I received samples for the purpose of tasting and reviewing wine for Cab Franc Day. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions are strictly my own.
Did you know that there is a day set aside to enjoy Cabernet Franc wine? It's true. This traditional blending grape from the Bordeaux region is gaining notoriety for being a stand alone grape in wine that is deep, dark and lovely. We celebrate this wine on December 4th each year.
I know that the celebration is still a week away, however, I wanted to share this wine with you and invite you to pop open a bottle of Cab Franc and join us on December 4th at 8 PM ET for twitter chat as we discuss this interesting varietal.
My friend, Lori of Dracaena Wines, is hosting this virtual event on December 4th. She also arranged for some of us to receive sample bottles of wine for tasting purposes.
I was very excited when I got my wine from Palazzo Winery in Napa Valley. The man responsible for this wine is Scott Palazzo who, after a successful career as a music video and television director/producer, decided to start a vineyard that would produce terroir driven wine that he had come to love while living in France. You will find this and much more information on their website. There is even a little slide show for you to enjoy.
Cabernet Franc is a medium bodied, dark wine that I find to be very food friendly. It is just as happy with roast chicken or a hamburger as it is with a fine steak. This bottle is no exception. I found the Palazzo Reserve Cab Franc to be a little spicy and full of berry flavor. It is very smooth and dry with a nice finish.
I wanted to pair this beautiful wine with a beautiful dinner. I decided to sear some duck breasts and top them with a pomegranate reduction and pomegranate arils. I made a simple sweet potato puree to serve with the duck as my husband opened and poured the wine to breathe.
The pairing was excellent. The duck prepared in this manner with the fruity reduction brought out the spice in the wine. I still have another bottle of this wine that I will be using and sharing in another food pairing during the Cab Franc celebration.
I have decided that just one day is not enough time to celebrate this wine so I'm going to be enjoying it with different food pairings until the end of December. I have already told you about our celebration on December 4th but I want to also extend an invitation for you to join us on December 12th at 11 AM ET when I host a twitter chat discussing Cab Franc Around the World with our Wine Pairing Weekend Group. You will find us by following #WinePW that day.
Pan Seared Duck Breasts with Pomegranate Reduction
Ingredients
- 2 (7 oz) duck breasts
- 1/3 c. chicken stock
- 1/4 c. pomegranate molasses
- 3 T. red wine vinegar
- 2 T. honey
- zest of 1 small orange
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- Pomegranate arils for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Place the chicken stock, molasses, vinegar, honey, zest and thyme into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Redude heat to medium and simmer until thickened. Discard thyme and set aside.
- Score the skin of the duck by cutting 4-5 shallow slices diagonally, being careful not to cut into the meat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place the breasts, skin side down, into a cold cast iron skillet over med high heat. Cook the breasts until the fat is rendered and the skin is crispy brown 10-15 minutes, flip and cook on the other side until an internal temperature of 125* is reached, another 5-6 minutes.
- Remove to a cutting board and allow to rest for a few minutes before slicing on the diagonal and plating. Drizzle with the reduction and sprinkle with arils before serving.
Notes:
Adapted from a recipe found in Cuisine at Home, Issue #132
Calories
824.77Fat (grams)
28.61Sat. Fat (grams)
7.42Carbs (grams)
80.39Fiber (grams)
7.02Net carbs
73.37Sugar (grams)
69.47Protein (grams)
62.92Sodium (milligrams)
425.17Cholesterol (grams)
327.59
Oh, my goodness. That looks amazing. We love duck...and pomegranate. What a great combination for Cab Franc. Thanks for the inspiration. Now I need to get my hands on some duck.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy Cam.
Deletelooks absolutely incredible! And I better get my butt in gear for Saturday the 12th!
ReplyDelete