Golf dinner

T and his friend PPO had been playing golf and returned home to what was supposed to be a quick meal – PPO had to get up 4.15 next morning to drive his son to Copenhagen.

First off a primo of Risotto with scallops and baked parma ham and a splash of balsamicco 8,5/10. To this we had a bottle of Meursault from 2008 8/10. Together 9/10

The secondo was chicken (even if it was not K's famous chili chicken) cooked with fennel and lemon and served with bread and a salad of lettuce and tomatoes.











The chicken:
organic chicken cut in 8 pieces.
one or two fennels (whatever space you have leftover in the  dish).
garlic
parsley and/or other herbs
organic lemon cut in pieces (one has to use the unsprayed kind since the peel is used)
s/p
in the oven for app 50 min. K is still trying to figure out T's oven, but thinks it is 10 minutes at 200 C degrees and then turn down to 160 C for the remainder. In K's experience organic chicken need to cook a little bit longer at lower temperature: They are a bit bigger than the non-organic type as they are allowed to live a little longer. But that also benefits the taste. And ones conscience! Organic chickens have better space and get to go outdoors.

Put the left over bones and cutouts in a pan with onion, carrot, herbs etc for a great stock for later use.













Discussions were long as to what to drink with the chicken. T felt for Pinot Noir even though literature suggested otherwise (Valpolicella). Nebbiolo (Barbaresco) was suggested by PPO but he was also happy with some burgundy and so it was. We selected a bottle of Nuits St George 2004 from Louis Latour. T had asked if it was to be traditional Pinot, i.e. Burgundy or some new-world but was met with demand for the French variety. Just to test PPO and K, T also opened a bottle of Te Muna from New Zealand. This of course was something quite different and despite not doing poorly (7,4/10) it could not change the mind of PPO and K (and T). The Nuits St George (8,5/10) was also the better companion to the chicken (8/10).

The match was from the beginning unfair. Just because the grapes are the same, they were two very different wines. The burgundy had matured well and was better balanced. The New Zealandic version was much younger (2008) and was rich in fruit and oak.

The discussion about old world/new world wine goes on and on on these pages. The good part about it is that we get to taste a lot of good wine from both worlds.

For dessert we had the baked plums with macaroon and whipped cream to go with our left over Sauternes.

T commented that PPO was a joy to invite to dinner. Having to leave early and drive home, he drank next to nothing leaving a lot to the hosts. Hopefully he will know better next time.