POTS AND PANS CITY BLOG

At your next dinner party wouldn’t you like to “Wow” everyone by serving a zesty paella as a main course? Then bring out a beautiful Pinot Noir wine that would match perfectly with this highly spiced Spanish dish. It is already in the books—your dinner party is a hit!

Paella consists of a mixture of rice, spices, vegetables, meat such as chicken or sausage, and the ‘piece de resistance’, seafood. Serving seafood at any dinner party makes it special. Having an unusual dish as tasty as Paella just adds to the excitement. And, paella is one of those dishes that can be fun to serve because it is usually served in a big family-style platter that displays all the seafood treasures it contains. You shouldn’t be surprised if your guests dig in and eat some of the seafood offerings with their hands to get every bit of the goodness. This all serves to make the evening more casual and fun!

Matching a wine with your main course of Paella isn’t at all tricky. Of course, the traditional rule can apply that you could serve white wine with a fish or seafood dish, but with Paella there are the other ingredients and the spicy flavor to consider. One of the milder white wines could get lost with this dish. It may therefore be more advisable in this case to serve a hearty white, a robust red or even a lovely rosé. That is why a Pinot Noir would go well here.

Pinot Noir is a lighter red wine that goes well with poultry, ham, lamb or pork. It has a flavor that is reminiscent of sweet red berries, cherries or tomatoes, with a hint of earthy or wood-like tones that would complement the saffron in the Paella. Because it is a lighter red wine, it will not overpower the lobster or crab in the dish, but it is still strong enough to complement the other meats.

If you wish to try pairing Paella with the Pinot Noir, here is a great recipe for Paella that you may wish to try out at your next dinner party. It is easy to make and sure to be a hit, especially when you pair it with a great wine like Pinot Noir.

Paella

Combine all above ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.

 In a large roasting pan, heat 3 TBSP. olive oil. Add:

4-5 crab legs, cut into 2” pieces

4-5 chunks lobster meat

4 fish fillets (cod or sole) cut into chunks

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

3 spicy Italian sausages, but into 1” chunks

1 pkg. Med-large shrimp

3 lbs. Cleaned and bearded fresh mussels

 Sauté in hot oil for 3-4 minutes, then add 3 ½ cups uncooked white rice to seafood mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Then add:

 1 cup white wine

1 cup crushed tomatoes,

1 ½ cups water

1 can beer

Processed mixture from above

12-14 whole green olives.

Gently stir together. Cover and bake in oven at 395? for approximately one hour (until rice is fluffy and fully cooked.)