Peking Duck Paired with 2010 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Merlot

To celebrate the Chinese New Year and the New England Patriots victory over the Baltimore Ravens, I decided to prepare a Chinese classic – Peking duck.  Well, it is not exactly roasted raven, but it is about as close as I plan to get. 

This pairing also features a special treat thanks to the nice people at Barboursville Vineyards.  Following a recent post featuring the Barboursville Chardonnay (Halibut Steak Poached in Coconut Milk with Coconut Milk Foam, Garlic Sautéed Asparagus and Mushrooms, Roasted Red Peppers and Potatoes Pan Fried in Duck Fat Paired with 2010 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Chardonnay) Luca Paschina, the winemaker at Barboursville Vineyards was very generous in sending me several of their wines to taste and pair.  Barboursville Vineyards produces fantastic wine (I am now a solid 2 for 2) – you will be hearing more about them soon.

While all the flavors and textures of Peking Duck combine to warrant it’s exalted place as a Chinese classic, the sweet rich flavors of the hoisin sauce dominate.  Normally, I would have prepared the hoisin sauce, but decided to go with the store version with a bit of elaboration (orange zest, orange juice, sesame oil, and sriracha).

Selecting the 2010 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Merlot was pretty straight forward for this pairing.  Merlot is always a good choice for duck, but with the addition of the hoisin sauce, my choice was confirmed, and gratefully rewarded.

The 2010 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Merlot is an exceptionally approachable wine that is pleasantly restrained in it’s treatment allowing the terroir and grape to speak for themselves.  The medium body of this wine was a precise match for the Peking duck.  But the real treat came with the magically complementary flavors.  The wine features flavors of red berries, a barely perceptible hint of oak, and round subtle tannins adding to an exceptionally smooth mouth feel.

If you have yet to be impressed by a Virginia Merlot, I encourage you to visit Barboursville Vineyards.  You will not be disappointed!  This was confirmed by our group of wine drinking Patriots fans.  Unanimous accolades for the Merlot, duck and Patriots echoed through the house.

Recipes

Ingredients

• One 4 to 6 pound duck
• 8 cups water
• 1/4 cup grated fresh ginger
• 1 diced scallion
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sherry
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha
• 2 scallions diced for garnish

Preparation

1. Clean duck. Wipe dry and tie string wings, cut a hole through the neck skin, and run the string through the hole.
2. Hang duck in cool, windy place for 3 to 4 hours. 
3. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add ginger, diced scallion, honey, vinegar, and sherry. Bring to boil. Pour in dissolved cornstarch and stir to ensure no lumps.
4. Gently place the duck in the boiling liquid and scoop liquid over duck for 10 minutes.
5. Hang duck again in cool, windy place for 3 to 4 hours or until thoroughly dry.
6. Place duck breast side up directly on the rack in an oven preheated to 350 degrees. Set a pan half filled with water in bottom on a rack below the duck to catch drippings. Roast for 30 minutes.
7. Turn duck and roast 30 minutes more.
8. Turn breast side up again. Roast 10 minutes more.
9. Mix hoisin with sesame oil, orange zest, orange juice, and Sriracha.
10. Carve duck and serve on Chinese pancakes with hoisin sauce mixture and scallion garnish.

Alternative preparation if you don't have the time to let the duck hang and dry.

1. Skip the original hanging procedure and proceed to the boiling.
2. Preheat oven to 375.
3. Place duck in a roasting pan with a grate to allow the drippings to fall away from the duck.
4. Roast for 30 minutes breast side up, flip for 30 minutes, and finish with breast side up for 10 minutes.

Chinese Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 to 1 cup boiling water, as needed
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil, or as needed

Preparation

1. Add flour to the bowl of a kitchen mixer with a dough hook. Turn mixer to medium and add the boiling water.
2. Allow the dough to knead until smooth. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. Turn the rested dough out onto a floured surface. Cut the dough in half. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll each half out until it is 1/4-inch thick. Use a cookie cutter or a pint glass to cut out 3-inch circles of dough.
4. Brush 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil over the top of 2 dough circles. Lay one pancake on top of each other, so that the oiled sides are together. Roll out the pancakes to form a 6-inch circle. Continue with the remainder of the pancakes.
5. Heat a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add one of the pancake pairs and cook until browned on both sides
6. Remove the paired pancakes from the pan and pull them apart. Continue with the remainder of the pancakes.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Crispy Pan Seared Duck Breast with a Red Wine and Blueberry Reduction, Duck Fat Sautéed Potatoes Paired with 2009 Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn Parris County Blend Virginia Merlot

Way back in the early days of my culinary independence, I picked duck as a challenge not yet conquered.  This recipe is my first foray into the wonderful world of duck, and duck fat.  My first attempt was very successful, and I have prepared it several times since.  However, I realized I had not shared this recipe.  Today, I am rectifying this tragic oversight.

If you have not yet attempted duck, this is an easy and tasty place to start.  From prep to plating, this recipe takes only 30 minutes with the most difficult challenge for the uninitiated being cutting the breast from a whole duck.  If you are not comfortable with this, I am confident you will find plenty of resources on Youtube.  You can also follow these easy instructions. 

First, a boning knife is a real plus.  If not, any knife with a sharp tip will work.  Begin by scoring through the fat along the center of the duck.  Continue to lightly cut until you reach the bone.  Once you get to the bone, move you knife slightly to one side and continue to make scoring cuts along the bone until the breast is laying off to the side and connected by just the layer of fat.  Cut through the fat, and you have a duck breast ready for the pan.  Repeat for second breast.

The principal flavors in this dish include the mild gaminess of the duck, dark fruit flavors of the red wine and blueberry reduction, and the rich earthy flavors of the potatoes pan fried in duck fat (the fat is reserved from rendering the duck breast).  With the acidity of the reduction, this dish is well balanced and therefore selecting a wine with strong acidity is not particularly important.  The combination of duck and the reduction call out for a medium to full bodied wine (tending more to the full bodied).  A wine featuring dark fruit flavors and healthy earthiness will also echo flavors found in the dish.

To achieve the pairing characteristics I was looking for, I chose a 2009 Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn Parris County Blend Virginia Merlot.  You are first greeted with earthy and dark fruit aromas which are echoed in your first sip.  Although the flavors feature pleasant blackberry and plum notes, I find the earthiness most memorable.  The tannins accentuated the earthiness and promise this wine will continue to drink well for years to come.  I am confident this wine has not yet arrived at it’s peak.  I recommend picking up a few bottles to cellar for a few years.

The 2009 Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn Parris County Blend Virginia Merlot featured each of the flavor components I was looking for, and the pairing was a great success.  Although I was not looking for healthy acidity, the wine delivered and balanced the rich duck fat perfectly.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 duck breasts
• 2 cups full bodied red wine (extra tannins are good)
• 1 pint blueberries
• 2 potatoes (thinly sliced – I used a mandolin)
• 1 onion (thinly sliced – I used a mandolin)
• red wine vinegar and sugar (to adjust balance of reduction)
• 4 tablespoons duck demi glace
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Score the fat on the duck breast in a 1/2 inch cross hatch pattern.
2. Place the duck, fat side down, in a cold skillet.  Render fat over medium low heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Pour rendered fat into second skillet for frying potatoes.
4. While rendering the fat, pour two cups of red wine into a sauce pan and reduce by 1/2 over medium high heat.
5. When reduced by half, add blueberries (reserving about 1/4), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and demi glace.  Reduce by 1/2 again.
6. Increase heat under the duck to medium high and crisp the skin.  When crisp, return heat to medium, and turn breasts to the meat side.  Continue to cook for 8 minutes.
7. Remove the red wine and blueberry reduction from the heat and blend with an immersion blender.  Adjust balance by adding sugar or red wine vinegar. Add remaining blueberries and return to medium heat.
8. Bring your second skillet (with duck fat) to medium high heat, and add thinly sliced potatoes, onion, garlic, and 1/4 cup diced parsley leaves.  Continue to cook until potatoes are tender and just turning brown.  Season to taste.
9. Remove duck from heat, slice on the bias and plate with a drizzle of the reduction.  Plate potatoes and onions with parsley garnish.

In vino veritas, buen provecho

Craig

Thanksgiving Wine Pairing Recommendations

If you are planning a traditional Thanksgiving feast, wine pairing can be a daunting challenge.  Why such a daunting task?  Simple – Thanksgiving meals are typically overflowing with a tremendous variety of flavors including sweet, savory, buttery, acidity, a variety of vegetables, turkey, and ham – all complicated by varying preparations.

So where to start?  You could focus your pairing on the meat, the sauces, or the sides.  This remains challenging with the variety of flavors on the table.  One approach to Thanksgiving wine pairing is the tried and true traditional pairings.  These consist of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wines.

Any of these traditional thanksgiving wines will provide solid results.  But what if you want to be more adventuresome?  Another fun approach would be to have multiple wines.  Yeah!  More wine!  Using this method, you might consider a variety of wines to pair with different parts of the meal.

Here are a few recommendations to consider for the traditional trio and the less trodden path:

• Although you may not be a fan of oaky Chardonnay, the buttery components of the meal form a nice balance with a nicely oaked Chardonnay.  Look for one with healthy acidity.
• Think Riesling to complement the sweet components of the meal.
• If you decide on the tried and true Pinot Noir, focus on fruity bottle with some spice.
• Syrah – the spiciness, acidity, and fruit will work with most of the meal with the exception of the sweet dishes.
• Pinot Gris offers nice acidity to balance the richness of many dishes.  The pronounced fruit and heftier body distinguish it from Pinot Grigio.  Stay away from the Pinot Grigio – it will not stand up the most of the meal.  The same is true of most Sauvignon Blancs – they will fall flat with their relatively light body.
• If you decide to go with Champagne or sparkling wine – don’t go cheap – you need a wine with some healthy yeast, body, and nutty flavors to complement the turkey and the vegetables.
• The highly versatile Viognier is a great choice to pair with a variety of vegetables.
• If you have a heavy fried component such as a fried turkey – avoid the reds.  The combination could feel like a lead balloon.
• If you smoke your turkey or ham, an oaky Chardonnay is a good complementary choice, but a smoky red with a medium body such as a Merlot, Grenache, Syrah or Shiraz (nice fruit contrast) would complement the smoked meat while offering a pleasant fruit contrast.
• If your menu includes a spicy glazed ham, match it with a moderate alcohol Zinfandel.  The normal high alcohol levels of Zins can not only lead to more expressive family conversation, but can intensify the spice in an undesirable way.  A Rioja, Tempranillo, heavier bodied Pinot Noir or a Syrah would also be a good choice.
• Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie – try a Muscat, lightly effervescent Moscato , White Port, or Tawny Port.
• For a chocolate based dessert, a Ruby Port or a Late Bottled Vintage Port will make you smile.

Live on the edge.  Go with the non-traditional approach, and pair your feast with several wines.  Experiment a little and let your holiday guests enjoy a diversion from the traditional one wine fits all formula.  Always remember balance is the key – we don’t want the wine to upstage the feast, nor do we want it to be a footnote.

At the request of my children, we will be drawing outside the lines for Thanksgiving. Our meal will be no less diverse, but will be entirely drawn from the rich culinary tradition of Italy.  Be sure I will share all the fun details.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Craig

Open Faced Steak Sandwich Topped with Sautéed Celery Root and Leeks Paired with 2006 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma County Merlot

For quite some time now, I have wanted to construct a pairing that featured pureed celery root.  Unfortunately, the celery root has not been available for several weeks (at least while I was visiting the grocery).  Well, I found celery root yesterday, and came close to making the celery root puree.  I say almost because as I looked at the stock in the fridge I found a leftover steak from the weekend grill-fest and decided to do something with it – and include the celery root.  The result was an open faced steak sandwich with a mound of sautéed celery root and leeks, oh, and a little cheese to hold the mound of flavor in place.

This wonderful little sandwich is rich in umami and layered with the aromatic celery flavors from the celery root and just a touch of piquance from the cayenne.  Warming the leftover steak in the beef broth was a key part of the process which “rehydrated” the steak and made things nice and juicy.

These flavors were joyously complimented with dark and vibrant flavors of blueberry and pepper supported by soft tannins in the 2006 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma County Merlot.  This Merlot is silky smooth and perfectly echoed the flavors in the sandwich.

I have to admit that like the dish, the pairing was not planned in advance.  Similar to the steak, the 2006 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma County Merlot was a leftover – we tapped into this bottle the night before to enjoy just a taste of our recent shipment from Benziger Family Winery.  We joined the Benziger Family Winery wine club during our January trip to California, and were ecstatic to find this Merlot living up to the wonderful experience we had while visiting the winery in Sonoma County.  We thoroughly enjoyed every wine we tasted, and I highly recommend you give them a visit at www.benziger.com.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 leftover steak sliced in to 1/4 to 1/2 inch strips
• 1 loaf of par baked bread (or make your own from scratch)
• 1/2 medium sized celery root coarsely grated
• 1 leek chopped
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup grated cheese (your choice of cheese, but I recommend something mild)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Finish baking the par baked bread, in my case it was 15 minutes in a 375 degree preheated oven.
2. Coat the bottom of a small pan with olive oil and place on medium high heat.
3. Add leeks and cayenne pepper.  Sauté for about one minute.
4. Add the grated celery root and sauté until tender.  Season with salt and pepper then remove from heat and set aside.
5. If you time this right, your bread should be done now.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
6. In a medium sauce pan, bring two cups of beef broth to a simmer.  Just before you are ready to assemble the sandwich, add the steak strips to the broth and warm through.  The idea is simply to warm the meat, not cook it.
7. Cut the bread into 1 inch or so slices.  In my case, the steak made three sandwiches which miraculously meant three slices.
8. Assemble the sandwich by laying slices of steak across the bread, adding a stack of the celery root and leek sauté and lightly coating with grated cheese.
9. Place the sandwiches on sheet pan and place under the broiler until the cheese melts. 1-2 minutes.
10. Remove from broiler and plate with a small saucer of the beef broth (for dunking bread).
11. This is somewhat of a “vertical” sandwich, so bring along a fork and knife.

My apologies for the lack of photography with this post.  It was a last minute thought and last minute happy coincidence.  However, if you give this pairing a go the next time you have a leftover steak in the fridge, I’m confident it will make up for the lack of pretty pictures.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig