Introduction
In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, we’re chatting with Jennifer McLagan, an author and expert in charcuterie. Sometimes, I think we’ve become so paranoid about fat in our diets that we forget that not all fats are alike. Jennifer talks about those that are good for us, and together, we discover some terrific wines to pair with them. Enjoy!
Highlights
- When did Jennifer realize she wanted to write about food?
- What is Jennifer’s favourite failure?
- How does Jennifer respond to people who are concerned about “healthy eating”?
- What was the best moment of Jennifer’s career so far?
- What is Jennifer’s perspective on food and wine writing being perceived as less than other genres?
- What is the best charcuterie pairing for Gewurztraminer?
- How should charcuterie be served?
- What does it mean for meat to be cured?
- What is chorizo’s origin story?
- Historically, what role did charcuterie play in meat preservation?
- What’s the difference between regional cured hams such as Serrano, prosciutto and pata negra?
- Can you pair pickled and brined foods with wine?
- What types of wine would we recommend with Serrano ham?
- Are there wines that don’t pair well with charcuterie?
- What goes into putting together a charcuterie plate at home?
- Why doesn’t Jennifer like cheese with charcuterie?
- What’s the difference between pâté, terrine and rillettes?
About Jennifer McLagan
Jennifer McLagan is the author of the widely acclaimed books Bones (2005), Fat (2008), Odd Bits (2011), Bitter (2014) and Les Os (2014). All her books made The New York Times list of top cookbooks and she has won four James Beard Awards. Fat was named the James Beard Cookbook of the Year. Her book Bitter, was selected by The Guardian as one of the top ten food books, made the list for the Art of Eating prize, and was featured in the Wall Street Journal, New Scientist and British Vogue.
Australian by birth, Jennifer left behind a degree in economics and politics to train in the food business, beginning her professional life in the kitchens of the Southern Cross Hotel in Melbourne. Work as a chef took her to England, where she practiced her trade at Prue Leith’s highly regarded restaurant in London and then in the kitchens of Winfield House, home of the U.S. ambassador. Equipped with a quirky sense of humour, and a contrarian point of view, Jennifer McLagan is known for taking on challenging subjects and questioning our relationship to what we eat.
Resources
- Connect with Jennifer
- Instagram: @jennifermclagan
- Website: jennifermclagan.com
- Twitter: @JenniferMcLagan
- Facebook: JenniferMcLaganAuthor
- Jennifer’s Books
- Adelaide Writers’ Week
- My online wine and food pairing class
Wine Reviews
Tag Me on Social
Tag me on social media if you enjoyed the episode:
- @nataliemaclean and @natdecants on Facebook
- @nataliemaclean on Twitter
- @nataliemacleanwine on Instagram
- @nataliemaclean on LinkedIn
- Email Me at [email protected]
Thirsty for more?
- Sign up for my free online wine video class where I’ll walk you through how to taste wine and pair it with food like a pro – without the snobbery ;)
- Join me on the Sunday Sipper Club on Facebook Live Video every Sunday at 6 pm eastern.
- You’ll find my books here, including Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines and Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass.
- The new audio edition of Red, White and Drunk All Over is now available on Amazon.ca, Amazon.com and other country-specific Amazon sites; iTunes.ca, iTunes.com and other country-specific iTunes sites; Audible.ca and Audible.com.
Transcript & Takeaways
Welcome to episode 31!
In today’s episode, we’re chatting with Jennifer McLagan, an author and expert in charcuterie. Sometimes, I think we’ve become so paranoid about fat in our diets that we forget that not all fats are alike.
Jennifer talks about those that are good for us, and together, we discover some terrific wines to pair with them. Pairing wine and charcuterie is also one of the modules I cover in my online course called Pairing Wine & Cheese with Style & Attitude. So if you want more on this topic, you can find it on my website under Courses. Enjoy!
You can also watch the video interview with Jennifer that includes bonus content and behind-the-scenes questions and answers that weren’t included in this podcast.
Loved that! Here are my takeaways from this discussion:
- Jennifer reminds us that real food is good food, and much better for us than processed food. Just because meat has been preserved, whether by salt, drying or good mold, doesn’t mean it’s unhealthy.
- Love her mantra of “eat fat, stay thin, stay full.” Good fats are satisfying, and they’re also the carriers of flavour, just as alcohol is in wine.
- Jennifer is spot on when she says that wine and food writing is harder than fiction writing because you have to keep it fresh and find new ways to say things and engage your readers.
- Her tip on serving the meats at room temperature has already changed the way I serve a charcuterie plate, and I can taste a huge difference in the flavours.
- Love her description of the three types of Iberico hams, and how terroir influences their taste. I’ll be on the hunt for Pata Negra, the ham made from black-footed pigs who eat acorns.
You’ll find links to Jennifer’s website and to her social media handles in the show notes at nataliemaclean.com/31.
Did you know that you can now listen to this podcast on your smart speaker? Just say: “Hey Google” or for Amazon’s Echo, use her name that begins with A … I won’t say it now as it’ll set off your device and mine.
So I’ll say Madame A as in “Madam A — play the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast.” I’d love to chat about wine with you while you’re doing the dishes, the laundry, having breakfast, lunch or dinner … it’s always wine time.
What was your favourite tip or quote from this episode? Share that with me on Twitter or Facebook and tag me @nataliemaclean, on Instagram I’m @nataliemacleanwine.
If you liked this episode, please tell a friend about it, especially one who’s interested in wine and charcuterie. My podcast is easy to find, whether you search Google on its name Unreserved Wine Talk, or on my name.
Finally, if you want to take your ability to pair wine and food to the next level, join me in a free online video class at nataliemaclean.com/class.
On next week’s show, I’ll be chatting about the rebirth of cool Chardonnay just in time for the International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration, or as the cool kids say iC4!
