A Perfect Pairing: Summer Recipe + Prosecco

As a chef and a wine lover, I find food and wine to be inseparable. I always consider the wine pairing when creating my recipes. By the same token, when sampling wines, I can’t help but think about which foods will best showcase the wine’s uniqueness.

My simple formula for pairing food and wine relies on the five categories that food flavors and wine characteristics fall into. Food is sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami, while wine can be categorized by its acidity, tannin, alcohol, sweetness and body. A great wine pairing is simply achieving a desired balance between those flavors and characteristics. Whether you pair to complement or contrast, the goal is to bring out the best in both food and wine.

From the Veneto and Friuli regions of Italy, Prosecco pairs well with cured meats and fruit-driven appetizers so it’s ideal with these sweet and savory prosciutto-wrapped prunes stuffed with a bold gorgonzola spread. While this sparkling wine is widely available, it’s worth the search for the Prosecco Superiore DOCG of Conegliano Valdobbiadene and Asolo. There’s nothing like a glass of Prosecco in one of Italy’s fabulous cities, but these days I love pairing my Prosecco and this delicious summer recipe with my deck and the sounds of Andrea Bocelli. Cheers until we meet again soon on board!

SUMMER RECIPE: PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED PRUNES WITH GORGONZOLA SPREAD
SERVES 4

4 pieces black bread (such as pumpernickel or walnut)
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
4 ounces Gorgonzola
¼ cup minced toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons dried cherries, soaked in 1 teaspoon sweet sherry
8 pitted prunes
8 slices prosciutto
1 teaspoon olive oil

Using a 3-inch cutter, cut the bread into 4 rounds. Spread one side of each round with the butter and toast the buttered side under a broiler or in a sauté pan. Reserve.

In a small bowl, mash the cheese with a fork. Add the walnuts, cherries and sherry and mix into a paste. Cut off one end of each prune and stuff each prune with about 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture, reserving the remaining mixture.

Lay out the slices of prosciutto and place a stuffed prune on one end of each slice. Roll the prosciutto around the prunes and secure with a toothpick. In a small sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil until hot. Sear the wrapped prunes on all sides until the prosciutto is slightly caramelized, about 30 seconds. Remove the toothpicks. Spread the reserved cheese mixture on the toasts and top each with 2 wrapped prunes. Enjoy and be sure to serve your Prosecco ice cold.

Palate piqued? Explore our gourmet dining and Mediterranean cruises.

About Executive Chef & Director of Culinary Enrichment Kathryn Kelly
Celebrating nearly a decade with Oceania Cruises, Chef Kelly’s passion for adult learning has been the driving force behind The Culinary Center since first developing it with Oceania Cruises co-founder Bob Binder in 2011. While overseeing a faculty of dedicated Chef Instructors, she is the chief architect of more than 100 unique culinary classes as well as our popular Culinary Discovery Tours™, which are immersive chef-led excursions offered in more than 40 destinations worldwide. In close collaboration with Oceania Cruises’ Executive Culinary Director, Master Chef Jacques Pépin, Chef Kelly ensures that the first hands-on cooking school at sea balances enrichment and culinary technique with the joy of learning about the world through food and wine.

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