I had been sitting on some nice Italian wines for some time, now, Jeff and Traci Lewis brought a couple of bottles of 2016 CA de Rocchi Montere Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore over for dinner. For some reason, we never got to them that night! I tried to send them home with Jeff but he insisted I hang on to them for our next sortie, which I did. Soon thereafter, Jeff accepted a circuit judgeship in Walton County and moved over there. They had been sitting in my cellar for all these years.
Contemplating our upcoming Fork and Cork Italian tasting, I invited friends over for some braised lamb shanks with the intention of decimating my meager Italian collection of wines. That happened last night!
Being one of my favorite recipes, I will share it with you. Rinse and dry 8 shanks. Heavily salt and pepper. I do mine several hours ahead, but not necessary. I roll them in flour and place into a deep oven safe brassiere (8 quart Le Creuset in this case) on medium high heat with some olive oil to brown on all sides of the shanks, 5 to 10 minutes, in batches if doing 8 shanks. Remove from the brassiere and place in something that can save any juices. Next, take 2-3 cups each of chopped onion, celery and carrots (add some potatoes, too, if you like), adding some more olive oil, and caramelize the veggies, 5 to 10 minutes. Add a cup or two of beef or lamb stock and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Wrap a couple of springs of Rosemay and a couple of sprigs of Thyme, and a bay leaf or two, with cheese cloth, toss that and the lamb shanks and any juices into the pot, salt and pepper (the veggies) to taste, cover an put in a 325 degree oven for 2.5 to 3 hours. Some recipes call for chopped, drained tomatoes, but I opt not to. I think that distracts from the full flavor of the lamb. I test for soft meat and easy pull away from the bone at two hours, and add a cup or two of chopped up baby portobellos. Totally five stars.
For the evening wine starters, I opened a 1.5 of 2018 Far Niente 2018 Chardonnay. Knowing Diane was a hardcore Champagne drinker, I chilled a bottle of Chandon Brut to appease her. Low and behold, Diane, knowing I am not a big Champagne drinker, shows up with Mr. Likis and a bottle or Mumm Napa black label Brut Prestige! So now, the oohs and aahs over my Far Niente stop and there is a run on my small menagerie of champagne glasses! Margie had prepared a cheese board with some brie and some of our favorite Sweet Grass cheeses. Joanna Abel opted for Pinot Noir, a 2017 Vintus from Santa Cruz Mountains. With the champagnes gone, the attention turned back to the Far Niente. That ran out about the same time the shanks came out of the over. And the corkscrews were just getting warmed up! With dinner, we shared a 2012 Caparzo Brunello Di Montalcino, a 2018 Paolo Scavino Borolo Ravera and one of the aforementioned Valpolicella Ripasso’s! All the wines went well with the meat and the vegetables.
Scot had prepared desert, a limoncello tiramisu that was awesome! We washed that down with a 1995 Cuvee Madame sweet wine from the Manzanilla region of France (near Sauternes) that had aged over time into a deep orange color (like a Sauturne). Not my best desert wine pairing but still a treat.
And, Jeffy, don’t expect me to hang on to that remaining bottle of Ripasso forever!
Good food, good wine, good folks, good times!
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