Though, I think the best Chenin Blancs are coming from South Africa, where more than half of all Chenin Blancs worldwide are produced, I still associate Chenin Blanc with the French. My favorite restaurants are French. I rarely order the entrée’ though. French restaurants have the best hors d’oeuvres and desserts. At any restaurant I go to, I always look at the dessert menu first and then decide what I’m going to eat to see how much room I need to make for the dessert. If I want two desserts then I eat salad and a veggie side or an appetizer that has a lot of veggies. Anyone can make chicken or steak so it’s the patisserie chef that gets my attention. The wonderful thing about French restaurants is that souffles take so much time to make, that you have to order them when you order your drinks. With pleasure, I’ll happily order dessert first. After all, you only live once. There’s a tropical sweetness to warm climate Chenin Blanc, even when made dry with no residual sugar. Thus, it pairs well with goat cheese and of course, figs. I usually opt for Vouvray at a French Restaurant. But, anywhere that has a fantastic wine list with South African wines, I order the South African Heritage Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch.
Goat Cheese & Fig Souffle
6 TBL melted butter
5 TBL flour
1 ½ cups half and half
1 cup whipped cream
5 egg yolks
6 oz goat cheese
½ TSP salt
¼ TSP nutmeg
1 cup egg whites
8 fresh figs poached in port wine and honey then chop
Preheat oven to 450 degrees and butter ramekins. In a sauce pan, mix butter and flour and then slowly whisk in half and half and whipped cream on low. Remove and let cool a bit. Then whisk in egg yolks, goat cheese, salt, nutmeg and finely chopped poached figs. In a mixer, whip in eggs whites until stiff and then fold egg whites into batter. Pour batter into soufflé ramekins and bake for 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately with a giddy smile.
