Jalapeños Rellenos with 2016 Gianni Buonomo Symphony
Just because the jalapeños are causing your heart to race and your eyes to water, it doesn’t mean you have to reach for a cold beer. Au contraire! Grab some wine! It’s been reported that stuffed jalapeños off the grill, paired with the right wine, can enlighten you to a level where you can actually hear angels singing.
Gianni Buonomo’s 2016 Symphony is just that wine.
A moderate amount of sweetness in a wine actually provides a welcoming buffer to the sting and eases the burn that some jalapeños bring to the party.
The off-dry sweetness of the 2016 Symphony also proves to be an effective contrast to salt.
We love the sweet-salty flavor of a prosciutto wrapped date or grilled pineapple and bacon. We love the touch of sweet from a port wine paired with an English Stilton cheese, or a French Sauternes with a Roquefort.
That’s why the salty Spanish goat cheese Manchego is perfect for this appetizer.
My very simple Jalapeños Rellenos recipe, paired with a bottle of Symphony, brings together all the elements needed for you and your guests to hear the angels singing.
Ingredients
8-12 large, plump jalapeños
½ pound Manchego cheese
3 ripe avacodos
Aluminum foil
Mesquite charcoal
Preparation
Fold the foil into a boat for the jalapeños
Wash and halve the jalapeños
Deseed and cut out the white membranes
Cut thin strips of Manchego cheese
Arrange the jalapeños in the boat and stuff with cheese
Place boat over hot mesquite, cover and cook until the cheese is golden brown
(about 14-18 minutes)
Serve with sliced avocado and a chilled glass of Gianni Buonomo Symphony
Serves 4 to 5 people.
Keith Rolle is an award-winning winemaker at the San Diego urban winery Gianni Buonomo Vintners. Already this year they have collected Gold and Double Gold Medals at international competitions from New York to San Francisco. The winery is just steps from the Pacific in the San Diego coastal community of Ocean Beach.