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Wine Tasting - The Sense of Sight
Wine tasting basics begin with knowing how to use your senses to understand, interpret, and enjoy the wine. The ability to recognize what you see, and furthermore describe it in clear terms, is a very important wine tasting skill.
Although some may say the appearance of the wine is the least important aspect with regard to the senses, it is still worth noting. When examining appearance, we are looking for clarity and color. We want the wine to be free of any sediment, leaving it clear and brilliant. Red wines tend to lose their color as they mature, while white wines tend to grow darker with age. A good quality wine generally will be intense in color. The "legs" seen running down the sides of a glass after being swirled, are an indication of flavor density. It is best to use a plain white background, and tilt the glass slightly as you observe clarity and color.
Sassafras roast breast and potted
leg of duck with figs, olives and pumpkin spoonbread (serves 6)
Recipe courtesy of Sassafras
Restaurant & Wine Bar,
Santa Rosa, CA
• 3-6 duck breasts, de-boned and cleaned-total weight 24-36
oz
• 2-3 potted (confit) duck legs, skin and bone removed
(Sassafras potted duck recipe attached)
Sauce:
• 12-14 dried Black mission figs, soaked in 3/4 Cup red
wine for several hours, then cut in half.
• 1 1/4 C pitted Kalamata or black oil-cured olives, soaked
in cold water for • 20 minutes,rinsed, then soaked in 3/4
Cup red wine for 1/2 hour.
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 C gelatinous duck stock or half-and-half mixture of
chicken stock and brownveal stock
• 2 T butter, unsalted
• salt and pepper to taste
Drain figs and olived, reserve the figs, olives and wine separately. Reduce the wine with the shallots by half; add the stock. Reduce by half again, adding the figs and olives 5 minutes. Before the reduction is complete, taste for seasoning. Swirl in butter, add the potted legmeat and warm through.
Meanwhile, cook the duck breasts: score the skin; season. Brown the breasts by starting them skin side down in a pan over medium heat to render some of the fat. Turn over and brown the flesh side slightly. Turn over again and finish in a medium-hot oven. Do not cook past medium rare.
Let rest several minutes, then slice the breasts into 1/8" thick slices.
Serve with the confit-and-sauce mixture, the spoonbread (make 1/4 recipe) and a mild flavored green vegetable (e.g. peas, spinach)
Sassafras duck confit
• filtered, rendered duck fat
• 12 duck legs
• 5 T salt
• 4 T shallots
• 4 T parsley
• 2 T black pepper
• 4 bay leaves, crushed
• 2 T chopped garlic
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
• 4 t cloves
• 4 t coriander
• 2 cinnamon sticks, coarsely ground
Rub salt into flesh side of duck legs followed by remaining dry
ingredients
Cure 24 hours. Wipe legs of cure. Melt duck fat. Add 16 cloves
garlic, 4 bay leaves, 8 sprigs thyme. Add duck legs. Cover. Cook
in 250 degree oven at least 45 minutes, until flesh almost falls
away from bone.
Sassafras pumpkin spoonbread
• 5 C milk
• 4 C half and half
• 2 T salt
• 2 T sugar
Scald above ingredients
• 2 C cornmeal
• 1 C flour
• 1 C butter, cut into pieces
Whisk cornmeal and flour into scalded milk mixture, cook until
smooth and creamy, remove from heat. Stir in butter.
• 12 eggs, separated
• 1/2 C heavy cream
• 1 1/2 C pumpkin puree
Butter a 6 quart, shallow casserole.
Combine egg yolks and cream, beat. Season generously.
Beat egg whites until stiff, not dry. Add egg yolk/cream mixture
to cornmeal mixture. Add pumpkin puree. Fold in egg whites.
Spread into casserole. Bake until golden brown and
just set, about 30 minutes at 350 degrees
