Summer weekends are my favorite thing. And having a few moments to update my blog is so nice - while listening to the Yankee game after a productive morning outdoors and preparing to bake pecan pie, before heading out to a favorite wine bar tonight. This is my kind of Saturday. I’ll give you an update on the pecan pie next time - it’s Dad’s birthday celebration tomorrow and pecan pie is his favorite, and it’s really not that difficult to make. And who doesn’t love pie in the summer? (I’ve already decided for our 4th of July barbecue, I’ll bake key lime pie.)
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| Smoky fettuccine, poached eggs, parmigiano reggiano, and black pepper |
Anyway, last night I needed something pretty quick and easy (but fun) to make for dinner, after getting home from pouring a wine tasting at the incomparable Lake Side Emotions Wine Boutique, my regular Friday wine gig.
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| Delicious - dinner up close |
When I get home late, I crave what I consider my “comfort food” - anything with macaroni, and usually not too complicated. It was a perfect summer evening and I wanted to sit out on the porch and listen to the Yankee game over dinner, so I was in the mood for a crisp white. What macaroni dish should I pair with a crisp white?
Well, a few months back, I was at a restaurant in the Hamptons with one of my favorite ladies in the wine industry. I have a sort of fascination with properly poached eggs, as I used to be intimidated by the thought of making a mistake while poaching (before attempting it this spring - to date I’ve poached a total of 16 eggs and so far not one mistake). So when I saw an interesting dish on the menu, I went for it that evening. The pappardelle was made with smoked flour, and topped with a perfectly poached egg, grated parmigiano reggiano, and ground black pepper. That evening was rather chilly and in keeping with my love for wines from Sud-Ouest, I went with an earthy Cahors.
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| A perfectly poached egg - quite tame and simple |
So I decided to attempt as close a replication of that dish as possible last night. Of course, I have no such smoking device at present, so instead, I cooked fettuccine in a pot of water seasoned with Liquid Smoke (hickory seasoning). Yes, it worked - the macaroni had a light smoky taste to it. I was pretty hungry so I opted for two poached eggs, and of course added the parmigiano reggiano and black pepper. The eggs, when poached correctly, are wonderfully runny and delicious. (For some reason, I felt it would be a good idea to stir in a pat of butter into the macaroni - it made the texture a bit richer and gave the flavor some complexity and in fact it was a very good idea.)
Recently I was asked if poaching eggs is as difficult as it appears. My answer was no, it isn’t, if you do it correctly. How do I do it? Well, I’m sure everyone does it differently, but I bring 8 cups of water to a boil with 1 tbsp white vinegar. I’ve read that it’s effective to poke a tiny hole in the bottom of the egg (where there’s a little air pocket) with a pin, and when the water is just barely about to boil, hold the egg with the hole in the water for about 10 seconds, then break the egg carefully and allow it to drop into the water. I don’t allow the water to boil - it seems it would cook the egg too quickly and violently when we’re trying to be so careful. After about 4 minutes, I remove the egg. I hardly have to manipulate it with a spoon as it contains itself pretty well and doesn’t move around the pot. I generally poach 2 eggs at a time, so I use a medium sized pot. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and voila, a perfectly poached egg. Sounds simple? That’s because it is. Just be careful and be confident, and chances are, it’ll turn out just as you hope.
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| Very basic - fried artichoke hearts |
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| Aligote |
What did I pair with it? Well, I wanted a vegetable to go with dinner. I love artichokes in the warmer months, so I made a very basic side dish of fried artichoke hearts. I drained a can of artichoke hearts and coated them in eggs whipped with a dash of milk, and seasoned bread crumbs. It only takes a couple of minutes to fry them, and then I let the oil drain off, and topped them with parmigiano reggiano. Delicious and simple.
The wine I chose was a biodynamic Aligote. Haven’t heard of Aligote? It’s the “other” white Burgundy. When we think of white Burgundy, for obvious reasons we think of Chardonnay. This was my first Aligote and it was a perfect pairing. The wine is quite dry with subtle fruit notes of citrus and apple, and plenty of mineral, with a crispness ideal for cutting through a rich texture such as egg (I generally opt for bubbles when pairing with egg, but last night I just wanted a crisp white), and the flavors of the dish and side dish seemed to allow the fruit notes of the wine to shine through. The bright acidity of the wine left my palate feeling very clean and I was very satisfied with last night’s dinner.
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