Crossing Borders: Throw a Paella Party With Pinot Gris

The next time you have friends over for a casual dinner, take a quick trip overseas as well. Pick a European region you’d love to visit. Select a dish that celebrates that region’s culture. Then pair it with the Alsace varietal that provides the perfect gastronomic compliment. A deliciously daring suggestion: Paella and Pinot Gris. The Spanish-derived paella offers tremendous opportunity for experimentation with mild and spicy ingredients. An Alsace Pinot Gris offers a stabilizing backdrop full of velvety-smooth, slightly smoky flavors.

But first, set the stage. A paella party is meant to encourage collaboration, so ask each guest to bring an element for the simmering pot. Start with fresh chicken, but add seafood liberally and spontaneously. Open your first bottle just as guests are arriving, and invite everyone to contribute to the flavors of the meal.

Here’s a recipe to get the creative juices flowing: “Chicken Mar i Muntanya” with shrimp, mussels, green beans, piquillo peppers, and chorizo. It’s from renowned chef Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home, which celebrates the joys of creating meals in your own kitchen “The thing with Ad Hoc,” says Chef de cuisine Dave Cruz, “is that we started with home cooking, and asked ourselves how we could turn that into restaurant food. And now we've turned it back into home cooking.” The food-friendly wines of Alsace make them the perfect companion to meals made with that special, personal touch.

Read More:
Illustrated Recipe: Ad Hoc at Home's Chicken Mar i Muntanya — Grub Street San Francisco
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