I was hanging out in Venice Beach this week at the quintessential Abbot Kinney restaurant, Joe’s and drinking some of our Pinot Noir. Here’s what we ate:
Braised Lamb Shank, White Ban & Date Puree, Red Dandelion Greens, Vanilla Herb Oil, Reduction of Braising Jus
Pan-Roasted Atlantic Salmon, Ragout of Roasted Pumpkin, Chestnut, Maitake Mushroom, Grilled Scallion, Allspice Emulsion, Ginger Gastrique
Hungry yet?
While drinking, and talking, and eating and generally enjoying the low-key elegance and ambiance I decided to make this wine my Thanksgiving star.
…yeah, yeah, pinot noir is soo yummy and fruity and light…….. Stop.
Michel-Schlumberger Pinot Noir is of the breed of Pinot that does not simply play the part of a dried cherry or strawberry. It has earthiness, body while remaining delicate, and baking spices along with of course: red fruit. What does this mean? It means it is multi-faceted and can pair with pretty much anything on your table.
My plan for Pinot friendly Thanksgiving dinner foods:
~ Rosemary brine for the turkey
~ Cranberry chutney
~ Good ol’ mashed potatoes (I used the red ones)
~ Scratch the creamy lumpy gravy and bring on the wine ‘jous’
~ Roasted mushrooms
~ Haricot verte (baby French green beans)
~ Candied lavendar (either in salad or with cheeses before dinner)
And you? What are your plans this year?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s just me, my husband, and his aunt and uncle this year, so a small crowd, especially compared to last year when we had 8! So I’ll be paring back a touch, roasting a turkey, homemade stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, candied carrots, and cheesy mashed potatoes. Apple pie and homemade vanilla bean ice cream for dessert!
I was thinking about a Pinot Noir to serve with my dinner as well…maybe I’ll pull out one of my ‘04 Michel Schlumbergers! I sure wish I had some of the ‘07 Pinot Blanc left to serve with my cheese course.
Sonadora-
Our ‘04 pinot would be great wiht that dinner. And with only a few people-you’ll all get a taste! As for the ‘07 Pinot Blanc-we’ve all been sadly underserved this year……… I was telling one of our wine club members (who asked for it the other day) that they need to order the Pinot Blanc before it’s released this year. That way they’re guaranteed to get as much as they want!
do you have any of our merlot or cab on hand? if so-they would be great with the cheesy potatoes (I love gruyere with our merlot)
You are so right about your Pinot. Although I had recently tasted it and then bought it, I was surprised when I paired it the other night and it was too earthy for the dish. Now, because of your post, I’ll remember it’s profile, buy it again and pair it well.
I have to tell you what happened last year — I was making dinner for 40! –crazy, but was actually kinda nice, because I get the chance to make several different styles of the same foods for instance stuffing (one sweet, one savory, one cornbread) and season the birds differently (but I agree - they MUST be brined!) not to mention all the different types of potatoes, gravies and of course Cranberries. I think last year I had at least 6 different types (my favorite being fresh tangerine and cranberry with a swirl of port) oh and the desserts! - oops side bar.
Anyway, my husband, being the wine-snob that he is wanted to pair different wines with different dishes - and then set about making a chart, and trying to color code (with little colored dots) the bottles and the platters of food.
It was hilarious - there were dots everywhere, green dots, red dots, blue dots…He had even made tasting notes for the tables! I’m not sure many guests figured out the extensive dot system, but this year we are only having 20, and he is has been plotting for about 2 weeks now the menu and courses and I’m certain several of your wines will be ‘dotted up’ on our tables.
ps - deviled eggs topped with caviar are a MUST.
Maggie-
That IS so funny. I also have the super organized (or…he-hem OCD. Self proclaimed!) wine friends with d0t systems but I haven’t had one of them try it at dinner yet! What’s his plan this year? 20 sounds like a much more manageable #. I love cooking for groups but I can’t imagine how you had enough oven/refrigerator space for 40…… Where do you get your caviar for the deviled eggs? Would Trader joes work fine? That sounds amazing…………. and easy!
Yes, TJ’s would work fine, although from what I understand, they only sell it around certain holidays, so hopefully they have it in already and it sells out fast!! - I use the typical black that can be found in most high end grocery stores (about $7-12 a jar)
The eggs don’t have mayo - for the recipie (12 eggs) you need: 2 tsp mustard powder, 1 tspn Worcestershire sauce 1 tspn hot pepper sauce 1/4 tspn celery salt 1/2 cup butter, softened - mix with yolks - then put in fridge. you want them very cold, the cavier, will sweat a little bit on top of the eggs and make a slightly greyish looking river if they aren’t eaten quickly - so I serve them on a bed of crushed ice.
The menu plan this year, is all about herbs & spices one grouping of foods is going to incorporate curries. He’s keeping his wine picks a secret, though I did see a couple of bottles of gwertz on a shopping receipt — so who knows?
good luck - let me know if you try them!
M-
I’ll definitely try the eggs-they sound amazing. I’m a sucker for both caviar and deviled eggs so there you go… Gewurz and some Indian dishes sounds like a good idea. Have a good holiday!
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