Foodie Fare in QLD’s Cold Country

The Southern Downs is a mecca for serious gourmets at any time of year, but winter in our region offers some very special flourishes that other foodie destinations can only dream about. Truffles, cheese, red wine, and chocolates are all culinary delights that rate somewhere between a little bit naughty and daringly decadent on the luxury scale, depending on your point of view. Scroll down to find a mouth-watering meal you can make for yourself using the finest ingredients from QLD’s Cold Country.

The wines we have selected are magnificent alternative varietals that feature in the Granite Belt’s amazing Strange Bird Wine Trail and there are plenty more to choose from. Grapes have been grown in the Granite Belt since the 1860s and today our wineries are the most awarded in Queensland. A string of over 40 cellar doors dot the Granite Belt villages nestled along the New England Highway either side of Stanthorpe. The perfect gourmet escape, the Granite Belt is Queensland’s premier wine destination, lauded for its vineyards and award-winning small production wineries. To find out more, grab a copy of our QLD’s Wine Country Guide.

Dreaming of winter festivals, frosty mornings and a flickering fireplace? We’ve crafted a QLD’s Cold Country Guide full of winter experiences in the Southern Downs to help you unleash your inner winter worshipper and explore the cooler side of our region. Turn its pages today to find out everything you need to know to start planning your next Southern Downs winter escape.

While you are in the Southern Downs, make sure to download the official Southern Downs and Granit Belt App. It’s the ultimate free travel resource to help you explore and #SeeSouthernDowns.

Truffled Cauliflower Gratin

paired with Casley Mount Hutton Winery Fiesta Blanco – Off Dry Chenin Blanc

Ingredients

1 whole cauliflower
150g grated Stanthorpe Matured rich and creamy cheddar-style cheese from Stanthorpe Cheese
100ml milk
100ml double cream
50g butter
25g grated parmesan
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of celery salt
Pinch of white pepper
1 egg yolk
1 small black truffle from The Folly Truffles, finely chopped

Method

Melt the butter in a small pan over a medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour, then add milk, cream, mustard and the seasoning and stir for 5 minutes on a low heat until the sauce thickens.
Add the grated cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and add an egg yolk for extra gloss and richness. Finish the cheese sauce with half the chopped truffle.
Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C.
Bring a large pan of water to the boil and then blanche the cauliflower florets.
Transfer the blanched florets into an ovenproof baking dish using a slotted spoon.
Pour the cheese sauce over the top and add the grated parmesan.
Roast for 15 minutes until golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
Finish with the remaining black truffle and serve hot.

Chocolate & Ginger Baked Pudding

paired with Robert Channon Wines Reserve Malbec 2021

Ingredients

Pudding

Melted butter to grease
250g butter at room temperature
270g (1 1/4 cups) caster sugar
3 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 Echo Valley Farm pastured eggs
150g (1 cup) plain flour
50g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
80ml (1/3 cup) milk

Choc-ginger sauce

200g dark chocolate from Heavenly Chocolate, coarsely chopped
250ml (1 cup) thickened cream
1 tbsp brown sugar
4cm-piece fresh ginger, peeled, halved
Double cream or vanilla ice-cream

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C.
Lightly grease six 250ml (1-cup) pudding moulds with melted butter and line the bases with non-stick baking paper.
Beat together the butter, sugar and ginger in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Use a large metal spoon to fold the flour, cocoa powder and milk into the mixture until well combined.
Spoon the mixture into the moulds and smooth the surfaces.
Place the moulds on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean.
Set aside for 10 minutes to cool before turning onto serving plates.
To make the choc-ginger sauce, combine the chocolate, cream, sugar and ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir for 5 minutes or until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. Discard the ginger.
Drizzle the choc-ginger sauce over the puddings.
Serve with double cream or vanilla ice-cream.