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We love eating and cooking and feel wine is most exalted when complemented with food. In each issue of our newsletter we include a recipe or two that we either found along the way, created from scratch in our kitchens, or inherited from our mothers (both of whom are no slouches in the kitchen). Give them a shot. If you have recipes of your own that you feel would go well with our wines, send them to us; we would love to prepare them in our kitchens. Enjoy!
LAMB CHOPS WITH 'FRIED' FARRO & 'CHARRED' GRAPES
- From the kitchen of Stuart Brioza
Stuart Brioza has chops. He has run the kitchen in some of America's best restaurants like the famed Rubicon in San Francisco and Tapawingo in northern Michigan. If you have not been fortunate enough to eat his food yet, seek him out. He is at the top of my list of the country's best chefs. Since this is the Syrah issue and there is no better complement to cool climate syrah than lamb, Stuart offered up his lamb chop recipe. The smoky, sanguine and iron qualities amplify when eaten together and result in a frenzy of "man, that is so good!"
Ingredients: 24 hour Marinade
6 Lamb Chops
2 ounces Olive Oil
2 ounces Soy Sauce
2 ounces Honey
4 ounces Syrah
1 teaspoon Pimenton Dulce, (sweet smoked dried pepper) or Chili Flakes
1 tablespoon Toasted Fennel Seed, crushed in a mortar
3 cloves Garlic, microplane or diced
1" chunk Ginger, microplane or diced
Salt & Pepper for Grilling
Ingredients: Fried Farro
1/2 pound Raw Lamb or Pork Sausage, removed from casings
1 bulb Fennel, small dice
1 branch Fresh Rosemary
2 tablespoons Whole Butter
2 cups Cooked Farro
As needed Salt & Pepper
Ingredients: Charred Red Grapes
1 pound Small Red Grape Clusters
As needed Smoked Sea Salt
Several branches Peay Vineyards dried Syrah Grape Vines or a handful of Applewood Chips, lightly moistened
Serves 3
To Prepare:
For the Lamb & Grapes
Marinate the lamb with all of the ingredients turning as needed for 24 hours.
Build a nice blaze on a grill, and just before tossing the lamb and grape clusters on, disperse the grape vines or the wood chips over the coals. This will lightly smoke the meat and grapes. Place the grapes over the hottest part of the grill and blister/char the skins, remove when tender. Then follow with the lamb chops and grill at high flame to render the fat and caramelize the flesh. Remove when the meat still feels soft to the touch (around 3 minutes per side) and save juices.
For the Farro
In a large sauté pan, place the butter & rosemary branch in the pan and turn the heat on high. When the butter begins to brown, the pan will be hot, and the rosemary aromatic. Add the sausage and diced fennel together, render & brown the sausage crushing as you go. When the sausage is cooked and starts caramelizing on the bottom of the pan add the cooked farro, and fry as you would fry rice. Brown and toast the farro for a few minutes on high heat stirring continuously until nutty. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
Plating
On a large platter, set the fried farro as a base, place the lamb chops & grapes on top & drizzle the reserved pan juices on top. Sprinkle a bit of smoked sea salt over the meat & serve.
NICK'S DUCK CONFIT RECIPE
I love duck. As Vanessa mentioned in her article, something about the cooking and aging process, the chemistry of the flavor development appeals to me. I like to make twelve legs at a time because that number fits into a pot nicely and you'll be unlikely to eat them all at once.
Ingredients
12 Duck legs—(any good grocer that sells duck breast is likely to have legs as well. They are usually in the back, frozen).
2 1/2 qts/5 lbs Duck fat—(hard to find but must be purchased. Try Golden Gate Meats in the SF Ferry Building or mail order from Fabrique Délices 510/441-9500. You will be able to reuse this, expecting ~20% loss from batch to batch.)
6 to 8 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 Tbs black peppercorns
1 Tbs whole coriander seed
3 whole star anise
1/2 cup coarse salt, medium grained
How To Confit
1. Fully thaw out the frozen legs. Let them sit out 12-24 hours before you salt them.
2. Using a lidded pot that can accommodate 4 legs per layer, individually salt each leg and layer them into the pot interspersed with some of the thyme. Refrigerate overnight or longer.
3. Preheat oven to 250°F. Duck fat at room temperature at this stage is convenient, though not entirely necessary.
4. Brush the salt off of each leg, patting dry with a towel if necessary (esp. the bottom layer of legs). Do not worry about removing all of the salt, since it will season the legs during the next step. You may save the thyme, treating it the same way as the duck legs.
5. Discard the rendered duck liquid from your pot. Return the legs with all herbs, spices and garlic layered in. If the duck fat is a soft solid, put it on top of the legs and put the pot in the oven without the lid. Check on the fat in 20-30 min and put the lid on when the fat is liquified. Make sure that there is enough fat to completely cover the legs.
6. Cook for 3 or more hours, checking the temperature of the fat and the meat with a quick reading thermometer. The meat is essentially cooked at 160-170 °F, but you'll want to look for the skin pulling away from the joint, revealing the leg bone, to determine that it is really done.
7. Remove legs from fat (tongs are nice) and set to drain on a rack above a pan. Select a lidded storage container that can be microwaved. Place cooled legs in container and pour liquid fat over them until it completely covers the legs. Important: The bottom of the pot will contain non-fat liquid rendered during cooking. You must separate out and discard this portion, it will spoil if stored with the legs. Store in refrigerator for 1-6 months.
To Use
Microwave the container until a leg can be extracted: you do not want to further cook the duck. Melt off the solidified fat by placing the leg(s) on a rack in an oven or toaster oven with a pan underneath to catch the fat. You may now:
1) Pick off the meat and mix it with blood orange slices, pickled shallots, frisée lettuce, and a nice vinaigrette.
2) Shred the picked meat, mix with duck fat — voilá, duck rilletes, to be spread on toasted rounds.
3) Heat a skillet on high (turn on hood!). Place legs together and put a lid smaller than the skillet directly onto the legs. Stack heavy, non-meltable things onto the lid to weigh it down (like a tea kettle full of water), cook until crisp, turn legs over and repeat. The object is to press down on the duck legs so that the heat travels efficiently through them in the time it takes to crisp up the outside. Serve with lentilles de Puy (cooked in stock w/ lardons) and braised escarole (in stock, finished with a touch of blue cheese). Or pommes frites with celery root salad. Or...find your favorite combination and tell us about it!
LOLLAPEAYLOOZA
Every year, a large group of our close friends head up to Peay Vineyards for four days of eating, drinking, dancing to live music, and merrymaking. One of the main culinary focuses of the long weekend is the Pig Feast. Two pigs adorn a long table for the Friday afternoon meal. An 85-pound, free-range, organically-fed pig from Clark Family ranch in Tomales Bay is interred on Thursday night after sitting in brine for a few days. The second 65-pound piglet from the same ranch rotates on a spit from early in the morning on Friday until mealtime. We serve the meat shredded on corn tortillas with cilantro, beans, fresh homemade mango salsa and homemade guacamole. The remaining pork finds its way inside pulled pork sandwiches served on Saturday during the Oyster Feast made with a secret homemade bbq sauce FedEx-ed to us in jars from a friend in South Carolina (because he would not share the recipe!)
The following is the preparation for the buried pig. This is adapted from the Luau-style recipe usually cooked on a beach in Hawaii. It produces succulent, moist and delicious pork. It is not as hard as it may look and is a whole lot of fun.
Whole Pig "Luau Style"
Brine Ingredients
This is adapted from Alice Waters' excellent brine recipe. We heat the water and increase the levels of salt and sugar so we can supersaturate the water to ensure the pig does not spoil in the warm summer heat. You will need to scale this recipe up to be sure the brine covers the entire pig.
2-1/2 gallons cold water
3 cups kosher salt
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 bay leaves, torn into pieces
1 bunch fresh thyme, or 4 tablespoons dried
1 whole head of garlic, peeled
5 whole cloves
1 tsp cayenne pepper
5 whole allspice berries, crushed
4 juniper berries, crushed
Brine Preparation
Heat the water in multiple large pots, add all the ingredients and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Place the pig in a clean and sterile trash can or extra large cooler if it fits. Be sure the entire pig is submerged. Keep the lid closed and do not worry about the faint smell that wafts when you peek inside. Lock or cover the lid with heavy rocks so curious animals do not snack before you do.
Pit Preparation
Next to the bonfire area (within 10 feet) dig a pit at least 3 feet deep that is long and wide enough to contain the pig. Try to make the hole clean of loose dirt and the walls strong enough so they will not collapse. Typical dimensions for an 85 lb pig are 2 1/2 feet wide x 5 feet long.
Fire Preparation
Gather enough rocks to cover the entire bottom of the pit twice. Ideally they should be river rocks or a hard rock so they do not splinter in the fire. Build a very large bonfire and place the rocks in the fire where you can reach them with a shovel, preferably near the pit. Let the fire burn for a few hours building a bed of very hot coals that heat the rocks. The rocks should glow and spark with heat.
Pig Ingredients
1 Pig
10 bags of Banana Leaves, soak in water in a cooler
1 large piece of burlap large enough to cover the hole. Soak in water in a cooler
Chicken wire fencing sufficient to wrap the entire pig and 1-2 feet longer than the pig
2 heads of garlic, cloves peeled and halved
6 Lemons, quartered
Pig Preparation
Remove the pig from the brine. Wipe off excess brine. With a sharp narrow-bladed knife puncture the pig and insert garlic cloves all over the body. Stuff the cavity with lemons and extra garlic cloves. Add herbs if interested, I recommend espazote. Roll out the chicken wire and cover with wet banana leaves, at least 2-3 leaves thick. Place the pig on top leaving 6 inches or so of extra room on each end. Insert 2 or 3 small very hot rocks (glowing) in the cavity of the pig. Place another layer of wet banana leaves on top. Roll the chicken wire around the pig and close by bending the loose ends of the wires. You should have a contained package of pig entirely wrapped in wet banana leaves with steam pouring out. Using a long handled shovel (or preferably shovels as this should be done with a collection of merry friends), layer the bottom of the pit with glowing hot rocks. Two people should grab each end of the Pig packet and lower it on top of the hot rocks. Place another layer of hot rocks on top of the pig packet. Cover the hot rocks with the wet burlap (a heavy cotton towel has also worked in a pinch) so it covers the entire pig packet and is curled up on the sides to keep dirt out. Now fill in the hole with the remaining dirt to cover entirely at least a foot deep. You want to trap the steam inside. Place something over the pit so friends do not twist ankles.
The Final Step
The following afternoon-or if you buried the pig in the morning, at least 6-8 hours later-remove the dirt from the hole. When you hit the burlap with your shovel, carefully remove the excess dirt with your hands. The rocks will not be hot, perhaps warm to the touch. You are trying to keep the dirt from leaking around the burlap and on to the pig packet. Remove the burlap carefully. Use a shovel or gloved hands to remove the rocks on top. Two people should lift the pig out of the hole and place on a long piece of plywood. Open up the chicken wire and remove the banana leaves and brush off any dirt. By hand, remove the meat from the bones and fat. Any meat that is dirty place in a separate bowl to be rinsed. The meat should fall off very easily and will be a little hot but very aromatic. Sample the belly meat, the tenderloin, the cheek, the tongue as you pick.
Voila, you have steamed pig prepared Luau style. Enjoy in a taco or however you prefer.
A CULINARY WEEKEND AT BLACKBERRY FARM
The following recipes focus on the food of the masterful chef, Linton Hopkins, from Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta, Georgia. We selected only two of the many dishes he served over our weekend at Blackberry Farm as there is only a little room and these dishes were especially inspired. Give them a shot and then head to Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta to see how the maestro does it.
Casserole of Fresh Scallops, Bacon and Farro with Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Chestnuts and Molasses Veal Glace & Peay Vineyards Pinot noir
Casserole
1/2 cup Farro (or barley)
1 Bay leaf
2 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
3 tbs minced Shallot
1 tbs minced Celery
1/2 tsp minced Garlic
2 tbs Butter
1 tbs minced Parsley
1 tbs minced Chestnuts (or walnut)
Zest and juice of 1 Lemon
Salt & Pepper
2 ounces thick cut Bacon
To cook:
Combine farro, chicken stock, bay leaf and 1 teaspoon of salt; bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until tender but toothy. Reserve. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat until foamy. Add chestnuts and toast. Add shallots, celery, and garlic and sauté until shallots are translucent. Cut bacon into cubes/squares and sauté at low to medium heat until chewy, do not overcook. Add bacon and farro to first pan and stir. Add parsley, lemon juice and zest. Season and serve under scallops.
Mushrooms
1 lb. Hen of the Woods/ maitake (or morels)
3 tbs Olive Oil
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 tsp minced Garlic
1 tsp Butter
1 tbs chopped Parsley
To cook:
Break mushrooms into four 1/4 inch thick sheets. Coat mushrooms in oil and salt in an oven safe pan. Roast mushrooms in a 350 degree oven until brown and cooked through. Remove from oven, add stock and bring to a boil and reduce to glaze (until only a teaspoon or less of liquid remains). Add butter, parsley and adjust seasoning. Lean against scallops and farro casserole.
Sorghum Molasses Veal Glaze
1 tsp Sorghum molasses
4 tsp reduced Veal Stock (buy in store in freezer section or make own. In a pinch use unsalted reduced beef stock)
To cook:
Combine the sorghum and reduced veal stock in a small pot and heat until hot. Add butter, parsley and adjust seasoning. Drizzle around plate and over scallops.
Scallops
8 Jumbo Sea Scallops
2 tbs Peanut Oil
Salt
To cook:
Heat peanut oil on high heat. Season scallops with salt and place in sauté pan. Flip when brown and reduce heat. Cook until scallops begin to pucker. Place on top of farro casserole.
Jerusalem Artichoke Purée with Shaved Perigord Black Truffles & Peay Vineyards Marsanne/Roussanne
Artichokes
1 lb. Jerusalem Artichokes
1 cups Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 oz Black Truffle (prefer fresh, bottled or oil okay)
To cook:
Peel artichokes and cut into uniform cubes. Place artichokes in small pot with cream and salt. Make sure cream covers artichokes and add more if necessary. Boil and simmer until tender. Remove and purée in blender. Strain through fine mesh strainer (optional). Adjust seasoning. Grate truffle over plated purée or add oil before plating (be careful not to add too much oil.)
GRILLED CHERMOULA LAMB CHOPS
Chermoula is a wonderful marinade made of a blend of spices widely used in Moroccan cooking. This deeply flavored paste of herbs and spices is almost always associated with seafood, particularly fish. Traditionally it is used with fish before it is baked or grilled. We find that it also matches well with grilled lamb and the spice and herb aromas pair well with the floral and spice notes of our Peay Syrahs.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
3 whole cloves
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated ginger
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup honey
2 8-rib racks of lamb, frenched and each rack cut into 4 double chops
1 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Finely chopped cilantro for garnish
Preparation:
1. Toast the spices (caraway seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, and cloves), in a dry heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring until they are fragrant and a shade or two darker - no more than a few minutes. Finely grind the toasted spices in a coffee/spice grinder. Stir together with the paprika and the cayenne pepper.
2. Blend the olive oil, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and honey in a large bowl. Add the lamb and toss to coat. Season with the salt and pepper and toss with the spice mixture. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to overnight.
3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium-hot coals. Take lamb out of the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Season the chops with a little salt and pepper and grill 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare: 125°F with an instant-read thermometer. Transfer to a platter and loosely cover with foil. Take each double chop and cut it into two single bone chops. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve with a couscous mixed with brown spices, pine or almond nuts and raisins.
LA TOQUE*: CRAB AND SCALLOP STEW IN A GOLDEN PUFF PASTRY
We were pulling out all the stops. I was making a Chinese-style fish dish paired with a few excellent Austrian Rieslings. The red Rhônes and Pinot noirs would match perfectly with the stuffed and grilled rack of lamb. We had a couple of old Bordeaux for the cheese course. Now I needed a course for the crisp Chardonnays (a Meursault and a high acid Californian).
I started to think crab. It was Dungeness season on the West Coast and we had trays of crab available at $4.99/lb at the local Chinese market. As I handled the ling cod for the fish course a couple of beautiful scallops glistened at me. I bit. But it can't be just a seafood stew! Hmm. How about puff pastry? It always silences a crowd when a dish covered in a puff pastry hits the table. The child in us can't wait to peek inside. The rest of the ingredients just fell into place. This is not as difficult as it sounds because you can, ahem, mumble, buy the puff pastry dough. I recommend Dufour. It is excellent (widely available) and works in a pinch. For the purists, I suggest Julia Child's basic puff pastry recipe. Show offs.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 lbs. Dungeness Crab, picked. Can substitute with any shellfish
6 large Scallops cut crosswise or 20 whole Bay Scallops
2 tablespoons Butter
1/3 bulb Fennel, diced
1 small Leek, chopped
1/2 Shallot, diced
1 teaspoon fresh Ginger, minced
3/4 cup crisp white Wine, no oak
1 cup Coconut milk
1/4 cup Whole cream
1 stalk Lemongrass, peeled, cut lengthwise in 4 in. lengths. Use 2
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/2 teaspoon yellow Curry powder
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 tablespoon Chives, diced
Dufour frozen Puff Pastry. Remove from freezer and place in the refrigerator 2-3 hours before using
Salt and pepper to taste
Serves 4
Preparation:
1. Ask the fishmonger to remove and crack the claws and legs. Use the bottom pincer from one of the legs as a pick to remove the meat. For the body, turn the crab over so the white belly is facing up. At the bottom, pull the crab tab up and away from the bottom to remove the shell (the fishmonger may have done this for you.) Rinse the body cavity. Split the body in half. Then split each side of the body into four slices like a pie (corresponds to the 4 legs and splits very easily). Pick. Nibble. Drink champagne (or Peay Viognier!)
2. In a 5 qt sauce pan melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Add the fennel, leeks and shallots and sauté on medium heat for 10 minutes or until translucent and sweet. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Add the ginger to the sauce pan and continue to sauté for 3 minutes. Add 3/4 cup white wine and continue for 5 minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk, cream, lemongrass, lemon juice, curry and nutmeg and reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir and monitor so it does not boil over.
5. In the meantime, remove one of the puff pastry dough from the fridge and unfold. Place on a counter covered with flour and roll out until it is big enough to make 4 lids for the ramekins. Use a bowl a little bigger than the ramekins to cut out the lids like a cookie cutter.
6. After 5-10 minutes taste the broth and remove the lemongrass stalks if the flavor is too pronounced. Add the salt and pepper and chives.
7. Place a large lump of crab meat and 6 scallop pieces in each ramekin until the meat almost fills the entire dish. Spoon the broth over the meat until it is 3/4 way up the side of the ramekin.
8. Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter in a skillet or in a microwave. Brush the top side of the puff pastry with melted butter and place a pastry lid over each ramekin. Use a little butter on the underside of the rim to help you pinch the lid on tight.
9. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 20 minutes or until the tops of the puff pastry are golden brown.
*The name of the dish refers to its appearance and is not affiliated with the excellent restaurant of the same name in Rutherford, CA.
YOUR LAST STUFFING RECIPE
After preparing this stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner - or on any occasion considering how wonderful whole roasted turkeys can be - you will experience the joy of preparing something truly wonderful mixed with the odd disappointment that you will never be able to experiment with stuffing again. This is your last stuffing as it is simply the best one you will ever make. Truly.
In the fall, we gather at the vineyard and attempt to use every culinary trick in our respective arsenals to out do one another during our four day Thanksgiving holiday (Vanessa, Nick, our mother, and me. Dad reads and chops wood). Oh, of course we come armed with heavenly white truffles, fat foie gras, and a cornucopia of mushrooms of every type, often foraged that day from our woods. We gather the freshest vegetables and the most succulent cuts of meat and for four days we cook, eat and drink non-stop. The only two dishes that have not varied in our yearly gathering are the turkey - and she is on shaky ground as goose and other fowl may shove her aside - and this stuffing. The recipe is adapted from Alfred Portale's cookbook, The Gotham Bar and Grill.
Mashed Potato, Sausage, and Chanterelle Stuffing
Ingredients:
3 pounds Idaho or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 cup sour cream
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 pounds fresh chanterelle mushrooms, thinly sliced (can use other like trumpets, though not too strong a variety like shiitake)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/4 teaspoons ground juniper berries (use a spice or coffee grinder. Wipe grinder first with a dry paper towel)
Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
Serves 12
Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of slightly salted water to boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until tender. 20-25 minutes. Drain well and return to the empty pot.
2. Stir the potatoes over medium heat until the excess moisture is evaporated and they seem somewhat drier, about 2 minutes. Pass through a potato ricer into a large bowl or mash with a potato masher. Mix in the sour cream and 8 tablespoons of the butter (1 stick).
3. In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened. Add to the potatoes.
4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms give off their liquid, it evaporates and they being to brown, about 10-15 minutes. Add to the potatoes.
5. Heat the oil in the sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook breaking up chunks with a wooden spoon until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add to the potatoes.
6. Add the parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary, and juniper berries, and season with salt and pepper to taste. The stuffing is best freshly prepared. Do not stuff the turkey until you are ready to roast.
BRAISED RABBIT OVER PAPPARDELLE PASTA
This dish combines some of the most delightful ingredients in a chef's tool kit—fruity, delicate chanterelle mushrooms; homemade—or at the very least, fresh—pappardelle pasta; flavorful and juicy brined rabbit; and piquant, deeply flavored parmegiano-reggiano - with the time-tested method of braising. Pick your favorite bottle of Pinot from the cellar as it begins to peak and drift off into culinary and gustatory bliss.
Brining Ingredients:
1 (3 lb.) rabbit cut into 2 forelegs, 2 hindlegs and the saddle cut cross-wise into 2 sections. Use carcass for stock
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
3 tablespoons coarse salt
Braising Ingredients:
8 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz diced pancetta
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup finely diced carrot
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup tomato puree
4 cups chicken stock (or make rabbit stock by roasting the carcass of the cut up rabbit and simmering it with the vegetable trimmings from above in 6 cups of water)
1/3 oz (about 1/3 cup) dried porcini mushrooms, tied in cheesecloth to make a packet
Spice packet:: 2 juniper berries; 1 sprig each thyme and rosemary; 2 cloves and 1 cinnamon stick, tied in cheesecloth to make a packet
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced shallots
6 oz. chanterelle mushrooms, sliced into 1/2 inch-thick slices. Or if small keep whole or cut in half
3 tablespoons freshly grated parmegiano-reggiano
1 lb. fresh pappardelle pasta
Serves 4
Preparation:
1. Dissolve salt into vinegar and water. Place rabbit pieces in a bowl and cover with the brine. If brine does not cover rabbit completely, increase volume of ingredients proportionately. Cover the bowl and let sit in refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Pre-heat oven to 325oF. In an oven-proof saucepan or Dutch oven just large enough to hold the rabbit pieces in a single layer, sauté the pancetta until lightly browned. Add the garlic and continue 2 minutes until golden brown. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the onion, carrot, celery and 1/8 teaspoon of the oregano, and sauté until the vegetables start to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the wine, tomato puree, stock, and the dried porcini in cheesecloth. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam that develops, season lightly with salt and pepper and decrease the heat to a simmer.
3. In the meantime, pat dry the rabbit pieces with a towel. Season them with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour; shake off any excess. Heat the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the rabbit and cook until golden brown, about 2 1/2 minutes per side.
4. Transfer the legs to the sauce. Return the sauce to a simmer and skim. Cut a circle of parchment paper that just fits inside the pot and cut a 1-inch hole in the center. Place the paper on top of the rabbit legs and cover with lid. Braise in the oven for 35 minutes. Add the loin and continue braising for another 10 minutes until legs are fork tender.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the rabbit pieces to a dish. Remove the spice packet and discard. Remove the porcini mushroom packet and take the mushrooms out of the cheesecloth. Transfer them to a blender with 1 cup of the braising liquid and puree until smooth, then return the puree to the braising liquid. De-fat the braising liquid then reduce over moderately low heat to about 3 cups. When the rabbit meat is cool enough to handle, shred by hand. Do not chop with knife. Put the meat back in the braising liquid and keep warm.
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pappardelle. In the meantime, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over high heat, add the shallots, and sauté until the shallots start to caramelize. Add the chanterelles and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Season with salt and pepper. When water is rolling add pasta and cook until al dente, testing after 60 seconds.
7. Add the rabbit with the sauce, a splash of vinegar, and the remaining oregano. Toss in the cooked noodles, and 2 tablespoons parmegiano. Divide the pasta among heated plates, sprinkle with remainder of parmegiano and serve with Pinot noir.
BRAISED DUCK LEGS
We absolutely love duck. It is a natural pairing with Pinot noir as duck's dense meatiness complements Pinot noir's plummy spiciness. Last summer we made this dish for 50 or so friends when they convened for a visit at the vineyard. It set a perfect tone for the weekend.
Braised Duck Ingredients:
4 duck legs
Salt and Pepper
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
3 cups Pinot noir
Sauce Ingredients:
1 tbs olive oil or duck fat
1 shallot minced
1 thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
TIPS: Although duck breast is fairly easy to find at the meat department of your local grocer, duck legs may be a little more difficult to obtain. Not to worry, just buy a couple of whole ducks and cut them into parts. Cut the breasts off the bone and save them for another dish. The remainder of the carcass can be used to make stock for the following recipe (see stock recipe below). As a winery, we always have volumes of Pinot noir on hand to use for the braising liquid. For you, we recommend using a low priced, but thoroughly quaffable super-market Pinot noir.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Prep braising liquid:
Put Pinot noir into saucepan. Bring to boil with medium high heat. When at boil, tilt pan away and carefully ignite surface to flame and burn off alcohol. Turn heat down to a simmer.
Prepare the stock:
Brown the cleaned duck bones in a large pot with a little vegetable oil for 10-15 minutes over medium heat. Add a chopped onion, carrot, celery, and a few cloves of garlic and cook a little longer ~8 minutes. Then add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for 4 hours to make a perfect duck stock.
Prepare the duck:
Season the duck legs with salt and pepper and the herbes de Provence. Put the legs (skin side up) in a pan that will just hold them comfortably. Roast uncovered for 1 hour, then pour off and reserve rendered fat. Pour the heated wine over the legs. It should be just deep enough so that the meat is immersed but the skin is exposed. Cook the legs for 30 more minutes, or until meat is tender and the skin is golden red.
Prepare the sauce:
In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and cook the shallot until lightly colored. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and 2 cups of the duck stock. Simmer and reduce by half, then add 2 more cups of stock. Skim the scum on the surface frequently. Continue simmering and adding additional stock until all of the stock has been added. Add 1 cup of the braising liquid and reduce to a spoon-coating consistency. Keep the sauce warm.
Serve:
Spoon a little sauce onto a plate. Place duck leg on sauce and spoon sauce over the duck. Serve with soft polenta and the following Brussels sprouts preparation. These dishes go fabulously with Peay Vineyards Pinot noir.
Serves 4.
GRILLED BRUSSEL SPROUTS
Sprouts Ingredients:
24 Brussels sprouts
1 medium shallot, chopped
4 bacon strips
1 cup toasted walnuts
Handful of dried cherries, optional
Preparation:
Cut the sprouts lengthwise in half and lay on a baking sheet or in a Ziploc bag. Coat with oil. Place on grill on medium flame and cook on each side for 5 minutes. While grilling, fry the bacon in a large pan until chewy. Remove the bacon and sauté the chopped shallots in the bacon grease until tender. Chop the bacon and add it to the shallots. Toast the walnuts in a pan or toaster oven and add them to the pan with the dried cherries and grilled Brussels Sprouts. Stir to coat.
Serves 4.
BRAISED LAMB
As autumn sets in and the days get shorter and the evenings a little chillier, we always think of having something warm, comforting and hearty for dinner. Braises or stews are perfect as the simmering pot on the stove or in the oven fills the kitchen not only with inviting, savory aromas but also a cozy warmth. Stews are perfect for company, too, since they can be prepared ahead of time and are actually better the next day as the flavors take a day to meld. Lamb is a classic match for Syrah with its robust meatiness that stands up to the luscious and deep fruit. We made this dish during harvest when we had some folks come over to help us pick, what else, but of course, the Syrah. The rosemary is a usual component in lamb dishes but the mustard and mascarpone are splendid additions that keep the palate guessing.
Braised Lamb Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 lbs. lamb shanks, cut into 2-3" pieces
½ stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup dry Marsala
3 cups chicken stock
Garnish and Sauce Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces pancetta cut into ¼ " strips
12 large shallots, peeled
1 6" branch fresh rosemary
12 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon cumin
1/3 cup dry Marsala
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sweet paprikav
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup mascarpone cheese
To Prepare:
1. One or two days before serving (4 hours before serving if pressed for time), heat oil in a large Dutch oven and, in batches, brown shanks on all sides and set aside. Add celery, onion and carrot and sauté about 3 minutes. Add shanks, Marsala, chicken stock, and enough water to cover. Boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until lamb is tender, about 1 ½ hours. Cool, cover and refrigerate.
2. An hour and a half before serving, remove the meat from the shanks, break into 1-inch chunks and return to pot. Mix the marinade ingredients. Add to lamb and cooking liquid and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
3. In a deep skillet, heat olive oil and crisp the pancetta and remove to a bowl. Add shallots and rosemary to the skillet and sauté until shallots are browned. Set aside and discard rosemary.
4. Add garlic and cumin, sauté 3 minutes, then deglaze pan with Marsala and vinegar over medium heat until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Add lamb and marinade and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in paprika and tomato paste and mix well. Stir in shallots and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Remove lamb and shallots to a serving bowl and keep warm. Boil liquid until thickened, about 20 minutes. Whisk in mascarpone, add the lamb and shallots and serve with cooked pearl barley, or pappardelle. Sprinkle with pancetta.
Serves 4-6
BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH ALMOND-CHOCOLATE PICADA
A Favorite Recipe to Accompany Syrah
What is it about lamb and Syrah? The sweet game flavors of lamb seem to fit perfectly with Syrah's blood, leather, pepper, blue/blackberry, Provençal herb, and earth characteristics. It creates a visceral reaction in us. We want to eat rack of lamb popsicles at every meal. Or a plate of succulent little chops. Or, a butterflied shoulder, we are not picky.
This recipe comes from Paula Wolfert's new cookbook, The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen. Andy prepared this dish for the first time last New Year's Eve for 40 people; a delightful way to start and end an evening. The picada contributes flavors that elevate the dish to a new realm of complexity and pleasure. It is simply wonderful.
Ingredients:
1 bottle of full-bodied red wine
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 onion, thickly sliced
1 large leek, halved lengthwise and thickly sliced
1 head of garlic, halved
1 lemon, quartered
1/2 cup drained, chopped canned plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorn
2 bay leaves
5 pounds lamb shanks (1 per person)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine
Chopped parsley for garnish
Halved cherry tomatoes for garnish
For the Picada:
24 blanched almonds
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1 slice stale bread, toasted, crust removed
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon brandy
2 teaspoons of cooking juice
To Prepare:
1. In a large saucepan, boil the wine until reduced to 2 cups. Add the carrots, onion, leek, halved garlic head, lemon, plum tomatoes, thyme, oregano, peppercorns, and bay leaves and simmer for 5 minutes. Let the marinade cool completely.
2. Place shanks in plastic bag(s) with the marinade and let sit overnight or as long as time allows.
3. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Discard the lemon quarters and strain the marinade, reserving the vegetables and the liquid separately.
4. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper and brown them on each side in a heavy skillet with olive oil over medium to high heat. Transfer the browned shanks to a cast-iron casserole dish with a lid. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
5. Add the reserved vegetables to the skillet with a tablespoon of oil and cook over medium heat until brown and tender. Squeeze excess oil from the vegetables and add to the casserole dish.
6. Pour off the oil in the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of white wine to the skillet to remove the browned pieces of lamb and vegetable. Add 2 cups of water and boil until reduced to a syrup. Pour into the casserole dish. Heat the reserved red wine and add to the casserole. Cover the meat and vegetables with a parchment paper placed directly on top.
7. Place the lid on the casserole and cook for 4 1/2 to 5 hours until the meat falls from the bone. Discard the parchment paper and transfer the lamb to an oiled baking dish that will hold all the shanks in one layer. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and cover with foil.
8. Strain the remaining juices from the casserole dish with a fine sieve, pressing hard to extract all liquid. Skim off the fat from the juices and boil over high heat, skimming frequently, until reduced to 2 cups.
9. In the meantime, toast the almonds. In a mortar or food processor, grind the almonds and garlic to a coarse paste. Add the parsley, toast, cocoa, brandy and 2 tablespoons of cooking juices and pound or process until smooth.
10. Scrape the picada into the sauce and cook over medium high heat until the sauce thickens. Correct the seasoning and pour over the lamb and bake for 30 minutes. Be careful it does not become too dry. Garnish with parsley and halved tomatoes for color.
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