Eat This Drink That - Volume 59 - Premium Wine and Meal PairingsEat This Drink That - Volume 59 - Premium Wine and Meal Pairings

October's Eat This! Drink That!

 

Old World 90+ points Reds:

Entertaining comes with enough pressure! Let us take care of the wine pairing recommendations. You and your dinner guests will love these highly rated Reds from some of the world’s most classic winemaking regions: Portugal, Italy, Spain and France.

Even better? These selections have all earned the stamp of approval from prominent wine critics so they’re sure to be a hit. Start exploring there stellar matchups.

Wines:

Casa Santos Lima Red Blend 2018
Extremely aromatic, with flavours of ripe red fruit and balanced acidity on the palate. Well balanced with vanilla notes from ageing in oak barrels. Soft tannins and flavours of pepper linger on the finish.
90 points Wine Enthusiast

Miral Nero d'Avola 2020
Intense and fruity with lots of crushed blackberries and blackcurrants on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with a compact palate and a tight, lightly firm finish.
91 points James Suckling

Sancho Baron Rioja 2018
Orange peel with ripe, dark fruit, plums and hints of meat. Full-bodied with ripe, round tannins and a flavorful finish. Lovely now.
92 points James Suckling

Michel & Tina Gassier Côtes du Rhône 2020
Aromas of ripe black fruit, violet and licorice intermingle harmoniously on the nose. Full and velvety, it reveals flavors of blackberry, cassis and hints of thyme and rosemary.
90-92 points Jeb Dunnuck

Recipes

Mushroom Pasta

Author: The Mediterranean Dish

4 Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

 

Wine pairing:
Casa Santos Lima Red Blend 2018

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces dry pasta

  • Kosher salt

  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • 2 shallots minced

  • 5 garlic cloves minced

  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced

  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced

  • 8 ounces portabella mushrooms roughly chopped

  • black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon rosemary

  • 3 tablespoons of tomato paste

  • ¼ cup merlot wine

  • ½ cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

  • ½ cup packed parsley

  • ⅓ cup chopped walnuts

  • Red pepper flakes to taste optional

Instructions : 

Step 1:
Cook the pasta to al dante in boiling salted water according to box instructions. Keep 1 cup of the pasta cooking water then drain the pasta.

Step 2:
In a large skillet, heat the olive and butter over medium-high heat, add the shallots and garlic and cook, tossing regularly for 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 3:
Add all the mushrooms and toss them around in the pan for a couple of minutes, adding another drizzle of olive oil. Season with a good pinch of kosher salt, black pepper and the rosemary. Cook the mushrooms for about 7 to 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they turn color and release their juices.

Step 4:
Add the tomato paste, wine and about ½ to ¾ cup of the pasta cooking water. Cook over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes (this becomes your mushroom pasta sauce).

Step 5:
Add the cooked pasta to the mushroom sauce. Toss to combine. If needed add a little bit more of the pasta cooking water.

Step 6:
Add the cooked pasta to the mushroom sauce. Toss to combine. If needed add a little bit more of the pasta cooking water.

Mozzarella Arancini

Author: Kitchen Stories

Serves: 10 Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

 

Wine pairing:
Miral Nero d'Avola 2020

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese

  • ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes

  • ¼ cup basil

  • 2 cups cooked risotto

  • 1 ¼ cup flour

  • 1 ¼ cup breadcrumbs

  • 1 egg

  • Salt

  • Pepper

  • Vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions : 

Step 1:
Finely chop dried tomatoes and basil. Add cooked risotto, dried tomatoes, and basil to a bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 2:
Divide mozzarella cheese into smaller pieces. With damp hands, form some of the risotto mixture around each piece of mozzarella and roll into equal-sized balls. If you want to make the breading easier, refrigerate the arancini for approx. 30 min.

Step 3:
Prepare three shallow bowls for breading and add flour to the first one, breadcrumbs to the second, and lightly beat egg in the third. Dredge each arancini in flour, then dip in beaten egg, and finally coat with breadcrumbs.

Step 4:
Heat vegetable oil in a small pot until it’s approx. 180°C/350°F. Add arancini in batches and deep-fry them for approx. 6 – 7 min., or until they are crispy and golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain and serve warm arancini with lemon wedges and yogurt for dipping. Enjoy!

Beef Pot Pie

Author: Good Dinner Mom

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 2 hours 30 mins

 

Wine pairing:
Sancho Baron Rioja 2018

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

  • Salt and pepper

  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 4 ounces creminis mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

  • 1 onion, finely chopped

  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • ½ cup dry red wine

  • 3 Tablespoons flour

  • 2 cups beef broth

  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 cup frozen peas

  • 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided

  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

  • 1 9-inch store-bought pie dough round

Instructions : 

Step 1:
Heat oven to 350F degrees. Pat beef cubes dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the beef and cook until well browned all over, about 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer the beef to bowl or plate with the remaining uncooked beef.

Step 2:
Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 ½ tablespoons oil to now-empty pot. Add mushrooms, onion, and carrots and cook until vegetables are lightly browned, about 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Step 3:
Stir in wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour until the vegetables are well coated and cook for 1 minute. Add broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire, and bay leaf, stirring until combined. Scrape any bits that have stuck to bottom of pan to incorporate into liquids. Add all of the beef and bring to a simmer. Cover and transfer to oven. Cook until beef is tender, about 1 ¼ hours.

Step 4:
Once meat is tender, remove and then increase oven temperature to 400F degrees. Discard the bay leaf and stir in the fresh thyme and add the peas. Taste the filling and add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 5:
Spray the bottom of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and add meat mixture to the dish. Brush the rim and interior lip of the pie plate with egg. Top the filling with pie dough so dough overhangs edges of pie plate only slightly.

Step 6:
Using a paring knife, cut a ½-inch hole in center of pie. Brush dough with remaining egg. Season the top of the dough with salt, pepper and remaining ½ teaspoon chopped thyme. Transfer pie to rimmed baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown, 20-30 minutes.

Herb and Lemon Roasted Chicken

Author: Food & Wine

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hour

 

Wine pairing:
Michel & Tina Gassier Côtes du Rhône

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

  • 5 garlic cloves, 1 minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon minced rosemary plus 2 rosemary sprigs

  • 1/2 teaspoon minced thyme plus 2 thyme sprigs

  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

  • One 4-pound chicken, at room temperature

  • 1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges

  • 1 lemon, cut crosswise into 8 rounds

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth

Instructions : 

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 425° and position a rack in the lower third of the oven. In a bowl, mix the butter with the minced garlic, minced herbs and the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

Step 2:
Pat the chicken dry. Rub half of the herb butter under the skin and the rest over the chicken; season with salt and pepper.

Step 3:
Set the chicken breast-side-up on a rack in a roasting pan. Scatter the onion, lemon, garlic cloves and herb sprigs and add ½ cup of water. Roast for 30 minutes, until the breast is firm and just beginning to brown in spots. Using tongs, turn the chicken breast-down and roast for 20 minutes longer, until the skin is lightly browned.

Step 4:
Using tongs, turn the chicken breast-side-up. Add another ½ cup of water. Roast for about 20 minutes longer, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 175° to 180°.

Step 5:
Tilt the chicken to drain the cavity juices into the pan; transfer the bird to a cutting board. Remove the rack from the pan and spoon off the fat. Set the pan over high heat. Add the stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits. Press the lemon to release the juices.

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