Our Wine of the Week, Fetzer, 2019 California Chardonnay ($8), is an ideal wine for our time. As we stumble through a retail world of sticker shock, the bright little beacon offers a bit of financial relief and delivers a level of quality found in much pricier wines.
As you bring the glass toward you, aromas suggestive of peach, apple and orange flowers envelope you. On the palate, those same aromas unfold into delightful bursts of flavor, accompanied by ripe Bartlett pear, ripe pineapple, apricot and nectarine. There is a subtle burst of toast, a hint of vanilla and a flurry of sweet spice that rises and falls away, as a lingering finish reverberates until the next sip. Underlying these qualities is a suggestion of caramel and a jolt of bright, crisp acidity.
The wine is complex and beautifully balanced, a steal at this price.
At the table, the wine pairs well with corn in all its forms, most seafood, the white meat of chicken, pork loin and tenderloin, tofu teriyaki, root vegetables, pastas in cream sauce and Southeast Asian curries that are not too spicy.
The wine is also a spectacular companion to sweet potatoes. Enjoy it with baked sweet potatoes, sweet potato soup, sweet potato-polenta souffle, sweet potato gnocchi, curried sweet potatoes and sweet potato salad with bacon-maple syrup vinaigrette.
For today’s recipe, inspiration comes from sweet potatoes, combined with new potatoes to cut the sweetness a bit. The addition of sweet Spanish paprika engages beautifully with the wine’s hint of sweet spice. You can enjoy this recipe as a side dish or turn it into the main part of the meal by using one of the suggestions that follow the recipe. The dish is gluten-free, and vegans can simply use whatever replacement they prefer for the butter.
Two-Potato Hash
Serves 6 to 8
1 ½ pounds new potatoes, preferably a mix of white, yellow and blue, peeled
1 pound orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
Olive oil
6 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
Black pepper in a mill
Cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes into small even dice (about ⅜-inch cubes). To do so, slice each potato into lengthwise slices ⅜ of an inch wide. Cut each slice into ⅜-inch-wide strips and cut each strip into ⅜-inch pieces. (If you work with a sharp knife, this is an easy task.)
Put the potatoes in a wide saucepan, cover with water plus 2 inches, add the 2 tablespoons of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the potatoes are nearly tender, about 10 minutes.
Drain thoroughly and spread the potatoes on a sheet pan to cool.
Pour ⅛ inch of olive oil into a large, heavy saute pan set over medium heat and add the butter.
When the butter is fully melted and foamy, add all the potatoes and saute without stirring until they begin to take on a bit of color. Use a thin metal spatula to turn the potatoes, and continue to cook and turn them until they are cooked through and evenly browned. Do not handle them too much or they will crumble.
Transfer to a wide, shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Alternately, reserve for use in another dish.
Serving suggestions:
• Saute a pound of mushrooms of choice in butter and white wine until fully tender. Spoon on top of each serving of the potato saute.
• Top each serving with a poached egg.
• Use as a bed for whole roasted fish.
• Reduce butter to 3 tablespoons. Cut about a pound of Spanish-style chorizo into ⅜-inch dice and saute, turning 2 or 3 times, for about 5 minutes before adding the potatoes.
• Top with meatballs of choice.
May 19, 2021 at 06:14AM
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Sweet potatoes complement chardonnay's fruit - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
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