer a glimpse into the sublime.

Brut Re’ serve NVmade from a harmonious and equal blend of Chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes, the Brut Réserve is enjoyable as an aperitif, an accompaniment to meals or simply for celebrations. This wine remains as a wonderful expression of the definitive house style of pol Roger.

USUaL pRiCe £36.95

PROMO PRICE £ 31

Rose’ Vintage 2002a full-bodied, vintage Champagne made from 50% pinot noir, 34% Chardonnay and 16% vin Rouge de Champagne. The year was a testing growing season, which produced this intensely brilliant pink rosé, with citrus fruit aromas, alongside stewed strawberries. The palate strikes a perfect balance between minerality and firmness, with mature red fruits coming to the fore. delightful on its own or paired with food.

USUaL pRiCe £76.50

PROMO PRICE £70


Sir Winston Churchill 1999Sir Winston Churchill was pol Roger’s most illustrious devotee and customer and this eponymous Champagne is made in his honour. The composition of the blend is a closely guarded family secret but from tasting it is likely that the Champagne features about 70-80% pinot noir with the remainder made up from Chardonnay. The grapes are all from grand Cru vineyards that were under vine during Churchill’s lifetime, the wine of which is only ever made in the very best vintages. it is made to a style which Churchill himself favoured: robust, mature and long-lived.

USUaL pRiCe £125

Order a case and receive a complimentary Pol Roger Musto Crew bag.

34 | Champagne

R de Ruinart Brut NVa skilful blend of wines made from the Chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, R de Ruinart is a golden, lively and fruity Champagne with subtle aroma of white fruits. The full extent of aromas will be exposed fully by a subtle, sophisticated dish such as lightly sautéed scallops.

USUaL pRiCe £43.95

PROMO PRICE £39.50


Ruinart Blanc de Blanca blend of 100% premier Cru Chardonnay from different years, this superb wine features a profuse mousse that provokes a supple and harmonious palate. This is a well balanced, rich, suave and soft wine, with subtle honey and mineral flavours, completed by a long, sustained finish.

USUaL pRiCe £56.50

PROMO PRICE £51


Ruinart Rose’ NVa blend of 45% premier Cru Chardonnay and 55% premier Cru pinot noir, this Ruinart Rosé is a splendid rose petal pink in the glass. The nose is very fine with subtle fruity aromas and hints of raspberry. Vigorous, and well balanced on the palate, this fine, smooth and supple wine has notes of morello cherry leading to a relatively long finish.

USUaL pRiCe £56.50

PROMO PRICE £51


The house of Ruinart was founded in 1729 by nicolas Ruinart and remains one of

the most sophisticated and classic Champagne houses to this day. The house style has a preference for Chardonnay, the elegance of which stems from grapes sourced from the Côtes des Blancs, balanced by the structural style of the montagne de Reims fruit. Together, these account for 100% of the blend in dom Ruinart and Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. even more remarkable is the high proportion of Chardonnay in Ruinart’s rosé Champagne – a style that normally requires large proportions of red grapes.

Champagne | 35

Taittinger remains one of the few Champagne houses to be owned and actively

managed by the family named on the label. Though the house’s origins are thanks to its founder Jacques Fourneaux back in 1734, the Taittinger name was introduced almost two centuries later when pierre Taittinger acquired the house. The hallmark of a Taittinger Champagne is its high percentage of Chardonnay. The consistent, exceptional quality of Taittinger’s cuvées is recognised worldwide and has earned the house many accolades, including the latest decanter World Wine award’s ‘non Vintage Champagne Trophy 2010’ for the Taittinger prélude grands Crus nV.

36 | Champagne

Comtes de Champagne 1999Crafted from 100% Chardonnay, with 5% matured in new French oak barrels for four months, the wine remains on lees for five years before disgorgement. The bouquet is reminiscent of minerals, white blossom, fresh almonds and vanilla. extremely fresh, dominant flavours of citrus, lemon zest and grapefruit reside on the palate. an exquisite Champagne with extreme finesse and length of flavour.

pRiCe £165

Receive a complimentary bottle of Prélude Grand Cru when you purchase the Comtes de Champagne 1999.

Comtes de Champagne, Rose’ 2003an amber, rosewood colour, Comtes de Champagne Rosé 2003 has a fine, elegant nose reminiscent of blossoms, rose and violet. a faint touch of fresh almond pervades from the background. The first impression on the palate is fresh, complex and fine, complemented by flavours of raspberry and pear. an exquisite Champagne with remarkable balance of structure, vinosity and framework.

USUaL pRiCe £235

PROMO PRICE £205

2004 Brut Millesime’Light golden in colour, this wine presents a slightly mineral aroma followed by an intense and delicate fruitiness. The first impression on the palate is full-bodied and the mid-palate is rich, well rounded and supple. a wide range of fruity, cake flavours including fresh apricot and brioche are evident whilst the finish is long and complex. a superb Champagne offering a rich and harmonious aromatic palate.

USUaL pRiCe £54.95

PROMO PRICE £46.50

Nocturne Sec NV This wine has a subtle, fresh nose reminiscent of white blossom, ripe peach and dried apricots. On the palate it is soft, fresh and mellow with delicate floral and ripe fruit flavours. it has a long length with a subtle sweetness.

USUaL pRiCe £48.50

PROMO PRICE £44.50

Folies de la Marquetterie NVharvested from a single vineyard, this wine has an intense, fruity bouquet with aromas of peach, apricot jam and subtle hints of toasted brioche and vanilla. The palate is full-bodied, fruity and graceful with golden peach flavours. The long finish is distinctive with light toasty notes.

USUaL pRiCe £57.50

PROMO PRICE £48..50

Brut Re’ serve NVassembled from 40% Chardonnay and 60% pinot noir and pinot meunier, this delightful brut non-vintage has a fruity, yeasty nose. an attractive array of peach, white flowers and vanilla pod flavours are evident throughout and are enhanced by the fine mousse.

USUaL pRiCe £39.95

PROMO PRICE £36

SIX-BOTTLE CASE PRICE (PER BOTTLE) £31.50

Pre’ lude Grands Cru NV This wine comes from four grands Crus sites and is made from the first pressing, with up to 25% of the blend originating from réserve stocks. prior to release it is aged for a minimum of four years on the lees. intensely fresh, citric flavours lead to a much fuller, mellowed taste reminiscent of white peaches in syrup.

USUaL pRiCe £49.95

PROMO PRICE £43.50

Champagne | 37

Madame Clicquot is often considered the first businesswoman of the

modern era. Widowed at 27, she flaunted the conventions of the day by taking control of her late husband’s small Champagne house. in so doing, she carried out many dramatic and dangerous feats – including defying napoleon’s blockade and sending a secret Champagne shipment to Russia. The house of Veuve Clicquot is among the most prestigious Champagne firms and is best known for its famous ‘Yellow Label’; a blend from several vintages. it is a lesser-known fact however, that Veuve Clicquot was also the first to make cuvées composed entirely from a single, exceptional year.

Yellow Label NVThe dominance of pinot noir grapes gives Yellow Label its strong structure, whilst a touch of pinot meunier adds to its roundness, leaving Chardonnay to provide the finesse it needs for perfect balance. assembled from about 50 Crus and carefully stocked réserve wines, providing this wine with its inimitable Clicquot style.

USUaL pRiCe £41.95

PROMO PRICE £36

38 | Champagne

Rose’ NVThe nose is elegant and generous, with initial aromas of fresh red and black berry fruit with hints of cherry, leading to dried fruit and biscuity notes. in line with the style of the house, the wine is perfectly balanced and combines elegance and personality.

USUaL pRiCe £48.95

PROMO PRICE £42

Vintage Re’ serve 2002at first, freshness predominates – balsamic notes of menthol and liquorice together with hints of citrus and red fruits that nestle alongside aromas of white flowers. after several minutes of aeration, typical Clicquot notes of dried fruit, nuts and pastries take the lead, crowned by a veil of sweet spices like vanilla. in the mouth the wine is lively and firm, yet soft and velvety with spicy fragrances emerging from the dosage. The finish is also contradictory, with a structure that is based both on freshness and smoothness

USUaL pRiCe £55.50

PROMO PRICE £51


La Grande Dame 1998La grande dame is named in honour of madame Clicquot, and is the ultimate embodiment of her legendary maxim: ‘one quality – the finest’. On the nose, Chardonnay characteristics come to the fore with the arrival of floral, nutty, candied fruit and mineral aromas. This aromatic, impressively complex bouquet is confirmed in the mouth. On the palate, the wine is clear-cut and pure; perfectly balanced with a delightful silky smoothness. it has a long, lively and structured finish and offers great cellar potential.

USUaL pRiCe £125

PROMO PRICE £113


Champagne | 39

The essence of the Tanqueray brand was laid down over 170 years ago when Charles

Tanqueray – who had descended from three generations of clergymen – chose not to follow the family calling and instead opened a distillery in Bloomsbury, London. Charles’s refusal to accept the status quo meant that he spent many years testing the finest botanicals from around the world. Today Tanqueray gin continues Charles Tanqueray’s legacy of excellence.

Tanqueray gets its rich multi-layered flavour from select botanical ingredients – angelica, juniper, coriander and other botanicals inconveniently sourced from around the globe. named after the tenth distillation that this luxury gin undergoes, in aptly named ‘Tiny 10’, during which the spirit is macerated in fresh limes, oranges and grapefruit, producing the refreshing taste of Tanqueray no. Ten.

40 | WhiTe SpiRiT OF The mOnTh

The Wayne Hemingway No. Ten Packacclaimed British designer Wayne hemingway has brought his creative vision to luxury gin Tanqueray no. Ten this year, with a limited-edition bottle. This beautiful casing mirrors the modern exterior of the bottle, while the interior is inspired by a 1930’s cocktail theme. The gin itself is a dry, crisp gin with a rich juniper flavour and citrus flavour lending a refreshing edge to gin and tonics and making an incomparable to martini cocktails.

USUaL pRiCe £36.50

PROMO PRICE £29.95

WhiTe SpiRiT OF The mOnTh | 41

The legacy left by legendary John ‘Johnnie’ Walker has expanded decades and spread

to worldwide acclaim. John Walker started out in his parents shop in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1820 at the early age of 14, selling everything from writing paper to whisky. However as time would tell, it was the latter which would immortalise his name.

Three generations of the Walker family have defined the steps to make Johnnie Walker the world famous Scotch whisky it is today. Encased in an iconic square bottle, the Johnnie Walker range of whiskies are blends of some of Scotland’s finest drams. The Blue Label represents the pinnacle of the House of Walker – the epitome of blending from the rarest malts – which has an array of awards to its name. Each cask is hand-selected for its exceptional quality, character and flavour, ensuring the unique character of the Blue Label; a complex, powerful, incredibly smooth dram that retains the signature Johnnie Walker smokiness.

Johnnie Walker GoldThe Gold Label was blended to celebrate the first 100 years of Johnnie Walker in 1920. A well-kept secret, it’s only been available outside the company since the 1990s. It is crafted using whiskies such as Cardhu, for a honeyed flavour, and Clynelish, providing malt and oak flavours. There are notes of soft raisins and toffee, fresh malt and light cream. Gold Label is as enticing as it is sensuous.

USUAL PRICE £66.50

PROMO PRICE £56.50

Johnnie Walker Blue with GlassesThis premium whisky has been paired with two elegant glasses to maximise the sensational flavours that embody Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Presented in a stylish blue lacquer case, this is the gift for whisky connoisseurs.

PRICE £220

Johnnie Walker Blue Venturer BagThe Johnnie Walker Blue Label Venturer is available exclusively from Harrods. The Venturer is the result of a partnership between two global icons: Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Greg Norman. This limited edition VIP bag was personally designed by Bill Amberg and Greg Norman, influenced by Greg’s incredible achievements on the golf course and in business. Only 331 Venturer bags are available worldwide, in recognition of the number of weeks Greg Norman reigned as golf ’s world number one. Each bag contains a suit compartment, shirt pocket and three bespoke accessories designed for the professional at the top of his game. The Venturer limited edition is the ultimate travel accessory for the power player.

Price £1,500

Also available:

Johnnie Walker Blue Caddy Bag £240

Johnnie Walker Blue Club Bag £275

42 | WHISKy Of THE mONTH

WhiSKY OF The mOnTh | 43

020 7893 8777 [email protected]

Food Halls, Ground Floor

GIVING...inspired by

Chocolate, Tea & Coffee, Ground Floor

Best Flavoured Dark Bar / Golden Bean 2011, Best Flavoured Dark Bar / Silver Bean 2011

Best Dark Truffle / Silver Bean 2011, Best Milk Bean to Bar / Silver Bean 2011 – Academy of Chocolate

Harrods Magazine • harrods.com 5

HARRODS MAGAZINE FOOD & ENTERTAINING

Editor-in-Chief DEBORAH BEE Art Director BARNEY PICKARD Deputy Editor FLEUR FRUZZA Chief Sub-Editors LISA HILLMAN, NICOLETTE THOMPSON Junior Sub-Editor NICOLA CORFIELD Producer LISA BONNICIArt Editor SONJA BURRI Senior Designer NATALIE MOSQUERA Junior Designer RACHEL ESCUDIER Fashion Writer LAURA JORDAN Staff Writer AMY BROOMFIELDEditorial Assistant LOUISE FISHPicture Researcher EMILY SELLERS Publisher BETH HODDERAssociate Publisher AISHA ISCELPublishing Coordinator SUZY CHAPMAN Publishing Assistant ALETHEA QUARTEYProduction Manager HAYLEY ELLIS

Harrods Magazine Food & Entertaining

9 NEWS

Festive truffles from Charbonnel et Walker; William Curley Couture Chocolate; Taittinger’s Nocturne Sec; organic olive oils by Manni

11 A FINE LINE

Coln Valley Smokery has perfected the flavour of its salmon by doing things the slow, old-fashioned way

12 DING DONG!

Gourmet treats make the festive season all the more special

14 SMART DECO

Delicious and decorative, this season’s most stylish Christmas ornaments are good enough to eat

16 NEWS

Home baking kits; the best Advent calendars; old-fashioned and festive confectionery

18 ’TWAS THE NIGHT

BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Our European neighbours have inspired a feast of seafood, salads and exotic fruits – a perfectly light and luxurious prequel to Christmas Day

22 TALKING TURKEY

The privileged life of a free-range turkey at Peach Croft Farm results in an extra-tasty Christmas dinner

24 CHRISTMAS LUNCH

MADE SIMPLE

Fresh flavours, high-quality ingredients and clever shortcuts make this festive feast deliciously different

36 CHEFS’ SECRET INGREDIENTS

Eight top chefs choose their must-have foods, drinks and spices to turn Christmas lunch into a gourmet feast

38 NEWS

Demarquette chocolate; Can À Suc sugar shapes; La Maison de la Truffe truffles; A L’Olivier oils; top wines

40 BURIED TREASURE

Worth more than its weight in gold, the white truffle is a gourmet superstar

44 BOXING DAY CLEVER

A delicious array of fine meats, cheeses and cakes is a smart option for a festive feast

50 HOW TO HOST THE

PERFECT PARTY

Careful preparation, an eclectic guest list and contingency tactics ensure your reputation as the ultimate host

66 ULTIMATE LUCKY DIP

From pink Champagne to smoked salmon, Christmas cake to caviar, the “Ultimate” hamper has all the ingredients of a very festive season

HARRODS STORE IMAGE

Image Director MARK BRIGGSMedia Sales Director GUY CHESTONHead of Advertising Sales & Publishing CHARLOTTE MARKSMarketing Manager, Food Halls ROMOLA BASUMarketing Manager, Restaurants LISA TRUDEAUMedia Sales Manager, Home CHRIS SWEET Media Sales Executives, Home ADELE BROUSSE, HON BAN LEE

PRODUCTION

Reproduction ZEBRA Print Production THE WESTDALE PRESS LIMITED

Harrods, 87–135 Brompton Road, London SW1X 7XLt: +44 (0)20 7730 1234; f: +44 (0)20 7225 6633; www.harrods.com

All information and prices are correct at time of going to press.

Cooking up a gourmet feast this Christmas sounds more time-consuming than it really is. Having interviewed some of the world’s best chefs for this, our first-ever Harrods Magazine

Food & Entertaining, I discovered it’s not just me who believes that the key to fine cuisine is provenance. The most flavoursome dishes rely not on complicated recipes, but rather on starting out with the very best ingredients.

All the produce that we’ve used in the meals created throughout the next 68 pages has been selected with flavour in mind. Sourcing these products is a long process – and one that we take very seriously. We check to ensure that they are grown naturally and ethically. We visit the farms that supply us. We forge strong working relationships with the individuals behind each brand, because we want their trust as much as we want yours. And once the products arrive in-store, they are checked and double-checked to make sure we are genuinely proud to put them on our shelves.

Our passion for exceptional quality also translates to our prepared foods. Our cocktail party food is a social whirl of salmon mousse parcels, foie gras terrines and delicate canapés. Our Harrods mince pies, Christmas cakes and puddings are derived from old-English recipes, while our yule logs and stollens add an exotic European touch. All our fresh foods – from goose to salmon, ham to beef ribs, chipolatas to sprouts – will combine simply and beautifully to create a memorable gourmet feast. While the fine flavours are doing all the hard work, the chef will have plenty of time to enjoy the festivities, too.

And this Christmas, for your convenience, we have produced a festive foods order form, which can be found at the back of this magazine and in-store.

Cover

PHOTOGRAPHER

DEIRDRE ROONEY STYLIST ARABELLA MCNIEHarrods gingerbread wreath £30

18 24 5044BRUCE LANGLANDSDirector of Food Halls

Our Chocolates and Truf⇑ es are available in the

Chocolate, Tea and Coffee Room, Ground Floor

TRADING FAIRLY

ESTABLISHED 1902

“I DO SO ADORE TRUFFLES AS PRESTAT MAKES THEM”

ROALD DAHL

FINEST CHOCOLATES & TRUFFLES

BY APPOINTMENT TO

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN

PURVEYORS OF CHOCOLATES

T H E W I N E S H O P, L O W E R G R O U N D F L O O R

F L O R E N C E - R O M E - H A R R O D S

www.deifrescobaldi.it www.frescobaldi.it

For food orders, please turn to the form at the back Harrods Magazine • harrods.com 11

TOP Fresh salmon are filleted and prepared to be cured in salt at Coln Valley Smokery in Gloucestershire; ABOVE Coln Valley Managing Director Mark Osborne

are hung vertically on spits in the traditional way, so you get smoke coming up the tail and the body, giving a lovely, even flavour across the whole fish.”

While the kilns are at the heart of what makes Coln Valley’s products so special, they’re only one part of the story. A smoked side of salmon can only be as good as the fish used to make it. With this in mind, the company sources its salmon from small, family-owned farms on the west coast of Scotland that work to strict animal-welfare standards.

“Mass-produced salmon can be too fatty,” says Osborne. “We source from farms where the fish have room to swim. The farms are just off the coast, where the fish can swim against the tidal flow, but are sheltered from the full force of the Atlantic. It means we get lovely, lean fish with firm flesh, which is perfect for smoking.”

The fish are dispatched to the Gloucestershire smokery within 24 hours of being caught, then cured overnight in coarse sea salt. The glossy pink fillets are then hung up and smoked in the dark kilns. “Curing and smoking are ancient processes that date back thousands of years,” says Osborne. “Before refrigeration, it was how people preserved food; we are just continuing that tradition.”

The fish are left to rest for up to three days so that the salt and smoke disperse evenly before slicing and packing. “It takes us a week to produce our smoked salmon; some companies turn it around in a couple of days. But the taste profile is not right when you do that,” says Osborne. “We don’t rush our system – that’s why we’re in laid-back Gloucestershire.” HMN

Coln Valley Smokery Kiln Bake smoked Scottish salmon £8.45 for 200g. Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor

Patrick McGuigan contributes to Square Meal, The Spectator and Fine Food Digest

A full English will always have its place, but it’s hard to beat smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and a glass of Champagne for a luxurious start to Christmas Day. Choosing the right salmon

is fundamental to this holy trinity. Too smoky and the salmon can overpower the taste buds; too mild and the flavour is bland.

According to Mark Osborne, Managing Director of Coln Valley Smokery in rural Gloucestershire, the secret to great smoked salmon is a harmonious blend of flavours. “You want balance, so that one flavour does not dominate. We aim for a third salt, a third smoke and a third fish,” he says.

Coln Valley knows a thing or two about achieving this equilibrium, with over 30 years of experience under its belt. Today it is one of only a few businesses in the UK that still smokes fish in traditional brick chambers known as kilns.

London brick was the building material of choice when Jewish immigrants set up the first salmon smokehouses in the East End of London in the 19th century, but these dark and dense “smokeholes” have slowly disappeared over the decades to be replaced by stainless-steel equipment, which is quicker and easier to use.

The beauty of brick, however, is that it absorbs the smoke and tar over months and years so that the kiln itself helps impart a subtle flavour to the fish. Coln Valley is such a strong believer in the method that when it moved to new state-of-the-art premises five years ago, it designed and built seven new brick kilns in the style of the original London smokeholes. Each kiln can take up to half a tonne of fish, with the fillets hung up over oak and beech embers for at least 18 hours. The process, known as “cold smoking”, does not cook the fish, but helps preserve it while adding flavour.

“One of our biggest worries when we moved was that the new kilns wouldn’t give the same flavour but, thankfully, they quickly tarred up,” says Osborne. “These days, a lot of smokeries just lay salmon fillets on stainless-steel racks, which means the smoke only hits one side of the fish. Our fillets

PROVENANCE

A fine lineColn Valley Smokery has perfected the flavour of its salmon by doing things the slow, old-fashioned way BY PATRICK MCGUIGAN

Before refrigeration,

curing and smoking were how people

preserved food; we are just continuing

that tradition

For food orders, please turn to the form at the back

GIFTS

Harrods Magazine • harrods.com12

All im

age

s S

tud

io 2

1

LEFT Port & Stilton gift pack, with crackers and cheese scoop £50; CENTRE The Christmas Box: Christmas pudding with Brandy, Christmas pudding biscuits, Belgian dark chocolate bar, Christmas spice loose leaf tea and strawberry preserve with Champagne £40; RIGHT Chablis and Pinot Noir wine gift pack £60

LEFT White, milk and dark Belgian chocolate Christmas boots filled with chocolate lollipops £11.95 each; CENTRE Chocolate Christmas wreath 490g, £39.95; RIGHT Champagne truffle-filled Christmas bauble £12.95

All products by Harrods. Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor; and harrods.com

LEFT Jam, marmalade and preserve gift pack £9.95 for three 112g jars; CENTRE Chocolate-filled edible Christmas sleigh 300g, £45; RIGHT Christmas cake square 710g, £12.50

Gourmet treats make the festive season all the more special

Ding dong!

JADE JAGGER SIGNS THE NEW JEWEL

IN THE CROWN OF DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU.

THE WINE SHOP, LOWER GROUND FLOOR.

S A I N T - J U L I E N • B O R D E A U X

Cre

dit

s T

K I

ma

ges

SLUG

Harrods Magazine • harrods.com14 To order please see the order form at the back

Delicious and decorative, this season’s most stylish Christmas ornaments are good enough to eat

PHOTOGRAPHER DEIRDRE ROONEY/STYLIST ARABELLA MCNIE

Smart deco

Harrods gingerbread wreath £30

Harrods Magazine • harrods.com 15For food orders, please turn to the form at the back

DECORATION

ABOVE LEFT Biscuiteers crystal-encrusted biscuits £34 per tin, exclusive to Harrods ABOVE RIGHT William Yeoward Crystal “Country” cake stand £129 and 12cm “Edwina” tazza £54.95; Rivera marshmallow tree £50, milk chocolate button tree £40 and white chocolate Jazzles tree £22, all exclusive to Harrods

ABOVE LEFT William Yeoward “Spiral” 15cm vase £59.95; Hannah’s Naturals candy canes from £2.50; ABOVE RIGHT Donna Karan “Platinum Voile” serving plate £129 and “Matte & Shine” dinner plate £34.95; Thomas Ferguson napkin £22.95; Biscuiteers Angel lollipop biscuits £4.50 each; Christofle “Galea” knife £83;

Harrods Luxury Crackers £99.95 for 8 Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor; Cookshop, Second Floor; and harrods.com

For food orders, please turn to the form at the backHarrods Magazine • harrods.com16

NEWS

A choice of confectionery-laden Advent calendars helps the Christmas countdown go that little bit faster.

1 Melt’s Advent calendar (above) holds a selection of award-winning

handmade chocolates, and is equally delicious for children and grown-ups. £45

2 A lasting addition to the festivities,

Mopec’s felt Santa carries a velcro-backed star to indicate the date, and a hold-all packed with sweets. £21.95

3 This hand-painted wooden Advent calendar (below) will enchant for

many Christmases to come. The 24 drawers, which contain sweet treats, can be refilled year after year. £45

Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor; andharrods.com

THREE OF THE BEST

Confectionery trendsetters the Gourmet Candy Company make sweets that look almost too good to eat. The festive collection includes snowman-shaped, chocolate-covered marshmallow lollipops; giant candy canes; and edible decorations such as miniature gingerbread houses, and snowflake and Christmas-tree-shaped wafers. Edible decorations from £3.50 per pack. Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor

Freshly baked gingerbread is a perennial Christmas favourite. This year, budding bakers can make their own gingerbread snowman biscuits with an easy-to-use kit. 385g, £6.95. Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor; and harrods.com

Christmas candy

Looking for something sweet for an old-fashioned gal (or guy)? The Gingerbread Harrods Tuck Box is bursting with yesteryear’s favourite confectionery, like chocolate coins, candy canes and sherbet-filled flying saucers. £85. Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor; and harrods.com . To order, call 020 8479 5100

Even the most devout domestic goddesses need an extra helping hand every once in a while. Annie Low’s Mummy’s Yummies home-baking kits save time without compromising on quality – and make baking fun. The cake, cookie, biscuit and muffin mixes are made of ingredients that are free from artificial colours and flavourings, and come in hand-decorated kilner jars. From £9.95 for a half-litre jar. Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor; and harrods.com

MUMMY’S YUMMIES

SWEET SURPRISE

�The spice boys

To order please see the order form at the back

Our European neighbours have inspired a feast of seafood, salads and exotic fruits – a perfectly light and luxurious prequel to Christmas Day BY PATRICK MCGUIGAN/PHOTOGRAPHER SARAH HOGAN

FOOD STYLIST CLARE FERGUSON

’Twas the night before Christmas

18 Harrods Magazine • harrods.com


FOOD Native lobster £43 per kilo; crab legs £75 per kilo; gambas prawns £70 per kilo; and

pomegranates £6.50 each; HOMEWARES William Yeoward “Lally” wine glass £74.95;

Greggio platter £1,300 and lobster pliers £530; Royal Selangor “Arabica” cake stand £149

Cre

dit

s T

K I

ma

ges

SLUG

Harrods Magazine • harrods.com 21To order please see the order form at the back

THIS PAGE, FOOD Antico Forno Santi giant almond cantucci slab 200g, £5.50; Harrods Panettone £19.95 per kilo; Traditional Whisky Mince Pies 372g, £8.95; Mulled Wine Syrup 200ml, £5.95; Chocolatier Dark Hot Chocolate 250g, £12.95; dried fruit tray £20; Heritage Tea Flavoured Shortbread biscuits 300g, £9.95; Brandy Butter biscuits and Christmas Pudding biscuits 125g, £4.95; HOMEWARES, FROM LEFT Royal Selangor “Arabica” cake stand £149; William Yeoward “Maggie” glass £29.95 and “Ellen” cup £32.95; Greggio two-tier cake stand £275; Carrs forks £449 each; OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT, FOOD Red cabbage, red onion and

pomegranate seed coleslaw with pink grapefruit; caramelised garlic loaf 450g, £6.95; HOMEWARES Royal Selangor “Henley” tankard £109 and “Amoroso” bread knife £39; William Yeoward “Alice” bowl £32.95; OPPOSITE PAGE, RIGHT, FOOD Raw celeriac, parsnip, carrot and celery salad; langoustines £35 per kilo; crayfish tails in brine £28 per kilo; mussels £7 per 100g; Paul Hollywood apricot and walnut bread 450g, £3.95, and potato and rosemary sourdough bread 250g £3.25; HOMEWARES William Yeoward “Alice” bowl £32.95; Richard Ginori “Pure White” dinner plate £84.95; Villeroy & Boch individual bowl £15.95

In Europe, families have been known to keep their fish as fresh as possible

by letting them swim around in the bath until the last minute

Harrods Magazine • harrods.com22 For food orders, please turn to the form at the back

PROVENANCE

It would be understandable if, after spending the best part of a year rearing prime free-range turkeys at his farm in Oxfordshire, Bill Homewood decided to sit down to a nice joint of beef on Christmas Day.

But the third-generation farmer seems shocked by the suggestion. “Absolutely not. We have turkey every year,” he says. “We have a dozen or so people for Christmas dinner, so I put a nice, plump bird aside for the family.”

Homewood’s loyalty to turkey isn’t surprising; Peach Croft Farm was set up by his grandfather more than 70 years ago, and produces some of the country’s finest turkeys and geese. What sets the company’s poultry apart from run-of-the-mill birds is the time and care that goes into rearing them. This commitment to quality means that the farm’s products are protected under European law in much the same way as Champagne or Parma ham are.

While mass-produced turkeys are ready to eat in 12 to 14 weeks, the free-range birds at Peach Croft come from a stock that takes at least twice as long to mature. “Our turkeys have a good layer of fat, and their muscles are fully formed because they’ve had plenty of time to run around,” says Homewood. “Older, slower-growing varieties also have a fuller flavour, which makes them a bit more special.”

This year, the farm will produce around 8,500 turkeys – mainly Bronze and White varieties – but the company has also introduced a breed called the Hockenhull Brown Norfolk, which is being reared exclusively for Harrods. Their ancestry can be traced back to the Norfolk Black – possibly the oldest turkey variety in the UK – which is thought to have arrived from Spain in the 1500s. “It’s akin to rare-breed beef or lamb,” explains Homewood.

Poultry are on the farm for around nine months of the year, with the geese arriving in April and the young turkeys, known as poults, delivered by a specialist hatchery in June. The chicks are initially reared in warm barns, but after seven to eight weeks they’re allowed to roam outside in grassy paddocks.

Under EU rules, free-range turkeys must have more than twice as much space to roam as most conventional indoor-bred birds. It works out at about four square metres per animal,

although stocking densities at Peach Croft are even lower. The birds are free to roam during the day, pecking at the grass and popping back into the shed whenever they’re hungry or thirsty. This helps build flavour, as does their diet of at least 70% locally grown wheat and barley, which is supplemented with vegetable proteins.

The turkeys lead such a cushy life that getting them back into their barns at night can be problematic. “On sunny evenings, they have a habit of congregating at one end of the field,” says Homewood. “It takes a few of us – with a bit of help from my black Labrador, Ted – to get them back in.”

The birds at Peach Croft are slaughtered quickly and humanely on site, avoiding the stress of travelling to an abattoir. And, unlike most mass-produced birds, the farm dry-plucks the birds by hand in the same way as Homewood’s grandfather would have done. The turkeys are then hung for up to 14 days. “It allows the muscles to relax and the meat to mature properly,” says Homewood.

All that’s left is to box up the birds with a recipe card and send them out. Homewood suggests roasting turkey with the breast side down for three quarters of the cooking time, so the white meat is kept moist in its own juices. “The other secret is not to overcook it,” he says. “It’s terrible to think that people might cremate their bird, undoing all the hard work we’ve put into the rearing.” HMN

Peach Croft Farm Hockenhull Brown Norfolk turkeys; exclusive to Harrods. Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor

Patrick McGuigan contributes to Square Meal, The Spectator and Fine Food Digest

Our turkeys have a good layer of fat, and their muscles are fully formed because

they’ve had plenty of time to

run around

TOP Free-range turkeys at Peach Croft Farm; ABOVE Bill Homewood, the third-generation owner of Peach Croft

Talking turkeyThe privileged life of a free-range turkey at Peach Croft Farm results in an extra-tasty Christmas dinner BY PATRICK MCGUIGAN

Cre

dit

s T

K I

ma

ges


ENTERTAINING

STARTERS

Beetroot mousse with smoked salmon and

horseradish crème fraîche

Chicory, stilton, pear and walnut salad

Pair with a crisp white wine

MAINS

Fragrant citrus roast turkey with pork, apricot

and pink peppercorn stuffing

Lemon thyme roast potatoes

Maple roasted carrots and parsnips

Brussels sprouts with pancetta and chestnuts

Pair with a Pinot Noir or Claret;

for white, choose a Chardonnay or Sancerre

CHEESES

Classic British cheese board: Montgomery’s

Cheddar, Colston Bassett Stilton, Tymsboro,

Golden Cenarth, Farmhouse Red Leicester

Pair with a Tawny Port or Cabernet Sauvignon

DESSERTS

Special edition Christmas pudding

Fruit- and gold leaf-topped Christmas cake

Classic sherry trifle

Pair with a glass of Sauternes



FOODC

red

its

TK

Im

age

s

Beetroot mousse with smoked salmon and horseradish crème fraîche;

Ralph Lauren Home “Broughton” martini glasses £210 for two

Gourmet cuisine doesn’t have to be complicated. Combining fresh flavours and high-quality ingredients with clever shortcuts is an easy way to make this festive feast deliciously differentBY FLEUR FRUZZA/PHOTOGRAPHER DEIRDRE ROONEY

RECIPES & FOOD STYLIST SEIKO HATFIELD

Christmas lunch made simple

The love affair with turkey is back on. After a number of festive seasons in which goose and game have stolen the limelight, people are returning to the classic yuletide bird for Christmas Day. Turkey, however, is a meat that

requires a little extra effort to get right. To cook it successfully, a bit of gourmet magic (and maybe a smattering of cheating) is in order. With the best tips, ingredients, accompaniments and short cuts, the classic Christmas bird and its trimmings can be not only delicious, but also a little bit different.

Tradition is key at Christmas, so venturing too far from what we know and love can be risky. It is also unnecessary when small changes to regular ingredients and methods – be it the quality of a sprout or adding a prepared gourmet dish to the menu – can turn Christmas lunch into a foodie feast.

To begin, tackle the turkey. We know that the key to a successful bird is keeping it juicy and flavoursome, but this is often easier said than done. Making a stuffing of pork, apricots and pink peppercorns (or cheating with Harrods cranberry and chestnut edition), and adding it under the skin at the neck of the turkey will ensure that the breast meat is infused with plenty of flavour. A generous layer of citrus butter brushed over the skin will also smother the turkey with complementary tastes, and make it crispy. Add an extra squeeze of orange and f


Christofle “Malmaison” salad plate £50; Carrs “Dubarry” fork £524; Alexandre Turpault napkin £12.95

lemon to the bottom of the roasting tray, and then leave the fruits in to roast with the bird. Useful tricks to prevent the turkey drying out are layering greaseproof paper over the breast; adding hot water to the bird’s body cavity; and basting every 30 minutes (see turkey recipe, p29).

Such a glorious bird will need suitably crowd- pleasing accompaniments of course – sprouts jazzed up with pancetta and chestnuts, for instance, or vegetables roasted in maple syrup.

The introduction and ending to the turkey should also be in keeping with the gourmet twist on tradition. November and December are optimum months for beetroot, and a starter of beetroot mousse with smoked salmon and horseradish crème fraîche ticks all the boxes – it’s seasonal, a novel way to combine traditional flavours, and it’s pretty.

And to finish, what could be better than the best sherry trifle you’ve ever tasted? Or a luxurious Christmas pudding? Or even a gold leaf- and fruit-topped Christmas cake? Perhaps, just this once, your guests can indulge in all three.

BEETROOT MOUSSE WITH

SMOKED SALMON AND

HORSERADISH CRÈME FRAÎCHE

Serves 6

375g cooked beetroot

250ml double cream

½ leaf gelatine

62.5g horseradish cream

62.5g crème fraîche

Smoked salmon, cut into small pieces

¼ bunch fresh dill

Cayenne pepper to serve

1 To make the mousse, blitz the beetroot in a food processor, then whip the double cream into soft peaks. 2 Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft. Heat ½ tbsp of the beetroot purée and then dissolve in the gelatine. Stir the gelatine mix into the rest of the beetroot purée, then add the whipped cream. Season to taste, then place the mousse in the bottom of six martini glasses and refrigerate for 1–2 hours.3 Mix the horseradish cream into the crème fraîche and season to taste.4 Take the martini glasses containing the beetroot mousse from the fridge. Top each with a generous spoonful of the horseradish cream, then arrange the smoked salmon on top.5 Garnish each glass with sprigs of fresh dill and sprinkle with cayenne pepper.

CHICORY, STILTON, PEAR

AND WALNUT SALAD

Serves 4

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 tsp honey

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 egg

2 tbsp walnut oil

2 tbsp vegetable oil

4–5 heads of chicory

10g pickled walnuts

1 tbsp olive oil

15 walnuts, shelled

120g Stilton, crumbled

2 large pears, cored and finely sliced

1 For the dressing, whisk together the sherry vinegar, honey, mustard, egg, walnut oil and vegetable oil. Season to taste and set aside.2 For the salad, cut the roots from the chicory and separate the leaves. Wash in cold water then dry in a salad spinner or colander. 3 Mix the pickled walnuts with the olive oil and lightly toast them under the grill or in the oven. 4 Toss the chicory leaves in the dressing, season and arrange in a bowl. Top with the walnuts, Stilton and sliced pears.

Chicory, stilton, pear and walnut salad


Gri

d p

hoto

s S

tud

io 2

1ENTERTAINING

LEFT Parsnip and spiced apple soup £4.95 per 600ml; Villeroy & Boch “Anmut” soup cup £24.95 and saucer £13.95; Carrs spoon £425; CENTRE Foie gras and ham hock tian £5.95; Villeroy & Boch “Anmut” dish £32.50; RIGHT Lobster & sole terrine £45 per kilo; Villeroy & Boch “Cera” plate £22.50; Carrs “Kings” fish knife £375

LEFT Gruyère and cep croquettes £2.25 each; Villeroy & Boch “Farmhouse Touch” oval dish £7.50 and dip bowl £5.95; CENTRE Foie gras en croûte 335g, £299; Villeroy & Boch “Anmut” platter £71; RIGHT Goose foie gras £33.95 per 145g; Villeroy & Boch “New Cottage” salad plate £14.50

LEFT Duck terrine with armagnac, pistachio foie gras £15.95 per 300g; Villeroy & Boch “Modern Grace” salad plate £17.50; CENTRE Salmon roulade £5.95 each; Villeroy & Boch “Anmut” saucer £13.95; RIGHT Salmon parcel £4.75 each; Villeroy & Boch “Anmut” dish £32.50


ENTERTAINING

Citrus roast turkey with pork, apricot and pink peppercorn stuffing


FOOD


with enough at each end to enclose the bird once it is placed inside the tin. 5 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Place the bird in the roasting tray and cover it all over with the citrus butter. Sprinkle with salt. 6 Place the carrots, celery, garlic and onion into the roasting tin along with the half orange and half lemon (give them a squeeze first). Put some layers of greaseproof paper over the turkey breast, as this will help to keep it moist. 7 Pour 250ml of hot water into the bird’s body cavity. Wrap the tinfoil over the bird, leaving a gap between the bird and the foil, and seal the foil Cornish-pasty style. 8 Cook the bird for 20 minutes per 450g; if your bird is 5kg in total (including stuffing), the cooking time is three hours and 40 minutes. Turn the heat down to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3 after the first 40 minutes of cooking. 9 Baste the bird every 30 minutes with the butter and juices from the bottom of the roasting tray before parcelling it up again. 10 For the last 30 minutes of cooking the bird,

THIS PAGE, HOMEWARES Prouna “Knightsbridge” gravy boat £178 and “Diana” sweet dish £175; Wedgwood “Riverton” open vegetable dish £750 and “Pure Gold” bowl £110; Carrs “Dubarry” spoon £404; OPPOSITE PAGE, FOOD

Harrods Cranberry Sauce £4.95, stuffing balls rolled in Cumbrian ham £6.95 for 6, and truffle bread sauce £9.95 per kilo HOMEWARES Saint-Louis “Apollo Or” wine glass £138; Wedgwood “Riverton” fruit saucer £275; Carrs “Kings” carving set £738; Christofle “Malmaison” platter £269; Villeroy & Boch small bowl £7.95; Wedgwood “Pure Gold” bowl £110

FRAGRANT CITRUS

ROAST TURKEY

WITH PORK, APRICOT

AND PINK PEPPERCORN

STUFFING

Serves 12-15; allow a 350–400g portion

of turkey (with stuffing) per person

For the stuffing (about 800g)50g butter

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

200g onion, finely chopped

50g pancetta, cubed

50g fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg

⅛ tsp white pepper

300g pork mince

250g sausage meat

Leaves from five sprigs of thyme

100g dried apricots, finely chopped

1 tsp pink peppercorns, lightly crushed

Zest of 1 lemon

For the turkey200g unsalted butter

Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon

5kg free-range or organic turkey

1 tbsp sea salt

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 celery stalk, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

Half an orange

Half a lemon

For the gravy120ml white wine

500ml chicken stock

1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 50ml warm water

Salt (to season)

10 twists of black pepper

1 To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a medium-sized frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and pancetta and cook until the pancetta becomes crispy. Set aside to cool, then combine the pancetta mixture with the other ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until the day of cooking the bird.2 Make a citrus butter by bringing the butter to room temperature and adding the orange and lemon zest. Mix well and set aside. 3 To prepare the bird, first check that there are no giblets in the body cavity. Then, turning to the other end of the bird, pull back the neck skin until you can fill the cleft at the front of the breasts with stuffing. Flip the bird upside down and, using thin skewers, secure the neck skin over and around the stuffing to prevent it falling out while cooking.4 Prepare a roasting tray large enough to accommodate the bird by lining it with strong tinfoil. Place one long strip top to bottom and another left to right, making a big foil cross

Roast maple carrots and parsnips; lemon thyme roast potatoes; Brussels sprouts with pancetta and chestnuts


Gri

d p

hoto

s S

tud

io 2

1

ENTERTAINING

LEFT Pigs in blankets 69p each; Villeroy & Boch “Anmut” dish £32.50; CENTRE Red cabbage with cider and caramelised apple £15 per kilo; Villeroy & Boch “Anmut” bowl £15.95; RIGHT Wrapped cranberry and chestnut stuffing log £9.95 per 500g; Villeroy & Boch “New Cottage” dinner plate £16.95

LEFT Wild mushroom garlic and truffle roll 500g, £9.95; Revol “Belle Cuisine” roasting dish £59.95; CENTRE Périgord Sauce £5 per kilo; Revol “Belle Cuisine” round dish £49.95; Carrs soup ladle £1,510; RIGHT Château roast potatoes with garlic and herbs £12.50 per kilo; Villeroy & Boch “Modern Grace” bowl £16.95

LEFT Truffle bread sauce £9.95 per kilo; Christofle “Malmaison” bowl £55; CENTRE Maple-roasted root vegetables £15 per kilo; Villeroy & Boch “Modern Grace” bowl £16.95; RIGHT Harrods Limited Edition Cranberry & Orange sauce 250g, £8.95; Villeroy & Boch “Farmhouse Touch” bowl £6.95 and spoon £13.50


FOOD


LEMON THYME ROAST

POTATOES Serves 10

1.5kg potatoes

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp goose fat

Leaves from 5 thyme sprigs

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. 2 Boil the potatoes in a large pan with plenty of salted water until a skewer can easily pass through (about 20–30 minutes). 3 Drain and spread on a roasting tray. Cover with goose fat, sprinkle with the thyme leaves and roast for about 30–40 minutes or until golden.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

WITH PANCETTA

AND CHESTNUTS

Serves 10

800g Brussels sprouts

1 tbsp butter

150g onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

200g pancetta, cubed

100g cooked chestnuts

Lemon peel or grated zest

1 Cut a cross into the bottom of the sprouts with a small paring knife – this helps them to cook evenly. 2 Boil in salted water for a few minutes; drain, blanch in cold water and set aside. 3 In a frying pan, melt the butter, then fry the onion and garlic until golden. Add the pancetta and fry until crispy. Toss in the chestnuts and sprouts, and cook until everything is heated through. Top with the grated lemon zest and serve in a warm bowl.

remove the foil and greaseproof paper to expose the top of the bird so that it turns a nice golden colour. 11 Take a long skewer and insert it into the thickest part of the breast. Press around the hole with a fork to see if the juice comes out clear, not bloody, in which case the turkey is cooked. If you see pink juice, then put the bird back into the oven again and cook for a further 20 minutes before testing once more. Once the turkey is completely cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest on a warm plate for 30 minutes before serving.12 While the turkey is resting, prepare the gravy. Pass the contents of the roasting tray through a sieve and remove as much oil and fat as you can (a gravy separator is useful for this). 13 Discard the vegetables. Return the turkey juice to the roasting tray, place on a medium to high heat, and add the wine. Stir until simmering and then add the chicken stock. 14 Once the juice is simmering again, add the cornflour mixture and stir until the liquid thickens. Add more cornflour mixture if you like extra-thick gravy. Simmer for a minute or two more, season with salt and pepper and serve.

FOOD Harrods Classic English Cheeseboard: 200g Montgomery’s Cheddar, 200g Colston Bassett Stilton, Tymsboro, Golden Cenarth and 200g Farmhouse Red Leicester £50; Paxton & Whitfield fig ball 250g, £8.50; Harrods Biscuit Selection £9.95 for 450g; Prunotto Moscato Jelly 110g, £3.25; HOMEWARES Richard Ginori charger plate £89.95; Arthur Price “Royal Pearl” cheese knife £75; Villeroy & Boch “Farmhouse Touch” dip bowl £5.95

ROAST MAPLE CARROTS

AND PARSNIPS Serves 10

1kg carrots, peeled and cut lengthways

to make 20 batons

1kg parsnips, peeled and cut lengthways

to make 20 batons

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. 2 Parboil the carrots in plenty of hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. 3 Arrange the parboiled carrots and parsnips on a roasting tray, drizzle with the olive oil and maple syrup, and sprinkle with salt. 4 Bake for 30–40 minutes or until golden. Serve with other trimmings.

FOOD


TOP William Yeoward “Wisteria” footed rose bowl £149; Carrs “Kings” serving spoon £564; LEFT, FOOD

Harrods Crème Anglaise £9.95 per kilo, and Christmas Cake £50; HOMEWARES Villeroy & Boch dip bowl £5.95; Carrs “Kings” teaspoon £264; Richard Ginori charger plate £89.95

CLASSIC SHERRY TRIFLE

Serves 8–12

2 vanilla pods, split in half lengthways

400ml milk

400ml double cream

8 egg yolks

100g caster sugar

1 sponge cake (Madeira cake)

50g almond thin biscuits (optional)

100ml sweet sherry

3 tbsp bitter orange marmalade

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp honey

450g strawberries

200g raspberries

30g caster sugar

400ml double cream

80ml sweet sherry

50g toasted sliced almonds

Orange zest to decorate

1 To make the custard, which can be done a day in advance, start by scraping out the seeds from the vanilla pods. Pour the milk and double cream into a pan, add both the vanilla seeds and pods, and place on a gentle heat. Remove and set aside just as the liquid reaches boiling point.2 Mix the sugar and egg yolks with a whisk for a few minutes until they become fluffy, then continue whisking while slowly pouring in a thin stream of the vanilla milk. Once fully combined, fish out the vanilla pods and discard.3 Return your custard mixture to the pan and put it on a low heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture regularly until it thickens to the consistency of a roux. This could take 20 minutes or longer, but heating the custard slowly prevents it from curdling. 4 Pass the custard through a sieve and set aside to cool before refrigerating it – you should have around 600ml. Alternatively, you can use 600ml of ready-made thick custard purchased from the chilled cabinet.5 Assemble the trifle by cutting the cake into 1.5cm-sized cubes and spreading them at the bottom of the dish. Break the almond biscuits and sprinkle over the top. Combine the sweet sherry, marmalade, lemon juice and honey, then pour the mixture over the cake and biscuit base. 6 Arrange strawberries and raspberries on the top and cover with the custard. Whisk the caster sugar and double cream until it forms fairly firm peaks. Add the sherry to the cream while still whisking, which will soften the consistency a little. Spread the sherry cream on the top of the custard, sprinkle with toasted almonds and decorate with the orange zest. 7 Leave the trifle to rest in the fridge for an hour or overnight before serving.

Classic sherry trifle


FOODC

red

its

TK

Im

age

sENTERTAINING

FOOD Château Doisy-Daëne 2006 Sauternes 75cl, £38.95; Harrods Limited Edition Christmas Pudding £59, and Limited Edition Brandy Butter 340g, £5.95HOMEWARES Saint-Louis “Apollo Or” wines glass £138; William Yeoward “Edwina” tazza £57.95; Villeroy & Boch “Farmhouse Touch” dip bowl £5.95; Carrs “Kings” teaspoon £264


ENTERTAINING

Gri

d p

hoto

s S

tud

io 2

1

LEFT Harrods chocolate-dipped fruit £7.50 per 100g; Villeroy & Boch “Urban Nature” dish £11.95; CENTRE Harrods Cocoa-Dusted Almonds 325g, £9.95; Villeroy & Boch “Urban Nature” espresso cup plate £8.95; RIGHT Harrods Opulent Mint Collection 450g, £29.95; Villeroy & Boch “Anmut” dish £32.50

LEFT Selamlique Gold Leaf Turkish Delight 320g, £14.95; Villeroy & Boch “Cera” plate £8.95; CENTRE Harrods Pâtes de Fruits 200g, £8.95; William Yeoward “Victorian” comport £109; RIGHT Harrods Christmas Spiced Ground Coffee 250g, £10.95; Can À Suc Sugar Angel carousel £27.95; WMF “Barista” cup, saucer and spoon set £15.95

LEFT Harrods Christmas Spice Loose Leaf Tea 125g, £8.95; Villeroy & Boch “Anmut” cup £24.95 and saucer £13.95; Kitchen Craft spice ball from a selection; CENTRE Harrods Belgian chocolates £6.50 per 100g; Villeroy & Boch dish £11.95; RIGHT Harrods Mulled Wine Truffles 140g, £13.95; Villeroy & Boch “Cera” plate £8.95

Available from The Wine Shop, Lower Ground Floor; Food Halls, Ground Floor; Cookshop and Crystal & Glass, Luxury Dining, Silver Room and Waterford Crystal, Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Second Floor; and harrods.com

Harrods Magazine • harrods.com For food orders, please turn to the form at the back36

FOOD

TOM AIKENSChef & Restaurateur

My luxury ingredient for Christmas is saffron. You can use the spice in lots of recipes, fromsavoury to sweet.

Make a simple dressing by warming

a little olive oil with saffron to release the spice’s flavour, then add more oil and lemon juice. This mixture can be used to marinate fish before baking it, or in a lovely risotto accompanied by smoked salmon, chives and saffron. Saffron is also great with an Israeli couscous, served with some chopped dried apricots, toasted flaked almonds and coriander, as an accompaniment for baked cod or lamb rump. For sweets, use the spice to create a delicious saffron, almond and pistachio ice cream, or a saffron and white chocolate mousse.

ANDY NEEDHAMHead Chef, Zafferano

Christmas means so many different things to the world’s many cultures. I feel that preparing food and spending time with family is a perfect way of showing and

receiving the Christmas spirit. For me, there is nothing more

Christmassy than roast chestnuts; their aroma evokes memories of Christmases past. Their taste of flame-toasted sweetness is one we only really experience during the festive period. However, by incorporating them into the main meal, we can capture some of those fond memories. Preparing them from scratch is a lengthy process but fortunately you can buy them ready peeled and cooked. Mix them with cranberries to make a stuffing or add a few to buttered Brussels sprouts for extra sweetness and texture. You can also find them in syrup for use in desserts, perhaps in poached winter fruits served with lightly whipped cream.

Eight top chefs choose their must-have foods, drinks and spices to turn Christmas lunch into a gourmet feast

BY AMY BROOMFIELD

CHEFS’ SECRET INGREDIENTS

BRUNO LOUBETHead Chef, Bistro Bruno Loubet

The one ingredient that no chef should be without at Christmas is a bottle of port. Conventionally, port is the perfect accompaniment to cheese at the end of

a meal – especially Stilton – or it can be served as an aperitif when your guests arrive. A clever trick is to reduce the port down to a sauce to serve with turkey. As well as giving the turkey a Christmassy feel, port adds a real depth to the flavour.


Vale

nti

ne

Warn

er J

ake G

av

in; co

rk iS

tock

photo

; all o

ther

food

im

age

s S

tock

Fo

od

MICHEL ROUX JUNIORChef Patron, Le Gavroche

The addition of truffle would turn any Christmas meal into a gourmet dining experience. Truffles are in season over the festive period and are one of my favourite ingredients. They are so versatile – you can grate them over practically anything that takes your fancy. If you use the very best – I personally like theblack Périgord truffle – you will only need to add a touch. You could, for example,

add a few shavings of truffle to a simple salad, which will instantly transform the dish into something much more exuberant and indulgent. Alternatively, for a very decadent cheese course, you could grate truffle over a beautiful slice of Brie. The family is sure to be impressed.

CHRIS GALVINChef Patron, Galvin Restaurants

A great way to make Christmas more luxurious is to buy a box of Maldon rock oysters. British native oysters are probably the best in the world, and many of our French staff buy a case to take home to France. Oysters are a wonderful accompaniment to Champagne and a super way to start off lunch. There is real ceremony involved in opening oysters and sharing them with friends. Later

in the day, there is nothing like Angels on Horseback, where you roll the oysters in pancetta and enjoy them as a mid-evening treat with a glass of chilled, flinty Chablis Premier Cru. Or for the perfect Christmas supper, serve Angels on Horseback with a plate of scrambled egg and Irish wild smoked salmon.

VALENTINE WARNERChef & TV presenter

Turkey has never been a welcome guest in the Warner household as I have always found it dry to some degree and I don’t care for the flavour. No, we Warners are “goosers” year after year and, despite ideas of forays into chicken or pork, we just can’t break with tradition. Apart from the obvious connotations, Christmas Day is also a celebration of our year-long wait for this bird.

Oh, the taste! That delicious dark, fullsome, rich meat and crispy skin leaves one with a smile and a greasy chin.

Be careful, though, when you are ordering your bird. I would advise choosing a goose bigger than the one you think you need as, although they self-baste well, the fat takes up a lot of the weight.

Goose is leftover heaven; the carcass makes a rich soup, the meat is great for making a delicious variation on Coronation Chicken, and the fat is excellent for future roasts.

THOMAS KELLERChef Patron, The French Laundry

During the holidays, there is no better way to capture the spirit than with Champagne. No other beverage denotes true luxury and generosity. Champagne elevates any gathering into a special occasion and creates such a sense of celebration. Whether it is

poured at the table, or given as a gift to the host or hostess, it is always welcomed with anticipation and given a place of honour.

PAUL KICHINGHead Chef, 21212

The one ingredient that I would use to make a traditional Christmas dinner into a gourmet one is fresh dates.

Harrods Food Halls have the best smooth, fresh dates I have ever tasted – they are the biggest, juiciest and ripest dates

and perfect to complement so many dishes during the festive season and Christmas dinner itself.

Dates are quite filling, so I would suggest using them as the main aspect of the dish. We cook with dates a lot in the restaurant, especially during the festive season. I would suggest rolling them in curry powder and olive oil to start as an amuse-bouche, followed by Egyptian beef or Moroccan trout with dates as a starter. They can also complete the traditional main course of turkey so well – rolled in olive oil and saffron, and cooked under the grill.

The obvious choice is to add them to your Christmas pudding, but I also love them dipped in chocolate as a petit four – a delicious way to round off Christmas dinner.

Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor

For food orders, please turn to the form at the backHarrods Magazine • harrods.com38

NEWS

Uncompromising quality has been the ethos of French oil and vinegar company A L’Olivier since it started as a stall in the Marais in 1922. Today its collection of more than 50 oils includes a variety of extra-virgin olive oils, some infused with garlic, basil or chilli, others with more unusual ingredients like lavender, truffle and porcini. There are also nut and seed oils, oils for cooking stir-fries and tagines, and Mediterranean specialities such as balsamic vinegars and tapenades. Spoilt for choice? The gift sets include their “greatest hits”. From £5.50. Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor; and harrods.com

A L’Olivier oils

Hearts and butterflies… For 20 years Can À Suc has been transforming humble sugar cubes into miniature works of art. This Christmas, the French brand’s designs are given a festive flourish in angel and snowflake shapes. £27.95. Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor

Since opening its restaurant in Paris in 1932, La Maison de la Truffe has considered itself the jeweller of the “diamond of the kitchen” – the treasured truffle. Its collection of truffle-related products includes classics like truffle oil, salt and foie gras, as well as showcasing the delicacy’s versatility in acacia honey and chocolate bon bons. From £6.50; exclusive to Harrods. Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor; and harrods.com

THE WHOLE TRUFFLE

ANGEL DELIGHTS

� THE WINE EXPERT

BY GUY WOODWARD

Experimenting and making new discoveries are two of the great joys of the world of wine and, with this world expanding rapidly, there has never been a better time for thrill-seeking wine lovers.

In October, The Wine Shop at Harrods hosted 16 medal winners from the Decanter World Wine Awards for customers to try, including some less common wines. Germany isn’t the obvious port of call for a great Pinot Noir, but that’s changing. This year, the Decanter International Trophy for Pinot Noir went to a wine from Baden, one of several from the region to impress the judges. Try the 2003 Dr Heger Mimus Ihringer Winklerberg Spätburgunder (the latter being the German name for Pinot) from the area.

Israel has made great strides in recent years, with the Carmel Winery blazing a trail. Its Old Vines Carignan (a variety often restricted to use as a blending grape) from Shomron is worth a try. Equally – and in the interests of political diplomacy – Lebanon is attracting increasing interest from European winemakers. The 2007 Massaya Gold Reserve Bekaa Valley is a complex, unusual blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Mourvèdre.

Albariño is a fresh, tangy grape variety that’s all the rage right now, especially in seafood restaurants. And you won’t find a much better example than the 2009 Martin Codax Albariño. For something more weighty, try Austria, and its showpiece grape, Grüner Veltliner. The 2008 Laurenz V Charming Grüner Veltliner, from Kamptal, has the signature white pepper notes.

My greatest find on a trip to California this year was a producer called Wind Gap. Its 2008 Syrah from the Sonoma coast exhibits a haunting, delicate, savoury element that is rare in the more pumped-up, exuberant wines we’ve come to expect from the state.

Finally, for a wine that combines an emerging region with a topical link, look no further than England, and Ridgeview’s 2008 Knightsbridge Blanc de Noirs fizz – a silver medal winner at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards – and bearing the name of the neighbourhood, no less.

Guy Woodward is Editor of Decanter magazine

2006 Carmel Old Vines Carignan £22.502003 Dr Heger Mimus Ihringer Winklerberg £31.95 2007 Massaya Gold Reserve Bekaa Valley £27.952009 Martin Codax Albariño £14.952008 Laurenz V Charming Grüner Veltliner £19.952008 Wind Gap Syrah £41.50 2008 Ridgeview Knightsbridge Blanc de Noirs £32.95

Available from The Wine Shop, Lower Ground Floor

Artisanal chocolate brand Demarquette was the most awarded luxury chocolatier at the Great Taste Awards for the second year running. Here, Marc Demarquette talks about craftsmanship and sweet memories.Our philosophy is to source the best British

ingredients and pair them with unique, high-quality and ethically sourced chocolate to make the best products in the land.We create traditional products using age-old techniques with a modern twist. As we work in such an artisanal way, there are no corners for my team to cut, as it is a straight line to the final satisfaction of our customers. To make great chocolates, a real in-depth knowledge and understanding of science is required, which no machine or amateur can replicate. My earliest memory of chocolate is of my grandmother in France spoiling me with so many wonderful chocolates from artisanal shops in Normandy. It was such a treat to go in and discover such a wonderland found nowhere else and walk out with a little bag of pure joy. Chocolate tree £35; exclusive to Harrods. Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor

SWEETEST rewards

Cre

dit

s T

K I

ma

ges

SLUG


PROMOTION

Whether delicately served in a fine china cup, or simple and strong in a chunky mug, tea is something we take for granted as part of our everyday lives. And yet if it wasn’t for The East India Company, established in 1600, we might still only drink it as an exotic digestif.

The company that established the original merchant trade routes between Great Britain and the Far East 400 years ago still exists as an artisan food producer. Sourcing the finest ingredients from across the globe, The East India Company selects produce with the best provenance. And the results taste as good as they sound: more than

The East India Company The world’s oldest trading merchant is bringing its gourmet treats in-store this season

120 teas from seven countries; rich, aromatic coffees; artisan biscuits made from Stilton, Indian spices, or caramel and sea salt; handmade chocolates; and an array of jams, chutneys and condiments. Each of these gourmet treats makes an ideal festive gift; or, for globetrotters, the exclusive Adventurer’s Spice Hamper offers a little of everything.

A range of more than 70 products, and the Adventurer’s Spice Hamper (£100, exclusive to Harrods), are available from Food Halls, Ground Floor; and harrods.com


SLUG

Every autumn, once the early mornings have turned colder and the trees change their hue, the cavatori begin to roam the misty forests of Alba. Dressed in their flat-caps and tweed jackets, they carry

a stick in one hand and lead a pig with the other. They are the seasoned truffle hunters, hardened to the cold, ready to search for tuber treasure.

Growing only in this region of northern Italy, the tartufo bianchetti or white truffle is a type of fungus that has been venerated for nearly 4,000 years. Nestled in the soils of these forests, the ancient roots of oaks, willows, hazels, poplars and lindens have all helped create the white truffle’s deep woody flavour and unique aroma. It is this earthy scent, similar to the pheromones of male pigs, that the female pig’s acute sense picks up on. The foragers instantly know when a truffle has been found as their pigs excitedly dig and snaffle at the base of a tree – this is where the stick comes in handy. Cavatori have been known to lose a finger as they do battle with an overzealous pig for the treasured truffle. These days, some cavatori use trained dogs instead.

If ever an ingredient could be said to enjoy culinary superstardom, it would be the white truffle. The fungus looks like a cross between a potato and a walnut, and has a taste and aroma unlike anything else on the planet. To our Michelin-starred friends, it is the indisputable “king of the kitchen”.

Unlike its black counterpart, the Périgord, the white truffle is very rare and its flavour is impossible to replicate, though many have tried. Restaurants with white truffles on the menu use them sparingly. They know it is an expensive commodity but that just a raw sliver of it can transform the simplest dish – tagliatelle, risotto or even a plate of fried eggs – into a gourmet meal. The pungent, earthy scent of the white truffle, complemented with hints of garlic, makes it an ideal pairing for rich, buttery sauces as well as excellent for flavouring beef. So powerful is their aroma that the truffles need to be handled and stored carefully.

Alba white truffles ripen in October and November, the best time for foraging. Their growth relies on very specific environmental conditions.

The white truffle’s pungent, earthy scent

makes it an ideal pairing for rich, buttery

sauces... as well as flavouring beef

TOP A truffle hunter and his dog search for tuber treasure; ABOVE The white truffle’s lumpy, odd appearance belies its value and its flavour

Buried treasure

According to experts at leading supplier P.A.Q. Gubbio, “Truffles need a sunny summer with rainy intervals. Alba’s forests are at the right altitude and its fine soil means they grow well.”

However, the change in climate has seen a steady decline in the growth and quality of white truffles over the past 15 years, so that competition for them is fiercer than ever and suppliers are notoriously secretive about the areas in which they forage.

Truffle oils have emerged as a more cost-effective way of infusing foods with a truffle flavour, but their use is controversial. Few oils on the market are made with actual truffles; instead they use synthetic compounds that attempt to copy the taste.

Meanwhile, farmers in France have found ways to cultivate the black Périgord truffle in specially created fields, but doing the same with white Alba truffles has so far proved unsuccessful. Foragers are hugely opposed to the idea, believing that hurrying the growth process will not only impinge on the taste, but also decrease the market value. Experts at Gubbio believe there is no reliable way to cultivate white truffles. This is good news for the cavatori whose livelihood and way of life revolve around truffle hunting. As famous gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said: “The most learned men have sought to ascertain the secret [of the truffle], and fancied they discovered the seed. Their promises, however, were vain, and no planting was ever followed by a harvest. As one of the great values of truffles is their dearness, perhaps they would be less highly esteemed if they were cheaper.” HMN

Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor

Worth more than its weight in gold, the white truffle is a gourmet superstar BY AMY BROOMFIELD

PROVENANCE

Fora

ging

pic

ture

Gett

y I

mages

WITH A SELECTION OF MORE THAN 3,000 WINES AND SPIRITS

FROM AROUND THE WORLD

• The Wine Vault is a glass-walled, temperature-controlled room that is home

to some of the worldÕs rarest and most sought-after releases

• The Tasting Room can be booked for special events or corporate evenings,

• The Aroma Zone has been created in partnership with Le Nez du Vin to

For more information email [email protected] or call 020 7893 8777

DISCOVER THE WINE SHOP

Dunca

n S

mit

h

Teatulia at Harrods, Food Halls, Ground Floor

Tea’s the Season

Cre

dit

s T

K I

ma

ges

SLUG

Harrods Magazine • harrods.com44 To order please see the order form at the backFor food orders, please turn to the form at the back

A delicious array of fine meats, cheeses and cakes is a smart option for a festive feast PHOTOGRAPHER HOWARD SHOOTER

FOOD STYLIST SEIKO HATFIELD

Boxing Day clever

ENTERTAINING


THIS PAGE, FOOD Harrods Ultimate Cheese Board, comprising 250g of Montgomery’s Cheddar, 250g of Stichleton, 250g of Beaufort, 250g of Munster, 250g of Berkswell, 250g of St Tola and a Camembert, £85; Harrods Boxing Day Chutney 330g, £4.95 and Piccalilli 285g, £4.50; San Daniele 36-month aged ham £95 per kilo; Harrods Biscuit Selection 450g, £9.95; 5J Iberico ham £225 per kilo; HOMEWARES

Greggio “Argento” cheese board with lid £325; Villeroy & Boch “Farmhouse Touch” tealight holder £7.95; Revol “Miniature Lion’s Head” soup bowl £6.95; Vera Wang for Wedgwood “Grosgrain” plate £17.50; Thomas Ferguson “Cavan Cross” tray cloth £14.95; OPPOSITE PAGE, FOOD Spiced ham £25 per kilo; pork pie £19.95 per kilo; Harrods Christmas Mustard 170g, £3.95; HOMEWARES Villeroy & Boch “White Pearl” platter £95, “Anmut” dinner plate £19.95 and “Farmhouse Touch” amuse-bouche bowl £6.95; Christofle “Perles” dinner fork £299 and teaspoon £196

SLUG

To order please see the order form at the backFor food orders, please turn to the form at the back 47Harrods Magazine • harrods.com

THIS PAGE, FOOD Chocolate praline torte 450g, £12.95; Harrods Christmas Log 750g, £30; redcurrants £5.95 per punnet; HOMEWARES Villeroy & Boch “Anmut” dessert plate £16.50 and side plates £12.95 each, and “White Pearl” platter £65; Christofle “Spatours” fork £59 and knife £67; Kosta Boda “Snow Bowl” candle holders £16 each; Baccarat “Vega Rhine” wine glass £105; Alexandre Turpault napkin £24.95; OPPOSITE PAGE, FOOD Black Gold dry-aged carvery rib £35.95 per kilo; Château roast potatoes with garlic and herbs £12.50 per kilo; HOMEWARES Monique

Lhuillier for Royal Doulton “Pointe d’Esprit” side plate £22.50 and dinner plate £27.50; Jasper Conran for Wedgwood serving bowl £35; Christofle “Spatours” forks £59 each and knives £67 each; Alexandre Turpault napkin £24.95

Available from Gift Wrapping Service, Lower Ground Floor; Food Halls, Ground Floor; Cookshop, Crystal & Glass, Traditional Dining and Villeroy & Boch, International China & Glass, Second Floor

ENTERTAINING


Ste

phen

Jones

Ju

sti

ne P

hoto

grap

hy

�

�

�

�

Boxing Day– my way

PATRICK GRANT Director, E. Tautz

I’m almost always with my parents in Scotland on Boxing Day. We get up early and go for a long walk in the hills above Edinburgh, and then have a good lunch. This year, I might be

in the Cotswolds. If we’re there, then we will go to the traditional Boxing Day meet of our local hunt, the Heythrop.

PIERRE CORTHAYBespoke Shoemaker

Traditionally on Boxing Day I spend time with my close family. It is a big event in my family and a very intimate day, as it is a way for us to extend Christmas. This year, as every year,

I will get together with my family to take advantage of this time together. We’ll cook a nice dinner, have a perfect evening and start planning for next year!

WES GORDONFashion Designer

Growing up, I spent Boxing Day relaxing at home with my family and, if we felt energetic, perhaps venturing to the cinema. This year, unfortunately, I will probably spend 26th

December in airports and on planes returning to New York to work on our fall collection, which is shown only six weeks later.

�ANTONIO BERARDIFashion Designer

I will be entertaining my siblings in my new home in Lincolnshire. This year, it’s my turn, as it’s the first time I have had a house of my own. Apart from cooking (which is

a passion of mine) I will be painting my bedroom this year, the first time I have ever undertaken such a task.

NADJA SWAROVSKICreative Director, Swarovski

As I am from Austria, on Boxing Day we usually go skiing, sledging or take a hike in the snow to walk off the dinner from Christmas Eve. It is a time to appreciate

family and health – and, of course, we’re also thankful for the presents from Santa, which is how all of our presents are still labelled. We love sitting around the fire listening to Christmas carols. We also go to a morning church service, as religion is very important in my family. This year we’ll probably forgo the snow for some sun, and we will either go to the Caribbean or to Vero Beach in Florida. On Boxing Day we’ll go to the beach and build sandcastles with the kids.

� STEPHEN JONESMilliner

As a child in Cheshire, my Boxing Day was spent outdoors with my cousins. The adults enjoyed stiff “Gin & Its” (gin and Italian vermouth) and I

would have Florida orange juice. We would follow the local hunt. I was amazed at the brouhaha – the brilliant hunting jackets, the sound of the horn, and of course the glamorous hats... tally-ho! In my millinery year, January is probably my busiest month so Boxing Day is the calm before the storm. This year, I will be with friends visiting Derek Jarman’s garden on the shingle beach at Dungeness on the south coast. The misty colours, smell of salt and keen wind will blow the cobwebs away and set me up for the New Year – helped with a Bloody Mary!

Long country walks, idyllic snowy scenes, bubble and squeak and sandcastles all make up the ideal way to spend Boxing Day

�

�

MARIOS SCHWABFashion Designer

I usually spend Boxing Day in a house in the Austrian mountains, sharing a meal with family and friends and celebrating the holiday. We have a large family and we don’t often

all manage to get together throughout the year, so lots of stories are told and memories shared. We generally eat fondue around a big table, and everyone brings their own speciality dishes to add to the meal. After dinner, we take the dogs for a walk in the woods; there is usually lots of snow so it feels very Christmassy. In the evening, after our walk, we exchange presents with each other.

ALEX MONROEJewellery Designer

Every Boxing Day I go for a huge walk with the kids and dog to work up an appetite for another big lunch. We often walk in Nunhead Cemetery or up on One Tree Hill in

south London. Lunch is usually a huge ham, carrots in a parsley sauce and baked potatoes (plus bubble and squeak from Christmas lunch, of course). Then if there is a James Bond movie on I like to settle down on the sofa for a TV snooze. This year I’ll be at our cottage in Suffolk. It’s right in the middle of a forest miles from anywhere, so there will be much longer walks, no TV and a huge fire in the hearth. I’ll probably be chopping more firewood as well because we’ll have used it all up the day before. We’ll be hosting parents, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews, so we’re likely to be about 20 people or more.

ENTERTAINING

Linger, savor, share. With Maison Camus Coffees, the ordinary

becomes extraordinary as we custom blend our coffees the same

way our Camus cognac blenders have done for generations.

For one-of-a-kind flavors that elevates coffee, and your moments,

to a whole new level. AVAILABLE IN THE PANTRY, GROUND FLOOR.

11:59 AM Paris.Your 3 Year, 4 Month and 2 Day

Anniversary.A moment you want

to last forever...


ENTERTAINING

There’s a lot more to a successful soirée than drinks and nibbles; careful preparation, an eclectic guest list and an array of contingency tactics will ensure your reputation as the ultimate hostBY LAURA BARTON/PHOTOGRAPHER DEIRDRE ROONEY/STYLIST ARABELLA MCNIE

On no account should your party feature any of

the following: grottos, fake snow, or elves

serving sherry

THIS PAGE William Yeoward “Margot” water jug £72.95

How to host the perfect party

Christmas parties, like moonwalking or souffle-making, can appear deceptively simple: some friends, a few bottles of wine, a bag of salted peanuts and a dollop of festive cheer. What more could you possibly need?

Alas, anyone who believes this to be true has quite simply never been to a party. Christmas parties are highly charged events, up there with weddings, Royal Ascot and the daily school run, as potentially mortifying social occasions. Points will be awarded and deducted according to a complex and highly secretive list of criteria. Your Christmas decorations will be analysed, your bathroom towels discussed, the very essence of your soul defined by your choice of Champagne. If you remember nothing else, let it be this: your entire party-throwing reputation, and possibly that of your descendants, hinges upon this event. The stakes are high, and only the strong will survive.

Preparation, then, is key. Indeed, truly great party throwers will have been in training for months – honing cocktail recipes and perfecting miniature mince pies since July. For those of us who find December suddenly looming, there is still time to ward off an eleventh-hour flurry of baking, polishing and furious paper-chain making.

Firstly, before you embark on a sophisticated Christmas soirée, it is important to ensure that you and your home are primed and ready. It is imperative that you scrub your house until its cheeks shine, redecorate any dubious areas and remove any potentially embarrassing objects. Know that by the end of your party, not an inch of your house will stand uninspected – not your bookshelves, record collection, wedding photos or cutlery drawer, and certainly not your bathroom cabinets, which will have been scoured for signs of Viagra, haemorrhoid treatments and anti-wrinkle cream. Nothing is sacred in the game of party throwing: not your underwear drawer, your trinket boxes, nor the box in your loft holding all of your old school reports. The canny party thrower beats such rummagers at their own game by relocating

her most compromising belongings to a secret location 50 miles away, and stuffing her bedroom drawers with wispy lingerie, amorous love letters from spurned admirers, and, if need be, an array of mouse traps or laser-triggered alarm systems to discourage further ferreting.

It is important that you choose your party colour-scheme early. Yes, you may snort at the notion, but look at it this way: it’s all very well having your drawing room dressed with sumptuous trays of pastel-hued macaroons, but if they clash with the sofa or get all matchy-matchy with your cocktail frock then who’ll be the one looking like a prize buffoon?

That said, themed parties are utterly distasteful for adults. Who wants to see a grown man dressed as an octopus? Or your work colleague in a half-hearted snowman costume? Similarly, never advise your guests to “dress to impress” or to wear anything festive – no one, after all, wants their living room jam-packed with sequins and Rudolph jumpers. Lastly, on no account should your Christmas party feature any of the following: grottos, fake snow, or elves serving sherry.

Your guest list must be brutal yet eclectic. Do not, out of a sense of misplaced loyalty, invite your dreariest work colleagues or erratic family members, but do feel free to invite your plumber, or the man from the café who makes your morning espresso. This will ensure that conversation will remain scintillating throughout the evening, and, for bonus points, everyone will regard you as an intriguingly diverse host.

People get very pernickety about party nibbles. Gone are the glory days of mushroom vol-au-vents and cheese-and-pineapple sticks. Sausage rolls are passé, dips are over, and a few bowls of crisps just won’t cut the mustard any longer – not even if they are crinkle-cut. But you tread a fine line, because equally, if your canapés resemble fussy little sculptures of reindeer made out of mackerel and purslane, your guests will only come to regard you as the type of neurotic loon who spends hours carving radishes, and frankly, who wants f

SLUG

To order please see the order form at the back 51Harrods Magazine • harrods.com

THIS PAGE, FOOD Christmas canapés from £1.95 each; Stolichnaya Gold vodka 75cl, £26.50; HOMEWARES

Ralph Lauren Home “Barrington” tray £140 and “Broughton” vodka glasses £95 each; Christofle “Vertigo” cocktail pick £239 for a set of 6; William Yeoward “Calypso” tumbler £24.95; Greggio cocktail fork £520 for a set of 6

Harrods Magazine • harrods.com For food orders, please turn to the form at the back

With food, the trick is to aim

for maximum impact but minimum

fiddling

THIS PAGE, FOOD Bridge rolls 65p each; goat’s cheese with herbs £5.25 per 100g; olives £19.50 per kilo; and Harrods Truffle Mortadella £35 per kilo; HOMEWARES Christofle “Vertigo” cocktail picks £239 for a set of 6; Greggio salt dish £60; William Yeoward “Calypso” tumbler £24.95; OPPOSITE PAGE, FOOD Carlingford Rock Oysters £1 each; squid nigiri £1.45 each; salmon California tobiko £1.45 each; lobster and prawn timbale £7.50 each; blinis £3.95 for a pack of 16; crème fraîche 150g, £1.15; Keta caviar 100g, £16.95; HOMEWARES

Greggio salt dish and spoon set £60

to party with a vegetable carver? The trick is to aim for maximum impact but minimum fiddling. The answer to your prayers – as it so often is in life – is blinis with smoked salmon, or indeed caviar. They are simple, luxurious, and have the tantalising air of the Muscovite about them.

The role of good party food is to encourage your guests to mingle. Anything excessively pungent is therefore an unwise move, as it will result in everyone standing several steps further apart and talking behind their hands in an unsettlingly conspiratorial fashion. Miniature foods, however, are a brilliant invention because they allow any as-yet-unacquainted guests to make scintillating small talk such as: “How on earth did they make such a tiny pie?” or “Was this mini burger made by pixies?” Remember: oysters will greatly enhance the giddiness of your party, especially if you intend to play swap-the-car-keys later in the evening.

Beverages are key to the success of your soirée. The aim is to ensure that your guests remain well-oiled, but not greasy; after all no one wants their elegant Christmas cocktail party turning into a house of rambling drunkards, scoffing the blinis and falling asleep in the wardrobes. The wise move is to begin the evening by serving a delightful-yet-not-too-potent drink such as Kir Royale. That way you can steer your guests’ drunkenness in much the same way as an air traffic controller guides aeroplanes onto runways – ensuring a safe passage and a smooth landing. Only after this gentle start may the imbibing of proper cocktails begin: Martinis, of course, Manhattans, naturally, and perhaps even an unseasonal Mojito. Keep your cocktail menu to a minimum – nobody wants Piña Coladas or mango Daiquiris at this time of year, unless they are wilfully perverse. On no account serve shots, unless you intend for your party to take a wildly unpredictable turn.

It is also appropriate to serve other drinks, such as wine and beer, but remember this isn’t a university freshers’ week: your cocktails should not be ladled from dustbin-sized vats, they should be served in appropriate glassware, not plastic cups,

and you should never serve sangria, alcopops, or Buckfast. Ironic egg nog is entirely acceptable, but only on the grounds that it is Christmas.

Select your music choices in advance and keep your soundtrack varied – no one wants to hear Michael Bublé’s album on repeat all night, but nor do they want Black Sabbath squalling down their ears while they try to eat their miniature samosas. Your party mix should be joyous, spritzy, perhaps a little bit jazzy and retro, with just the odd schmaltzy festive number thrown in for good measure (note that this means Bing Crosby, not Band Aid).

As at any social gathering, particularly those involving alcohol and Christmas, there is always the potential for things go awry: tears, tantrums, an entire tray of chipolatas incinerated while you were introducing your plasterer to your husband’s squash partner. Accept that there is very little you can do in these situations, other than smile beatifically and keep an array of Stain Devils on hand. So if you find your brother-in-law fondling your boss’s wife behind the Christmas tree, or your best friend pocketing your Crème de la Mer, simply breathe deeply, smile and think of Bethlehem.

If things do get out of hand, serve Martini glasses of water with an olive or a twist to your most sozzled guests; they won’t know the difference, and sooner or later they will either start behaving or collapse in a slumbering heap. If the latter, cover them in a freshly laundered sheet and pretend to your remaining guests that this is a snowdrift installation created by a talented up-and-coming artist.

Your aim throughout the night is to keep your eyes firmly on the prize: know that if you can pull this off, your reputation as a Christmas party-throwing sophisticate is assured. As an added incentive, stash a bottle of very fine wine somewhere the guests won’t find it for after the final stragglers have departed. When the last guest has been swept out and the front door is finally closed, allow yourself a moment as you sit amid the wreckage, glass in one hand, macaroon in the other, to pause and rest upon your hostessing laurels. HMN

52

ENTERTAINING

Cre

dit

s T

K I

ma

ges

To order please see the order form at the back Harrods Magazine • harrods.com 53

SLUG


Cre

dit

s T

K I

ma

ges


THIS PAGE, DRINKS La Mortuacienne lemonade 75cl, £3.95; Coole Swan Irish Cream Liqueur 70cl, £23.50; Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque Champagne 2002 75cl, £120; Stolichnaya vodka 75cl, £26.50; Dolin Chambéry Vermouth 70cl, £10.50; HOMEWARES Ralph Lauren Home “Barrington” tray £140, “Broughton” Champagne flute £105, martini glass £95 and vodka glasses £95 each, and “Montgomery” cocktail shaker £130; William Yeoward “Calypso” tumbler £24.95; Greggio cocktail fork £520 for a set of 6; OPPOSITE PAGE, FOOD Quaranta nougat £3.50 per 100g; Patchi chocolates £7 per 100g; Prestat chocolates £6.50 per 100g; Ladurée coconut mini macaroons £10.95 per 100g box; Neuhaus marzipans £7 per 100g; Harrods Giant Swiss Chocolate Truffle £1.95 each; Mini Stollen Bites £4.95 per 175g; Almond Topped Mince Pies 450g, £9.25; Traditional Mince Pies 450g, £8.50; glacé pear £5.75 per 100g; HOMEWARES, FROM TOP William Yeoward “Portia” cake stand £239, “Edwina” 12cm tazza £54.95 and 18cm tazza £57.95, and “Victoria” comport £109

Available from Food Halls and Ladurée, Ground Floor; Cookshop, Crystal & Glass, Luxury Dining and Silver Room, Second Floor

Cre

dit

s T

K I

ma

ges


ENTERTAINING


Te weather outsde may be frghtful,

but the feast isde is delightful

choose your perfect

hamper in-store,

at harrods.com

or by calling

0845 605 1234


PROMOTION

PROMOTION

The snow is glittery white and super fluffy; the air is crisp and clear, showing off a star-filled sky; bustling Christmas markets are filled with the spicy, warming scent of glögg (mulled wine). Christmas in Sweden is proper Christmas.

The country’s climate and geographical positioning means that Sweden comes into its own during the winter months, when it is fully equipped to handle and even enjoy the cold weather and copious snowfall.

Like many of their northern European neighbours, the Swedes celebrate Christmas on the 24th. In some households, the tree is decorated with flowers and gingerbread decorations as part of the Christmas Eve – or Julafton – ritual. This is followed by an evening supper that would historically have preceded a visit to church. The supper is served in the style of the traditional Swedish smörgåsbord – only at Christmas this becomes a julbord. The julbord dishes vary from region to region, but traditional staples include the famous Swedish meatballs with creamy gravy, smoked salmon gravlax, pickled herring, an oven-baked potato dish and lingonberry jam to serve with the meatballs. Usually finished with a rice pudding and maybe a little more glögg, Christmas doesn’t get much more Christmassy than a traditional Swedish supper.

Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor; Cookshop, Silver Room and Villeroy & Boch International China & Glass, Second Floor

FOOD Olof Viktors Hand-rolled Crispbread; Falkenbergs Lax smoked salmon; Tillmans of Sweden Organic Reduced Sugar Lingonberry Jam; sweet and sour red cabbage; Almnäs Anno 1225 cheese; pickled herring; meatballs; potato bake; Harrods Mulled Wine Syrup; HOMEWARES Villeroy & Boch “Anmut Platinum” dinner plate £19.50 and large bowl £20.50, “Farmhouse Touch” small bowl £7.95 and small oval dish £7.50; Christofle “Perles” forks £299 each and “Spatours” spoons £59 each; Kim Seybert napkin £22.95; J.K. Adams bread board £32.95; Alexandre Turpault napkin £24.95; Weida large oval baking dish £6.95 and rectangular baking dish £16.95; Harrods Christmas crackers £8 each, wooden fruit bowl £50 and baubles from £2.95 each; Hermès “Giralda” wine glasses £125 each; Ralph Lauren Home “Triple Stag” candle holder £1,425

Northern bitesSnow, sunny skies and healthy, satisfying food:

Swedish is the way to do Christmas BY FLEUR FRUZZA

PHOTOGRAPHER HOWARD SHOOTER

All im

age

s S

tud

io 2

1

LEFT Tillmans of Sweden Organic Lingonberry Cordial; CENTRE Olof Viktors Hand-rolled Crispbread; RIGHT Knäck & Bräck Spelt Heart-shaped Crispbread

LEFT Olof Viktors Original Hand-rolled Crispbread; CENTRE Kalix Caviar of Kalix; RIGHT Tillmans of Sweden Organic Reduced Sugar Lingonberry Jam

LEFT Koberg Vilt wild boar salami with chilli and green pepper; CENTRE Almnäs Tegel cheese; RIGHT Olof Viktors Wild Cloudberry Jam

Prices start from £5.50. Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor

These nine festive essentials are an easy way to do Christmas, Swedish style

A proper smörgåsbord

SLUGC

red

its

TK

Im

age

s

Cre

dit

s T

K I

ma

ges

Home to fairy-tale landscapes, the Northern Lights and midnight sunshine, there are few places on earth as spellbinding as Swedish Lapland BY FLEUR FRUZZA

White magic

PROMOTION

There is something otherworldly about Swedish Lapland. This relatively small corner of the earth is home to a disproportionate amount of magic. The sun shines at midnight; the indigenous people

keep thousand-year-old traditions alive; and it is home to the awe-inspiring Northern Lights and the original Icehotel.

Situated close to Sweden’s northernmost point, north of the Arctic Circle, part of Swedish Lapland’s enchantment is that it remains largely untouched and unspoiled by modernity, earning it the moniker “Europe’s last wilderness”. Here the population is just two people per square kilometre, and most of them have learned to live off produce from the land, forests and rivers. This has been the case since the Sami – Scandinavia’s only remaining indigenous people – settled in Swedish Lapland and its surrounding areas about 4,000 years ago. The idea now, just as it was then, is for the Sami to make as short a journey as possible to find food. Many earn a living working as shepherds, fishermen and, most notably, mountain reindeer herders, which is a protected livelihood, reserved only for the Sami people in certain Nordic regions. Their work provides reindeer and elk meat, and fish such as Arctic char, salmon, trout, grayling and herring.

But today, food is so much more than just a means of survival – it is a pleasure. Pickling remains a hugely popular way to treat herring, while the locals prepare their reindeer meat using salting, drying or smoking processes. Smoked heart and dried sausage are particular delicacies. Swedish Laplanders, however, are also keen on simplicity, and various cuts or fillets of reindeer are enjoyed simply – oven cooked, grilled or stewed with few accompaniments. For the uninitiated, the meat is tender, lean and low in fat, with venison often cited as the closest flavour comparison.

With a rich coastline, fish is also a staple in the northern Swedish diet. The siklöja fish – or vendace, a white-meat member of the salmon family – swims freely in the mineral-rich Bothnian Bay and produces a delicate, bright orange-coloured roe that is a local delicacy, known as caviar of Kalix. This is harvested by hand close to the spawning season, with each fish producing just two tablespoons of roe. It is worth the effort though; the succulent little grains are mild on the palate, with flavours of fish, oil and salt. The roe is best enjoyed at its simplest – on a blini with just a little sour cream, or crème fraîche and herbs.

Thanks to its climate of endless summer sunshine and dry winters, Swedish Lapland also produces an abundance of wild berries in its surrounding forests, including lingonberries, cloudberries and blueberries. The locals make these into everything from juices and cordials to sauces and jams. At Christmas time, lingonberries are

boiled and reduced into a sauce, and then served with meat and fish, in much the same way that the British use cranberries. Arctic cloudberries, meanwhile (which look a little like orange raspberries) are often made into deliciously tart jams or used in cakes.

While the wild and fresh produce of Swedish Lapland is heavenly when cooked in a simple, traditional open-fire style, this is only part of the region’s gastronomic offering. Swedes are becoming increasingly revered for their inventive cuisine. Restaurants understand the importance of offering an innovative dining experience, and even as far as the Arctic Circle, chefs are cooking up creations that challenge and delight foodies in equal measure.

Located in Jukkasjärvi, a tiny village 200km above the Arctic Circle, is the Icehotel, which has become a destination that regularly tops must-visit lists across the world. One reason for this is the Icehotel Restaurant, which claims to offer a “gastronomic adventure” in contemporary Scandinavian cuisine. The award-winning restaurant, run by Head Chef Alexander Meier, offers an experimental menu that creates unusually paired and prepared dishes from carefully sourced ingredients. At the other end of the spectrum, the hotel’s Old Homestead Restaurant – housed in a log-cabin-style building dating back to 1768 – offers more traditional and rustic Swedish cuisine.

Every December for the last 22 years, the Icehotel has been rebuilt using pure, clear ice from the Torne River. By April, the hotel melts back into the very same river, leaving the slate clean for completely new architecture the following winter.

Although the Icehotel can be reached in just 15 minutes by car from Kiruna airport, the most authentic – not to mention fun – way to arrive is via husky sledge. Nothing immerses you intothe Lappish way of life quite like mushing your way to your accommodation. Visitors to the hotel can also learn how to drive a team of huskies through the surrounding forests, even spending a few nights in the remote Wilderness Lodge while covering the trail. Tour operator Discover the World, which has been arranging visits to Swedish Lapland for almost 30 years, offers the UK’s only direct flight from Heathrow to Kiruna. They can also arrange activities from husky sledging to ice-driving, from wilderness snowmobile adventures to moose safaris.

Once at the hotel, guests can nestle down for the night in an ice bed. If you’re wondering why anyone would want to spend their holiday sleeping on ice, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The experience may be an unusual one, but it is remarkably comfortable. The recommended way to stay is to spend one night on ice, and then a few nights in warmer accommodation. This means a night in an igloo-style room that comprises an

Swedes are becoming increasingly

revered for their inventive cuisine

FROM TOP Caviar of Kalix; a side serving of cloudberries; freshly picked lingonberries

PROMOTION

Clo

ud

ber

ries

Ala

my

; lingo

nber

ries

Sto

ckFo

od

Such is the magic of the Northern Lights, folklore and fable surrounded them for centuries

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Snowmobiles outside the Icehotel’s igloo- like main entrance; one of the hotel’s Ice Art suites husky sledging through the forests; the Northern Lights

illuminated bed made of ice and covered with a comfortable mattress, reindeer skins and snuggly thermal sleeping bags, ice furniture, and – for those who book an Art Suite – some spectacular ice art. The warm rooms, by contrast, are light and airy with modern Scandinavian furnishings.

The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, are the reason that many people venture to Swedish Lapland. Such is the magic of the lights that folklore and fable surrounded them for centuries before a scientific explanation came along. In layman’s terms, they are the result of charged gas particles flowing away from the sun and interacting with the earth’s magnetic field. But knowing this doesn’t make the experience any less magical. The best time to see the lights is between December and March, with this year being a “solar maximum” – a time when sunspot activity is at its height, which occurs every 11 years. One of the best vantage points is Abisko National Park, where ambient light is minimal, and the aurora’s full spectrum can be seen, from green to yellow, pink, blue and red. Discover the World can also arrange trips to see the Northern Lights on foot, horseback, snowmobile or husky sledge.

Whichever type of break holidaymakers are looking for in Swedish Lapland – adventurous or relaxing – they all have one thing in common: the sparkle of a very Swedish type of magic.

Visit the Food Halls, Ground Floor, to purchase some of the products mentioned in this feature. Products are available until December

Book a three-night Icehotel break with leading specialist tour operator Discover the World by 9th December 2011 and receive a free Northern Lights by Snowmobile tour worth £138*.

Head to Swedish Lapland high above the Arctic Circle for the ultimate winter experience in a real-life winter wonderland. Fly direct from Heathrow in just three-and-a-half hours on Discover the World’s exclusive direct flight to the Icehotel. Twenty-two years on from its inception, the Icehotel remains famous the world over as the original. By day, travel by husky sledge through snow-clad forests, ski along the frozen River Torne, or explore the magnificent Icehotel Art Suites created each year by an international team of artists and sculptors. By night, “chill out” in the IceBar then head out by snowmobile to spot the glow of the Northern Lights.

Three nights at the Icehotel, including direct flights, breakfasts, one night in a snow room and two nights in warm accommodation start from £1,093 per person.

For more information, or to order your Discover the World’s Northern Lights Pack, including a complimentary Bradt Northern Lights guide, visit www.discover-the-world.co.uk/harrods or call 01737 218801. Quote “Harrods” when booking your trip to Swedish Lapland

* Offer is subject to availability

EXCLUSIVE HARRODS

READERS’ OFFER

PROMOTION

You will need 4 round cooking moulds, 4cm in diameter and 2cm deep

For the mayonnaise 2 egg yolks

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

300ml canola oil

For the salad320g smoked whitefish

4 asparagus stalks, sliced

½ red onion, chopped

4 cherry tomatoes, quartered

50g baby spinach

40g cloudberries

20g lingonberries

4 quail’s eggs

Starter

WHITEFISH SALAD WITH CLOUDBERRIES

AND LINGONBERRIES Serves 4

I build this starter with

smoked whitefish from the Torne River. It is as

wonderful in winter as in summer.

Served on Torne River ice, it becomes

magical

ALEXANDER MEIER,

HEAD CHEF, ICEHOTEL

1 Whisk together the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and zest and canola oil to make a mayonnaise.2 Mix the whitefish, asparagus, red onion and cherry tomatoes with four tablespoons of mayonnaise. 3 Boil the quail’s eggs for 4 minutes then remove the shells.4 Divide the spinach leaves between 4 plates. Fill up a round cooking mould with the fish and mayonnaise mixture and put this on top of one of the plates of spinach. Place lingonberries and cloudberries around the mould, then place a quail’s egg on top and remove the mould. Repeat for the other 3 plates.

Edgy and experimental, Icehotel Head Chef Alexander Meier’s cuisine is a fresh take on traditional fare BY FLEUR FRUZZA

Icemaestro

No one likes a smarty-pants. In the case of Alexander Meier, however, an exception must be made, because although his culinary genius demands admiration it also brings enjoyment. And we like enjoyment.

The multilingual Meier has worked all over the world, from Switzerland to Ecuador, and recently settled at Sweden’s Icehotel as its Head Chef.

This opportunity gave Meier the chance to not only dream up excellent Scandinavian cuisine, but also to play with ice.

Sourcing the best food that the surrounding region of Swedish Lapland has to offer, Meier creates the restaurant’s dishes based on local staples of elk, reindeer, fish and roe. Deep-fried reindeer sweetbreads served with trumpet chanterelle risotto is one such local delicacy on the entrée menu, while almond potatoes, cep mushroom and whitefish roe accompany freshly hot-smoked back of char fish.

Meier is a master of balance, seasoning his meaty main courses with boldness and precision. Grilled elk steak and braised elk roulade is flavoured with allspice and served with buttered boiled potatoes, while grilled and lightly smoked topside of reindeer is complemented by glazed root vegetables, potato cake and cranberry gravy. For something altogether lighter, Meier has created a cured and fried fillet of char, as well as a goat’s cheese risotto and a scallop linguini dish.

The real experimentation, however, is evident in his desserts, which include an elk-cheese ice cream with a cloudberry doughnut, and a delicate lavender crème bavaroise with Arctic-raspberry sauce and chocolate pearls. All of which, naturally, are served on large blocks of ice.

Main course BEEF FILLET WITH ALLSPICE SAUCE, POTATO

GRATIN AND SEASONAL VEGETABLES Serves 4

16 potatoes, cut into 5mm cubes

500ml cream

9 sprigs of thyme

1 clove of garlic, chopped

½ tsp lemon zest

100ml beef stock

20g allspice

150ml port wine

4 beef fillets (around 180g each)

4 asparagus

4 carrots

4 baby red onions

8 morels

1 Boil the potatoes with the cream, garlic, three chopped sprigs of thyme, lemon zest and salt and pepper for 15 minutes. Transfer to an oven dish. 2 Heat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7 and bake the potato mixture for 35 minutes.3 Add the beef stock, allspice, port and remaining thyme sprigs to a saucepan and boil until the mixture is reduced by half. Sieve the sauce and set aside.4 Fry the beef fillets and season with salt and pepper.5 Boil the asparagus, carrots and baby red onions. Fry the morels in butter. Divide the vegetables and morels between 4 plates, then place a slice of potato gratin next to this. Pour some allspice sauce on the plate and place the beef fillet upright on the sauce.

I love working with meat, and you can build fantastic-looking

plates with sauces. This Christmas-

inspired sauce will add a nice spirit to your festive

table

ALEXANDER MEIER,

HEAD CHEF, ICEHOTEL


ULTIMATE


It’s snowing. The tree is way too tall for the hall, again. The fairy lights have stopped working. The star has disappeared. The doorbell rings. A delivery man is smiling under the weight of a huge parcel, staggering around the doorstep trying to keep his footing in the snow. The parcel is carefully laid in the hallway. Underneath the wrapping paper and ribbons there’s a sturdy dark-brown box that looks like an old steamer trunk. Inside, nestled among layer upon layer of tissue paper is an abundance of tiny jars and bottles and boxes filled with gourmet treats, each one as exotic and delicious as the last. It’s a lucky dip made in foodie heaven. What’s not to love about a Christmas hamper?

Harrods “Ultimate” hamper is every bit the dream hamper – with all the traditional Christmas must-haves as well as gastronomic accoutrements to make every meal festively special. Each product has been selected for its exceptional flavour, from the hand-iced Christmas cake and pudding to the Champagne panettone and mince pies.There are jams and marmalade to brighten breakfasts; Iberian meats, Italian sausages and terrines for light lunches; chutney, cheeses and crackers for fireside suppers. There are even all the makings of a cocktail party: a side of smoked salmon, a block of fresh truffle foie gras and beluga caviar.

And matching all these Christmas flavours are the perfect wine pairings chosen by our resident oenophiles. From a vibrant Chablis to a full-bodied Barolo, vivacious Champagne and Bajan rum – the choice is as wide as it is lively. Just add some jewelled luxury crackers (the pulling kind) and some chocolate-dipped fruits and it will feel like all your Christmases have come at once. Until next year.

Harrods has a wide selection of luxury Christmas hampers, with prices ranging from £60 to £5,000. Available from Food Halls, Ground Floor; and harrods.com

From pink Champagne to smoked salmon, Christmas cake to caviar, the “Ultimate” hamper has all the ingredients of a very festive season

The Ultimate

Lucky dip

This holiday season, Ladurée pays tribute to childhood, to tales of the past and to an enchanted Christmas.

Enter Ladurée’s Christmas dream in the form of our magical red chocolate bauble. Glittering with sugar snowflakes, it is filled with a creamy chocolate mousse, chestnuts and pear.

An unforgettably Christmassy dessert experience.

Visit our boutique to discover our full Christmas range. Our team will be pleased to assist you with your special Christmas or hamper order.

Ladurée at Harrods, +44 (0)20 3155 0111

Ladurée unveils its Christmas collection

Silver Room, Second Floor

Telephone: 020 7730 1234 ext 2878

[email protected]

harrods food & entertaining

Lifestyle

champagne celebration

champagne house

champagne region

p42 champagne

fine champagne

nonvintage wines

vintage ross

month jacquar t