Homemade food tastes the best; there's something personal about the ingredients, the skill, the enthusiasm, and the success. The culinary experience becomes even more rewarding and richer when you can share the joy of cooking and the achievement with others.
This came true at a meeting of the Kuopio Citizens' Institute wine and food group, where small festive bites were prepared from venison and beef. At this classic wine and food evening, two different wines were tasted with each dish. This provided an opportunity to get to know classic and quality wine companions from different producers and their suitability as flavor partners for the dishes.
Carpaccio is an Italian-style appetizer, often made from beef. A delicious carpaccio is just as easy to make from venison. Thin slices and an oily dressing are the essence. Of course, add a well-chosen red wine on the side, and the carpaccio is ready to enjoy. See the recipe for venison carpaccio below.
Venison Carpaccio (4 servings)
350 g lean and tender venison tenderloin or sirloin
just under 1 dl cold-pressed olive oil
juice of half a lemon
1 tsp salt
black pepper freshly ground
60 g cheddar cheese
fresh small button mushrooms or gourmet mushrooms
100 g frisée/arugula salad
Instructions:
Make the salad dressing by mixing the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt well together in a bowl. Place the meat in the freezer for about an hour, then slice it as thinly as possible. Rinse the salad and cover the bottom of the plate with a thin layer of salad. Arrange the meat slices on top of the salad bed, season with the salad dressing, and grind a little black pepper on top. Cut small pieces of cheddar and mushroom slices on top. Rustic country bread or toasted rye bread goes well with carpaccio.
Recipe, text, and photos: Heikki Remes. www.viinimies.com
Merino Organic
Merino Organic is a meat wine without equal. It accompanies game, grilled dishes, and stews beautifully, and the noble-tasting venison gets a majestic crown from it.
The wine's name comes from the Merino sheep grazing in the vineyards. They are the number one sheep breed in the Alentejo region, and the producer Casa Relvas has over 400 of them.
In flavor, this full-bodied wine is cherry-like, tannic, with ripe blackberry notes, lightly raspberry-like, subtly currant-like, spicy, and toasty.
Price and product information can be found here.
