Monday, August 25, 2008

Breakfast With The Winemakers: Sunday Morning Sausage

If food is the body of good living, wine is its soul.
-- Clifton Fadiman


Let's start by stating our position on Sauternes one more time: Sauternes is for sipping, beautifully, in a glass, with maybe some seared fois gras on toast points or a heavenly blue cheese, or some pears on the side. We do not, normally speaking, think it should be used in cooking, because, well, it's too damned tasty on its own.

We'll make an exception for today's recipe from Adventures in Wine Cookery, as it calls for so very little, leaving plenty more to drink after.
Sunday Morning Sausage

David E. Gallo, E. & J. Gallo Windery, Modesto

This recipe is a Gallo family favorite for Sunday morning brunch.

4 lbs. pork loin (boned, medium fat)
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon crushed dry hot red chili pepper
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup California Sauterne

Coarsely grind pork loin. Season with fennel, chili pepper, and liberal amounts salt and pepper. Add wine; mix thoroughly. Cover and let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Pack in foil, rolled tightly like a casing. Store in refrigerator 12 hours. When ready to cook, form sausage into patties and fry over low heat. Baste with Sauterne during last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve piping hot.

My choice of wine to accompany this dish: California Rhine Wine.


See? It's not all about the little women writing in with their recipes, sometimes the kids do, too! David Gallo was the son of Ernest Gallo and Amelia Franzia. You remember Amelia... she was the Franzia who married into the Gallo family and brought screwcaps to the Franzia line as a result.

This sounds like a completely tasty breakfast sausage. I like that it's veering to the spicy instead of the sweet, and let's be completely honest: This makes me want to have biscuits and gravy.

The "California Rhine" young Mr. Gallo recommends is going to be mostly Riesling, and very light in body. Right now, Chefly Husband and I are on a 2003 Alsatian and German Riesling kick -- if you can find a bottle, give it a try.

No comments:

Post a Comment