MAKE Constantia Glen Sauvignon Blanc your go to summer wine. Considered one of South Africa’s sought-after regions for Sauvignon Blanc, the Constantia Valley is known for exceptional cool-climate wines.
This multi-layered wine shows depth and minerality with uplifting aromas of nettle and gooseberry, backed by nectarine and kiwi fruit flavours. You’ll find the notable underlying perfume of elderflower so characteristic of the Constantia Glen Sauvignon Blanc most appealing. It is the perfect wine to enjoy with its famous, ever so crispy flammkuchen, served daily hot from the oven at its tasting room with your choice of toppings.
If you prefer to enjoy your Constantia Glen Sauvignon Blanc at home, try making your own flammkuchen for a sensory summer taste experience.
A South German or French-style ‘tarte flambée’, flammkuchen is a thin, crisp flatbread layered with crème fraîche and a variety of delicious toppings. Originating in the wine district of Alsace, bakers would test the heat of their wood-fired bread ovens with a bit of flat dough, resulting in a crispy baked, ultra-thin base. Flammkuchen is one of signature experiences keeping the European heritage of the Waibel family, who acquired Constantia Glen in the late 1950s, alive.
Constantia Glen Sauvignon Blanc is available at a cellar door price of R195, or buy online. The Constantia Glen tasting room is open Mondays to Thursdays from 10am till 5pm, Fridays and Sundays 10am till 6pm, and Saturdays 10am till 8pm. Book to avoid disappointment.
CLASSIC FLAMMKUCHEN RECIPE
Flammkuchen dough recipe (makes 4)
500g white bread flour
7g salt
320ml warm water
A little olive oil
Traditional Flammkuchen topping
12 strips of bacon, cut into small squares or cubes
2 onions, finely sliced into rings
250g crème fraîche (or sour cream)
230g natural Greek yogurt
1 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp salt
5 leeks, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh thyme (optional)
Method
Combine all dough recipe ingredients in a large bowl to form a rough dough.
Knead the dough for 10 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic, stretchy and velvety dough.
Place the dough back into your bowl and cover with a lid.
Leave to rest for 2 – 4 hours at room temperature (or overnight in the fridge).
Preheat the oven and a baking tray to 250°C (the highest temperature possible) 30 minutes before the bake. If you have a pizza stone, preheat the oven and the pizza stone 1 hour before.
Divide the dough into 4 parts (8 parts for smaller sized flammkuchen).
Shape each part into a ball and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Combine the crème fraîche and yoghurt in a small bowl, add the nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix well.
Roll out the dough pieces (2-3 mm) and transfer to baking sheets.
Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Fry the bacon strips briefly until almost cooked, don’t let them get crispy.
Fry the onion rings and leeks in the same pan until slightly browned.
If you are making all four Flammkuchen but baking only one at a time, don’t add the topping to all of them at once.
Evenly and generously spread the cream mixture onto the base, leave a small border around the edge (this will turn golden-brown and crispy).
Scatter the onion rings and bacon on top and sprinkle with thyme.
Bake for about 12 minutes or until the edges are nicely browned and the bottom is crisp.
Serve immediately.
