Chicken in white wine recipe

The classic Coq-au-vin, using red wine, is a classic of French cuisine. It was probably more fashionable in the 1960s and 70s but it is well worth revisiting.

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I like this version with white wine. It is ideally paired with an aromatic medium bodied white, perhaps a Viognier, but preferably a firm Vermentino. The recipe is adapted from the “Myra Breckenridge Cookbook” a rather tongue-in-cheek collection celebrating food, sex and the films of the golden era of Hollywood through the eyes of Gore Vidal’s outrageous character.

Ingredients for 4 people

• 1 chicken, jointed
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 3 rashers bacon, diced
• 12 small pickling onions
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 cups button mushrooms
• 250ml white wine
• Olive oil

Method

Use a heavy based ssaucepan or a casserole dish over medium heat. Saute the bacon and the garlic for a couple of minutes to release some of their flavours into the oil. Remove and set a side.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and brown in the saucepan, adding a little more oil if necessary.

Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any bits that may have adhered. Turn heat down to low, and return the bacon and garlic to the pan. Add the mushrooms, sliced carrots and peeled onions.

Cover the saucepan and simmer for 45 minutes. You may need to add a little more wine or water.

Serve with steamed potatoes or a green vegetable in season.

Wine Suggestion

This dish is ideal for a medium bodied white wine. I would suggest a Vermentino - the wine will have enough depth of flavour not to be overwhelmed by those of the bacon and mushrooms.

Asparagus has a distinctive aroma and taste that can be hard to match with wine.

Asparagus

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About Asparagus
Asparagus is the shoot of a perennial plant that looks like a fern, but it is unrelated to fern plants. It grows each spring from a sub-surface crown. Some cuisines use white asparagus which is produced by depriving the shoots of light. If the shoots are allowed to grow in light they turn green, or in some varieties, purple.

The plant has been used throughout recorded history in Europe and the Mediterranean lands. According to Wkipedia it is known in French and Dutch as asperge, in Italian as asparago in Portuguese as espargo hortense, in Spanish as espárrago, in German as Spargel, in Hungarian as spárga and in India as Ashadhi, Majjigegadde or Sipariberuballi.

The edible part of Asparagus is the new shoot with the buds. The stalks are picked before the leaves emerge from the buds.

Asparagus recipes

A food plant as widespread as asparagus has attracted many recipes. The basic method is to remove the tough part of the bottom of the stem, either by snapping or peeling and to plunge into boiling water for about 5 minutes. The aim is to keep the asparagus crisp. Overcooking will give you a limp grey mess.

You serve asparagus in a number of ways.

• Simply dressed with extra virgin olive oil and a splash of vinegar
• With a Hollandaise sauce
• Jamie Oliver suggests serving steamed asparagus with a lemon and anchovy butter
• Under a dressing of soy sauce with few drops of sesame oil
• In a Spanish omelet, substituting asparagusf or the potatoes
• In asparagus rolls wrapped in sliced bread with the crusts removed
• As part of an antipasta platter with smoked salmon
• Malaysian restaurants sometimes serve it with belachan sauce
• Stephanie Alexander suggests putting blanched asparagus on to the barbecue grill

Asparagus and wine

Now the tricky part. Asparagus has a strongish flavour that can overwhelm some wines. You need to take into consideration the sause as well. If you want to serve it with white, perhaps a robust Vermentino or a Viognier could be the go. Gewurztraminer wines are strongly flavoured and can be an ideal foil for asparagus. Among the red wines I would suggest a Barbera for its tartness, or perhaps a Petit Verdot

This is a variation on the traditional steak and kidney pie recipe. I first found it in an old Margaret Fulton cookbook. The basic sauce is the same, but instead of the traditional crusty pie topping there is a lighter sponge on top.

Basic Steak and Kidney Recipe

1 kg of stewing beef, round, blade or rump steak are suitable cuts
1 Ox kidney or 4 lamb kidneys
1 Tablespoon of plain flour
Salt
ground black pepper
Pinch of dried herbs, thyme, sage or oregano
100 ml red wine

Trim fat and gristle from the beef. Cut into 2 cm dice.
Remove core and membrane from the kidneys an cut into smaller pieces.
Coat the meat and kidneys in the seasoned flour. I find the easiest way to do this is to put the ingredients into a plastic bag and give it a good shake.
Put the meat into a casserole and simmer very gently for 2-3 hours.

For the sponge

1 cup of Self raising Flour
Good pinch salt
2 eggs separated
1 cup milk
50 g melted butter

Sift flour and salt into a basin. Make a well in the centre of the flour. Beat the egg yolks into the milk and pour into the well. Add the butter and stir the mixture until it is smooth.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and then fold into the mixture.

To assemble
Put the steak and kidney mixture into a basin that will fit inside a large saucepan or boiler. Do this while the sauce is still hot.
Pour the sponge mixture over the back of a large spoon onto the steak and kidney mixture so that it spreads out evenly.
Put the basin into a saucepan with boiling water half way up the sides. Cover the saucepan and bring to a fast boil for a half hour.

Some Wine suggestions
The strong flavours of this dish demand a hearty red wine. I would suggest a Durif or a full bodied Zinfandel

Brasato al Barolo is a classic Piemontese dishes, and really does require a good bottle of Barolo to come out right. You need to begin preparation the day before. Nebbiolo hails from the same region of Italy, so this braised beef dish is an ideal food pairing with Nebbiolo from other parts of the world.

Barolo is the most elegant expression of the Nebbiolo grape. You can make this dish with similar full bodied highly tannic wines, use the best you can afford…and you’ll need a second bottle (or more) to drink with the finished dish.

Ingredients for 6 people

* 1.5 kg beef, topside or rump is suitable
* A bottle of full bodied red wine
* A large onion, sliced
* A large carrot
* A stalk of celery
* A bay leaf
* A teaspoon of black peppercorns to taste
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 rashers of bacon or some salted pork
* 1/4 cup brandy (optional)
* Salt to taste.

Method.

Begin the day before you plan to cook the meat. Slice the onion, celery, and carrot, and put them in a bowl with the meat, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Pour the wine over the mixture and marinate it until the next day, turning the meat occasionally.

Remove the meat, reserving the marinade, and pat the meat dry.

Strain the marinade, bring it to a boil, and cook it until it’s reduced by half.

In the meantime, tie the meat with string so it keeps its shape and brown it in a heavy based pot with the butter and prosciutto fat. Once it’s well browned on all sides, flambe with the brandy.

Then season the meat with salt, pour the reduced marinade over it, add the vegetables that it marinated with, cover and simmer over low heat or in a slow oven until the meat is done, about two hours.

When the meat is done remove it to a platter and remove the string. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and either put them through a food mill or blend them.

Stir the blended vegetables back into the sauce, pour it over the meat, and serve. The meat should be so tender it could be carved with a spoon.

Serve it with mashed potatoes or a polenta, and another green vegetable. Don’t forget that other bottle of Nebbiolo.

Grilled Octopus requires some preparation, but the final cooking is fairly quick.

Stephanie Alexander, in her Cook’s Companion recommends tenderizing octopus with a meat mallet until the flesh looses its bounciness.

Cut the tentacles away from the body. If the head is not too large, say more than 20cm in diameter, you can use it as well. Turn it inside out and remove the beak and internal organs. Remove the suckers from the tentacles and skin them under running water. If you are using the head score it well or cut into strips similar in size to the tentacles.

Marinate the octopus for a few hours or preferably overnight in olive oil along with some garlic, dried oregano and bay leaves.

To cook drain off the olive oil and grill for a few minutes on a hot barbecue plate or under your kitchen grill. Don’t bother about a dipping sauce, just serve with lemon or lime wedges.

Grilled octopus can be served as a tapas dish (just add toothpicks) as part of a seafood platter, or as a dish in its own right.

A crisp aromatic white wine can be served with octopus. Why not try an albarino

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This recipe is an Argentinian favourite, and there are many variations. Wikipedia even lists variations on the folk tales that relate to the origin of the name.

Beef cooked on the barbecue or Asado is the staple of Argentinian food and Malbec is the staple wine of Argentina; together they make a formidable food pairing. This sauce is not subtle, it requires a robust wine.

The word Asado means both the cuts of beef and the method of cooking - slow barbecuing in large pieces.

The essential ingredients of this strongly flavoured sauce are garlic, parsley, oil and vinegar.

Chimichurri Sauce

* 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, peeled, and chopped coarse
* 1 cup fresh parsley leaves you can also use coriander
* 1 or more red jalapeno chilies, deseeded, chopped coarsely
* 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves, or 1 tsp dried oregano
* 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* Pinch salt and some ground black pepper

Combine the garlic and jalapeno in food processor and pulse to mince finely. Add oregano and parsley; pulse to finely chop. Alternatively you can use a pestel and mortar.

Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

You can just chop the ingredients finely with a knife if you have time or don’t have a processor.

Use immediately or refrigerate in a jar for a few days until ready to use.

I like to use this to baste on top of thick pieces of steak as they are being grilled. Add some more chimichurri as you serve the steak. Chimichurri sauce can also be used with spicy grilled sausages.

A dish like Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce needs a strong, rustic wine. A varietal Malbec wine is the way to go.

This variety was overlooked for many years in Australia, but savvy winemakers are now using its powerful varietal characteristics to produce some impressive dry red wines.

Malbec wine in Australia

Salsa verde - green sauce - is a versatile a condiment which can add to a wide range of meals. It goes especially well with grilled or steamed fish, seafood or chicken. The classic Italian dish bollito misto uses this sauce where its sharpness adds contrast to the mixed boiled meats.

Once you have mastered the basic technique for a salsa verde recipe you can spice up your culinary adventures by ringing in new combinations of herbs.

The basic idea is to use a mixture of fresh green herbs, and to bring out their piquancy by blending them with oil, vinegar and garlic. Anchovies are an optional extra, they add saltiness and a seafood influence if you are going to use this sauce with a non seafood course.

Some suggestions for herbs: use parsley, (curly or flat leaf) along with at least two from the following list: basil, chives, coriander (cilantro), mint, marjoram, mustard cress, oregano, tarragon, or thyme. In fact whatever you have that is green and fresh!

Ingredients

1 or 2 handfuls of fresh green herbs

Approx 100ml extra virgin olive oil

3 anchovy fillets (optional)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon of capers

1 tablespoon of seed mustard, or you can use English mustard to really add some bite

1 tablespoon of vinegar

A small amount of red or green Tabasco sauce (optional)

Method

Add all the ingredients except the oil and Tabasco to a blender or food processor. While processing add the oil slowly. You want to make a sauce that you can pour. Add a small amount of tabasco to taste, not to overpower the other ingredients.

This sauce is best used fresh but it will keep in the fridge for a few days.

Food pairing ideas

Salsa verde is piquant so it calls for a wine that is not overpowered by the flavour of the sauce. Dry white wines such as Pinot Grigio would be suitable if it is served with seafood; a lighter style red such as Barbera would make a good match with a variety meats served with salsa verde.

You can find many books on the art of making good sauces by browsing
Amazon .com

Osso Buco Italian Style Veal Shanks

Jamie Oliver’s Italy could be a great addition to your Italian cookery book collection.

Click the image to order it from Amazon.com

Much of classic Italian cuisine has its roots in traditional home cooking where the emphasis is on simple hearty fare. Osso buco is a favourite dish throughout Italy but it is especially popular in Milan.

Ingredients

4 veal shanks
Olive oil
2 carrots
3 sticks celery
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
flour seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tins canned tomatoes
100ml red wine
400 ml beef or vegetable stock
dried oregano
1 bay leaf
rind of half a lemon
chopped parsley

Method
Make a sofritto by finely dicing the carrots, celery onion and 2 of the cloves of garlic and sauteing in olive oil. Sofritto means ‘half cooked’, so you really need to just soften the vegetables. Remove them to a large ovenproof dish.

Dredge the veal shanks in the flour and brown them on both sides in oil. Arrange the osso buci on top of the vegetables. Deglase the saute pan with the wine and add the tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Add the stock and herbs and bring the sauce to a boil. Taste it and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables and cook, covered in a modeate oven for two hours.

Use the extra clove of garlic, the finely chopped parsley and the grated lemon rind to make a gremolata, just combine the crushed garlic with the other ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle it over the dish just before serving.

Serve the osso buco with risotto milanese.

Food pairing with Osso Buco

This rich Italian dish is ideally accompanied by a savoury Italian red wine - a Sangiovese would be most suitable.

Risotto Milan style

This is a classic Italian dish that is quite versatile. You can use it on its own for an entree course or light meal or you can serve it as an accompaniment to osso buco.

Rice is grown extensively in the plains of Northern Italy, and risotto competes with pasta as a major source of carbohydrate in traditional regional cuisine.

Ingredients

350g oz aborio or short grain rice
60g butter
1 diced onion
100 ml dry white wine
3 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
Small pinch saffron
Extra 30g butter
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

Method

Saute the onion in the 60g of butter, till it is soft, not browned
Add rice and saffron and stir well so that each grain is covered with butter
Add the wine and stir well over low-moderate heat. As the liquid is absorbed and evaporates add the stock about a half a cup at a time, stirring constantly. It will take about 20 minutes to cook. You may need a little more water to make sure the rice is fully cooked. When the rice is cooked stir through the extra butter, salt and cheese. Remove from heat and cover for a few minutes before serving.

Wine pairing for Risotto Milanese

If you are serving it as a stand alone dish I would suggest an Arneis. The distinct flavours of this wine wine would not be overwhelmed by the moderate flavours of the saffron and cheese. If you are serving this with a meaty dish such as osso buco you would match the wine to the meat.

Pierino

Will Rafuse

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Here is a Zinfandel food pairing suggestion from food and wine writer Fiona Beckett.

This is a really robust pasta dish from Fiona who has her own regularly updated site www.matchingfoodandwine.com

The Zin gives a richer, more warming flavour than the usual tomato-based sauce, Fiona says.

You can use rigatoni, penne or similar pasta in this recipe.

Ingredients: Serves 4

350g Italian sausages or other coarsely ground 100% pork sausages
4 tbsp olive oil
1 medium aubergine/eggplant (about 250-300g) cut into cubes
1 medium onion (about 150g), peeled and finely chopped
1 medium red pepper (about 150g), de-seeded and cut into roughly 2 cm
squares
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 rounded tbsp tomato puree
1 level tsp dried oregano
175ml zinfandel or other full bodied fruity red wine
175ml fresh chicken or light vegetable stock made with a teaspoon of
vegetable bouillon powder
350g dried rigatoni or penne pasta
4 heaped tbsp freshly chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Slit the sausage skins with a sharp knife, peel off the skin and chop the sausage meat roughly. In a large frying pan or wok heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil and brown the sausagemeat breaking it up with a spatula or wooden spoon. Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add another 2 tbsp of oil to the pan and stir fry the aubergine for 3-4 minutes till it starts to brown. Add the remaining oil and chopped onion and fry for a couple of minutes then add the red pepper and fry for another minute or two.

Return the sausage meat to the pan, stir in the tomato puree and cook for a minute then add the garlic, oregano and Zinfandel. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half then add the stock, stir, and leave over a low heat to simmer while you cook the pasta following the instructions on the pack.

When the pasta is just cooked spoon off a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water into the sauce then drain the pasta thoroughly and tip it into the sauce along with 3 tablespoons of the parsley.

Mix well together and leave off the heat for 2-3 minutes for the flavours to amalgamate. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the pasta and sauce into warm bowls and sprinkle with a little of the remaining parsley. You could also sprinkle over some grated parmesan if you like though I’m not sure that it needs it.

Recommended wine match:
Given you’ve got a bottle of Zinfandel open that would be the obvious match but you could also drink a southern Italian red like a Primitivo or a Syrah.

More about Zinfandel in Australia

Fiona has written several wine and food books. See details of a couple for sale through Amazon below.
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