Thoughts on Wine Dinner Menu

Autumn Wine Dinner
November 16th 2009
Robert Hall Winery, Paso Robles, CA

In general I wanted to keep the menu relatively straight forward. It's a wine dinner. I think overly complex dishes tend to lose focus when pairing with a wine.

Pacific Northwest Black Cod
Poached in citrus olive oil, white truffles, parsley coulis
Robert Hall Sauvignon Blanc 2008
I was looking for an ultra fresh fish and the black cod has been consistant. When planning a menu this far out you have to be cautious with wild fish. The sauv blanc is citrusy, hence the citrus in the olive oil. The green fruit in the olive oil should be fine with the wine and the truffles need some fat to highlight them.


Roasted Beats and Artisinal Cheese
Humboldt Fog goat cheese, petite frilly green mustard,
“Blis” Double Solera aged sherry vinegar.
I'm going to roast the beets for a long time to give them that "roasted corn" flavor. I simply love Humboldt Fog and the mildly bitter greens should be a nice contrast. The "Blis" vinegar is unbelievable. Better than any aged balsamic I've ever had.


Day Boat Sea Scallop
Pan seared, chicken demi braised slab bacon, maple accented
sweet potato puree and piquant beurre blanc.
Robert Hall Chardonnay 2007
I set out to do this dish no matter what. I did it for the Hope Safe House dinner and was just killer. The chard isn't as big as I would have liked but I noticed it gets better as it warms. We'll have to be careful to serve it at the right temp.


Breast of Pheasant
Foie gras infused cranberry pheasant jus, haricot vert.
Robert Hall Rhone de Robles 2006
This dish should be perfect for this wine. I mean what else can you say? This wine is the best of the bunch and deserves the hassle of making this time consuming dish.


Local Rack of Lamb
(Pinn-Oak Farms, Whitewater, WI)
Panko and mustard crusted, roasted chestnuts,
apricot and thyme infused demi-glace.
Robert Hall Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
OMG. I just recieved my first case of Pinn-Oak farms lamb. Absolutely gorgeous. They take orders on Monday, slaughter on Tuesday, package on Wednesday and deliver on Thursday. This lamb is being added to the new menu. I dare anyone to beat it. Anyone, anywhere.


Montmorency Cherry Dumpling
Candied orange peel, chocolate truffle, vanilla custard.
Robert Hall Orange Muscat 2007
I'll be picking up the cherries in Door County on my next trip up. The area is known for it's tart Montmorency cherries. Got to have some chocolate and the orange peel will pair with the wine, which isn't overly sweet by the way.