With the French Bastille Day (Fête Nationale) celebrated on 14 July, the Franschhoek Valley commemorates its French heritage with the annual weekend-long Bastille Festival, while at La Motte, we enjoy sharing a few French secrets with you to enjoy during July.
Join us as we embrace the influence of the French on our winemaking heritage, our recipes and our appreciation of quality.
Three Secrets
Legendary chef Auguste Escoffier famously declared that the three great secrets of French cuisine are: butter, butter and butter. Butter is often the foundation of flavour development. It is used to sauté, build sauces, and add a rich, velvety finish to nearly every dish.
Therefore, at L’Ami, we bring butter to the table! Rather than serving steak with a sauce, we suggest you opt for a beautifully melting knob of flavoured butter on your warm dish. A flavour expert, the innovative Chef Stephan Moolman, has developed various flavoured butters as the most magnificent pairings with the wines from our Reserve Collection.
Available from 22 July.
Butter Beauty for your kitchen!
Do you also enjoy cooking steak at home?
Experience an exceptional combination of flavour and texture that starts with something as basic as butter, but ends in a harmonious combination of flavour and texture – from your grill to your glass.
We don't expect you to go to the effort of sourcing Buchu or smoking marrow bones, like the chefs do at La Motte, so we asked one of South Africa's leading culinary duos to develop a series of flavoured butters that will be easy to recreate at home and that will allow a magnificent food and wine experience.
Un croissant, s'il vous plaît
Do you love a croissant? Do you want to know the secret to the je ne sais quoi of this famous pastry?
Butter!
A typical croissant is between 25% and 30% butter. Suddenly it all makes sense!
Join us at the La Motte Bakery for some of the most delightful versions you’ve ever tasted, such as the traditional 1837 croissant. Yes, the croissant is not only rich in texture and taste, but in history too!
French, Fresh and Soft!
Is butter’s only drawback that it is not as spreadable as its softer mock-versions?
Not at all. You just need the right tools!
A French butter dish (or butter bell) is a two-part ceramic crock that keeps butter perfectly soft, spreadable, and fresh on your kitchen counter. By storing the butter in a water-sealed lid, it blocks out oxygen to prevent spoilage without the need for refrigeration. Now there is no excuse to not enjoy real butter!
Get yours (R520) from our Farm Shop.
Pe(a)rfect Pâtisserie
French Pâtisserie is acclaimed for more than the sweet delight it offers. They often have the most charming names and even a romantic inspiration.
We know all about the Tarte Tatin, the Religieuse , the Paris Brest… but have you tried the Tarte Bourdaloue? This 19th-century classic was created named after Rue Bourdaloue in Paris where the original pastry shop was located.
Chef Elzeri from the Pastry Kitchen has created this delightful pastry especially for our celebration of all things French on the farm. Join us for coffee, tea or a glass of bubbly and enjoy its sweet pastry crust with almond frangipane, a succulent pear poached in white wine and Swiss meringue.
Let’s say, Santé!
La Motte is proud to have a French winemaking heritage and enjoys making wines that are classic in character and elegant in style.
Join us for a tasting of all the different La Motte selections in the La Motte Tasting Room or visit our stand in the Franschhoek Bastille Festival Marquee in town to try the latest vintages of our delightful and dry Vin de Joie Rosé or a choice from the popular Reserve Collection - the smooth-swirling Chardonnay, winter-warming Cabernet Sauvignon and of course the celebratory Cap Classique.
