About Chef Iain
Throughout his career, Iain has explored different styles of cooking, cuisines, and countries, enabling him to master the art of working with seafood. As Head Chef at No. Fifty Cheyne in London, he integrates this passion with local, seasonal ingredients and an open grill.
What are your secrets to food and wine pairings?
"Good question! I think the most important thing would be to respect the people, the craft and the passion behind both the food and the wine. When you have the opportunity to taste a beautiful meal or a lovely wine that’s been aged for months, you have to take into account the passion that goes into it. It takes so much time and effort to produce anything that is worth having.
I think if you’ve got the respect for the wine and the food, and for the people who are producing them, that in itself gives you an element of why and how. You have to make sure that the wine and the food balance each other. So if you’ve got a rich dish, you don’t want too much of a heavy wine. The wine should carry that punch without taking over the food. And vice-versa, the food can’t take over the wine. They have to respect each other in a way."
The wine should carry that punch without taking over the food. And vice-versa, the food can’t take over the wine. They have to respect each other in a way.
Can you tell us more about the recipes that you chose today?
“To begin with the chicken and foie-gras terrine, we chose the Château de Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Monopole 2015. The reason why we chose it was purely based on the fact that the terrine is quite rich but not too powerful. It creates a beautiful marriage. The wine is clean and rich, but not too heavy. The terrine and the Monopole pair superbly well!
As for the Ladoix, the wine has such a great color and richness! On the palate, it pops with acidity that cuts through. The dish I chose is quite rich in itself. I love fish and meat together, so I prepared a beautiful piece of braised oxtail with turbot, cockles and some parsley “pommes purée,” as French people say. I imagined that the wine would pair quite well. As soon as I tasted the Ladoix, I knew this was the one!”
Read the full interview here.
