food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington

244
Chapter 11 Menu Planning: Horizontal and Vertical Pairing Decisions
The finished dish has a stronger body due to the cooking method and fattier fish, light
acidity, and light smoky and citrus flavors. This dish lends itself well to a wide range of wine
possibilities depending on whether it is part of a multicourse meal, where in the menu
sequence it is served, and how acidic you make the final dish. Here, the wine was served
with the same Lemberger that had been served with the pheasant, because the wine’s fruitiness
and mild tannins worked well with the natural acidity in the asparagus.
If this dish is served on its own or in a different order, there are a number of effective
match choices—everything from Sauvignon Blanc and Fumé Blanc to Chardonnay and
Beaujolais. The Sauvignon Blanc selection would match the acidity of the dish with the wine
and the grassiness of the wine with the character of the asparagus and micro-greens. The
Fumé Blanc choice would have similar characteristics, but if a Fumé Blanc with some oak
aging is selected, it would also match the light, smoky flavor of the trout. A Chardonnay
would work if it is not too big and oaky. A cool-climate Chardonnay with some oak will
have sufficient acid and match the body of this relatively fatty fish. Much like a Lemberger,
a Beaujolais would be medium-bodied with light tannins and have sufficient fruitiness and
acidity to pair with this fish.
Food Item: Cedar-Planked Idaho Rainbow Trout Served with
Citrus-Dusted Asparagus Tips and Micro-Greens
Yield: 3 servings
Ingredients
3 Idaho rainbow trout, boned and filleted
Cedar planks
Zest of 2 lemons
Zest of 2 oranges
2–4 tbsp (30–60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil,
divided
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt
Pepper
2 lbs (1 kg) fresh asparagus, peeled,
blanched, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1 /2 c (350 ml) micro-greens
1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) herb-infused oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) aged traditional balsamic
vinegar (modern balsamic vinegar can
be used as a substitute if reduced by
half)
Preparation
Skin the boned trout fillets and set aside. Soak the cedar
planks in water for a couple of hours prior to using.
To prepare the citrus "dust," separately pulverize the
lemon and orange zests in an electric coffee grinder
until each is a fine dust. Set aside. Drizzle the trout
fillets with 1–2 tbsp of olive oil and the lemon juice
and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the
trout skin side down on the cedar planks. Roast in a
hot oven (400–450°F or 200–230°C) for 7–10 minutes.
Meanwhile, sauté the asparagus in the remaining 1–2
tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper to
taste. Using a ring or other small form as a base,
place a portion of asparagus in the center of each
plate. Top with a portion of trout (each fillet cut in half
to fit on top of the asparagus ring). Next, place an
equal portion of micro-greens on each portion of
trout. Drizzle each serving with herb-infused oil and
balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle each with a little lemon
dust and orange dust.
Meat Course Deer hunting and venison are common in Idaho, eastern Washington,
and eastern Oregon. The venison for this dish is marinated in buttermilk to remove some
of the gamy flavor and to tenderize the meat. It is wrapped in strips of bacon (known as
barding) prior to being roasted. This technique adds fat and flavor to this otherwise low-fat
meat. For the side items, fresh baby beets were served, but you can also use full-size beets
that are sliced or quartered after smoking (the smoking is done the same way as for meat
or fish and takes about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how much smoke flavor you want).
For this event, a little bit of pureed, smoked red beet was added to the sauce. This addition
gives a bright color to the sauce as well as a little smoky and earthy flavor.