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Saturday, May 31, 2014

Moules Provencale

Shellfish - it’s one of my favorite things to have all summer.  So I decided to try something new last night.

Moules Provencale is a mussel dish prepared (I guess) a sort of Provencale way - which indicated to me that a rose from Provence was absolutely necessary for pairing with dinner, and truthfully, any excuse I have to drink rose in the warmer months is a bonus for me.

The fresh mussels were cleaned and then steamed in a large pot with white wine.

In a separate pot, I heated some olive oil, and sauteed chopped onions, then added finely chopped garlic, and then deglazed with a bit more white wine.  After stirring, I added about a tablespoon of tomato paste, and then about 14 oz of canned plum tomatoes which I rough chopped, and the tomato juice from the can.  Give it another stir, and then I added plenty of kosher salt, black pepper, a few sprigs of fresh thyme, and lots of fresh chopped parsley.  I then let it cook down a bit on simmer, stirring often.

A few moments later, the mussels were opened and cooked nicely, and the sauce was done.  The mussels get placed in a bowl or on a plate, and topped with some of the sauce.  It’s that easy.  Just add some crusty bread and chilled rose and you’re good to go - a quick, easy, inexpensive, delicious, healthy summer dinner!

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Veal Osso Buco, Gremolata, & THE BEST Wines


I haven’t yet decided what it’ll be tonight in terms of wine - but I’m leaning California, either Pinot Noir or Cabernet.  It’ll be paired with good quality burgers and undoubtedly fun toppings.  And I’m thinking about tomorrow’s dinner to start the weekend - I think it’ll be mussels cooked in a nice sauce of white wine, onions, garlic, herbs, and tomato, with crusty Italian bread.  And paired with Provence rose.

But last night - oh my.

I love taking requests for dinners, especially of the challenging nature.  And so when my boyfriend requested veal osso buco, I realized I had never actually made it before, even though I’d had it in restaurants a few times.  After some basic research and fortunately some common sense and kitchen know-how, I was ready.  (Bear in mind, there are lots of ways to prepare lots of dishes, even classics can vary - for example, I pulled ingredient ideas from several recipes, and decided to place it on top of fettuccine, although I’d have preferred a heavier macaroni but didn’t have time to get to the Italian store before dinner, but it could just as easily be placed on mashed potatoes, polenta, or risotto - your choice!)

I went to the local butcher and got 2 veal shanks, each about 2 inches thick.  I seasoned them on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper, and then dredged them in flour, before braising them (browning on each side in heated olive oil in the dutch oven on high heat for about 8 minutes per side). I removed them from the pot, lowered the heat a bit, added a bit more oil, and in went 2 chopped yellow onions, 1 peeled and chopped carrot, and one chopped celery stalk.  Once they cooked down for about 5 minutes, I added finely chopped garlic (several cloves) and about 3 tbsp tomato paste, and stirred it in for a moment.  I then added about 2 cups of dry white wine (please remember to use something decent - not expensive, but not something you wouldn’t drink - bear in mind, all “cooking” wine should be drinking wine as well), and used the wooden spoon to scrape the drippings.  I added more kosher salt and black pepper, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 3 large sprigs fresh thyme, about 14 oz rough chopped plum tomatoes from the can, and about 3 cups of chicken stock.  Once they were stirred together and cooked for a few minutes back on high heat and brought to a boil, I returned the veal to the pot, submerged them in the liquid, covered it, and put it in the oven (preheated to about 350 degrees F), and cooked it for a good 2 1/2 hours.

In the meantime, it’s a good opportunity to boil the water for the macaroni and made a gremolata.  What’s a gremolata, you ask?  Basically, it’s almost pureed (I chop very finely by hand) herbs - I use parsley usually, with some kosher salt, black pepper, garlic, and I also use lemon zest (it’s I believe gremolata Milanese), and then add some olive oil.  It’s that easy.  I like to let it sit an hour or 2 so the flavors come together, and then add a bit more oil to loosen it up.  The fresh brightness of the gremolata is great for picking up the osso buco, I decided, and it just works, plus it’s gorgeous on the plate.

Once the 2 1/2 hours are up, remove the dutch oven from the oven and if the sauce is a bit loose, which it probably will be since we had the pot covered in the oven, remove the lid and bring it to a boil on the stove, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, until the sauce reduces a bit.

Boil the macaroni, drain it, plate it in a fairly deep dish (individual serving plates), carefully top with the veal shank (I was going to use tongs but when I saw how it could fall apart if I did that, I used a large spatula instead - that worked well), and then ladle with some of the sauce.  I then topped with about 2 teaspoons of the gremolata.  And that’s it.  It sounds like a lot of work, but it isn’t, really.  It’s more about doing your homework and executing your recipe decisions fearlessly and confidently.

So - osso buco is a big deal, with big flavors and textures (especially when that glorious cooked marrow comes out of the bone (my dad once bought me an antique marrow spoon - there’s the perfect tool for that part of dinner!), but this means we need a fairly big wine with complexity and presence.

My boyfriend was in charge of the wine selection - and he picked the perfect bottle (and wisely suggested decanting - I recommend a good hour for this one).  It was the 2011 Quinta do Vale Meao, a very traditional dry Portuguese red from Douro made from native Portuguese red grapes (mainly Touriga Nacional, which shows lots of dark, ripe fruit characteristics and floral notes of purple blossoms including violet and lilac), and it was quite the elegant and expressive wine, with plenty of mineral, a clean but rich feel, and an incredible finish.  What a glorious pairing!

A little surprise came while dinner was near ready for consumption though - we decided to open a white just spur of the moment.  I chose something fun and on the luxurious side - the 2000 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Clos Windsbuhl Gewurztraminer from Alsace.  Yes, that’s right, a 14 year old Gewurztraminer, from one of my favorite Alsatian producers.  And it was probably the best Gewurztraminer I’ve ever had, which is saying a lot considering Gewurz is my favorite white grape and I’ve tasted plenty of good ones.  The color was a rich gold with hints of orange, and it was somewhat different from what I anticipated, due to its age.  It aged very gracefully indeed, and while the acidity had softened quite a bit and the expected lychee notes weren’t there, it was all about apricot, canned peaches, rich orchard fruit, some mango, pineapple and tropical fruits, honeysuckle and white blossoms, and even some savory herbs, with white mineral and a wonderful finish - well, we had our last glasses of it after dinner as the Yankees won, so it was the aperitif and digestif as well, and it was perfect.

As my boyfriend remarked, “we’re going all top shelf tonight.”

Indeed.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Sea Scallops et al.



Back to back posts - imagine that!  (I must be feeling inspired.)

In the spirit of quick, easy, delicious recipes, here’s one I did last night, which could not have taken me more than 20 minutes total, and that’s no exaggeration.  Granted, if you’re not familiar with it and you’re working from a recipe it could take a bit longer, but still I’d say no longer than 30 minutes, and that’s the truth.

I was grocery shopping with my mom and had a seafood crave (nothing new there, as I usually crave seafood).  We stopped by the fish monger and the sea scallops were so fresh, there was no resisting them.  What to do?  Well, last time I made sea scallops, I added a side of lemon risotto.  But risotto takes a while, even if you’re working as quickly as I generally do.  (This may come as a surprise to some who know me, as I tend to move very slowly even for rather a young person, but in the kitchen I’m sort of supersonic - go figure.  Mom and I call it “going into the zone” and that’s how it is.)

I patted the sea scallops dry (note: sea scallops are the larger ones, not the tiny pearl sized bay scallops which for those of us on Long Island who eat the Peconic bay scallops, harvest season is in autumn, so the rest of the year we eat sea scallops), and heated some olive oil and a pat of unsalted butter in a large skillet.  I seasoned the scallops on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper and seared them on both sides, no more than 3 minutes per side (I often cook even less than that but my dad likes fish cooked a bit more thoroughly so I gave it an extra minute), and then placed the scallops on plates with a lemon wedge and a sprinkling of fresh finely chopped thyme leaves.

I set aside the pan drippings and poured it into a small bowl, hit it with a few drops of fresh lemon juice and a touch of thyme, and that was the dipping sauce for a fresh loaf of ciabatta bread.

The side salad was baby kale (I rarely eat kale as it seems to be one of those trendy things and I tend to avoid trendy items) but the baby kale was organic and beautifully irresistible and so that was the leaf of choice, with tiny yellow tomatoes, and a lemon and shallot vinaigrette dressing.

I chose an organic Sancerre rose to pair with it.  It’s becoming rose season now, with the warm weather upon us at last.  (Remember, Sancerre is a region, not a grape - so if you’re thinking, I thought Sancerre is white, it is, but only when it’s made with Sauvignon Blanc.  If it’s red or rose, it’s Pinot Noir.  And Sancerre is AOC in the Loire Valley of France.)  The crisp bright acidity and clean texture of the wine, with notes of barely ripened strawberry and red fruit, a touch of cranberry, white citrus fruit, and stony mineral, made for a perfect pairing.

So there’s a healthy, easy dinner and wine pairing best suited for the warmer months, in just around 20 minutes including prep and cook time.  Enjoy!

Monday, May 19, 2014

Chicken with Brie and Mushroom - Incredibly Easy

I love a good challenge in the kitchen - difficult recipes that make me wonder if they’re going to turn out right, until the moment I taste it.  Those can be very rewarding and exciting.

But sometimes, since I have a much busier schedule than I ever thought I’d have, I need some quick recipes that are just as delicious and satisfying as the difficult ones.  Here’s one I concocted a while back that I’d like to share, for home cooks on the go.

All you need are thinly sliced chicken breasts, a wedge of good brie, 2 portobello mushrooms thinly sliced, a bottle of Pinot Noir, and finely chopped fresh parsley.  Well, kind of.

Anyway, preheat the oven to around 250 degrees F.  Heat a dash of olive oil in a skillet, and season your chicken breasts on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.  Saute the chicken until it’s cooked on both sides, and remove from heat.  Place the chicken in a baking pan(s), depending on how many you are serving.  In the same skillet, saute the portobello mushrooms, seasoning with the kosher salt and black pepper.  Once they have cooked down a bit and begun to brown, add about a cup of Pinot Noir (it doesn’t have to be expensive, but not something cheap and that you wouldn’t enjoy to drink - I suggest a basic Bourgogne rouge but any everyday Pinot Noir will do), and cook down, with the mushrooms, until it begins to thicken and form a sort of sauce.

Over the chicken, places thin slices of the brie, and then top with the mushroom sauce.  Bake at 250F until the cheese melts.  Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve, and enjoy with a glass of Pinot Noir, and maybe some crusty bread.  If it sounds easy, yes, it is.  The whole thing hardly takes more than 20 minutes.