Pairing a certain dish with the right wine can create a truly transcendent experience. As a general rule of thumb, white wines pair better with lighter dishes, such as chicken or fish, while red wine pairs better with bolder red meats. Whether you want to prepare dinner for a lot of guests or just want something for yourself to indulge in, here are some foods that taste best when paired with an excellent chardonnay.
1. Crab Cakes
As a white wine, chardonnay pairs great with any seafood dish. Fried and lightly breaded crab cakes pair wonderfully with a lean chardonnay that has a light acidity to it.
2. Fruited Curry Chicken Salad
Chicken and chardonnay go together beautifully. With this exotic dish, the addition of golden raisins, chopped apples and grapes really brings out the flavor of the wine. For some additional texture, you should add some toasted pecans. This gives the chardonnay something to really hang onto.
3. Greek Sweet Potato Fries
Before serving the main course, you can put out some sweet potato fries for guests to munch on. With a toasty chardonnay in hand, this becomes the perfect way to kick off any winter dinner party.
4. Southern Shrimp and Grits
The natural sweetness found in Chardonnay is a perfect match for the starchy quality of corn. You will want to make sure you have a mild shrimp with just a hint of lemon to create the ideal accompaniment. As a good guideline, you want to pair Chardonnay with creamy, buttery dishes. You do not want to have it with any dish that is aggressively seasoned, which is what you get with a lot of Southeast Asian and Indian cuisines.
5. Bay Scallop Chowder
Here is a fantastic recipe for an amazing bay scallop chowder. This creamy dish naturally works very well with Chardonnay. The bacon and scallops you add into the mixture only make it that much better.
6. Dijon-Tarragon Cream Chicken
Chicken does not have the same overpowering taste associated with red meat. With this dish, you get the added benefit of having Dijon and tarragon on the plate. These extremely chardonnay-friendly ingredients that make for a one-of-a-kind taste sensation.
7. Avocado and Tuna Tapas
Once you have located the best chardonnay you can get your hands on, you will want to make plenty of this dish, so you have enough for leftovers the next day. This meal incorporates avocado, mayonnaise and tuna, which are all really tasty with white wine. For some additional flavor, you can consider adding some bacon to the recipe.
8. Salmon
If the idea of learning a new, complicated recipe seems too daunting, then you can make a little go a long way by enjoying a delicious piece of salmon with your wine. Some simple grilled salmon pairs wonderfully with Chardonnay. All you really need to do is add a little butter and lemon, and you are ready to send your taste buds on a journey.
9. Fried Chicken
You want to be careful about what type of chardonnay you are drinking with any kind of fried food. In general, you want to stick with a brighter chardonnay. A Chablis would pair well. However, you will want to avoid some of the more heavily oaked wines out there.
10. Yogurt-Marinated Apricot Chicken Skewers
You want to be careful with the amount of spice you add to the skewers. You do not want to go overboard. However, the subtle spiciness paired with the sweetness of the fruit works excellently for a fruitier type of Chardonnay. A crisp wine will be better capable of handling a richer assortment of flavors.
Feel free to try out as many recipes as your heart desires, so you can find something you will want to make on a regular basis. Through complementary and congruent pairings, you will learn the full potential a great wine can bring to a meal.
