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[W853]Wine And Food Pairing

by Denise Clarke, Den

About 4 years ago I was watching a Thanksgiving cooking show and perked up my ears when I heard something about stuffing your turkey with a duck and then stuffing the duck with a chicken?..hence Turducken. Holy Cow, my new Thanksgiving tradition was born! I really didn't get all the particulars, but I knew the internet wouldn't fail me, and it didn't??.I found several methods and recipes for putting this mouth watering treat on my table. The main focus for preparing this delight is de-boning everything?.everything, that is, except for the turkey drumsticks which gives you a lovely presentation! Well, I can tell you that I had never done this before?. fortunately life has blessed me with an Austrian man in my life that seems to be able to do almost anything?.including de-boning various fowl!

The key to all of the preparation is to start very early in the morning and to begin drinking immediately XanGoSecco's! This refreshing beverage is champagne with mangosteen juice. YUM! OK, now that you are "fortified" you can begin with all the bone removal mess. In addition, prepare whatever stuffing you choose (and there are many!). We chose bread crumbs, mushrooms, onions, celery with some tasty herbs and then a sprinkling of cooking sherry between the birds. Did I mention that you must continue to sip your XanGoSecco's lest your courage fail you!

This procedure really does require at least 2 people to stuff, hold and sprinkle. Our best time is 2 hours and 15 minutes, but we are looking to shave 5 minutes off that for next Thanksgiving by opening two bottles of champagne before we begin the prep.

Now that the birds are de-boned, stuffed, sprinkled and sewn together?.did I forget to mention the sewing part? You MUST remember to have your turkey needle and string ready to stitch those bad boys up or you will really have a mess! Next you pop the whole thing into a 225 degree oven for about 10 to 12 hours?.give or take depending on the weight of the turducken.

While we patiently wait for the "birth" of our meal, friends and neighbors begin to arrive?..Turducken's serve a lot of people so plan for a full house. My Austrian carved 1" slices and placed them on the platter?the aroma was mouthwatering and the presentation of the layered, marbled bird was second to none.

We chose a Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon and a Pinot Grigio from Italy to pair with our meal?.both were wonderful compliments to the poultry! Once again personal tastes enter in to your choices.

As I always say, Wine Food Pairing is an adventure and a challenge that you need to meet head on?. so, go forth brandishing your carving knife, be brave and tackle a turducken for your next Thanksgiving dinner! CHEERS!

I have enjoyed wine food pairing since I was a youngster up in the Pacific Northwest where my parents made wine from berries that we picked. They teamed up with a neighbor, recently transplanted from Austria, and came up with some delightful combinations of flavors!

With any wine food pairing, personal taste comes into play. Everyone has different body chemistry. This plays a big role in what tastes good to us. In addition, flavors that we grow up "loving" enter into the combination. When we grow up loving a wine, our palate makes exceptions to the normal rule of wine food pairing. I simply MUST drink inexpensive Chianti while eating pepperoni pizza! All of my friends at the table enjoy a cold pitcher of beer, but old habits die hard for me! The entire meal tastes even better if the table has a lighted candle placed in an old wine bottle?.get the picture?
Even though sometimes I use my "heart" instead of my head in wine food pairing, I do have some general guidelines I follow when I entertain:
If I start with an appetizer of crudit's I might pair with a Chardonnay or a Beaujolais.

I usually pair red meat with a wine that has a stronger taste, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Dishes rich in fat content I pair with a wine with a higher acidity
Food rich in protein work well with tannic wines. They combine well and decrease the tannin taste. If you were to drink this same wine with a seafood dish you might notice a strong metallic taste or bitterness with salty food.

For desserts, I go with a sweeter wine. Hot chocolate souffl? with a California Cabernet Sauvignon is simply to die for?.YUM! Ice Wine is something that I enjoy with most cakes or pies.

My European friends really taught me the delightful taste of cheese as a dessert and of course paired with right wine it is even better!

Cheese plates really run the gamut depending on the flavor and texture of the cheese being offered. I serve Champagne with a Brie or Camembert, but on the other hand I might go with a Cabernet Sauvignon if I serve the Camembert with a Sharp Cheddar and a "stinky" Blue.

The bottom line in any wine food pairing is that not everyone will enjoy your exact tastes, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't go forward. Never let anxiety rule pairing choices. Wine is an adventure and a challenge that should be embraced?..so go out there and experiment and enjoy! CHEERS!

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Denise Clarke has sinced written about articles on various topics from Wine and Spirits, Wine and Spirits and Family Travel. Denise Clarke has been passionate about Wine Food Pairing for many years....to follow her blog go to:http://www.winefoodpairing.blogspot.comor to go to her website at:http://www.wine-food-pairing.com. Denise Clarke's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.