Food and Wine Pairing : A Sensory Experience

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 fruit-

iness 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 Fume ́ 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

Fume ́ Blanc choice would have similar characteristics, but if a Fume ́ 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

11 / 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.