LOS ANGELES, Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of the movie release of Australia and the upcoming holidays, Jacob's Creek, the #1 selling wine and leading export brand in Australia, has partnered with celebrated Australian chef, Kate Paul, to create a recipe that brings together a unique cuisine and wine pairing for the season. A glass of wine plays an integral part of any memorable meal. It enhances the taste and contributes to an unforgettable dining experience. Over the last 20 years, Kate has perfected the art of food preparation with new ideas and fresh ingredients from across the world. Kate's pick for this holiday season is slow braised beef shortribs with root vegetables, served over bleu cheese polenta and capped off with a glass from Jacob's Creek Reserve collection, Shiraz.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081203/LAW008)

"The holidays are a time to surround yourself with great people and good food," said Los Angeles based foodink catering owner, Kate Paul who has prepared meals for fellow Australians Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts. "As for this splendid pairing, there is a spice level in the wine that the root vegetables and seasonings bring out and this is matched by preparing the beef in the wine and finishing it with the glass of shiraz!"

    Below are the details on creating this perfect dish:

    Part I: Wine Braised Short Ribs - 4 people/2 ribs each
    4 to 5 pounds of English cut chuck short ribs (cut is parallel to the
      bones)
    1/4 cup fresh cracked black pepper
    1/8 cup malden sea salt or kosher salt
    3 Tablespoons olive oil or oil blend
    2 red onions peeled and diced
    1 leek washed, diced
    8 large peeled garlic cloves
    1 pound baby turnips, peeled & halved
    1 pound parsnip, peeled & cut same size as turnips
    1 pound garnet yams, peeled & cut same size as turnips
    1/2 pound red pearl onions, peeled, whole
    1 large beef tomato peeled & diced (each)
    2 cups JC Shiraz Cabernet
    3 cups beef stock
    1/2 cup rough chopped flat leaf parsley (Italian)
    1/4 cup grated orange peel, preferable blood orange


    Instructions:
    -  Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit
    1. Rinse & pat dry ribs. Rub with salt & pepper.
    2. Heat oil on medium high heat in dutch oven or heavy duty deep skillet
       until hot but not smoking. Add ribs in batches & brown on all sides,
       about 15 minutes total. Transfer to platter.
    3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil remaining in pot.  Turn heat to
       medium, add onions, stirring until lightly browned.  Add garlic, and
       other vegetables.
    4. Add wine, simmer 10 minutes & use liquid to scrape browned vegetable
       bits together with vegetables.
    5. Return rib to pot & add enough stock to come halfway up side of ribs.
       Bring to a simmer & skim the top of the liquid (discard).
    6. Cover with lid or foil, place in oven on sheet pan in center of oven.
       (pan will catch any bubble/drips & make easier to remove)
    7. Cook until tender 1.5 - 2 hrs.  Fork test - if removes easily is done,
       if meat clings to fork needs more time!
    8. When meat is done, remove & keep warm.  Strain vegetables, keep warm.
       Heat remaining liquid on stove top on high; skimming; until liquid
       reduced by half.  Season as required, arrange ribs & vegetables in bowl
       over polenta & spoon sauce over top.  Garnish with flat leaf parsley &
       orange zest.


    Part II: Blue Cheese Polenta - 4-6 servings, 1/4 cup - 3/8 cup per serving
    1.5 liters vegetable or chicken stock
    2 teaspoons malden or kosher salt
    1 pack/12-13 ounces instant polenta, preferably Italian brand
    1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese, ideally Italian (i.e. gorgonzola) Add some
      extra for top garnish.


    Instructions:
    1. Bring stock to a boil in a non stick pot, with added salt.
    2. When water is at rolling boil, add polenta packet. Stir briskly with a
       wood spoon, catching the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.
    3. Turn heat down after 2 minutes of stirring, keep stirring for five
       minutes. Polenta should be ready at this point. (nb also follow
       packet directions)
    4. Stir in blue cheese crumbles until melted thoroughly into polenta
    5. Cover loosely with parchment paper sprayed with non stick spray, cover
       with lid. Keep warm until ready to serve with beef ribs.
    6. **Note, left over polenta can be chilled & cut into little fingers,
       shallow fried as a snack with wine on its own!

Through this delectable cuisine and wine pairing, moviegoers who experience the incredible masterpiece of Australia can take a little bit of the film home with them.

Australia is an epic romantic action adventure, set in that country on the brink of World War II. In it, an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) travels to the faraway continent where she meets a rough-hewn cattle drover (Hugh Jackman) and reluctantly agrees to join forces with him to save the land she inherited. Together, they embark upon a transforming journey across hundreds of miles. With his new film, Luhrmann is painting on a vast canvas, creating a cinematic experience that brings together romance, drama, adventure and spectacle.

About Jacob's Creek:

First released in 1976, Jacob's Creek has been the most popular wine brand in Australia for more than a decade, and has grown to become the leading Australian wine brand in the UK, NZ, Ireland, Scandinavia and Asia with sales in excess of 8 million cases. Jacob's Creek success can be attributed to its rich history and heritage, reflecting more than 150 years of winemaking expertise, the quality of the wine offer and the easy fruit driven wine style widely enjoyed by consumers across the world.

About Pernod Ricard USA

Pernod Ricard USA is the premium spirits and wine company in the U.S., and the largest subsidiary of Paris, France-based Pernod Ricard SA. In July, 2008, Pernod Ricard completed the acquisition of the iconic ABSOLUT(R) Vodka brand from the V&S Group, and Pernod Ricard USA is now the second-leading company in the U.S. by sales value.

In addition to ABSOLUT(R), Pernod Ricard USA's leading brands include such prestigious spirits as The Glenlivet(R) Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Chivas Regal(R) Scotch Whisky, Jameson(R) Irish Whiskey, Wild Turkey(R) Bourbon, Seagram's Extra Dry Gin(R), Beefeater(R) Gin, Plymouth(TM) Gin, Martell(R) Cognac, Malibu(R) flavored Rum, Kahlua(R) Liqueur, Hiram Walker(R) Liqueurs, Pernod(R) and Ricard(R); such superior wines as Jacob's Creek(R) and Brancott Estate(R); and such exquisite champagnes and sparkling wines as Perrier Jouet(R) Champagne, G.H. Mumm(TM) Champagne and Mumm Napa(R) sparkling wines.

The company is based in Purchase, New York, and has roughly 1,000 employees across the country.

Pernod Ricard USA urges all adults to consume its products responsibly and has an active campaign to promote responsible drinking. For more information on this, please visit: http://www.acceptresponsibility.org.

SOURCE Jacob's Creek