Port Adds Easy
Sophistication to Desserts
Good cooking can seem
magical. Like magic, impressive cooking is a blend of technique, a few tricks, and showmanship. Combining food with liquor
illustrates this blend effectively. Liquor brings a mysterious alchemy to the taste of many dishes, and it adds sophistication
to presentation. Think what a little whiskey and whipped cream does to a cup of coffee. Irish coffee is a classic that seems
to warm you up even before you drink it.
Another warming liquor,
too underused, is Port. Port works especially well with dessert - a course notoriously difficult to pair effectively with
wine or other liquor. Port even complements chocolate, a claim almost no other wine can make.
Port originated in Portugal,
but it would have remained a local drink without the 17th century wars between France
and England. The English, deprived of
French wine, began importing Portuguese wine. But transportation was a bit slow, and ships were a bit rocky, and the wine
was often ruined during transit. To strengthen it, the wine was fortified by adding Brandy.
Brandy
has an interesting effect on wine; it immediately stops the grapes from fermenting. Adding brandy, therefore, not only adds
to the alcohol level, but it keeps the sweetness from the grapes that is otherwise lost during complete fermentation. By properly
timing the addition, you can structure a complex, sweet, warming (20% alcohol) drink that marries especially well with dessert,
i.e. port.
While port is easy to
taste, it can be ridiculously complicated to buy. Since port is blended from a variety of grapes and usually from several
harvest years, there are a myriad of styles and names for different ports. Realistically, however, it is only necessary to
divide port into two categories - barrel-aged or bottle-aged.
Port aged predominantly
outside of the bottle, in either wooden barrels or tanks, is fruity, relatively inexpensive, and ready to drink immediately
upon purchase. The most common types within this category are Ruby, (the youngest), Tawny, (my personal favorite), and Vintage
Character, (a premium ruby). Given their low cost, it is fun to experiment with different bottles to find a personal favorite.
The classic port of literature
(and foodies) is Vintage Port.
Vintage port is port made from grapes of a single harvest, and the declaration of a vintage year is taken very seriously.
Vintage port is bottled at two years, but it needs to age a minimum of 10 years in the bottle. Vintage port is expensive,
not only when purchased (a minimum of $50-$75/bottle), but also when considering the cost of holding it for many years. There
is a reasonable alternative to vintage port which is port labeled Late
Bottled Vintage Port
or LBV. It is not too expensive for a special occasion, and does not require further aging. Expensive ports in restaurants
are usually LBVs.
The most famous port and
dessert combination is the classic Port, Stilton (or any blue cheese), and walnuts; a dessert that comes straight out of Dickens
or Conan Doyle.
This combination highlights port's affinity with strong cheeses - cheeses that can bedevil most other after-dinner drinks.
I've included a recipe below that combines all of these in a spread for crackers.
Port's affinity for chocolate
allows for all sorts of combinations. For an elegant and truly easy dessert,
buy a few high quality chocolate truffles per person and serve on a plate with a glass of port. Crystal and china add a flourish to the presentation.
The combination of Port and chocolate is especially attractive, as you should not splurge on expensive port. Chocolate hides
the finesse of aged ports, so use a simple Ruby or Tawny. Experiment here, also, with non-Portuguese ports, (all ports made
in Portugal are labeled Porto). Both American
and Australian houses make excellent ports to marry with chocolate.
Port also complements
nuts extremely well. If you find cake with frosting too sweet, bake an almond or walnut cake. Don't ice it, but serve it with
port to add the missing sweetness.
For something a little
different, add port to melon. Hole out a section of melon and add port directly to the hole. The color combination of port
in honeydew melon is striking, or try port with watermelon. Watermelon really soaks in the liquor.
Cream desserts are great
partners for Port - desserts such as crème brulee, cheesecake, flan, or tiramasu. If youre feeling adventurous and want to
get away from traditional pumpkin pie this Winter, try a Tawny
Port with the Pumpkin Crème Brulee Tart found in the Food & Wine
section at www.robertmondavi.com.
The Classic Port Spread
(courtesy of Gourmet)
1 pound blue cheese, (such
as Stilton or Gorgonzola), crumbled
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted
butter, softened
½ cup Tawny Port
1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
In a food processor, blend
the cheese, butter, and Port until the mixture is smooth. In a bowl, combine the cheese mixture and the walnuts. The spread
keeps, covered and chilled, for up to 3 weeks.
