Month: April 2021

Chicken Roasted with Oranges … Served with an Exquisite Condrieu

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Pairing: Chicken Roasted with Oranges, Rosemary and Bay Leaves, Served with Barley Pilaf and Peas, Paired with a 2015 E. Guigal Condrieu

Food: There are so many wonderful seasonings and ingredients that make a simple roast chicken even better (Is that possible?). Raising our own flock of hens year after year has given us ample opportunities to try umpteen recipes and to experiment with a vast array of flavorings. This recipe … Chicken Roasted with Oranges, Rosemary and Bay … has become a family favorite. Amanda Hesser’s singular book, The Cook and the Gardener: A Year of Recipes and Writings from the French Countryside is the source of this inspired recipe. A roasting chicken is first marinated in a combination of freshly squeezed oranges, garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, and the remaining orange rinds. Refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, basting several times in the marinade. Make a sauce out of the marinade and some rich stock (Hesser recommends duck stock). What a memorable integration of flavors! And paired with the Condrieu, it ascends to the stratosphere!

Note: Amanda Hesser is a great writer. Her book is a really good read even if you never make any of the recipes.

Roasted Chicken First Marinaded in Oranges, Rosemary and Bay. Served with Barley Pilaf and Peas.

Wine: I have said this before, but,… what the heck … I will say it again. If I have a favorite white wine, and … let’s be honest … I do … it has to be Condrieu, the appellation of the Viognier grape grown along a short stretch of the Northern Rhone River. Condrieu is the exemplar … the standard bearer … of the Viognier grape. And to think that Viognier almost completely disappeared. As recently as the 1960’s, the last vestiges of the grape were holding out on a few acres in some quiet corners of Condrieu. A resurgence occurred in the late 20th and early 21st Century as growers and winemakers responded to the growing interest from wine aficionados. Viognier is now grown all over the globe, some of the best coming from South Africa, Australia, California, and elsewhere in France (e.g., Languedoc-Roussillon).

Tasting Notes: Beautiful dark gold in color. Fragrant bouquet of ripe yellow peach, honey and orange (the blossom and the ripe fruit). The palate is light and refreshing with the gorgeous flavor of Charentais melon and honey with only the barest touch of sweetness. Very drinkable by itself (delightful actually), and pairs astonishingly well with the orange overtones to the roast chicken. “It tastes the way an orange smells!” “Gosh … this is good!!” And now … a little musical interlude … bluegrass!! … Orange Blossom Special.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Roast Chicken with Oranges: Riesling (Germany), Chardonnay (California), Semillon (Australia), Gewürztraminer (Alsace)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Condrieu:  Crab Cakes, Lobster, Filet Mignon (with Citrus Hollandaise), Roast Pork with Fruit Glaze or Sauce (Mango, Peach, Orange)

Views of the Condrieu Wine Region: Condrieu

A Source:  www. klwines.com

Grilled, Marinated Lamb … a Classic Pairing with a Margaux (Bordeaux)

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Pairing: Marinated Lamb Grilled in an Open Fireplace Paired with a 2012 Chateau D’Issan Margaux  

Food: Roasting a leg of lamb that’s been studded with thin slices of garlic has been the traditional way of preparing lamb … at least in our family. But … hold on. Boning the leg, butterflying the removed meat, marinating it, then grilling the lamb over a hot wood fire is rapidly becoming our new favorite way to enjoy this delicious meat. Butterflying a leg of lamb is relatively easy … if you are comfortable around a sharp knife (!). This video provides good, easy to follow, guidance for accomplishing this task. We use Martha Stewart’s excellent recipe as the basis for this wonderful meal. Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper, then marinate the meat overnight in a combination of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary, and oregano. For rare to medium-rare doneness, grill the lamb over a hot fire for about 8 minutes on a side, then let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. We like to cook the meat over an open wood fire (which adds a wonderful smokey flavor) and serve the sliced lamb with asparagus and popovers. What a treat!

Wine: The Haut Medoc wine region of Bordeaux is home to arguably the four most prestigious wine districts in all of Bordeaux, Maybe, according to some, even in all of France (Hmmmm … really?) Anyway, these four districts are Pauillac, Saint-Estephe, Saint-Julien, and Margaux, and all have a well-deserved reputation. Located in Margaux is Chateau d’Issan … this estate dates back to the 12th Century, there being claims that wine from the estate was served at the wedding of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henri Plantagenet, the future king of England, on 18 May 1152. Their 2012 vintage Margaux is made from Cabernet Sauvignon (67%) and Merlot (33%). This is a wine for special occasions.

Grand Cru Classe En 1855

Tasting Notes:  The color is red with a reddish-brown tint. The bouquet is that of fresh hedgerow smells, including service berry, blackberry, red currant, and bay. Some new leather sneaks in there, too. The palate is delightfully complex with layers of hedgerow (including some of the wood), spice notes (allspice and cloves), rosemary, oregano, black olive, cigar box and leather. Quite extraordinary. The rosemary and leather carry the long, lingering finish. The herbs in the marinade tease those flavors out of the wine. The pairing of the margaux and the lamb couldn’t be better. The wine complements the food, the food complements the wine. That’s what pairing is all about.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Grilled Lamb: Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa, California), Aglianico (Italy), Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, California), Hermitage (Rhone Valley, France)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Red Bordeaux (Margaux): Roast Chicken or Pheasant, Venison, Duck, Filet Mignon

Maps of Bordeaux and the Haut Medoc Wine Region: Haut Medoc

A Source: www.wine.com