Recipes

Wild Mushroom Gravy Serves: 6-8 Wine Pairing: 2005 Domaine Huguenot Pere & Fils Marsannay Les Echezots or other Pinot Noir Have a little fun choosing an assortment of wild mushrooms from your local specialty food store to go in this gravy. The sauce can be spooned over pieces of a whole roasted turkey after carving, or you can sautee a few turkey breast fillets to go with the gravy for a smaller meal. 6-8 servings of whole-roasted turkey or pan-roasted turkey breast 4 Tbsp (1 stick) butter 32 oz (2 lbs.) assorted wild mushrooms (Cremini, Porcini, Shiitake, Bluefoot, Chanterelle, and/or Morel) 3 shallots, finely chopped 1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken broth 8 Tbsp Pinot Noir 1/2 cup tarragon and/or sage, finely chopped Salt and pepper to taste - In a large saucepan or skillet, melt butter on medium heat. Add shallots and mushrooms, stir to blend. Cover and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, about five to seven minutes. - Stir in broth, sherry or wine, and half of the herbs. Turn the heat to high and allow the sauce to bubble and thicken, about five minutes. When the sauce has reached the desired consistency (should coat the back of a spoon), remove from heat,. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce over turkey, sprinkle the remaining herbs over the top, and serve. Tagliatelle with Brown Butter and Sage Serves: 4 Wine Pairing: La Mozza Morellino di Scansano I Perazzi The beauty of this dish is in its simplicity and variability. For a weeknight meal, you can easily find good quality fresh-made pasta (soft, not hard) in any specialty grocery store, and the rest takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. To change the recipe up from time to time, try adding julienned zucchini, porcini mushrooms, chestnuts or pancetta to the sautéing butter. 8 oz fresh taglitelle (flat egg pasta) 4 Tbsp. butter 3 Tbsp fresh sage, sliced into very thin strips across the leaf 1 garlic clove, very finely minced Freshly ground salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste Freshly shaved Parmesano Reggiano - Bring water to a boil. Prepare fresh pasta according to the package instructions (usually boils 2-5 minutes.) Check pasta frequently so as not to overcook. Drain pasta reserving about 1 cup of the water. - Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Watch carefully until butter begins to turn golden. Add garlic and sage, sautée for about one more minute, and remove from heat when butter is brown and garlic is softened. Do not allow butter to burn. - Toss the butter sauce and egg pasta in a bowl to coat pasta, adding a small amount of the cooking water if necessary. - Grind a bit of salt, pepper, nutmeg and Parmesano to taste, and serve immediately. Bordeaux-soaked mushroom, shallot, and Roquefort salad (Serves 2) Wine Pairing: Any Red Bordeaux from this month's Selections Nothing goes better with a well-structured red Bordeaux wine than steak, and we all have our favorite preparations. The following recipe is an ideal accompaniment to any steak, and complements the wine as well as the meat itself. Vegetarians can make a meal of the dish alone by doubling the amounts. 1 cup red Bordeaux wine 1/2 cup dried shiitake, morel, chantrelle or portabella mushrooms (or one cup fresh) 2 shallots, finely chopped 1 cup mache or arugula 1.5 oz Roquefort or other high-quality blue cheese - Soak dried mushrooms in wine for one hour at room temperature. - Turn a skillet to medium-high, and sauté the shallots until caramelized. Add the mushrooms and 1/2 cup of the wine. Allow the mixture to bubble and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. - Arrange the mache on plates, and place the reduced mushroom mixture on top. Crumble Roqufort over the salad and serve warm, with our without steak. Homemade Peri-Peri Sauce Wine Pairing: 2006 Spice Route Viognier or 2007 Simonsig Chenin Blanc Peri-Peri (or Piri-Piri, as it's sometimes spelled) is a popular chile pepper-based sauce used as a condiment in South Africa and West Africa. We like it best as a marinade for grilled shrimp, or mixed with a little mayonnaise to top fish and chips: the South African answer to tartar sauce. 1 1/2 to 2 oz. minced red chiles, preferably African birdseye 4-5 minced garlic cloves 2 cups olive oil Minced rind and juice of one lemon -Mince chiles, garlic and lemon rind very finely. -Combine with olive oil and lemon juice and store in a tightly sealed jar. Refrigerate for a minimum of three days before using. The flavor will intensify as it ages and reach a peak of flavor within about two weeks. -When using as a marinade for shrimp or chicken, soak the shrimp or chicken in the sauce for at least five hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Grill and serve. New England Lobster Rolls with Dilled Mayonnaise (Serves: 6) Wine Pairing: 2006 Wolffer Reserve Chardonnay or 2007 Hendry Unoaked Chardonnay This is an adaptation on a classic picnic recipe we developed at this time last year, and has become a Fourth of July tradition for East-Coasters like us. To match the buttery-rich lobster salad, a Chardonnay of either the toasty-oaked or crisp unoaked persuasion works best. 1 1/2 lbs lobster meat, torn into generous chunks 9 Tbsp. good quality mayonnaise 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika 2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped Salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup chopped celery 1 small head of Bibb lettuce 6 hot dog rolls 6 Tbsp. butter, softened -In a bowl, gently mix lobster, mayonnaise, celery, dill, and smoked paprika. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. -Butter the cut sides of the hot dog buns and toast until lightly browned. Lay several pieces of lettuce on each bun, then fill with the lobster salad. Serve with fresh corn on the cob, cucumber salad, and other picnic fixin's.