Tips For Pairing food & wine

• Pair great with great,humble with humble. Wines and foods of the same “status”have a natural bond. A humble dish like meat loaf doesn’t need—doesn’t even feel right with
• Work with natural flavor affinities. In the same way that coffee and cream just naturally seem to go together, so does, say, a rich salmon fillet and a refreshing white wine.
• Showcase expensive, complex wines with dishes that are utterly simple like, say, a great grilled steak.
• If the wine is delicate,make sure the food is, too. If the food is robust, serve a bold wine.
• The “weight”of the dish and the weight of the wine should always be in harmony. With, for example, a beef stew, opt for a full-bodied red such as Australian shiraz.
• Certain ingredients—known as “bridges”—can tie the flavors of a wine and a food together. For example, adding goat cheese to a salad makes that salad a better match for sauvignon blanc because goat cheese and sauvignon blanc share similar tangy flavors. Adding black peppercorns to a sauce would help bridge that sauce to a wine that is peppery, such as syrah.
• All things considered,wines that are high in acid are generally the easiest to pair with the widest variety of foods. These wines act like a knife, cutting through the flavors of other foods and leaving the palate refreshed and ready for the next bite. Some familiar examples are Riesling, sauvignon blanc and sparkling wines for whites, pinot noir for red.
  

Roasted Beef Tri-Tip

1 2- to 4-pound Morton’s of Omaha* Steakhouse Classic Tri-Tip
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes Kirkland Signature* canola oil
Salt and pepper
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and peeled
1 tablespoon butter

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Place beef in a roasting pan fat side up. Roast in the oven for 1 hour, or until internal temperature is 130°F, for medium-rare. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
3. Wash potatoes, cut into quarters and place in a bowl. Add oil, salt and pepper to taste, and toss to combine. Place on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown. Potatoes can be roasted with the meat as long as they are not placed too low in the oven,where they may burn.
4. Preheat grill to medium-high.
5. Combine asparagus with canola oil to coat and toss. Grill asparagus for a few minutes, or until tender. Remove from the grill, top with butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Slice the meat across the grain about 1/8-inch thick and serve with the potatoes and asparagus.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Fettuccine Alfredo with King Crab Leg Meat

3/4 pound fettuccine
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
10 button mushrooms, quartered
12 canned artichoke heart halves
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound king crab leg meat
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Drain and reserve.
2. Heat butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
3. Add mushrooms and sauté until lightly browned. Add artichokes and toss with mushrooms and garlic.
4. Deglaze the pan with wine for 30 seconds. Add cream and Parmesan; simmer to reduce and thicken for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add crab and reserved fettuccine and toss to thoroughly heat and coat.
6. Divide among 4 pasta bowls or plates and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

King Crab Salad with Fresh Citrus and Papaya

Juice of 1/2 fresh lime
2 teaspoons ground ginger Pinch of saffron
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 egg yolk*
1 avocado
1 papaya
2 oranges, or other citrus fruit
1-2 heads Bibb or butter lettuce
1 head romaine, chopped
1 pound king crab leg meat

1. Combine lime juice, ginger and saffron.
2. Place mayonnaise in a bowl and mix in seasoned juice and egg yolk to form the dressing.
3. Peel and slice or dice avocado, papaya and oranges.
4. Arrange lettuce leaves and chopped romaine on a plate.
5. Arrange fruit and crab on the lettuce and spoon or drizzle the dressing over all.

Makes 4 servings.
* If you don’t wish to use raw egg yolk, pasteurized egg yolk can be substituted, or just eliminate this ingredient.

Wok-Seared King Crab Legs in Spicy Garlic Sauce

3-4 pounds whole king crab legs, split
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
4 tablespoons chili paste with garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
4 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
4 servings cooked rice, prepared according to package directions
8 sprigs fresh cilantro, for garnish

1. Chop crab legs into smaller sections or leave whole.
2. Combine sesame oil, chili paste, chicken stock and hoisin sauce in a bowl, blend thoroughly and reserve.
3. Heat oil in a wok until very hot. Carefully add crab legs to the wok and toss in the hot oil to coat and heat.
4. Add chopped garlic and the reserved sauce and toss to coat thoroughly.
5. Place rice on 4 plates and top with crab. Pour the sauce over all and garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Makes 4 servings.