Sponsored by Royal Wine
On Shabbat, we set the table with our finest china, we put on our favorite dress clothes, we make the most delectable foods to eat, and we buy what we think is the best wine. But most of us, unless you’re a wine connoisseur, don’t actually know which wines are the best or how to pair them with our Shabbat menu. Luckily, Gabe Geller from Royal Wine is the expert and here to give us all his top wine pairings for almost every possible main dish you could serve for Shabbat dinner or lunch.
From Cornish Hens and Chicken Provençal to BBQ Ribs and Lamb Chops, each dish has been paired with a wine that will enhance it and make your Shabbat meal that much more special.
Cornish Hens
Paired with Baron Herzog Old Vine Zinfandel
These Cornish Hens have the flavor of chicken we all know and love, but make a beautiful presentation! They are stuffed with a delicious winter-inspired wild rice and studded with dried cranberries and toasted chopped pecans.
Ingredients:
4 Cornish hens
1 cup wild rice blend, cooked according to package directions
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
1 red apple, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
Salt and pepper to taste
Glaze:
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat and add onions and apples; saute for 5 to 7 minutes, or until onions and apples are tender. Add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds. Add cooked rice to the skillet along with cranberries and toasted pecans. Add apple cider vinegar a little at a time to taste if desired for more tang. Toss to evenly combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Lightly season the cavities of the hens with salt and pepper. Loosely spoon about 1/2 cup of stuffing into each cavity. Tie the legs closed with kitchen twine and tuck the wings under the birds. Arrange the hens in the pan Brush the tops and sides of each hen with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While the hens are roasting, make the glaze. Combine apple cider and maple syrup in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a steady bubble. Simmer until mixture is syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes.
- Whisk in Dijon mustard until smooth. Set aside.
- Continue roasting the hens for an additional 40 to 50 minutes. During the last 30 minutes, lightly brush the hens with the glaze every 15 minutes.
Chicken Provençal
Paired with Château Roubine premium rosé
This chicken dish uses only a handful of basic ingredients, but is bursting with incredible pops of flavor.
Ingredients:
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
1 medium-large shallot, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 and 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup olives of your choice, pitted
Optional garnishes:
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving
lemon wedges, for serving
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add olive oil to a large oven-safe skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Season chicken liberally with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until deeply golden brown. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Add the shallot and garlic to the pan, scraping up the brown bits with a spatula, cooking for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the white wine, continuing to scrape up the brown bits. Increase heat to high and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken and its juices back into the skillet, along with the cherry tomatoes, olives, rosemary, and thyme. Make sure all of the ingredients are nestled down into the skillet and its liquid. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until chicken is cooked through, and the tomatoes are starting to cook down and burst. Discard the rosemary and thyme. Finish with chopped parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
Garlic Roasted Turkey Breast
Paired with Herzog Lineage Sauvignon Blanc
Roasted garlic is easy to make and gives off a whole extra level of flavor. Once the garlic is roasted, I mixed it with chopped herbs to make an incredible rub for the turkey.
Ingredients:
2 heads garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, and/or rosemary, plus additional whole sprigs, or 1 teaspoon dried herbs (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 lemon, sliced
1 (3 and 1/2- to 4-pound) bone-in turkey breast half
1 cup white wine or chicken broth, plus more as needed
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice the tip off the heads of garlic, exposing the ends of the cloves. Place the garlic heads on a piece of foil, drizzle with oil, and wrap into a package. Roast until the garlic is golden brown and soft, about 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves and any oil left in the foil into a small bowl. Add chopped (or dried) herbs, salt, and pepper; mash with a fork to form a paste.
- Scatter lemon slices and herb sprigs, if using, in a 9×13-inch roasting or baking pan. Loosen the skin on the turkey breast and spread all but 2 teaspoons of the garlic paste under it, massaging the paste into the meat. Spread the remaining paste over the skin on the underside of the meat. Place the turkey in the pan and add 1 cup broth or wine.
- Roast the turkey, checking the water every 30 minutes and adding more, 1/2 cup at a time, if the pan is dry, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part (without touching bone) registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit, 1 and 1/4 to 1 and 3/4 hours.
Baby Lamb Chops with Gremolata
Paired with Netofa Latour Red
Searing the lamb chops is a quick and easy way to cook them and lock in their delicious flavor! The lamb chops are tossed with a crunchy, flavorful gremolata that complements the lamb beautifully.
Ingredients:
6 to 8 lamb chops
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Gremolata:
1 bunch parsley
zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Lamb Chops:
- Season with salt and pepper. Heat skillet with 1/2 teaspoon oil to medium-high. Hot but not smoking. Reduce heat. Cook 3 minutes on one side and flip and cook an additional 3 minutes on the other side for medium rare. Sprinkle with gremolata before serving.
Gremolata:
- Mince the parsley. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
BBQ Braised Baby Back Ribs
Paired with Flechas de Los Andes Gran Malbec
Ribs are always delicious, but especially when you give them a little extra love with a homemade spice rub and sauce. It’s worth the extra ingredient list, I promise!
Ingredients:
3 to 4 pounds baby back ribs
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp celery salt
BBQ Sauce:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp liquid smoke
1 (15-ounce) can of tomato sauce
Directions
- Mix the spice rub in a bowl and generously rub over the meat. Sear in a hot skillet if you have a big enough one.
- Combine the bbq sauce ingredients in a pot over medium heat and mIx well to combine. Remove from the heat. Place the ribs in a roasting pan and pour the BBQ sauce over them. Cover and bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 hours, turning over halfway through the cooking.
There you have it! 5 insanely delicious main dishes for Shabbat, and 5 incredibly special wines that pair perfectly with them.
We hope these recipes and wines complete your Shabbat and make it a time to savor.
