Quite a pair

The movie “Sideways” has people jumping up and down for pinot noir. But for wine novices, Tony DiDio and Amy Zavatto, authors of “The Renaissance Guide to Wine and Food Pairing,” offer a few pairing suggestions. They recommend serving pinot with grilled chicken, as the charbroiled taste complements low-tannic red wine. It also works with simple pork chops or roasts, because the flavor isn’t so big that it will overpower the meat. For a “snob-free guide to wine,” visit http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/sideways.

Surf and sip

Cleonice Mediterranean Bistro in Ellsworth will cast a wide net with its all-seafood feast featuring wines from the Veneto region of Italy. Chef Rich Hanson has been preparing his menu for months. It will include a seafood antipasto with albacore tuna proscuitto, Venetian mussel soup, a squid ink-tinted shrimp risotto, and grilled diver scallops and swordfish with citrus gremolada. Each course will be paired with a wine chosen by George Schwartz of Vias Imports. The dinner will cost $65 per person, tax and gratuity not included. For reservations, call 664-7554.

Perfect poultry

Kathleen Hulsy of Biddeford is no chicken. Her recipe for Broiled Chicken with Onion and Garlic Confit was selected to represent Maine in the 46th National Chicken Cooking Contest. To prepare the confit, place 6 garlic cloves on a sheet of heavy-duty foil. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Wrap garlic in foil and place in 350-degree oven for 40 minutes. Let cool and mash with a fork to form paste. In a large saute pan, place 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Add 3 large, thinly sliced yellow onions and cook, stirring, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar and cook 10 minutes more. Stir in garlic paste, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Remove from heat and set aside. To prepare the chicken, take 2 broiler-fryers (3 pounds each) and remove their backs and giblets. Place chicken, skin side down, on a large, foil-covered baking pan. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup olive oil with 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter. Brush chicken with half the mixture and sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1/8 cup herbes de Provence. Place in a 475 degree oven and broil about 8 minutes until browned. Turn chicken and brush with remaining oil-butter mixture. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1/8 cup herbes de Provence. Broil 8 minutes more and remove from broiler. Sprinkle skin side of chicken with 6 ounces finely shredded Gruyere cheese. Place 1/2 of a 14-ounce can of chicken stock in the bottom of the pan, reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F and return chicken to the oven. Bake 30 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove chicken from oven and let sit 5 minutes. Line serving platter with 2 bunches watercress. Cut each chicken into 4 pieces and arrange on watercress. Serve with Onion Garlic Confit. Recipe serves 8.

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