W L
BUBBLES
BY PAUL ASKEW , CHEF PATRON OF THE ART SCHOOL RESTAURANT
The city region has a well-known history and passion for the wonderful thing that is Champagne , Prosseco and Cava , beautiful bubbles from their respective regions . The interesting statistic is we drink more per head of population than any other city outside of London ! You could say we ’ re connoisseurs in bubbles !
Perhaps less well known is that the original Champagne Charlie – Charles Heidsieck started his journey to America from the Liverpool docks to New York .
This little bit of history was revealed recently at the Maverick Encounters , an evening with the Champagne House , Charles Heidsieck , that was hosted at The Art School recently .
The regions love for bubbles was one of the factors that influenced my decision to open the Champagne and wine bar affectionately as The Cellars ( The Art School Cellars ) linked from the restaurant by an old Victorian passageway .
Champagne is the ultimate aperitif , which is why we serve it with charcuterie and pinchos in The Art School Cellars and with canapés in the restaurant . However , for me if I want to enjoy a glass with a meal I ’ ll look no further than the sea . Fish and shellfish work beautifully with bubbles .
One of my favourite dishes for champagne and as we approach the festive season it feels rather apt to bring together a trinity of the finest fayre the sea and grape has to offer . That dish is Turbot and Lobster , served with pommes mousseline , chicory , lime and mango salad and dressed with a lobster bisque . Its as mouth wateringly good as it sounds and is one of forty recipes included in my debut book , “ Onwards and Upwards ” which is available to pre-order now .
The wonderful thing about Champagne outside of the bottling and conditioning process is the amazing blends and styles that create unique flavours . My very favourite is Blanc de Millenaires 1995 , one hundred percent Chardonnay and produced using a blend of the finest vintages from over a decade . As with all Champagne , it ’ s the second fermentation that produces the bubbles . This process for making Champagne is followed for Cava although Prosecco is slightly different .
Enjoy the bubbles – until next month . Very Best Chef Askew
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