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Welcome to my Food & Wine journal…
I taste wines for pairing or just for pleasure nearly every day. Often, I try new combinations of food & wine or write recipes and menus either at work or at home. You can check my blog regularly for new recipes, cooking tips, ideas about food & wine pairing, or new markets and restaurants I've discovered. I'll write about anything I think might interest you related to food, wine & entertaining.
May 31, 2007
June 1, 2007 on 1:25 am | In General |Today I’d like to share with you my recipe for zinfandel-cherry balsamic glaze.
It is one of the staples in my kitchen both at home and work. We call it “liquid gold”. Once made, it will last in the refrigerator for weeks. It is especially good for meats with some fat, as the acidity in the glaze cuts right through the fat and cleans your palate.
The glaze is dark with a wonderful luster and a consistency (when cold) of warm honey. It is best served at room temperature, and because it is so flavorful, a little goes a long way.
Just a few ways I use the glaze: brush it on a steak, drizzle it on quail wrapped in pancetta (see the photo Perfect Match / Balancing Weights), spread it lightly on a sandwich of grilled lamb, serve it with duck breast or leg, or add it to a sauce to give depth and acidity.
Try variations by changing the cherries to another fruit or “flavor essence” and a different wine. I’ve made a Pinot Noir & mushroom glaze by replacing the cherries with dried mushrooms and the Zinfandel with Pinot Noir.
Because the sauce is well-balanced and uses “flavor connections” like cherries (or mushrooms) and wine, it pairs well with many wine varietals. It has a touch of sweet and of acid which compliment each other and lower your perception of alcohol in the wine (see the chart in “Elements of Taste”). The only concern is tannins, as both sweet and acid will magnify tannins in wine. Since fats coat your palate and lessen the effect of tannins, you are OK as long as the meat you are serving with it is not overly lean.
You can find the recipe in the “Perfect Match / Recipes” section of the web site. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions you might have. And certainly feel free to try different variations of the recipe and let me know how it turns out.
Chef Bruce Riezenman, 5/31/07
Eat well!
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