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questions about putting things together

post #1 of 3
9/9/08 at 9:16pm
Thread Starter 
okay so i'm a fairly decent cook, but only with very basic things. however, it's my parents 25th anniversary in a week or so, and my sister and i are making dinner for them. we're doing lamb shanks--which we've found a recipe for, but we also wanted to do an appetizer, dessert, and wine, but neither of us have the faintest idea how to go about matching things, and we dont want to pick something that wont fit. does anyone have any suggestions on what might go well, or does it even really matter?
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post #2 of 3
9/10/08 at 8:31pm
What else are you serving with the lamb? What is in the braise that you will be making with the lamb shanks? That will affect your choice of wine somewhat. Probably the best choice for wine would be a Pinot Noir, or even a Merlot, though I could make an argument for most red wines. Stay away from whites, they will be overwhelmed. As for an app., it doesn't really matter though I would keep it somewhat light as lamb shanks can be heavy. Same with dessert, it doesn't really matter, but I might keep the dessert kind of seasonal, meaning maybe a peach dessert or a light apple dessert that isn't overly spiced. You could really overthink this and get really nuts working out a progression of flavors based on a number of reasoning strategies, but don't complicate matters.
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post #3 of 3
9/11/08 at 4:51am
I think a salad to accompany a heavy dish like lamb is superb but of course it all depends on how you are serving the lamb shanks. I'm assuming you're doing a braise?

I would suggest an arugula salad with apples, walnuts, balsmamic vinegraitte and parmesan shavings to accompany.

For dessert I would simply serve fruit drizzled with a balsamic syrup reduction.

1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar

Simmered on very low heat until it thickens a bit and then drizzle this over fruit and yogurt or even ice cream.
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