Spicy Chocolate Covered Pork Belly Paired with 2009 Delaplane Cellars Virginia Tannat

This weekend I hosted a birthday party for Chef Sue.  For months I tried to decide how to handle this event - surprise party, rent space at a restaurant, or any of a half dozen other options.  I eventually settled on the idea of inviting a group of good friends to our home and use our wine tasting group formula.  It worked perfectly and we all had a wonderful time.

The format for the evening involved each couple bringing a bottle of white and red wines along with an hors d'oeuvre paired with one of the wines.  With nearly 30 people in attendance, we were treated to some great wine and creative food.

For my part, I made a spicy chocolate covered pork belly and paired it with a 2009 Delaplane Cellars Virginia Tannat.  I started with the idea of chocolate covered bacon, then thought "where can I go with this?"  It didn't take long to substitute pork belly for bacon, and add some cayenne pepper to bring a balance of creamy pork fat, the mild sweetness of dark chocolate, and the piquance of the cayenne pepper.

I started by heating oil in a dutch oven until just before smoking.  I seasoned the pork belly and seared on all sides.  I then added enough chianti and a diced onion to just cover the pork belly and put in the oven to braise for 2 hours at 300 degrees F.  When complete, I cut it into 3/4 inch cubes, cut off the skin, and skewered the cubes with tooth picks.  After allowing to cool for 1 hour, I prepared the chocolate by putting a steel bowl over a pot of boiling water, added 86% cacao dark chocolate, 1 tablespoon of butter and gradually added cayenne pepper while whisking until I arrived at the level of spicy heat I had in mind.  I'm guessing it was about 1 tablespoon.  The cubed and skewered pork belly was then dipped in the chocolate, placed on a piece of parchment then off to the fridge to set the chocolate.  This is best served at room temperature, so remove from the fridge about an hour before serving.

I chose the 2009 Delaplane Cellars Virginia Tannat because it is a big full bodied rich wine with strong tannins and wonderful dark berry flavors accompanied by a wisp of oak.  My mental picture of the wine matched perfectly with my pork belly creation - big, flavorful, chewy and dark.  We were rewarded with a wonderful pairing.  The berry flavors and tannins played magically with the deep rich chocolate and sweet pork belly while the cayenne added a fun overlay of flavor.

Sorry for the photography - with an event for nearly 30 people, I was not in a position to set up my typical lighting rig and camera gear.  Instead, we have to make due with a shot from my iPhone.

Happy Birthday Chef Sue.  You survived another year!  And thanks to everyone who shared in the celebration.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Goan Fish Curry Paired with 2009 Delaplane Cellars LoCo Virginia Viognier and 2010 Swedenburg Estate Vineyard Virginia Riesling.

I have a long love affair with Indian food.  The amazing aromas, complex flavors, enticing textures, and beautiful colors make me all tingly inside - not unlike my first kiss with Joyce Klunder just 39 years ago.  And even better, Indian food is not difficult to prepare – except for the breads.

To date, I have conquered dhal pouri (see Curried Chicken and Potato Roti Paired with Chenin Blanc) and barra (see Trinidad Doubles, Cucumber Chutney, Trinidad Pepper Sauce Paired with 2010 Cupcake Vineyards Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc) but have not yet perfected naan.  My attempt at naan for this pairing was an admirable effort, but I am not yet satisfied.  I am fairly confident in the recipe, but have not perfected the baking part.

When I posted to Facebook about my pending attempt at this meal, good friend John Downey, mentioned that his lovely wife Ji had nailed the preparation by grilling the naan.  Once I get the grilling instructions from Ji, I will have a great excuse to prepare another Indian feast, and report back with my results. 

My next attempt at naan may be another shot at Goan fish curry.  Although our meal was excellent, and our dinner party was all smiles, the dish did not quite meet the memory of my favored experience of this dish.  A couple years back, I spent about a period working as a consultant in Abu Dhabi.  During my time there, we frequented a restaurant that in my opinion prepared the best Goan Curry…period.  Now, I am chasing.

In comparison, the recipe you will find here featured more spice and less sweetness than my memory of the wonderful Abu Dhabi Goan fish curry.  My next attempt will back off just slightly on the heat and substitute coconut milk for the water in the gravy.

As for the wine pairing, I decided to experiment with two distinct approaches to balancing the moderate heat of the curry.  I chose a Virginia Riesling intending to balance the piquance with sweetness, and a Virginia Viognier as a fruit forward approach to provide balance.  We were rewarded with two excellent pairings, but the dinner crowd nodded in agreement that the Riesling made the better pairing.

Our first wine was a 2009 Delaplane Cellars LoCo Virginia Viognier featuring aromas and flavors of apricot, peach and honeysuckle with a full rich mouth feel one would expect from a full bodied Chardonnay.  My pairing instincts were good – the fruit of the Viognier did a splendid job of balancing the heat of the curry.  The full body also did a fine job of standing up to the richness of the dish.  The only downfall of this pairing was the attenuation of the fruit flavors which faded quickly when faced with the boldness of the curry.  I would guess this wine will do much better with respect to allowing the fruit flavors to linger with the recipe modifications I mentioned earlier.

The second wine on our pairing list was the 2010 Swedenburg Estate Vineyard Virginia Riesling.  The principal characteristics of this wine that made for a successful pairing include prominent green apple flavors accompanied by a pleasant floral aroma, mild sweetness and well balanced acidity.  Unlike the Viognier, the sweetness and strong acidity led to a longer finish that lingered through each bite of the curry.  Without the sudden vanishing of flavor, we reached our unanimous agreement that the Riesling was the preferred pairing.

As a side note, in absence of the pairing, I preferred the Viognier.  The 2009 Delaplane Cellars LoCo Virginia Viognier is a wonderfully complex and rich wine featuring beautiful fruit flavors and well balanced acidity.  For my drier taste preference, the 2010 Swedenburg Estate Vineyard Virginia Riesling is too sweet – but exactly the reason it worked so well with the Goan fish curry.

Recipes

Goan Fish Curry

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fish cleaned and cut into 1 inch cubes.  Any firm white fish or tuna will work well.  I used Basa – an inexpensive Asian catfish.
• Pulp from two tamarind pods
• 2 medium onions diced
• 2 medium tomatoes diced
• 8 dried red chilies with stems removed
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh finely grated ginger
• 1 ½ cups grated coconut
• 2 tablespoons coriander powder
• 2 tablespoons cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon hot red chili powder
• 2 jalapeno peppers diced
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 2 cups water
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Put the onion, tomato, coconut, ginger, garlic, jalapenos, dry red chillies, all the spices, tamarind pulp, and water into your food blender and blend until smooth.
2. Heat a large skillet on a medium heat, add ghee.
3. Add the blended mixture and heat for about 5 minutes.
4. Adjust seasoning (salt), reduce heat and simmer for another 10 minutes.
5. Add the fish and continue to simmer uncovered for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
6. Serve over basmati rice.

Naan

Ingredients

• 1 ½ teaspoons dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons ghee
• 3 tablespoons yoghurt

Preparation

1. Add the dry yeast and sugar to the warm water and stir till the yeast is dissolved. Set aside until the mixture begins to froth.
2. Add flour, salt, yeast mixture, 3 tablespoons of ghee and all the yogurt to a mixing bowl and knead with a dough hook (or you can do it manually).
3. Cover and allow to rest for about 90 minutes or until the dough doubles in volume.
4. Punch the dough down and knead again for 10 minutes.
5. Equally divide the dough and form 8 round balls.
6. Lightly flour a rolling surface  and roll out to 7 inch circles.
7. Preheat your oven 400 F.
8. Grease a sheet pan with the remaining ghee and cook the naan (three at a time) until the Naan begins to puff out and get lightly brown. Flip the Naan and repeat.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Crawfish and Artichoke Heart Ravioli with Wild Mushroom Sauce Paired with 2009 Delaplane Cellars Williams Gap Virginia Red Wine

Seafood equals white wine right?  I don’t think so.  It depends.  Throughout my first career as a Coast Guard officer, I had the pleasure of experiencing several careers within a career.  In other words, although I was a Coast Guard officer, I moved through several professions within the Coast Guard.  At least one of these included training that featured a large poster on the wall that said “it depends.”  The message behind this poster was that there is not a “school book” answer that works in all situations.

This pairing fits squarely in the category of “it depends.”  Successful wine pairing relies primarily on the principal flavors in the dish.  Carrying this a bit further, the principal ingredient, may not be the prominent flavor of the meal.  In the case of this pairing, the dish incorporated two principal flavors - that of the crawfish and artichoke ravioli stuffing and that of the mushroom sauce.

As I selected the wine for the meal, I was betting on the mushroom sauce providing the dominant flavors.  Deep, rich, earthy mushroom sauce layered with the fish velouté.  I guessed correctly and chose a full bodied red to complement the sauce.

Before you rush into this recipe, I need to tell you it is a bit of a challenge.  The challenge does not come so much from technique, but unless you have a container of fish stock lying around and are adept at making fresh pasta, it takes some effort...but well worth it.  The layers of flavor, and ooooh mommy goodness are a great reward for your effort. 

Back to the wine.  I chose a 2009 Delaplane Cellars Williams Gap Virginia Red Wine.  It is a full bodied Bordeaux style blend with 40% Cab Franc, 27% Merlot, 22%, Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Petit Verdot.  And guess what, although this is a great wine, I have tasted the 2010 vintage and it gets even better!  The 2009 vintage features deep, rich and velvety flavors of dark cherry and plum along with a welcoming earthiness and a lengthy, satisfying finish.  Exactly what I was looking for to echo the earthy flavors of the mushroom sauce.

I placed my bet on Williams Gap pairing with the mushroom sauce and was rewarded with a spectacular payoff.  I highly recommend the 2009 Delaplane Cellars Williams Gap Virginia Red Wine and this recipe.  You will not be disappointed.  And if you cannot drop in to your local grocery and find crawfish, substitute shrimp.  I’m sure you will have an equally pleasing experience.

Recipes

Ravioli Dough 

Ingredients

• ½ pound Bread flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 chopped Jalapeño pepper
• 1 teaspoon green pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• Salt to taste

Crawfish-Artichoke Filling

Ingredients

• 1 pound crawfish tail meat
• 1 can artichoke hearts finely chopped
• 1 head roasted garlic
• ½ medium red bell pepper finely chopped
• 1 chopped jalapeño pepper
• 2 finely chopped shallots
• Juice from two lemons
• 3 teaspoons pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Gumbo file
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 4 finely chopped scallions

Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 pound wild mushroom medley (your choice, but I would recommend shiitake, morel, and porcini)
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 cup Fish velouté (see recipe at end)
• 1 cup clam juice
• 1/3 cup cilantro
• 1 tablespoon pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 4 ounces heavy cream
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 ounces butter
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. To make Ravioli Dough, put the flour in a mound on work surface. Make a well in center and add remaining ingredients. Working from the center out, gradually mix to make a dough. Knead well for 15 minutes and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest 1 hour.
2. To make Crawfish-Artichoke Filling, coarsely chop crawfish. Mix with remaining ingredients, cover and chill for one hour.
3. Roll out the pasta into two thin sheets of equal size. Make small mounds of the crawfish fillings, arranging them in a checkerboard pattern about 1-1/2" to 2" apart. Lay the remaining pasta over the top and press down to seal. Avoid trapping large air bubbles inside. Cut the ravioli with a pastry wheel. Cook in salted boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes. 
4. To make the Wild Mushroom Sauce, cook mushrooms with wine and base for 5 minutes. Add cilantro, Pepper Sauce and velouté and reduce for 1 minute. Add cream, butter, salt and pepper. Remove from heat. 

Fish Velouté

Ingredients

• 6 cups fish stock
• 2 Tbsp clarified butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Preparation

1. Heat the fish stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan, then lower the heat so that the stock just stays hot.
2. Meanwhile, in a separate heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the clarified butter over a medium heat until it becomes frothy. Don't let it turn brown.
3. With a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the melted butter a little bit at a time, until it is fully incorporated into the butter, giving you a pale-yellow-colored paste (roux). Heat the roux for another minute or so to cook off the taste of raw flour.
4. Using a wire whisk, slowly add the hot fish stock to the roux, whisking vigorously to make sure it is free of lumps.
5. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the total volume has reduced by about one-third, stirring frequently to make sure the sauce doesn't scorch at the bottom of the pan. Use a ladle to skim off any impurities that rise to the surface.
6. The resulting sauce should be smooth and velvety. If it's too thick, whisk in a bit more hot stock until it's just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
7. Remove the sauce from the heat. For an extra smooth consistency, carefully pour the sauce through a wire mesh strainer lined with a piece of cheesecloth.
8. Keep the velouté covered until you're ready to use it.

Makes about 1 quart of fish velouté sauce.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Barrel Tasting at Delaplane Cellars

On Saturday, 10 March, I had the pleasure of being invited to Delaplane Cellars for a barrel tasting.  The event was hosted by owner and winemaker Jim Dolphin.  The guests included a group of local wine bloggers...great idea, invite some wine writers, introduce new wines, and let us run off to say nice things.  This idea matched perfectly with my cardboard sign I use while working the intersections in DC -  “Will work for food...with a nice wine pairing...a Bordeaux blend is preferred.”  Jim came through with a grand slam on the Bordeaux blend - so I am working.

This was my first opportunity to sample wine in a barrel tasting format.  Quite honestly, I did not know what to expect.  Would the tasting foretell of wonderful things to come (but not quite ready)? How would the wine taste in comparison to bottled wine?  Along with answering these questions, I learned a great deal at this event.  My number one takeaway was that Delaplane Cellars will soon be bottling wines that not only live up to the wonderful wines that have preceded them, but are pressing forward with releases that exceed past performance.

Here are the wines we tasted:

• 2010 Delaplane (Merlot 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 33 13%, Cabernet Franc 16 ⅔%)
• 2010 Williams Gap (Cabernet Sauvignon 31%, Merlot 30%, Cabernet Franc 27%, Petit Verdot 12%)
• 2010 Springlot (Cabernet Sauvignon 29%, Cabernet Franc 40%, Merlot 17%, Petit Verdot 14%)
• 2010 Syrah
• 2010 Tannat (with a special appearance by the 2009 Tannat for comparison)
• 2011 Petit Manseng Late Harvest

Each of the Bordeaux blends (first three) were exceptional.  However, both Chef Sue and I were in unqualified agreement that the 2010 Williams Gap was the star of the show.  If Jim had offered to accept my grossly overburdened credit card, I would have pre-ordered a case on the spot.  When Delaplane Cellars releases this wine, I encourage you to race to the winery and make your purchase.  Once the word gets out, this wine will sell quickly.

I have a couple of bottles of the 2009 Williams Gap in my cellar and am quite pleased with it.  However, the resemblance between the 2009 and 2010 Williams Gap ends at the name.  In my opinion, the 2010 is a far superior wine and a real pleasure to drink.  As I was enjoying it, my mind was already wandering to food pairing.  This wine is exceptionally food friendly with deep, silky rich flavors and well balanced acidity...a food pairing dream.

Another standout of the tasting, and quite possibly an equal to the Williams Gap (althought completely different flavor profile), was the 2010 Tannat.  I recently tasted the Delaplane Cellars 2009 Tannat and found it to be a wonderful wine.  However, with tannins still running a bit strong, I decided to let it cellar for a couple years with the promise of something spectacular.  The 2010 Tannat features more restrained tannins and is drinking well now.  Like its older brother, the 2010 will likely mature nicely over the next few years - if you can resist the temptation of a wine that is drinkable today.

In addition to tasting and learning about the upcoming wines from Delaplane Cellars, I learned a good deal from my fellow wine writers.  As we were chit-chatting and getting to know each other (and our slices of the wine pie) I found that I was in good company, but held a slightly different view of wine.  Most of the attending wine writers were honest-to-god oenophiles. Their depth and breadth of knowledge regarding Virginia wines, vintages, challenges, specific vineyards, aspect, alliances, grudges, politics, climate, etc., far exceeded my own and was quite impressive.  

In complement to their devotion, understanding, and reporting on the details of the Virginia wine industry, I focus on pairing.  While I certainly enjoy and appreciate this depth of understanding, my focus is that of finding great wines to pair with great food.  Don’t get me wrong, I love wine for its solitary beauty, but my holy grail is discovering the perfect match that sums to a combination greater than its parts.  Gratefully, my fellow writers appreciated my approach to wine as much as I appreciated their impressive knowledge.  They were each exceedingly pleasant and offered to assist in my search for the best of Virginia wines.  Stand by, I will be introducing my new friends in future posts.

Toward the end of the evening, I had the pleasure of spending a few moments talking with Betsy, Jim’s partner in crime and self proclaimed kitchen honcho (she used another term, but I have enjoyed some of her work, and will not let her get away with such self-deprication).  During our brief conversation, I mentioned to Betsy my appreciation of the seriousness they apply to their wine making - one aspect of which is reflected in an elegant and understated label.  Little did I know, but this minor compliment sparked a lengthy discussion of the difficulties associated with labeling.  I will avoid all the bloody details, but I learned a great deal of the difficulty in producing a wine label that adheres to the standards of integrity at Delaplane.

In short, all of Delaplane Cellar’s wines are named and labeled with the vineyard that produced the fruit.  This stands in stark contrast to wineries that do not make clear the source, or possibly even import fruit or juice from around the country or the world while not informing the consumer.  Delaplane cellars also labels with the percentage of each varietal used in their blends...not a common feature (particularly for those who have something to hide).  I came away with a new appreciation for the difficulty (mostly regulatory) in producing a wine label with the standard of integrity at Delaplane Cellars.  I appreciate the cost and effort, and hope the regulators will mature into a reasoned approach that allows Virginia wineries to be forthright with consumers while not imposing undue burden.

Finally, I would like to thank Jim and Betsy Dolphin (and of course Jacqui!) for a wonderful evening.  It was educational, fun, and most of all, very tasty.  Thank you.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Shrimp Risotto Paired with 2010 Delaplane Cellars Indian Springs Barrel Fermented Chardonnay

The last month was a real wine inspired eye opener for me.  Not being impressed with the local (Maryland and Virginia) wines for quite some time, recent finds have changed my mind.  I am always open to revising my views based on new information, and Delaplane Cellars did just that.

Chef Sue and I recently embarked on an impromptu trip to the Shenandoah to visit the annual balloon and wine festival.  After making the trek West from DC, we found the winds to be unsuitable for balloons (steady 20 knot winds with gusts above 30 – based on my well calibrated thinning hair).  With diminishing expectations of seeing the balloons, we short stopped our trip and decided to visit a few wineries.

We were not particularly impressed with a couple of the wineries, but one was a true standout – Delaplane Cellars.  We tasted five wines and were entertained in the beautiful tasting room by Jacqui.  We enjoyed two Viogniers, a Chardonnay, a Cabernet Franc, and a blend.  We enjoyed all five wines tremendously, bought several bottles, and immediately joined the Delaplane Cellars wine club.

My clear favorites were the Viogniers – some of the best I have ever tasted.  Period.  In short order, I will be constructing a pairing with one of the Viogniers.  However, today we are featuring the 2010 Delaplane Cellars Indian Springs Barrel Fermented Chardonnay paired with Chef Sue’s Shrimp Risotto.

Shrimp risotto is a wonderfully rich and creamy dish with full flavor of the shrimp at center stage.    We are always searching for the perfect complement between food and wine, and this is a particularly wonderful example.  At first bite and sip, Chef Sue and I met eyes and nodded in approval.  The pairing was spectacular.

The 2010 Delaplane Cellars Indian Springs Barrel Fermented Chardonnay is a small batch wine (200 cases) made from whole cluster Chardonnay grapes from a single vineyard – Indian Springs.  The wine was fermented in small French oak barrels and aged for 10 months before bottling.  This wine starts with a pleasant herbaceous nose and hints of peach and melon.  Slightly off dry, the wine features flavors of ripe stone fruits, melon, grass, and subtle notes of vanilla supported by a well balanced acidity.  The creamy mouth feel is pleasantly contrasted with a lingering yet crisp finish.

If you remain in search of good wine from Virginia, look no further.  Run, don’t walk, to Delaplane Cellars to enjoy wine by a serious winemaker producing serious wines.  Now that we are wine club members, you are sure to find future pairings featuring great examples of the winemakers in Virginia can aspire to.

Recipes

Shrimp Risotto

Ingredients

• 12 extra large shrimp peeled and deveined (save the shells to make stock)
• 1 diced onion (save the skins and extra bits for stock)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 threads saffron
• 1 cup risotto
• Four cups shrimp stock (see preparation instructions)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3 ounces grated parmesan or romano cheese
• Scallions for garnish
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Peel and devein the shrimp (save the shells).
2. Place shrimp in a small bowl, add garlic, and two tablespoons of olive oil. Coat the shrimp by tossing and allow to marinade while you prepare the shrimp stock.
3. In a medium sauce pan, brown onion skins and shrimp shells in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat.
4. When the onions begin to caramelize, add 6 cups of water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, five threads of saffron, and one bay leaf. Cover and let reduce for about one hour over low heat.
5. Strain the shrimp stock, and put the liquid back on low heat and reduce by 1/3 - to approximately four cups. If you reduce too far, add enough water to make up four cups.
6. In a sauté pan, sauté shrimp for one minute on both sides after lightly coating the pan with olive oil (they will not be cooked through). Remove shrimp and set aside.
7. In the same sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil and heat. When the butter is melted, sauté the risotto, mushrooms and onion until risotto turns pearl like.
8. Deglaze with 1/2 cup white wine. Turn heat to low. From here on, you must continuously stir the risotto.
9. When the liquid (wine) is absorbed, continue to add shrimp stock 1/4 cup at a time as the liquid is absorbed. Continue this process (and continue stirring) until the risotto is a smooth consistency and is cooked through.
10. Humidity and altitude will determine the time and amount of stock necessary. At sea level, it should be about twenty minutes and between three and four cups of stock.
11. With the last addition of stock, add peas.
12. When the texture of the risotto is "right" add shrimp, cover, and take off heat. Allow to rest for five minutes.
13. After five minutes, add parmesan cheese, stir, check to see if more stock is necessary, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
14. Garnish with chopped scallions.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig