Tonight began our "Wine Pairing Wednesdays". Our first pick: Shiraz/Syrah. We had 3 wines to choose from, a 2007 Cupcake petite syrah, a 2009 Shoo Fly Shiraz, and a 2008 McWilliam's Shiraz.
Wendy was our host for the evening. She paired our wine of the evening with a dinner adapted from the recipe below. Wendy baked the sauce and chicken together and served it over noodles, along with a bacon Cesar salad and garlic bread. (and leftover Halloween candy for desert)
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon (or 1 Tbsp dried tarragon)
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 4 boneless chicken breast halves,(about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 2 cups chopped fresh tomato (1-2 tomatoes, depending on their size)
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
1 Get the grill started on medium high heat. While the grill is heating up, whisk together half of the tarragon, half of the oil, and all but 1/4 teaspoon of the minced garlic in a shallow dish. Lightly pound chicken between sheets of waxed paper to uniform 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to tarragon mixture and turn to coat. Let stand 10 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, blend the tomato and remaining olive oil until smooth. Add the vinegar and remaining tarragon and garlic and pulse until well mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3 Grill chicken until brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plates. Spoon sauce around chicken.
2 Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, blend the tomato and remaining olive oil until smooth. Add the vinegar and remaining tarragon and garlic and pulse until well mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3 Grill chicken until brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plates. Spoon sauce around chicken.
On a sillier note, here are some quotes from the evening. We hypothesized about what men talk about when they get together, well boys, here is what we ladies talk about...
"He was standing a foot away and it still reached!"
"It's appropriate for public..."
"I'm good! I'll show you!!!" (as she reaches for the empty bottle)
"He went to Afghanistan for a year...over the summer."
"Some wine?"..."I'm not crying!"
"They've been tasting each other for a while?...Is that really what you just said?"
