Linda’s Food and Wine Pairings: Post 1, Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Shredded Duck, and Beef Shish Kabobs
If you’ve had the pleasure of visiting our Tasting Room while our Wine Club Manager, Linda, is pouring, you’ve known the thrill of hearing her food and wine pairings. Linda truly is a master of designing meals around her wine, and is the ultimate perfectionist when it comes to the pairing food and wine. So for 2017, we’re giving Linda the floor with her recipes, which pair perfectly with our Wine Club Releases this year. In this episode, we’ll cover bacon-wrapped scallops with Pinot Gris, shredded duck to serve with Oregon Pinot Noir, and beef shish kabobs to serve with our Oregon Zinfandel.
Up first is our 2016 Pinot Gris served with bacon-wrapped scallops and wild rice pilaf. For the bacon-wrapped scallops, we prefer this recipe served alongside your favorite wild rice. Why does Pinot Gris do so well with this meal? The acidity of the wine will stand up to the fat of the bacon and flavors and the protein density of the seafood and pork combination. The citrus-driven notes of the Gris will also stand up well to the hearty flavors of the bacon, scallops, and earthy wild rice without completely ruining the beautiful flavors of the wine.
Next is our 2015 Barrel Select Oregon Pinot Noir to serve with shredded duck on a crostini with goat cheese and a balsamic reduction. For the shredded duck, follow this recipe; once duck is cooked add a final step of shredding at the end. Make sure your bites are big enough to fit on your crostini but not so shredded that you have to make haystacks on your bread. Next spread your crostini with a thin layer of goat cheese and your balsamic reduction. Why does this pairing work? Gamey meats always pair well with earth-driven wines like Oregon Pinot Noir. Goat cheese has strong earthy elements as well, and paired with the deep, rich notes of your balsamic reduction, the soil and fruit notes of your Pinot Noir will really shine.
And lastly, our 2012 Zinfandel. Serve with marinated beef shish kabobs and grilled polenta (keep reading for Linda’s custom beef marinade!). This pairing works because Zinfandel really brings out smokey elements of charbroiled meat. The big fruity notes of the Zin can stand up to accents of smoke imparted on the beef and vegetables from being grilled. Oh, and make sure you include mushrooms in your shish kabobs.
Want a tip on making the perfect grilled shish kabobs? Don’t stack like the photo above (yes, we know, we wish it were warm enough to photograph our method, but unfortunately the Laurel Ridge grill won’t be out for a few more months). Instead, skewer all of your meat in the middle, and place all the vegetables on the ends of your kabobs. This will help you concentrate the higher temperatures on the meat without burning your vegetables, and will help you even the heat on the veggies so they’re cooked well without overdoing it on the meat. Makes sense, huh?
Here’s what you need for your marinade:
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup dry cooking sherry
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (make sure you have the powder, not fresh, not crystallized)
Marinade instructions:
Sauté onions in olive oil on medium heat until onions are clear. Reduce heat and add in your soy sauce or balsamic vinegar, and your 1/2 cup dry cooking sherry. Let that simmer for 5 minutes, then pull it off the heat and add 1/2 t ground ginger. Place it in a freezer bag with your cubed up beef and let marinade for a minimum of 2 hours but preferably overnight. And the cheaper your cut fo meat, the more tender this marinade will make it. This isn’t necessarily something you want to marinade your ribeye or NY strip; it’s better to marinade a chuck roast or London broil.
And there you have it! Three perfect meals to pair with your wines. Cheers!
