Pazo de San Mauro with Pekinese style lacquered duck
Albariño Pazo de San Mauro
Winery Pazo San Mauro
www.marquesdevargas.com/es/pazo
D.O.: Rías Baixas
Grapes: 100% Albariño
Ageing: No
Price: 11 €
Excerpt from the book “Pairings of spanish wines with exotic cuisines”.
Click to see the preparation of these dishes, in Asian recipes.
Pueden ver la versión en español pinchando en Pazo de San Mauro
This albariño comes from the Condado de Tea sub-area, specifically from Salvaterra do Miño, the warmest part of Pontevedra. Moreover, this vineyard is located on a meander of the river and facing south, so the ripening time is considerably shorter and more intense than usual.
The result is an intense wine with aromas and flavours from the grape which are surprising because its richness is brilliant, almost overwhelming.
Flowery and even mineral notes can also be perceived, so this is a complex wine that deserves testing before the food is served; this appetizer will be delicious and most explanatory about this grape that has become well-known in restaurants all around the world.
Peking duck
This is one of the best known and most exquisite dishes in the multi-coloured Chinese gastronomy: in fact, it is difficult to find a Chinese quarter in any Western city where the famous lacquered ducks cannot be seen hanging on hooks.
It is an ancient recipe –it is documented as far back as the 12th century- and very difficult to cook, as you can see in our recipe, as it was customary in the medieval castles from the Yuan and Ming dynasties.
There are specialized restaurants where outrageously huge bills are charged for this dish, like Quanjude or the fashionable Kerry Hotel in Beijing, where the ducks are roasted on order with wood from fruit trees to scent their skin and the service is a show in which more than half a dozen people take part –cooks, waiters and assistants.
Pairing.jpg "Pato lacado")
There is no need to go to Beijing to eat a good lacquered duck; in fact there is a restaurant called Peking Duck House in Chinatown in New York. The best I have tried was at Chen in Paris, on a tragic date (11M).
The pairing was obvious since I have always argued that the most aromatic albariños should always be tasted with pork and poultry preparations. Lacquered duck is so refined itself that if we pair it with this Pazo de San Mauro the experience will be unforgettable.
Be careful with Hoisin sauce, as it is rather cloying and may dry out the wine. It is advisable to try the first crêpe without that sauce, even if it is from the lacquered skin it will combine perfectly, and the meat bites will do even better.