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Pairings | Bridging ingredients

Using 'bridge' ingredients to create a perfect match

Using 'bridge' ingredients to create a perfect match

Posted on January 12 2019 at 07:01

One of the most useful tricks to master, especially when you’re dealing with a tricky-to-match ingredient, is to introduce a ‘bridge’ ingredient - in other words an element in the dish that makes it easier to pair with the wine you want to drink. It can be something as simple as cream or mashed potato or something rather more specific that picks out a flavour in the wine you’re serving.

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For a perfect match a wine needs to provide an element that's missing in a dish

Posted on May 4 2010 at 11:19

One of the problems about today’s ultra-complicated restaurant food is that dishes tend to be what I once heard aptly described as ‘ingredient-heavy’. Which can mean that a wine of character may just be one flavour too much.

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Christmas pairings with port, sherry and madeiraChristmas pairings with port, sherry and madeira

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Top wine pairings for lambTop wine pairings for lamb

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AD: If you’re planning your holiday eating and drinking it’s easy to forget about Twixtmas - the period between Christmas and the New Year. Personally I always fancy a change of pace after all that rich food but this year, after my visit to Mexico, I’ve had a flash of inspiration about the turkey leftovers which is to turn them into tacos! And have a refreshing chilled glass of Spain’s favourite white wine Rueda with them rather than a heavy red. (The Mexicans like it too!) Rueda comes from the north of Spain and is mainly made from verdejo which is similar to a sauvignon blanc. So you can drink it with anything which goes with sauvignon - especially seafood and salads. Making a turkey taco is as easy as making a turkey sarnie, once you’ve got your fresh tortillas. (Buy them online and keep a stash in the freezer.) I simply mixed up 50g of sour cream with 25g of mayo and folded through about 75g roughly chopped cold turkey and 25g of chipotle salsa. (You could use chipotle paste but you'd need slightly less of it). Fold it through lightly to give it a marbled effect. Warm through your tortillas in a dry non-stick pan, top them with shredded lettuce, pile on the turkey mayo, then top with avocado slices, quick pickled red onions and a good squeeze of lime. Fold the taco together (it’s a two handed job!) then reach for your Rueda. The other quick and simple idea which would make a great party canapé is to take some tortilla chips spread them with guacamole (also very good with Rueda) and top with a cooked prawn, marinated for 5 minutes in lime juice. Grate a little lime zest over them, pop one in your mouth and take a sip. Though I say it myself, it’s such a good match. Finally, although most Rueda like the José Pariente is crisp, fresh and zesty there are also other styles like the richer Cuatro Rayas’ Longverdejo which is made with a lick of oak (I’d pair that with a fish stew or paella) and De Alberto’s Dorado Dulce a sweet wine which would be great with the remainder of the Christmas cake and any leftover mince pies. If you’d like more ideas for Rueda pairings check out my ebook 50 Great Ways to Enjoy Rueda. #DORueda #RuedaVerdejo #TasteRueda #ruedawineGosh what an amazing place @thegoodsshed_ Canterbury is. Part farmers market, part restaurant, using the produce from the stalls. The Arbroath smokie pâté with leeks (first shot) whipped up when the crab tart ran out was particularly impressive. And the Cavatelli with squash, saffron sauce, Cashel blue and walnuts. And that PIE which unusually I resisted Wonderfully inventive seasonal cooking . Could shop and eat there every day (just as well I live in Bristol!) . . . #smokedfish #cavatelli #saffron #cashelblue #pie #canterbury #kentfood . . .Lovely to see that old Soho still exists. The Academy club above @andrew.edmunds with food from the kitchen downstairs. Plus their stellar winelist. Got a bit of a look for bringing out my phone to snatch these sneaky shots so didn’t push my luck FYI I ate lamb with turnips and drank a Lirac …. . . #andrewedmunds #soho #restaurantinterior #menu #winelist #londonfoodMy Christmas cookbook gift guide is out, written as usual from the perspective of which book will suit which family member not which books are the best of the year. Though there are many of my own favourites there. A LOT of plant-based books this year which I always find a bit of a mystery given only around 11% of the population is veggie and a smaller percentage still vegan. Only @timhayward’s admirable Steak is dedicated - daringly - to meat. Link in bio. Links in the roundup are to @bookshop_org_uk not Amazon which benefits local bookshops although you could always pop into your local and get them to order in at least one of the ones you want, couldn’t you? 😉 . . . #cookbook #booklovers #bookshop Follow on Instagram

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