Starter Suggestions Please..

Oct 14, 2006 3 Replies
K

Hi,



New poster so please go easy with me.



Would appreciate suggestions for a good starter for the following dish, which is a favourite of ours when we have friends round. Also any suggestions for a good red wine to accompany would be welcomed. We normally go for a strong spanish red.



It's a very rustic/spanishy dish with chopped up, roughly chunked, but very high quality chorizo, with burlotti beans, roughly chunked potato, some grated and chunked onions or shallots, a little chicken stock and sherry. Lots of paprika added before and during cooking too. More sherry too! Sometimes we add some wild beans into the mix for a slightly less "buttery" flavour - just depends.



I'm not really describing it properly but it is an awesome dish when served with heaps of rustic bread, with maybe manchego cheese to follow with maybe espresso or brandy.



Any thoughts?



Stuart


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D

As to starter, with a heavier dish like that I'd probably go with a lighter tapas style dish- grilled calamari, gambas ajillo, white anchovies with goat cheese. If you wanted something heavier maybe salt cod croquettes? Sticking to the Spanish theme maybe a Albarino or Rueda to go with that.

Dish sounds good. I'd say you're on right track with strong red. Maybe stay away from Rioja, and go more on the Priorat style, although they can be pricey ($20-60). As can Finca Sandoval from Manchuela (about $30). There are some earthy wines from Jumilla that are better priced.

Let us know what you chose and how it went.

Krayten wrote:

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M

Hmm.... I'd say that it falls into a rough category with cassoulet, though it's almost certainly less fatty. I'd say that a slightly tannic and fruity red wine would probably fare well with it. Apart from Ed's suggestion, how about an Aussie Shiraz, young Zinfandel or, to get more exotic, a Madiran from SW France? Depending on the exact preparation, I might be tempted to try a wine from the Southern Rhone (Cotes du Rhone, Chateauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas) with it, too.

Mark Lipton

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U

A nice Primitivo

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