Table Wine
By Chef Kurt Michael Friese
Holiday Table Part II
visit the author at www.EdibleIowa.com
On my Christmas table there have been a wide range of foods over the years. We never had one particular entrée that always filled the center of the table, but it was almost always a roast of some sort: beef, duck, turkey, ham, pork, even the Dickensian Christmas goose.
Some things were always there, though. My sister always made clam dip for the chips we snacked on before the big meal, and I was known to park myself in front of the living room coffee table so I had the easiest access to this treat. The recipe for it is below. Back then, I was not permitted to enjoy the dry Champagne or Cava that is the prefect match for it. Another constant was my mom's bourbon pound cake. Sorry, can't share that recipe with you (it's a secret), but try serving your own recipe for pound cake with a tawny port – yummy.
Now that I'm the parent, my wife and I have melded our family traditions, and one of my favorites from her side of the family is cornbread and beans. We serve this simple dish, with onions, pickled peppers, butter and vinegar, on Christmas Eve. We see it as a way to help us remember a time when our families couldn't manage the sort of Christmas Day feast that has now become a tradition for us.
What about you? What are the dishes that define your Christmas feast? Having live here in Iowa for 14 years now, I believe I've learned that ham is probably the most common dish on the Christmas table here. Matching a wine to ham can be tricky because it is often very salty, which rules out your big reds, as well as your oaky Chardonnays. Best bet? Refer back a while ago to the series that ran here about German wine, and pick a Gewürztraminer or a Riesling. If you must have red, then a Beaujolais Nouveau or maybe a Pinot Noir would be a good choice.
We talked about the turkey last time, and with roast duck you're usually all set with a Cotes du Rhone or a Bordeaux, depending on your sauce. If it's orange, lean Bordeaux; if it's cherry, go Rhone. With a pork roast, try a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or California, or impress your guests with the delicious but less well-known Viognier from the northern Rhone.
Roast Beef is another one where the sauce will indicate which wine to choose. If you use the drippings or jus, or serve some sautéed mushrooms, that's a time to get out a great big Napa Cabernet, which has the earthy notes to compliment the richness of the beef. For a surprising and unusual pairing, try serving a prime rib with horseradish alongside a well-made Zinfandel (like Ravenswood Lodi, Buehler or Bogle).
Here's hoping the Holidays find you surrounded by family, friends, and fabulous food.
Now, that clam dip recipe I mentioned:
2 pints sour cream
12 ounces canned clams, drained
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 dash Tabasco
garlic salt and white pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients and chill 1 hour to overnight. Serve with ridged potato chips.
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Comments: 6
In our family we opened presents on Christmas Eve and Santa came on Christmas morning. On Christmas Eve, we always had Swedish pickled shrimp, chili con queso (the real stuff) with fritos, baked ham with Mom's homemade finger rolls, potato salad, bleu cheese spread, and sweet and sour meatballs. I know it sounds like an odd combination but that is always what I want on Christmas Eve. My parents always had Tom and Jerry's. They were made from a spicy mixture and served hot. There were little cups with "Tom and Jerry" written on them.
My mom was a fantastic cook and our family was very fortunate. I don't have such detailed memories about Christmas Day because my mom made lots of different things. I always have Prime Rib with Horseradish sauce, Potatoes with Gruyere and Cream and roasted green beans, something very easy after all the hustle and bustle. Thank you for all your wine posts.