Yesterday afternoon jeff Pfohl came up to Santa Fe for a haircut and to deliver some Gourmet Delights products. We had also invited him to stay for dinner. Jeff supplied the wines for the dinner. We started the meal with a 2002 Louis Roderer Brut and three pâtes, each topped with aspic - a pork liver, duck liver & chicken liver with port, a pork & pork liver with black truffles and cognac; and pork liver & foie gras with Sauternes. The pâtes were accompanied by a shallot confit and a pear-vanilla fruit paste. These all were enjoyed around our coffee table in the living room.
We then moved to the dining table for Farmer’s Market greens dressed with a Provençal vinaigrette, topped with the meat stripped from a couple duck legs confit and some griottines. The confit salad was enjoyed with a 1998 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. The Roussane-based wine was rich enough to pair well with the salad.
Then after a short break we had slices of rare to medium rare Shepherd’s Lamb leg, boned and tied and cooked on our ancient rotisserie (it was a wedding present). When cooked the lamb was sliced, plated, and served with asparagus steamed with garlic and finished with coarse sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, EVOO and butter. The lamb was enjoyed with 1968 Viña Valoria Rioja - youthful looking in color; rich nose and flavors of minerals, dark fruits, and spice; rich medium long spicy fruit finish.
Then we moved to the den for dessert and qualifying and the race for the Malaysian Grand Prix. Dessert was sharing the box of a dozen chocolates that Jeff brought up for an anniversary present along with a lovely 1947 Banyuls which was very good with the assorted chocolates.