What to eat with a Red Burgundy wine

Fillet Mignon with Wild Mushrooms in a Wine Reduction … Elegant and Romantic with Pinot Noir

~ Peter Eppig ~ 1 Comment

Pairing: Fillet Mignon with Wild Mushrooms (Cepes and Bi-color Boletes) in a Wine Reduction Sauce Paired with a 2016 Ata Rangi Martinborough Pinot Noir (New Zealand).

Food: When celebrating a special occasion, one likes to “pull out all the stops.”

Fillet Mignon with Wild Mushrooms in a Wine Reduction Sauce served with Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

For many people, a special occasion calls for a night out, dining in an elegant setting, maybe dressed to the nines, and, having someone else (preferably someone who really knows what s/he is doing) cook a fantastic meal. Some of us, however, really to exercise our own culinary prowess and create an extraordinary meal cooking side by side with that special someone. Here’s the setup.

The ingredients ready to go … minced garlic and shallot, oil, butter, beef stock, wine, crushed black pepper, Kosher salt, fresh rosemary, the cooked still-warm fillets, and … the crowning glory .. cepes and bi-color boletes foraged in our own property.

Preparation. Saute the mushrooms in butter and keep warm. The fillets of beef (one and one half to one and three quarters inches thick) are first rubbed thoroughly with crushed black pepper and Kosher salt, then pan-seared in a hot pan with a small amount of oil and butter. Three or four minutes or so on each side should produce a nice crust and a done-ness of rare to medium rare. Transfer the meat to a 300F oven while you make the sauce. Deglaze the pan with some of the wine, add the garlic and shallots, cook to just translucent. Pour in about 3/4 cup of the wine you will be drinking with the meal. Simmer until reduced to about 1/3 of a cup. Add 3/4 cup beef stock. Simmer until reduced again to about a third of a cup of liquid. Strain the liquid, pour back into the pan. Add about a Tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary, and a Tablespoon of butter. Swirl around until the sauce is nice and silky. Fold in the already cooked mushrooms. Plate the beef with the sauce over or under the beef. (sigh) … Incredible. And a lovely Pinot Noir is the perfect companion to the beef. Enjoy your night “in”.

Wine: When ‘Pinot Noir’ is mentioned, the question arises, “Grown where?” The premier Old World versions are from Burgundy, ever since the Ark. Now the Pinot Noir grape is grown the world over. Martinborough, the source of our wine, is located in the Marlborough Wine Region on the north end of the South Island in New Zealand. Marlborough is the largest wine region in New Zealand. At Ata Rangi, they have been making wine since 1980. This family-owned winery has grown from a small beginning [“Ata Rangi” means “new beginning”] in a sheep pasture to being known for the their Pinot Noirs.

Tasting Notes: The color is a medium red. A nose of cherry gives hints of what is to come. On the palate, the cherry notes continue, joined by red fruits. Do not think that this describes a terribly fruity wine, as New World wines can be. This Pinot Noir was made by people who know what they are doing, so the wine is balanced and elegant. A Pinot Noir like this is the one you want to serve for a special dinner with a special someone.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Beef Tenderloin: Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec (France or Argentina), Tempranillo

Other Foods that Pair Well with New Zealand Pinot Noir:  roast chicken, duck confit, smoked salmon, game birds, mature cheddar cheese

Views of the Marlborough Region: https://www.winetourism.com/wine-region/marlborough/

A Source:  www. klwines.com

Chicken Galantine … Paired Beautifully with a Red Burgundy (Mercurey)

~ me ~ 1 Comment

Pairing:  Chicken and Pork Galantine Served with Onion Confit, Asparagus, Cornichon, French Country Mustard, and a Crusty Loaf, Paired with a 2016 Domaine Faivel Mercurey (Red Burgundy)

Food: A galantine is not for the faint of heart — the preparation is a bit daunting. First, a whole chicken is relieved of its bones, while leaving the skin intact. If you have a real butcher, he/she might do that for you. Some of the meat is removed and added to chopped beef, herbs, pate de foie gras, and pistachios to form a filling. The remaining skin and the meat attached to it are laid flat, skin side down, and the stuffing is formed into a roll to place on top. The entire thing is rolled up to enclose the stuffing, tied with kitchen twine, then poached. After removing from the poaching broth, the rolled meat is roasted to brown and crisp the skin. At last, it can be sliced and served cold or hot.

Wine:  ‘Mercurey’ is not a mis-spelling of the first planet in our solar system. It is one of the many villages in Burgundy that have given their names to a wine. Located in la Cote Chalonnaise, this appellation produces white wines from Chardonnay grapes, and red wines from Pinot Noir. Domaine Faiveley is grown on south-facing slopes. When serving Mercurey, please note that the wine temperature is different from what you might think is correct. Recommended temperatures: 14 to 15°C for young wines, 15 to 16°C for older wines.

Tasting Notes:  A light garnet color. The nose of the Mercurey is reminiscent of a bowl of mixed fresh berries (blackberry, cherry, blueberry, service berry, strawberry). But, strawberry moves front and center to dominate the palate, accented with light, dry tannins. One could not find a better wine pairing for the Galantine.

Other Wines That Pair Well with Galantine: Pinot Noir (Oregon), Chardonnay (Australia), Beaujolais (France), Riesling (Germany)

Other Food That Pairs Well with Mercurey:  Rabbit, Mushrooms, Venison, Grilled or Roasted Salmon, a board of varying cheeses.

Maps and Views of the Mercurey Wine Region: Mercurey

A Source:  www. klwines.com