Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Pastured Chicken Paired with 2011 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Sauvignon Blanc

This is a hurricane Sandy special edition of Craig's Grape Adventure.  When a hurricane is bearing down on you, what do you do?  Me?  I open a bottle of wine and head to the kitchen!

This meal was inspired by a recent visit to P.A. Bowen Farmstead which is an "old-fashioned pasture-based, mixed species, soy-free farm that uses modern technologies and biodynamic techniques."  Spectacularly rich cheese made from raw milk is the crown jewel produced by the farm.  My eyes get all dreamy when thinking of this wonderful cheese.  But cheese is not the only product sold at their farm store.  Pastured chicken, processed on the farm weekly, is a prominent offering.  Last Friday, I visited the farm to photograph and video chicken processing.

After four hours of shooting, I purchased a freshly plucked chicken for this meal.  I settled on roasting the chicken with rosemary and garlic.  This is a simple preparation that allows the flavor of the chicken to shine through.  In the case of a pastured chicken, this is important.  Unlike the relatively flavorless industrial chickens from a big box grocer, pastured chicken from the P.A. Bowen Farmstead is abundant with flavor.  However, the flavor is difficult to describe.  As I contemplated the flavor and tried to find words, I finally settled on an analogy.  This pastured chicken represents the terroir of the pasture it comes from, much as exceptional wines express the region and soil where the grapes are grown.  The flavors of clover, and multiple grass species speak through the chicken.

The 2011 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Sauvignon Blanc is a treasure.  Although Virginia is not known for Sauvignon Blanc, the folks at Barboursville have broken the code.  The nose is light and floral with herbal hints.  The subdued and refreshing aromas are reinforced by a similarly subtle flavor - much less "in your face" than California interpretations or those of New Zealand.  Dried apricot is the most pronounced with supporting flavors of stone fruits and a hint of pear.  The acidity is well balanced with the flavors - it does not distract and is consistent with the subtle nature of this wine.  The finish is surprisingly long and elegant with a pleasing hint of honeysuckle.  I am impressed with wines that do not scream for my attention but rather invite me to explore - a much appreciated restrained approach.  Barboursville has hit all the right notes in this somewhat softened version of Sauvignon Blanc.  Well done!

The restrained approach to roasting the chicken with rosemary and garlic mated perfectly with the similarly restrained Sauvignon Blanc from Barboursville Vineyards.  Neither demanded undue attention, but rather invited enjoyment of the well balanced combination.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 chicken
• 10 red potatoes
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary finely ground with a mortar and pestle
• 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 head cleaned garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 stick of butter
• Salt and Pepper

Preparation

1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry.  Allow to rest and continue to air dry for 15 minutes.
2. Leave butter at room temperature to soften.
3. Combine ground rosemary and minced garlic with the butter to form a paste.
4. Season the inside of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, then stuff with the head of garlic and rosemary sprigs.
5. Coat the chicken with the butter-rosemary-garlic paste reserving approximately 1/3 of the paste for the potatoes.
6. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan (with grate).
7. Put chicken in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
8. Melt the remaining butter paste in the microwave and pour over the potatoes in a large bowl.  Season the potatoes with salt and pepper then toss to coat evenly.
9. After 30 minutes in the oven, add the potatoes around the chicken and continue in the oven for another 60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170-180 degrees.
10. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Grilled Mole Marinated Steak Paired with 2010 Barboursville Vineyards Reserve Virginia Barbera

When developing a recipe or wine pairing, much of the fun for me is found in discovering an inspiration for the meal.  In other words, finding a theme, purpose or other cohesive thought for the meal.  In this case, the motivation comes from the soon arriving Cinco de Mayo.

According to Wikipedia, “Cinco de Mayo is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Dia de la Batalla de Puebla.  The date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War. In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Contrary to widespread popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day—the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico—which is actually celebrated on September 16.”

Imagine my shock when I read this and found that it was not a celebration concocted by Corona and Jose Cuervo!  Regardless of origin, Cinco de Mayo was the inspiration for this meal and pairing.  Chef Sue and I started throwing around ideas which were quite opposed.  I focused on coastal foods dominated by a variety of seafood, while Chef Sue went directly to the interior.  In the end, Chef Sue exerted her Alpha dominance and I conceded knowing that a return to Mexican inspired seafood will not be far away.

Chef Sue’s creation featured a mole sauce as the heart of the meal.  I love mole and was pleased with her decision.  On top of that, she executed the mole perfectly.  In my mind, preparing an exceptional mole is all about balancing the heat from the chile with the chocolate.  If either is out of balance, I would judge it as inferior.  Chef Sue’s recipe strikes the perfect balance.

To accompany the mole marinated grilled steak, we prepared grilled corn basted with a spicy cream sauce, asparagus grilled in a pouch with lemon and olive oil, and new potatoes boiled then tossed in olive oil and simply seasoned with salt and pepper.  In combination, this entire meal is a very simple preparation featuring the natural flavors of fresh vegetables with Mexican inspired sauces bringing focus to our culinary celebration.

The pairing for this meal was a bit of a challenge.  With grilled steak and mole at center stage, selecting a full bodied red was the easy part.  My concern came when considering the piquance of the mole.  I decided to go with a fruit forward approach and hopes of the fruit flavors balancing the heat while echoing the chocolate component of the mole.

My wine selection was the 2010 Barboursville Vineyards Reserve Virginia Barbera.  In general, Barbera is an exceptionally food friendly wine with good acidity, low tannins, and flavors of raspberry, blackberry, cherry and vanilla notes depending on fruit yield and ripeness, oak treatment, and climate.

We found the 2010 Barboursville Vineyards Reserve Virginia Barbera an excellent example of a classic Barbera.  It was wonderful.  It was beyond wonderful - I was simply gushing over this wine.  Here are the tasting notes from the winemaker:

“A full bodied red wine with intense raspberry, cherry and anise aromas and flavors. an overlay of vanilla precedes a direct and well rounded finish.  This wine is well structured and has good aging potential.”

I would like to say more, but these notes directly reflect our experience.  The intense fruit flavors were well balanced and a true joy.  Although the winemaker suggests this wine has good aging potential, it is drinking exceptionally well now.  Go ahead and try to keep it in your cellar for a while - I dare you!

I was exceptionally pleased with the pairing...the balance was perfect.  However, as we discussed the pairing, Chef Sue commented that the wonderful fruit flavors in the wine could have stood up to a more aggressive approach to the mole.  In other words, Chef Sue thought the wine would have complemented the mole with even more piquance and deep chocolate flavor.  I can’t disagree, but I was nothing but smiles with each sip and morsel.

Recipes

Mole

Ingredients

• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 1 ½ medium onions
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1/4 cup sofrito (Latino soup base)
• 1 teaspoon hot chili powder
• 4 ancho chile peppers

Preparation

1. Halve the peppers and clear seeds.
2. Peel and halve the onions.
3. Halve the tomatoes.
4. Place all vegetables on a sheet pan and place under the broiler until skin on the peppers begin to char.  Let the peppers cool and peel the skin.
5. In a pot, add the chicken broth, sofrito, ancho peppers, salt and pepper to taste and 1 teaspoon hot chili pepper.  Bring to a boil.
6. When the stems of the ancho peppers loosen from boiling, remove stems.
7. Add broiled vegetables to the pot.  Continue to cook for 10 minutes on a low boil.
8. Pour ingredients of the pot into a blender and blend until smooth.  Add ¼ cup of dark chocolate chips and blend to incorporate.  Adjust seasoning.
9. Marinate steaks in mole for at least one hour (up to 4 is best).
10. Reserve a cup of the mole for your dinner guests to use at the table.

Cream Sauce for Grilling Corn

Ingredients

• ½ stick butter
• ½ package of cream cheese
• pinch of hot chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Microwave butter and cream cheese 30 seconds at a time, stir and repeat until you have a paste.  Incorporate chili power, with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Place corn on grill and baste exposed side with the sauce.
3. Flip corn and baste the other side.
4. Continue to grill until corn just begins to char.  Serve immediately.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Pan Seared Lamb Chops with Blueberry Pomegranate and Red Wine Reduction, Oven Roasted Parsnips Paired with 2007 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Octagon

When conceiving of a wine pairing, there are two entry points; select a wine and prepare a menu complementing the wine, or start with a feature dish and select an appropriate wine.  Most of the time, my routine begins with the inspiration to prepare a dish followed by a wine selection.  This pairing is an exception.  Octagon is the signature wine produced by Barboursville Vineyards.  This exalted position is well deserved.  I sampled this wine at a tasting months before and was quite impressed.  Due to my affection for this wine, I was excited to prepare a meal that showcased the wonderful flavors in both the wine, and my yet to be conceived culinary creation.

Octagon exemplifies what the best of what Virginia wineries are striving for and more frequently achieving; a wonderful expression of terroir.  A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, one would think you were sipping a fine Bordeaux yet with a welcoming assertion of Virginia climate, exposure, altitude, care, and soil.

This full bodied red features aromas of berry, plum, and dark cherry which are echoed on the palate.  Rich, silky tannins lead to a lengthy and refined finish.  It is rich, elegant, and a real pleasure.

In conceiving this pairing, I needed a construction that first mated well with the full bodied Octagon while also complementing the berry, plum and dark cherry flavors.  To match the body, I began my thought process with lamb chops, then added the blueberry pomegranate reduction to echo the flavors of the wine.  The result was spectacular.

The key to this wildly successful pairing was selection of the lamb as the protein and adding the complementing flavors of the reduction.  In terms of principal flavors, the lamb and the reduction contributed equally and resulted in a pairing that was absolutely heavenly.

Recipes

Pan Seared Lamb Chops with Blueberry Pomegranate and Red Wine Reduction

Ingredients

• 8 lamb rib chops or one rack of lamb cut into 4 sections (8 ribs per rack)
• 2 tablespoons. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced shallot
• 1/2 cup blueberry pomegranate juice
• 1/2 of the berries from a pomegranate
• 1/4 cup full-bodied dry red wine
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons butter divided into small cubes
• Salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Liberally season the lamb chops with salt and pepper on both sides. 
2. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat until very hot. 
3. Sear the chops until browned on both sides (about 2 minutes per side for medium rare, or 3 minutes per side for medium). 
4. Place the chops on a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
5. Add the shallot to the same pan with remaining fat and cook, stirring constantly, until browned. 
6. Add the pomegranate juice, wine, chicken stock, vinegar, and thyme and reduce by half 
7. Reduce the heat to medium low and add butter, keeping on the heat until the butter melts. 
8. Adjust seasoning.
9. Run reduction through a fine sieve and ladle over lamb.
10.   Garnish with pomegranate berries. 

For Oven roasted parsnips and onions, peel four parsnips (or whatever quantity you need for feeding your dinner crowd) and cut into 1 inch cubes.  Add to a large mixing bowl.  Slice an onion and add to the bowl.  Chop 1/2 cup of cilantro and add to bowl.  Drizzle contents with olive oil (enough to lightly coat), season with salt and pepper, and toss.  Spread evenly over a sheet pan and place in oven preheated to 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until parsnips are tender.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Mole Marinated Flank Steak with White Wine Cilantro Sauce Over Celery Root Hash Paired with 2009 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Reserve Cabernet Franc

Are you a seasonal wine drinker?  I don’t mean seasonal in the sense that there is a season for drinking wine, but rather a season for drinking different types of wine?  I am a seasonal wine drinker.  Over time, I have found my tastes shifting with the seasons.  For example, summer is often filled with Sauvignon Blanc, dry Rieslings, and other light, acidic and refreshing wines.  Spring and fall tend toward medium bodied Chardonnays, red blends, and Pinot Noir.  During winter, I find myself drinking full bodied reds; Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, and hefty blends.

Although this winter was, and remains ridiculously mild (highs in the low 80s over the last couple of days), I remain in winter drinking wine mode.  On top of that, I still have a long line of “winter” wines reserved for wine pairings.  I have a lot of work ahead of me before winter is officially ended.  With this in mind, I donned my creative culinary tocque and was inspired to create a mole marinated flank steak with white wine cliantro sauce over celery root hash paired with a 2009 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Reserve Cabernet Franc.

At first blush, this appears to be an odd construction, but let me explain my thought process.  As you would guess, the flank steak with a mole marinade features deep rich flavors along with the contrast of strong piquance.  For additional balance, I decided to introduce some acid and brighter flavors.  A white wine sauce came to mind first, then I added the cilantro to further brighten the flavors while remaining consistent with the Mexican theme.  Finally, I completed the dish with a celery root hash.  I originally conceived this as celery root pancakes, but in the end went with a “looser” hash approach that worked nicely from a texture perspective.

Admittedly, these flavor combinations are difficult to get your head around.  Logically, it kinda-sorta-maybe-works, but up until plating time, I was haunted by fear that I was creating a colossal failure.  My fears were little more than creative insecurity.  The meal was fantastic, and the combination of contrasting flavors and balance worked better than I could have imagined.  Sigh of relief!

From the start, this recipe was conceived with the 2009 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Reserve Cabernet Franc in mind.  Here are some notes from the winemaker:

“This vineyard’s renown for Cabernet Franc rests on the most consistent critical acclaim for any varietal red wine produced in the Eastern United States, but to be fair, this distinction comes from the ground. We grow the most diversified array of Cabernet Franc clones in the region - 4 from Bordeaux, 1 from the Loire - offering a wine-making palette of matchless permutation and subtlety. At the same time, the vineyard has so well established our Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, that the Cabernet Franc Reserve is never less than the most elegant exemplar of the varietal in any vintage. The House red wine at The Inn at Little Washington, it responds to a knowing demand for a characterful, intriguing, and refreshingly well-bred wine for dining, and indeed for conversation with friends who delight in fine wine for its own sake.”

Tasting notes from the winemaker:

“Dark garnet core, brilliant clarity in the glass. Intense, effusively luscious flavors of ripe red berries with caramelised notes of fig, cherry, and plum, elegantly woven together in barrel. Long-finishing and tannically vivid, yet with a remarkably soft palate.”

I would be challenged to improve on these tasting notes.  I would only add that “tannically vivid” should be interpreted as you might expect - this wine is not a wilting flower.  And as the winemaker states, this wine is very drinkable now, will likely peak in 2013, and will sustain for another three to six years.  The boldness of this wine was perfect for the pairing.  A lesser wine would not have stood up to the piquance of the mole, and yet play a welcome complementary role to the brighter flavors of the white wine cilantro sauce.

I remain very impressed with each and every bottle I open from Barboursville Vineyards.  Their wines are available at their online store, and I encourage you to visit.

Recipes

Mole Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 ½ cups chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 ½ tablespoons chili powder
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate, chopped or shaved if you have a few extra minutes
• Sugar to taste

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
2. Add onion, garlic, oregano, cumin and cinnamon - sauté until onion is almost tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Mix in chili powder and flour, stir for 3 minutes.
   Gradually whisk in chicken broth.
4. Boil until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium low.
5. Whisk in chocolate; season with salt and pepper, if desired.
6. Whisk in sugar as desired to reach a balance with the heat of the chili powder. This is a matter of taste. I used three tablespoons.
7. When cooled, the sauce will thicken.
8. Season a 2 pound flank steak with salt and pepper, then generously coat with the mole.
9. Place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour. The longer the better. If you have a vacuum sealer, this is the best approach (and the one I use for nearly all marinades).
10. Preheat your broiler for a few minutes, place your flank steak on a broiler pan, and sear both sides (3 to 4 minutes).
11. Slice into 1/4 inch strips across the grain.
12. Serve over celery root hash and top with white wine cilantro sauce.

White Wine Cilantro Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 large onion thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine (a wine with strong acidity like a Sauvignon Blanc is the best choice)
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro (stems removed and finely chopped, leaves coarsely chopped)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Add onion to preheated olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté until onions are tender.
2. Stir in garlic, wine, and cilantro stems, and continue for another 2 minutes over medium high heat.
3. Season to taste, add cilantro leaves and keep on heat for another minute.
4. Remove from heat and serve over flank steak.

Celery Root Hash

Ingredients

• 3 peeled celery roots
• 1 medium onion
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup matzo meal
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil.

Preparation

1. Grate celery root and onion by hand or the grating blade of your food processor.
2. Place grated celery root and onion in a strainer to drain excess liquid.
3. Once drained, gently press out more of the liquid, add to a bowl with 4 beaten eggs, matzo meal, salt and pepper.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a coating of vegetable oil.
5. Spoon the mixture into skillet and turn occasionally to achieve a general browning.
6. To use all the mixture, you will likely cook several batches. You will need to add oil on occasion.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

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

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

Cooking and creating great meals is an endless challenge with infinite possibilities.  There is always something to learn and explore.  For quite some time I have wanted to conquer culinary foams.  This week I found both the inspiration and the magic ingredient to make it happen.  While spending New Year’s with good friends who are also foodies and wine lovers, Beth mentioned a recent experience with foam she enjoyed – oysters with celery foam.  The idea of celery flavors mixing with the salty sweetness of oysters sounded like a winner to me, so I dedicated my efforts to overcoming the foam challenge.

The key to making culinary foam is lecithin.  I began my search in the local grocery stores – bust.  I moved on to the culinary specialty stores – nada.  I concluded I would have to go to the web and order it.  However, once I started my search I found that lecithin is a common dietary supplement found in health food stores and vitamin shops like GNC.  Bingo!  I jumped on the metro, went to the nearest GNC (conveniently located next to my favorite cigar store) and picked up a big canister of lecithin granules for $11 – enough to satisfy my culinary curiosity for the next year or so.

The process of making foam is pretty simple – take a cup or two of the juice or other liquid you want to use as a foam, add a tablespoon of lecithin granules and hit it with a submersion blender until it foams.  Spoon off the foam and add it to your dish – quick and easy.

Now that you have the ingredients and the process, we can back up and ask the question “why?”  The beauty of culinary foams is the ability to add a layer of flavor without changing the structure of the dish – much like a sauce, but without the addition of butter and lengthy reduction.  The result is pure flavor, and much lighter than traditional sauces. 

The oysters with celery foam is a good example.  Oysters and a celery stick doesn’t work well – the oyster slides to the floor.  You could try grating or shredding the celery, but it still does not work.  By running celery through a juicer, foaming it, and adding a dollop to the oyster, you achieve something visually appealing, does not detract from the essence of the oyster, and adds an interesting layer of flavor while not affecting your experience of oyster structure.

The same holds true for the entre – while poaching fish in coconut milk adds a hint of flavor, the coconut milk foam adds a distinctive layer of flavor to the dish.  With the rich buttery flavors of the halibut steak and coconut milk, I chose the 2010 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Chardonnay for our pairing.  Fermented in stainless steel, this Chardonnay is nicely acidic, refreshingly crisp and features flavors of apple, pear and bright citrus.  The acidity and citrus formed an elegant balance with the richness of the fish and coconut as well as the rich flavors of the potatoes fried in duck fat. 

At $11, the 2010 Barboursville Vineyards Virginia Chardonnay is an exceptional value and holds great promise for a broad range of pairings.

Recipes

Oysters on the Half Shell with Celery Foam

Easy stuff.  Run 5 or six stalks of celery through a juicer to produce about one cup of celery juice.  Add 1 tablespoon of lecithin granules and blend with an immersion blender until foam forms.  Shuck your oysters leaving the belly in the deep side of the shell and spoon a dollop of celery foam.

Halibut Steak Poached in Coconut Milk with Coconut Foam

Ingredients

• 3 cans coconut milk
• 1 1/2 pound halibut steak
• 3-4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon lecithin granules

Preparation

1. Reserve 1 cup of coconut milk for foam and pour remainder in a pan just larger than your halibut steak.  Bring to boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce heat and add halibut fillets, cooking for about 10 minutes turning the halibut at the 5 minute mark.
3. Just before finished, season with salt and pepper.
4. Add lecithin granules to the reserved coconut milk and blend for about 30 seconds or until foam forms. Spoon foam over halibut and serve immediately.

Vegetables

Added to the halibut steak, I sautéed asparagus and mushrooms with minced garlic.  For additional color and flavor I halved two red peppers and put them under a broiler until the skin was charred.  After removing from the broiler, cover the peppers with a towel to let them steam.  Peel the skins (very easy after charring and steaming), slice into long thin strips, place in a shallow bowl with three thinly sliced garlic cloves, drizzle with olive oil, and season to taste.  Toss.  Do this process early to let the peppers marinade.

Finally, I pan fried thinly sliced potatoes in garlic and duck fat.  Just reach in the freezer and pull out your container of duck fat next to the ice-cream (no duck fat?  Shame.)  Just before tender and turning brown, add a healthy portion of finely chopped parsley and season to taste.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig