Pinot Grigio, Syrah/Shiraz is a bit more difficult to pair with dinner. You
have to take in to consideration just how full-bodied the texture is for
starters. That means you will have to match it with heartier meats and
sauces. It can also be very earthy, especially the French versions.
Mushrooms and mushroom sauces can display earthiness and therefore
sometimes they can be an excellent compliment to Syrah. Remember
that next time you are having a Mushroom and Swiss Hamburger.
Another characteristic of Syrah/Shiraz wines are there inherit spiciness
and in particular black and white pepper. I think a steak marinated in
olive oil, salt and black pepper would be a tremendous occasion to open
up a good bottle of Syrah/Shiraz.
Softer cheeses like Cheddar and Fontina are often big bullies when it
comes to matching wine with cheese. Believe it or not, cheese and wine
is not always a great match, often the cheese will over power a wines
strength. For example, a soft cheese, such as Brie, will rob a red wine
of its depth of flavors, thereby making it somewhat insipid. Although I
wouldn’t recommend serving Brie or a strong Stilton cheese with
Syrah/Shiraz, I do think they have enough tannins and are bold enough
to stand up to Cheddar and Fontina cheese very well. Of course the
ideal match for most red wines would be your more firm cheeses like
Parmigiano or Romano.
Don’t be intimidated by the big and bold texture and flavors of
Syrah/Shiraz wines. If you are cooking red meat, it is highly unlikely
that you will be disappointed with a Syrah/Shiraz wine. Besides, it is
more adventurous and interesting than a boring old Cabernet
Sauvignon! If you are serving a lighter meat with a heavier sauce, then
again, Syrah/Shiraz can be an ideal companion. If your sauce or dish
contains any of these flavor profiles; blackberry, raspberry, licorice,
black or white pepper, tobacco, beefy or meaty and smoke, you are in
like Flynn!
Try some of these recipes on for size when you open your next
Syrah/Shiraz and see what you think!
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Recipes
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp chopped coriander
¼ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup chopped roasted red pepper
1 lb crabmeat, defrosted and drained (if frozen)
salt and freshly ground pepper
½ tsp pepper sauce
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp melted butter
Garlic Mayonnaise:
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp hot pepper sauce
2 Tbsp chopped coriander
salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Combine mayonnaise, egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, coriander, green onions
and red pepper in a bowl. Flake crabmeat and stir in. Season with salt and pepper and hot pepper sauce.
2. Combine cornmeal and flour on a plate. Form crab mixture into 1 Tbsp size balls and flatten slightly.
Roll in cornmeal flour mixture.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush a baking sheet with butter. Drizzle each crab cake with more
melted butter. Place in oven and bake 15 minutes., turning once or until crisp.
4. In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce and coriander. Season
with salt and pepper. Serve with crab cakes.
Makes about 36 crab cakes.
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
5 cups water
1 1/2 pounds thin-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups whole green olives (not pitted), slivered
1 pound Roma tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine
1 loaf French bread, sliced
In a large saucepan, combine the olive oil, onion, bay leaf, thyme and about 1/2 cup of the water.
Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the pan and let cook over moderate heat until the onion softens,
about 5 minutes.
Add the potatoes, the remaining water and about 2 teaspoons salt. Return to a boil, cover the pan,
lower the heat and let boil gently for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart. Remove the
bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Puree the soup in a food mill or with a hand blender. Return it to the pan
and add the slivered olives. Taste, and adjust for seasoning; the olives will be salty, so it may not
need more salt, but this soup likes pepper.
Meanwhile, in a nonaluminum skillet, combine the tomatoes, olive oil and red wine. Season lightly
with salt and pepper, then boil the mixture until the wine evaporates, about 10 minutes. Taste, and
adjust for seasoning.
Serve the soup with a spoonful of the tomato mixture as garnish. Pass the remaining tomato mixture
to spoon onto French bread slices. Serves 6.
By Harvey Steiman of the Wine Spectator.
6 oz. (about 3 ½ C.) lasagna noodles, broken into thirds
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. (about 5 C.) fresh white mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 C. prepared spaghetti sauce
1 package (16 oz.) frozen large cut mixed vegetables
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
Prepare lasagna as label directs; drain. Place in a large serving bowl; cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, in a
large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until hot. Add mushrooms, Italian seasoning and garlic; cook,
stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in spaghetti sauce and frozen
vegetables; cook uncovered, over medium heat until mixture is hot, about five minutes, stirring
occasionally. In a large bowl place cooked lasagna. Add mushroom mixture and Parmesan cheese; toss
gently. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese; serve immediately. Top each portion with a spoonful of ricotta
cheese, if desired.
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
3 small pork tenderloins, about 1 1/2 pounds total
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 cup red wine
1 tablespoon brandy or other liquor (optional)
1 cup concentrated unsalted pork or chicken broth
3 tablespoons peanut butter
Lentil Salad With Mushrooms (recipe follows)
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Mix the seasoning ingredients well and spread the mixture over a sheet of waxed paper. Pat the pork
tenderloins dry with a towel and roll each one in the seasoning mixture.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and brown the pork well all over, about 10 minutes. Put the pork in a
baking pan and roast it in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it is just barely cooked through (you'll
know it's done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion measures 160° F). Remove
the pork from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes, covered with foil, before slicing.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Pour off all of the fat from the skillet in which you browned the pork. Add
the wine, and brandy if desired. Boil the mixture until it reduces in volume by one-half, scraping up the
brown bits left behind by the pork to dissolve them. Add the broth and bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes,
then stir in the peanut butter. The resulting sauce should be just thick enough to coat the spoon. Strain
the sauce to make it very smooth and return it to the pan to reheat. Taste, and adjust for seasoning.
Cut the pork into 1/4-inch slices. Add the carving juices to the sauce for more flavor. Serve several
slices on each of six plates, surrounded by a scattering of the lentil salad. Top the pork with a spoonful
or two of the sauce. Serves 6.
By Harvey Steiman of the Wine Spectator.
