I first heard about Moscato a few years ago at a party where I helped cater the food. The hosts always supply the alcohol at these events. When the event planner opened the box, there were several bottles of Moscato among the wines.
She explained to me how white Moscato differed from other white wines. Moscato was sweeter than Sauvignon Blanc, and can easily be served as a before dinner drink or with dessert.
It didn’t take long for all the Moscato to disappear. Guests seemed to really enjoy it and preferred it over the other whites available. Interesting. I vowed that night to buy a bottle to try Moscato sometime soon.
As a rule, I try to serve the same wine with the meal that I added to a dish. That usually involves the entree. Burgundy with a beef stew, Chardonnay with Shrimp Scampi or maybe a nice Merlot with steak and Merlot sauce.
Sometimes it’s fun to serve different wines with each course. How could I use Moscato?
I imagined adding Moscato to fruit sauces for desserts. Fruity reductions for vanilla or chocolate ice cream. Crisp salads overflowing with ripe strawberries. Moscato-based berry dressings drizzled over top.
What I found out was you can use it for so much more!
- Try soaking dried fruit like apricots in White Moscato or Pink Moscato. I used these fruits in cakes and bread puddings.
- Dried cranberries, prunes or raisins soaked in Red Moscato can be used in meat sauces or desserts. That touch of sweetness from the Moscato and fruit combination makes spicy meats just melt-in-your-mouth! Delicious!
- A reduction made from this wine makes a sweet syrupy glaze for meats like ham. Experiment with all three kinds for a different spin.
- Add some to barbecue sauce instead of honey or brown sugar to sweeten.
- Replace the white wine with Moscato for caramelizing onions for added sweetness.
Yes it does make great poultry sauces too. The White Moscato combines as well with peach as it does with citrus.
So for National Moscato Day I chose to roast a duck.
I like the moist texture and rich flavor of duck. Duck is considered red meat and has a different texture than chicken or turkey.
Ducks have a thick layer of fat under their skin that helps them both warm and buoyant. You need to render that fat layer before serving. Cut tiny slits at an angle through the skin being careful not to pierce the meat. The fat runs off and collects in the pan. Duck fat makes excellent cooking fat.
My usual choice for roast duck is to baste it in a honey glaze. Crisp skin is a trademark quality of duck.
Other ways to prepare this water fowl include duck pieces pan-seared and served medium-rare to medium. Orange duck and traditional Chinese Duck also known as Peking Duck.
I chose to make Duck with Moscato Peach Sauce served over braised kale. This sauce would work as well with chicken or turkey.
Ingredients
- 1-5 lb Duck
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Rosemary
- 1-16 ounce bag frozen peaches, thawed
- 1/2 cup White Moscato
- 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne
- 3 Tablespoons Honey
- 1Tablespoon duck fat
- 1/2teaspoon salt
- 1Tablespoon rosemary
- 1 9-ounce bag kale
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- Juice from 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut duck in half and remove excess fat. Pierce skin with small knife cuts being careful not to cut meat.
- Place on a rack in a shallow pan.
- Brush with oil and sprinkle with rosemary.
- Bake at 325 for about 2 to 21/2 hours until duck reaches 160. Periodically remove rendered fat from pan.
- Rest duck for about 15 minutes then transfer to kale lined platter before cutting.
- Place kale and broth in a large skillet. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 2-3 minutes to soften. Drain. Arrange on platter. Drizzle with lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
- Place peaches in blender and pulse to puree. Add remaining sauce ingredients, puree. Transfer to a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes, stirring constantly until thick and heated. Serve warm in individual side dishes.
Let the duck rest several minutes before cutting. Serve the sauce warm in individual side dishes for dipping.
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Enjoy all these delicious Moscato recipes and pairings from the Sunday Supper Group!
Cheerful Beverages:
- Mixed Berry Moscato Smoothie by Casa de Crews
- Moscato Pink Lemonade by Life Tastes Good
- Sparkling Strawberry Grapefruit Moscato Punch by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
- Summer Berry Sangria by One Sweet Mess
Tempting Appetizers:
- Moscato Marinated Grapes by Nosh My Way
- Spicy Hummus with Jalapeno Cilantro Salsa by Recipe for Perfection
Marvelous Mains:
- Chorizo Carbonara by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
- Duck with Moscato Peach Sauce by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Halibut en Papillote with Moscato-Onion Jam by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Honey Walnut and Blue Cheese Shrimp with Sweet Potato Noodles by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Lemon Leek Moscato Chicken by Shockingly Delicious
- Pineapple Avocado Spinach Salad by Family Foodie
Delectable Desserts:
- Berry Peach Citrus Crisp by Desserts Required
- Donauwelle Kuchen (Danube Wave Cake) by Magnolia Days
- Moscato Mixed Berry Pie by Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Moscato Pudding Parfaits by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Moscato White Chocolate Sabayon with Raspberries by Recipes Food and Cooking
- Strawberry Basil Upside Down Cake by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Sugar Cookie Fruit Tarts by Alida’s Kitchen
Celebrating Moscato Day on the Sunday Supper Movement Website
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Compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.
