This month I am hosting the World Wine Travel writers to share pairing with wine or food from Uruguay.
The group is sharing the following articles. And we won't be gathering for a chat this weekend. I dropped the ball on planning and have a busy Saturday anyway. So, I hope you'll check out all the articles and get inspired into the kitchen...or to your local wine shop to get your hands on some Uruguayan wines.
BBQ Steak Uruguay Style with a Cooper’s Hawk Red Blend by Our Good Life
Grilled Chile Garlic Shrimp paired with a Torrontes from Uruguay by A Day in the Life on the Farm
The Lighter Shades of Wines from Uruguay and a Parade of Pairings by Culinary Cam (you're here)
The Lighter Shades of Wines from Uruguay
I already told you that I am a fan for Tannat from Uruguay. But, for this event, I wanted to explore something new. I opted to pair some lighter shades of wines such as an Albariño and a Tannat Rosé. The tasting notes and recipes for the dishes are shared in separate posts. Click on the titles to visit the articles.
Then I served a Torta de Fiambre + a Single Vineyard Albariño from Uruguay.
We liked the Tannat Rosé so much, we opened up a second bottle. This time, I made tiny grilled chicken skewers marinated and served with chimichurri.
Pinchos de Pollo
Pinchos is Spanish for 'spikes' and refers to meat skewers.
Chimichurri
1/2 cup parsley
6 Tablespoons vinegar (I prefer sherry vinegar)
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and pressed
4 Tablespoons oregano leaves
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
2 to 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
freshly ground pepper, as needed
freshly ground salt, as needed
Pinchos
boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
Also needed: small skewers and a grill pan or skillet
Procedure
Chimichurri
In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth, drizzling in the oil until desired texture; season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and let stand for, at least 30 minutes. If you are making this ahead of time, place in a lidded jar and keep in the refrigerator.
Pinchos
Place cubed chicken in a bowl and massage in about 1/2 cup of the chimichurri. Reserve the rest for serving. Let chicken marinate for at least 20 minutes, longer is fine, too.
Thread the marinated cubes onto small skewers and set aside while the grill pan or skillet heats. Cook for a few minutes on each side until cooked golden.
Move cooked pinchos to a serving platter and serve with another dollop of chimichurri on top.
That is a wrap for my exploration of the lighter shades of Uruguay wines. I have a Tannat pairing to come and will definitely be looking at more pairing in the months ahead. But next month the group will be looking at the wines of Brazil with Susannah of Avvinare hosting. Stay tuned!