Vincon Cookbook

Vincon Red and Vincon White
Two innovative and halal products from New Zealand, which allow a whole new range of wine-based European recipes to be made as halal for the first time.  
 
Introduction
Congratulation on making the choice to use Prenzel’s Vincon.   This book is designed to help you incorporate Vincon into your establishment and your already successful recipes.  We will introduce you to Vincon, its origins and benefits. We will demonstrate the simple steps required to convert existing, non-halal recipes, which make use of table wine, to halal recipes using Vincon. Please also find some existing, well-proven Vincon based recipes, which you can pick up on immediately.
Origins
Vincon was originally developed in response to a request from Air New Zealand Catering in 1997.  They required a non-alcoholic wine stock in a concentrated form for use in their large scale catering company and which would save them the steam and labour of reducing more than one thousand litres of table wine each month.  Our distiller worked in collaboration with internationally acclaimed chef Peter Thornley to develop a product which met all their requirements while still having the desired flavour at the end of the cooking process. In addition, Prenzel took the opportunity to ensure that all ingredients were of halal origin and that no alcohol was used at any stage of the manufacturing process.
What is Vincon?
Vincon is a non-alcoholic, Halal certified wine stock.  It has the same attributes as wine that has already been reduced and concentrated.  At four times the flavour of standard, table wine, it is economical and convenient.  Not only does it represent a dramatic saving of time and money in the kitchen, in many applications it will produce a superior result to that achieved in standard wine reductions.  It is available as both a red and white wine stock which can be substituted for any wine based product.
It is essential that you do not further reduce the Vincon, as your dish may become too acidic. In most cases this can be achieved by adding Vincon at the end, rather than at the beginning, of the cooking process. 
 
How to convert your existing recipes?
As Vincon has four times the concentrated flavour of standard wine and as the reduction has already been done for you, in a standard recipe you would only use a quarter of the amount of Vincon, added at the end of the cooking process,  to replace the wine.
 
For example:
Mushroom Soup (Original version)

1kg Mushroom, diced
1 onion, diced
50g Butter
1 cup Red wine
1teaspoon dried thyme
1Litre of Stock
250ml cream
50g Flour
Salt & pepper

 

Sweat off the mushrooms and onions in the butter.  Mix in the flour and cook gently without browning.  Gradually add the stock and thyme and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the mushrooms are soft.  In a separate pot reduce the red wine by half.  Add the cream and wine mix to the cooked mushrooms and blend in a liquidizer.  Season and serve.
 

Mushroom Soup (Converted to Vincon)
1kg Mushroom, diced
1 onion, diced
50g Butter
¼ cup Red Vincon
1teaspoon dried thyme
 
1Litre of Stock
250ml cream
50g Flour
Salt & pepper

 
Sweat off the mushrooms and onions in the butter.  Mix in the flour and cook gently without browning.  Gradually add the stock and thyme and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the mushrooms are soft.   Add the cream and Vincon to the cooked mushrooms and blend in a liquidizer.  Season and serve.
 
How to dilute Vincon
Another benefit of Vincon is if your recipe requires table wine but there is no reduction required, Vincon can be diluted back to a non-concentrate form.  This is a significant benefit, as there is no need for two separate products, i.e. Vincon and standard wine, to be held in store.  Vincon can effectively be used in both a concentrate ready to use form or in a dilute non-concentrate form. 
Simply add 1 part Vincon to 3 parts water or stock.  Note: Once diluted the Vincon will not keep, so it must be used immediately or disposed off as it lacks the acidity to keep it safe from bacteria in a dilute form.
If, at the end of the cooking process you wish to increase the wine flavour, you can always adjust the ratio of Vincon to stock.  Sometimes the rules need to be fine-tuned until the desired flavour is achieved.
For example:
Garlic Rice Pilaf (Original version.)

6 medium to large cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
½ cup fresh parsley
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup long-grain rice
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup white wine
Salt & pepper

 
Heat butter in heavy saucepan. Cook the garlic and parsley very slowly for 10 minutes.  Stir in the rice. Cook rice, stirring, over medium heat for 2 minutes. Combine the stock and wine in another saucepan. Heat until it just begins to boil, then add to the rice mixture; add salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover tightly and simmer over very low heat for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Garlic Rice Pilaf (Converted to Vincon)

6 medium to large cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
½ cup fresh parsley
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup long-grain rice
1 ¾ cups chicken stock
¼ cup white Vincon
Salt & pepper

 
Heat butter in heavy saucepan. Cook the garlic and parsley very slowly for 10 minutes.  Stir in the rice. Cook rice, stirring, over medium heat for 2 minutes. Combine the stock and wine in another saucepan. Heat until it just begins to boil, then add to the rice mixture; add salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover tightly and simmer over very low heat for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Standard Recipes using  Vincon Red
Jus, Demi-glace & Red Wine Sauce
Prepare your basic stock as you would normally, white or brown depending on intended use.  Seive and reduce down.  Sweat off shallots and your aromatics, add your stock.  For 500ml of sauce you need to add 50-75mls of Vincon Red Wine Concentrate, depending on how dark you want your sauce, what meat its is going with and what other flavours you have on your plate.  Add the Vincon at the end of cooking.  Sieve through a chinois, adjust the seasoning and serve.
 
 
 
Beurre Rouge

250ml Stock
200ml Vincon Red Wine Concentrate
50g Shallot, sliced
1 Sprigs of Thyme
Parsley
200g Butter

 
Sweat the shallots, thyme and parsley in a little butter.  Add the stock and bring to the boil for 1-2 minutes.  Whisk in the butter.  Remove from the heat and add the Vincon.  Check the seasoning, adjust if necessary and serve.
 
Easy Marinade For Red Meat

60ml Vincon Red Wine Concentrate
150ml Sparkling Water
100ml Oil
1 Sliced Shallot
1 clove of Garlic, bruised
1 Sprig Parsley
2 Sprigs of Thyme
1 Bay leaf
3 peppercorns
2 Cloves
Salt and Pepper

Mix all ingredients together and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
For Game Meat:  add crushed juniper berries and coriander seeds.
Note:  It is very important that you use water with Vincon when you marinate. (For some reason, even more impressive results are achieved with sparkling water.) If you do not dilute the Vincon, it will not marinate your meat and will tend to work in reverse, toughening rather than tenderising.
 
Duck Legs in Red Wine

4 large duck legs
200ml Vincon Red Wine Concentrate
550ml sparkling water
8 juniper berries
3 cloves
3cm strip of orange rind
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp Oil
4 parsley stalks
100g of carrot, onion & celery
25g butter
25g Flour
Salt & pepper

 
Trim the excess fat from the duck legs.  Marinate the duck in the diluted Vincon, water, juniper berries, cloves, orange, bay leaf and parsley stalks for 2 hours.  Remove legs and pat dry.  Heat the oil in a pan big enough to hold the legs and marinade.  Fry the legs on both sides until the skin is crisp and coloured, remove from the pan and set aside.  Pour off the excess fat and fry the celery, carrot and onion until browned.  Return the legs to the pan, skin side up, pour in the marinade and braise covered for 90 minutes or until tender.  Remove the legs, strain the braising liquid and return to the heat to reduce lightly.  Mix the butter and flour together to make a beurre manié and whisk in liquid to thicken it.  Correct the seasoning and serve the sauce spooned over the duck legs.
 
Braised Lamb Shanks

2 carrots, diced
2 onions, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 lamb shanks
2Tbsp Oil
2 L Stock
100ml Vincon Red Wine Concentrate
4Tbsp tomato paste
2 Bay leaves
A sprig of rosemary
Salt & pepper

 
Brown the carrots, onions and garlic with the oil in a pan.  Dust the lamb shanks with flour and brown in hot oil.  Place all the ingredients in a large pan and braise in the oven at 160C for about 2 hours.  Remove the shanks, strain and reduce the sauce.  Adjust the season and serve the sauce and shanks together.
 
Chicken Italian Style

1kg chicken pieces
1 onion diced
2 cloves crushed garlic
3-4 bay leaves
Sprig of sage
Sprig of rosemary
2 Tbsp Oil

Sauce:
1 small can of tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
3 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup Prenzel Vincon Red Wine Concentrate

Remove skin from the chicken – optional, but better for you! In a pan, heat the oil, bay leaves, sage and rosemary and cook onion and garlic until soft – do not brown. (You may need to add a little more oil). Add chicken and seal the outside only (do not cook as the chicken is being cooked in all the flavors of the sauce later in the recipe.)  Remove chicken from the pan and add tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes or until it has caramelised. Add brown sugar and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add soya sauce and chicken stock and mix well to combine. Sauce should be slightly thick. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken back to the pan and simmer for about 25-30 minutes. Cover for the first 10 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, boil pasta, drain and toss through a drizzle of oil.

Remove chicken from the sauce and put in a serving dish. Gently mix cooked pasta through the sauce. Spoon onto serving plates and garnished with some fresh basil and shaved parmesan cheese. Serve with garlic bread and a fresh garden salad.

Mix lemon juice with liquid honey to form a thick glaze and basting chicken for mouthwatering yummy crispy honey lemon chicken. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar to tone down the sweetness and increase the colour if you wish.
Bourguignon

2kg lean boneless stewing beef
2 tbsp oil
25g butter
1 tbsp tomato puree
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bouquet garni
1kg small potatoes
2 tbsp chopped parsley

MARINADE:
350ml Prenzel Vincon Red Wine Concentrate
350ml water
1 tbsp oil
1 small carrot, sliced
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 shallots, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
5 peppercorns
1 clove

 

Slice the meat in large cubes and put them in a large bowl with the marinade ingredients and marinate in the fridge until the next day. Drain the meat and blot it dry with absorbent paper. Brown it in the oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the vegetables from the marinade and the butter and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes. Sprinkle over the flour and stir the mixture over high heat. The flour should brown lightly. Cover the meat with the marinade. Bring to the boil, add seasoning to taste. Add 125ml water, the tomato puree, garlic and bouquet garni, cover and simmer slowly for 2 hours (in a pressure cooker only 50 minutes). About 30 minutes before the end of cooking, peel the potatoes and drop them in boiling water and cook until tender. Serve the stew in a bowl and the potatoes in a separate serving dish sprinkled with the chopped parsley.

For a more elegant stew, towards the end of cooking, add pickling onions which have been blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes.  Another good addition would be 275g small button mushrooms sautéed in butter for 5 minutes before stirring them into the stew.

 

Asian Noodle Stir Fry

2 packets beef flavoured 2 minute noodles
4 cups boiling water
500g lean beef rump steak, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
2 Tbsp of Oyster Sauce
2 Tbsp Prenzel Vincon Red Wine Concentrate
3 cups frozen Stir Fry Vegetable Mix
Toasted cashews or peanuts to garnish

 
Place the 2 minute noodles in a bowl and carefully pour over the boiling water.  Stand for 2 minutes then drain.  Sprinkle the sliced beef rump with the contents of the flavour sachets, tossing to coat.  Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok or frying pan and when hot add the minced garlic and minced ginger and cook for 1 minute before adding the beef.  Stir-fry beef until well browned.  Stir in the Oyster Sauce, Prenzel Red Vincon and water.  Transfer to a plate.  Heat the remaining oil in the wok or frying pan and when hot add the frozen stir-fry vegetable mix and toss over high heat for 3-5 minutes until hot.  Return the beef to the pan and add the noodles.  Toss quickly to mix.  Serve immediately garnished with toasted cashew or peanuts.

 

Baked Eggplant with Mozzarella

1 kg eggplants
Salt
Oil for frying
4 gloves garlic
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 kg ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped
freshly ground black pepper
315g sliced of grated mozzarella
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Prenzel Vincon Red Wine Concentrate

Wash eggplant, cut off the tops and slice crossways 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 2 hours; tilt the plate so the juices run off. Dry the eggplant and fry in hot smoking oil until golden on both sides, and then drain on paper towels. Heat the garlic and the olive oil and add the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the sauce for about 30 minutes to reduce, add a splash of Prenzel Red Vincon for taste and then reduce the mixture a little further. Preheat the oven to 200°C and spread some of the sauce onto the bottom of a baking dish. Add a layer of eggplant, mozzarella and basil leaves and then repeat the layers. Bake 20 minutes and serve hot.

BBQ Variation - brush the eggplant with olive oil and cook on the BBQ, serve with tomato sauce and grated parmesan instead of mozzarella.

 

Chicken Drumsticks

Quantity chicken drumsticks
1/4 cup soya sauce
1 Tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp sweet chilli sauce
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp Prenzel Vincon Red Wine Concentrate
1 clove garlic, crushed

 

Combine all ingredients and marinate at least one hour. Bake, barbecue or grill chicken drumsticks until cooked.
 
A Greek Stifado

1 frying chicken, cut into pieces
A little Oil and flour for frying the chicken
4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
¼ cup water
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
5 fresh bay leaves
8 peppercorns
2 sticks cinnamon
12 whole cloves
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh marjoram
A few small onions or shallots
1 cup Kalamata olives
2 tbsp Prenzel Vincon Red Wine Concentrate
Cooked rice
150g crumbled feta cheese
½ cup parsley, chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts

 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Remove skin and fat from chicken. Dredge in flour and brown in a casserole dish. Add tomatoes, water and stock. Make bouquet garni with herbs, spices and garlic. Drop into casserole. Add onions to stew. Bake about 1 hour. Add olives and Prenzel Vincon Red Wine Concentrate. Serve over mound of rice, topped with feta, chopped parsley and walnuts. This dish is even better made the day before.
Pears Poached in Red Wine

250ml Prenzel Vincon Red Wine Concentrate
250ml water
1 cup apple juice
1 cup sugar
Juice of a small lemon
4-8cm strips lemon zest
1 cinnamon stick
4 firm ripe pears
Ice water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Mint
Crème friache

In a large saucepan, combine Prenzel Red Vincon, water, apple juice, sugar, juice of a small lemon and cinnamon stick. Bring to boil over moderate heat. Lower the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile carefully peel pears leaving the stems on. Carefully core pears from the bottom then place each pear into a bowl of iced water with 1 Tbsp lemon juice to prevent the pears from browning. Drain pears and add them to the Cassis mixture, simmering gently for about 35 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Place pears in a glass bowl and keep reducing the mixture until it is a thin syrup (about 15 minutes). Pour the syrup over the pears, cover and refrigerate. When serving, garnish with mint sprigs and additional lemon zest.
 
Mushrooms in Red Wine
These tasty mushrooms make a great side dish to serve with cold meats,
especially pork and ham. They are also good served as a starter with crusty
French bread and butter. They require over-night marinating.


 

350g small button mushrooms
100ml Prenzel Vincon Red Wine Concentrate
200 ml water
1 Tbsp crushed coriander seeds
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp Oil
1 small onion, skinned and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, skinned and crushed
1 Tbsp tomato puree
2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander or parsley
8 lettuce leaves, to serve

 

Wipe mushrooms with a damp cloth. Leave them whole if they are very small, otherwise halve them or cut them into even slices. Put mushrooms in a bowl with the Prenzel Vincon Red Wine Concentrate, water, coriander seeds and seasoning to taste. Cover and leave to marinate for about 4 hours. Heat oil in a heavy based fry pan. Add the onion and fry gently for 5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and tomato puree and fry for 2 minutes more. Drain the mushrooms and pour the reserved marinade into the pan and bring to boiling point. Remove from the heat, turn into a bowl and leave until cold. Add the mushrooms.
Cover with cling film and chill in the refrigerator over-night. Stir the coriander or parsley into the mushrooms. Leave to stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning. Place 2 lettuce leaves in each of 4 individual dishes and spoon the mushrooms on them. Serve immediately or the lettuce will become limp. Serves 4.
 
Vegetarian Moussaka

2 eggplants, peeled
1 carrot
1 onion
1 green pepper
Oil
2 cups bread crumbs
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup parsley
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup Prenzel Vincon Red Wine Concentrate
1 cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup water

White Sauce:
¼ cup white flour
¼ cup butter
2 cups milk

 

 

Chop eggplants into 2 cm thick slices. Grill until brown (about 7 or 8 minutes) on each side. Chop carrot, onion, and green pepper into small pieces. Put in a pot and moisten with oil. Cook over med-high heat until browned slightly. Add cinnamon, parsley, and salt and pepper. Stir occasionally. Turn down heat. In a measuring cup, mix tomato paste with Prenzel Red Vincon and water. Pour in with veggies and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Turn down heat a little, and cook until vegetables are no longer crisp. Grease a 13" by 9" pan, and preheat oven to 150°C. In the pan, layer bread crumbs, eggplant, then vegetables, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on more bread crumbs, and repeat the layering sequence. Make a white sauce by melting ¼ cup butter and mixing it with ½ cup flour, continuously beating the mixture, and then whisking in 2 cups milk in a small pan over high heat. Turn down the heat, still beating the mixture. Beat until thick. Turn off the heat, and mix in 1 cup ricotta cheese. Spread over the layers in the pan, and bake the whole thing for 1 hour. When finished baking, let stand just a little bit so everything settles into place.
 
Standard recipes using Vincon White
Beurre Blanc

250ml Stock
150ml Vincon White Wine Concentrate
50g Shallot, sliced
1 Sprigs of Thyme
Parsley
200g Butter

 
Sweat the shallots, thyme and parsley in a little butter.  Add the stock and bring to the boil for 1-2 minutes.  Whisk in the butter.  Remove from the heat and add the Vincon.  Check the seasoning, adjust if necessary and serve.
 
Easy Marinade For Chicken or Fish

50ml Vincon White Wine Concentrate
150ml Sparkling Water
75ml Lemon Juice
50ml Oil
½ Sliced Shallot
1 Tbsp Parsley
2 Sprigs of Thyme
1 Bay leaf
3 peppercorns
Salt and Pepper

Mix all ingredients together and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Note:  It is very important that you use water with Vincon when you marinate. (For some reason, even more impressive results are achieved with sparkling water.) If you do not dilute the Vincon, it will not marinate your meat and will tend to work in reverse, toughening rather than tenderising.
 
Risotto

½ onion diced
2 Tbsp Oil
400g Arborio rice
50ml Vincon White Wine Concentrate
1150ml Stock
60g Parmesan grated
Salt & Pepper

 
Sweat the onion in the oil.  Add the rice and fry without colouring for 3 minutes.  Add the Vincon to the stock and add in large ladlefuls, always stirring until the liquid is absorbed.  When the rice is soft and cooked remove it from the heat.  Stir in the parmesan with a fork, adjust seasoning and serve.
 
Court-bouillon

300g Onions, sliced
200g Carrot, sliced
2 Bay leaves
Small bunch parsley
2 lemons, sliced
15g Butter
1 Tbsp Salt
6 Peppercorns
2375ml Water
125ml Vincon White Wine Concentrate

 
Place all the ingredients in a large pot.  Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Allow to cool to poaching temperature before using.
Ideally used for poaching oily fish both whole, or in cuts.
 
Osso Bucco

1kg beef
50ml oil
300g onion, diced
100g celery finely diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
500ml fresh tomato sauce
30g tomato paste
50ml Vincon White Wine Concentrate
350ml beef stock
1 bouguet garnet
Salt & pepper             

 
Dust the meat in flour and fry in hot oil until browned.  Remove the meat and fry the onions, celery and garlic until soft.  Stir in the remaining ingredients including the beef and cooked covered in the oven at 160c for 1.5 hours or until it is tender.  Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
 
 
 
Crayfish a l'Americaine

½ cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ cup butter
¼ cup olive oil
5 whole crayfish tails cut in 2.5 cm pieces
¼ cup Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups chopped ripe tomatoes
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp ground tarragon
1 whole bay leaf
½ tsp ground thyme
2 cups fresh fish stock
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, cook onions and garlic in 4 tablespoons of butter for 5 minutes, or until soft. Remove onions and garlic with a slotted spoon and add olive oil to saucepan.
Heat olive oil and butter until very hot, then add the crayfish pieces.
Sauté for 5 minutes, turning and stirring over fairly high heat until cooked.  Add the Vincon, tomato paste, coarsely cut tomatoes, parsley, tarragon, bay leaf, thyme, onions and garlic. Mix well and transfer to an ovenproof casserole dish. Add enough stock to cover crayfish. Cover and bake at 185°C for 20 minutes. Remove the crayfish pieces to a warm serving dish. Strain cooking juices into a saucepan. Over high heat, bring the sauce to the boil and reduce for 5 minutes. Blend remaining butter with flour. Stir into sauce and cook, stirring until sauce is smooth. Stir in lemon juice. Pour sauce over the crayfish pieces and sprinkle with additional parsley.
 
Fish Fillets in Lemon and Caper Sauce

350g boneless, skinless fillets of medium-textured fish
¼ cup flour
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Oil
1 clove garlic
¼ cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp each capers and caper liquid
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp finely chopped parsley
¼ cup Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate
1 tsp mustard

 

Cut large fillet diagonally into even sized pieces if necessary, so that you finish up with two or three pieces of almost equal size from each fillet.
Lightly coat by turning in flour, patting it onto the surface so each piece is evenly coated. Melt the butter with the oil in a large fry pan. Put half the fish pieces into the hot oil. Cook the fish until lightly browned, about 1 minute on each side. Lift out and keep warm. Repeat with remaining fish pieces, and then make the sauce. In the pan, add the water, lemon juice, capers and their liquid, the seasonings and mustard. Boil until reduced slightly. Add the Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate. Return the cooked fillets to the pan, turn in the sauce, and sprinkle with parsley. Serves 2.
Lemon Tarragon Prawns
QUANTITIES PER PERSON

 

4 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
2 tbsp Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
20 large prawns in their shell
Juice of a lemon

 

In a bowl blend together the Lemon juice, Vincon White Wine Concentrate, ginger, pepper and tarragon. Run a rolling pin over the prawns to crush their shells a little. Arrange in a single layer in a shallow dish and pour over marinade. Cover and marinate for 1-2 hours. Heat the barbecue until very hot. Brush well with oil. Place the prawns on the barbecue and cook over a high heat for about 6-8 minutes until they are cooked. This time will vary depending on the thickness of the prawns. Serve drizzled with lemon juice.
 
Lima Bean Salad

2 cups cooked baby lima beans
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate
1 tbsp vinegar
2 sprigs finely chopped mint
A small handful finely chopped parsley
1 small clove crushed garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste

While beans are still warm, mix all dressing ingredients and toss through. Allow to stand for a few hours to let the flavours infuse and serve at room temperature. Serves 4.
 
Bean and Cashew Casserole

2-3 cups kidney beans
4 medium onions
2 green peppers
2 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp each basil, oregano
1 Tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin
2 cans tomatoes
Black pepper, bay leaf
½-1 cup cashews
Handful raisins
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate

 

Sauté onions, green peppers, celery, garlic in the oil. Add spices, fry with onion mix, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, pepper, bay leaf, cashews, salt, and raisins. Add beans, simmer covered for 30 min. Add water if necessary. Add Prenzel White Vincon when casserole is almost ready. For variety, add carrots or green beans (may need to cook longer until they are tender). Even better if re-heated the next day.
 
 
 
Chicken with Creamy Tarragon Sauce

2 Tbsp of Butter
4 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate
2 Tbsp water

250g baby mushrooms, sliced
1 cup thickened cream
1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 Tbsp dried tarragon

 
Heat Butter in a pan, add chicken and cook until well browned and cooked through.  Add Vincon, water and mushrooms to pan and cook, stirring until mushrooms are soft.  Remove chicken from pan.  Stir cream and herbs into pan, bring to boil and simmer uncovered for about 7 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve sauce over chicken with crispy potatoes and a green salad.
 
Chicken with Pepper Herb Marinade

2 kg chicken, quartered
1 cup Oil
2 tbsp Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate with enough water to make to ½ cup
2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Add chicken to marinade in bowl, mix well and cover, then refrigerate overnight. Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade. Cook the chicken in a covered BBQ until brown and tender. Heat the reserved marinade in a pan, bring to the boil then drizzle over the chicken to serve.
Baked Pears with Christmas Mince

4 medium size pears*
4 Tbsp Christmas mince or 10 stoned dates
Grated rind of 1 orange
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sugar
¾ cup water
¼ cup Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate

Core pears, cut stem about 1cm down from top and put aside. With a sharp paring knife score right around pear at its widest girth (this will stop the skin from splitting). Mix mince or dates (chopped) with softened butter, rind and sugar, fill centre of pears. Rub pear with butter and stand in oven proof baking dish, pour in the Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate and water. Bake at 190°C for around 45 minutes until pears are tender when pierced with a skewer. Serve hot with custard or cold with whipped or double cream.

(*you can use apples or nashi in place of pears)
 
 
 
 
Mussel Chowder

1 each; small leek, large celery stalk
2 Tbsp Oil
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups chopped mussels


1/8 cup Prenzel Vincon White WineConcentrate and water to make up to 1/2 cup
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp each; paprika, lemon juice
3 cups milk

 
Finely chop leek and celery.  Sauté in oil until leek is soft. Add flour and cook for 1 minute stirring. Add the mussels, White Vincon and water. Stir over low heat for 2—3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and parsley, paprika and lemon juice. Pour in the milk and heat until simmering, stirring frequently. Serve with crusty bread.
Serves 4.
 
Steamed Mussels
1 dozen mussels – cleaned and de-bearded
½ cup Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate
2 finely diced shallots
¼ cup lemon juice

Steam the mussels over the Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate in a large pot or wok with a lid on the BBQ and shallots for 5-6 minutes. Lift the mussels out and place on a serving dish and drizzle with lemon juice. Add lemon wedges to serve.
 
Marinated Lamb Cutlets

2 x 1kg best end necks of lamb

MARINADE:
225ml Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate
2 tbsp tomato puree
200ml Oil
225ml water
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 large garlic clove crushed
700g pickling onions skinned
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tbsp Prenzel Vincon Red Wine Concentrate
1 tbsp chopped rosemary

 

Trim away any excess fat, and remove the flesh between each cutlet bone. Place the meat in a glass or china dish.
Mix the Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate, water, oil, rosemary, seasoning and crushed garlic together and pour over the meat. Cover and marinate for 12 hours turning once. While meat is marinating, heat some oil in a large frying pan, add the onions with the sugar and stir well. Cook over moderate heat for about 15 minutes until well browned, shaking the pan occasionally. Add tomato puree and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and cook gently, uncovered for 5-10 minutes until the onions are glazed. Add the Prenzel Vincon Red Wine Concentrate. Remove from the heat, cool and chill. Lift the meat out of the marinade and place on a rack standing over a roasting tin.
Cook in the oven at 180°C for about 1½ hours or until the meat is tender basting occasionally. While still warm, divide the meat into cutlets and spoon over the marinade. Baste and turn from time to time until cold, about 1 hour. Cover and leave in a cool place until serving time.

TO SERVE: Arrange the cutlets on a serving plate and garnish with the onions. Serve chilled. Serves 6.
 
Spring Lamb with Vincon


 

750g NZ lamb tenderloin
500g potato gnocchi
420g can of tomatoes
1 onion
Juice of 1 lime
1 bay leaf
Handful of sage, chopped
Pinch salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves
4 sprigs rosemary
3 Tbsp Oil
1 Tbsp liquid honey
100ml Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate
50g butter (salted)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Mix together lime, rosemary, oil, honey, bay leaf, Prenzel Vincon and 3 garlic cloves. Brush the lamb with the infusion and leave it to sit for 5 minutes. Blend tomatoes in food processor. In a small pan sauté the onion and remaining garlic. Then add the tomato and simmer for around 15 minutes. Char-grill the lamb if possible. If not, pan fry for about 6-7 minutes, brushing with the infusion and turning continuously. Meantime, cook gnocchi. Melt butter, add sage leaves, then add the gnocchi and toss gently. When everything is prepared, in each of the plates prepare a crown of gnocchi, add the tomato, cut the lamb tenderloin diagonally and place in the centre of the crown. Garnish with fresh rosemary. The parmesan cheese is optional at this stage. Serves 4.
 
Stuffed Chicken Breast

1 chicken breast
30g slice blue cheese
6 sundried tomatoes
6 stoned black olives
Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate
Water

 

Place fillet flat. Make a pocket by cutting in from one side. Mould the cheese to fit into the pocket, layer the tomatoes on top, followed by the olives. In a small pan heat 3 parts water to one part Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate, to a simmer. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Place in a hot oven for 12-15 minutes at 190°C. Remove chicken from oven and put to one side. Reduce the poaching liquid down over the heat (it will contain some blue cheese) and pour over chicken.
 
Vintage Chicken

4 large corn-fed chicken legs
160ml Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate
Walnut Oil
1 Tbsp butter
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
125ml concentrated chicken stock
100g unsalted butter
1 cup ripe sultana grapes

Separate the thighs and drumsticks. Heat enough walnut oil and 1 Tbsp butter to just cover the bottom of a heavy based casserole and gently seal the chicken until golden brown. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and discard oil in pan. Add the Prenzel Vincon and gently over a low heat, braise the chicken. Cook for about 25 minutes until tender, then set aside, covered for about 10 minutes. Add the stock to the pan and reduce over heat. While the sauce is boiling rapidly, whisk in 100g of diced chilled butter. Throw in the grapes in the last few minutes of cooking. Serve the chicken with the sauce, steamed greens and potato and kumara mash.
 
Mushroom White Wine Sauce

½ bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig parsley
2 shallots
125ml Prenzel Vincon White Wine Concentrate
25g unsalted butter
400ml white stock (chicken, fish)
75g mushrooms (blanched)
400ml double cream