Nissley Naughty Marietta

[Innkeeper]

2000 Nissley, Estate Bottled, Naughty Marietta ($10.75). This is a "semi-dry" red blend. Have no idea what the residual sugar (RS) is. For those of you who have asked and asked this is a SWEET RED TABLE WINE. Only bought it because Mother insisted. All we know about the composition is that it is 72% French/American hybrid reds, and 18% French/American hybrid whites. Oh, what to do, what to do?

Well, tonight we had enough leftover roast leg of lamb to make a lamb curry. Oh, what wine, what wine? Why, Naughty Marietta of course. Can not imagine a better match. She even went with the raspberry/hazelnut vinaigrette basted salad just fine too. Here is what we had:

LEFTOVER LAMB CURRY:

1 lb Cooked lamb in small cubes
2 tbl Light olive oil
1 Onion chopped
2 tsp Curry Powder (preferably Indonesian Boemboe Sesate)
1 tsp Ground coriander
1/2 tsp Ground lemongrass
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Granulated garlic
1 C Coconut milk *
1/2 tbl Arrowroot

Nuke onion in one tablespoon of oil. Place in medium saucepan with all the spices mixed together, the other tablespoon of oil, and cook five minutes. Add meat and toss until coated with onion/spice mixture on all sides. Add coconut milk and simmer for twenty minutes. Stir in arrowroot dissolved in a tablespoon of water till thickened. Serve over cooked rice garnished with toasted coconut.

* COCONUT MILK:

1/3 C Unsweetened coconut
1 1/4 C Milk

Combine in small saucepan and slowly bring to boil. Remove from heat and cool. Strain through a fine sieve. Makes one cup of coconut milk. Spread out coconut pulp on an oiled pan. Bake in a 300 degree oven, stirring occasionally, until dark brown. Serve as condiment.

[mrdutton]

Sounds good, IK. I take exception to the Coconut milk - sounds like a "cheater", but what the hey. Can't complain until I've tried it!

Hot curry and a sweet does sound tempting.

Hot anything and very cold, fresh, sweet (natural), milk tempers hot.

So why wouldn't a decent wine with the just right amount of residual sugar content not do the same?

Not sure of the answer. Is it the sugar content that quells the heat or is it the lactose? (Of course, lactose is not in wine......)

[Thomas]

Mr. D, lactose is in wine, provided the wine has gone through malolactic fermentation, to which many believe reds and sparklers should be subjected, not to mention Chardonnay.

[Innkeeper]

Not a cheater Mike. That is how you make coconut milk. Not be confused with coconut juice, i.e. the stuff that come out of a coconut when you split it open. Some recipes call for coconut cream, which is made from light or heavy cream depending on intended results.

This curry is more Indonesian than Indian. This means it is not so hot as it is rich. The richness is what created in affinity with the wine. Not all Indonesian curry is the same. Those from Bali will blow a hole in the back of your head.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 10-22-2001).]