The legend of Shiraz

The legend of Shiraz - a Persian fairy tale
Joyce Goldstein, Special to The Chronicle
Friday, February 22, 2008

Discovering that the tooth fairy and Santa are not real can be a downer, and I hate to see a fairy tale demolished.
But for years people believed that the Shiraz grape (known to many of us as Syrah) originated in ancient Iran. The city of Shiraz is about 900 miles from Tehran and home to some of the world's earliest vineyards. One story has it that the grapevine cuttings were brought to France by a 13th century crusader knight who planted them in the Rhone Valley and became a hermit (hence the famed Rhone wine Hermitage).
Another ancient Persian tale is even more far-fetched but appealing. The story is that King Jamshid stored ripe grapes in a cellar so he could enjoy them all year long. One day he sent a slave to get some grapes. When the slave didn't return, the king went down to the cellar and discovered the slave passed out from the fumes and carbon dioxide gas emanating from fermented grapes. One of the king's mistresses, depressed after having been rejected by Jamshid, decided to drink this supposedly poisoned potion in a dramatic gesture of despair, only to leave the cellar elated, dancing and in high spirits. The king understood the power of wine to deliver pleasure.
Back to reality. Super-sleuth Dr. Carole Meredith at UC Davis did a DNA studies of the Syrah grape only to determine that it is native to the Rhone Valley, not Iran. So how did this grape get to Australia? It appears that the first cuttings of Shiraz made it there in 1832 when James Busby, who's often credited with bringing the first wine grapes to Australia, shipped it from Europe along with hundreds of vine samples. Shiraz is now the most widely planted red grape in Australia.
In Australia, Shiraz has different personalities. The McLaren Vale style of Shiraz featured in today's Wine Selections is jammy, laden with ripe black and red fruit. Tannins are restrained and the wine has smooth, opulent mouthfeel. The Barossa Valley produces a more peppery and herbaceous style.
I hate to let a good story die, so I had been thinking of cooking a Persian dish to go with the wines. Because the name Shiraz is so romantic, it still summons images of life in ancient Persia, of blue-tiled mosques, of rich rugs and of a divine cuisine, a cuisine so voluptuous, nuanced and flavorful it influenced the foods of Morocco and subsequently the Catalonia region of Spain, where meat and fruit dishes still appear on the table. What capped it for me was the film "Persepolis," which I saw with my granddaughter. That set us talking about the glories of ancient Persia, and my regret that given today's political situation, I shall probably never get to Iran in my lifetime. But I can still cook Persian food.
Khoresh (also spelled khoresht) is a Persian stew/sauce often served over rice. It may even be layered in a baked pilaf called a polo. In the winter, when fresh fruits are scarce, meats are prepared with dried fruit. Some think that this stew will help cure a cold or the winter doldrums, just like the wine cured Jamshid's discombobulated mistress.
The fruit in the wine is echoed by the stew's prunes and citrus juice. To balance the wine's acidity, I added a touch of pomegranate syrup. The sweet spices are not overpowering but subtly echo those in the wine. Salt brings all of the flavors together, so season and taste again until you are happy. Elated, in fact.
Khoresh (Beef with Prunes & Carrots)
Serves 4 to 6
Because a khoresh is a cross between a stew and a sauce, the meat is cut into 1-inch pieces, smaller than for a regular stew. This khoresh can be made a day ahead of time. Save the prune soaking liquid to add for reheating so the prunes don't scorch. Serve with rice pilaf.
1 pound pitted prunes
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
2 teaspoons kosher salt + more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds stewing beef (boneless short ribs, brisket or chuck), cut in 1-inch pieces
2 large onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 teaspoon saffron crushed and steeped in 2 tablespoons very hot water
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup fresh orange juice or 2/3 cup orange juice and 1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons pomegranate syrup, if needed (see Note)
-- Chopped fresh mint, optional
Instructions: Plump the prunes in hot water. Combine the cinnamon, cardamom, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet and brown the meat over medium-high heat, sprinkling it with some of the spiced salt mixture. Do this in batches so the meat is not crowded in the pan and can brown easily. Set aside.
In a Dutch oven, melt remaining butter over medium heat and cook the onions until soft and pale gold, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir the remaining spice mixture into the onions. Add the meat to the pot and deglaze the skillet with the broth and saffron mixture, stirring up all of the brown bits in the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover the pot. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Add carrots, citrus juice and drained prunes (save the soaking liquids), and simmer for 30 minutes longer or until meat and carrots are tender. Taste with the wine and adjust seasoning. It may need a bit of lemon or pomegranate syrup for balance, or a bit more salt. If the sauce is too thick add a bit of the prune-soaking liquid. Garnish with mint, if using.
Per serving: 565 calories, 33 g protein, 61 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat (11 g saturated), 125 mg cholesterol, 1,036 mg sodium, 9 g fiber.
Note: Pomegranate syrup is found in stores that specialize in Middle Eastern foods. My favorite brands are Cortas and Carlo.
San Franciscan Joyce Goldstein is a restaurateur, consultant and cookbook author. E-mail her at wine@sfchronicle.com.
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This article appeared on page F - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle