Fresh Seafood Medley of Cod Fillet, Shrimp, And Bay Scallops in a Turmeric Basil Marinade with Mushroom Risotto and Garlic Sautéed Brussels Sprouts Paired with 2009 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Coast Wente Clone Chardonnay

Chef Sue and I were recently inspired by Anthony Bourdain (“No Reservations” on the Travel Channel) and Luke’s Lobster (see my recent post “Maine Lobster Roll from Luke’s Lobster Paired with 2008 Ledson Sonoma Coast Tres Frais Chardonnay”).  Let’s start with the Luke’s Lobster part of the inspiration.  In my post featuring a pairing of a Taste of Maine from Luke’s Lobster, I completely gushed about the simple elegance of the lobster roll, shrimp roll, and crab roll.  The application of condiments and flavors supporting the seafood was light handed and clearly designed to let the star of the show stand in the spotlight.  It was simple, and it was spectacular.

Now for the Anthony Bourdain part of the inspiration.  Chef Bourdain produced a series of episodes focusing on the history and future of El Bulli in Costa Brava Spain led by the incredible Chef Ferran Adria.  Chef Adria and his phenomenal work at the culinary Mecca of El Bulli are known for a lot of things – simplicity is not one of them.  With 50 course meals served in “The Best Restaurant in the World” at a meticulous pace and deft sequencing using Chef Adria’s research into molecular gastronomy, El Bulli is anything but simple.

In one of the episodes, Bourdain accompanies Chef Adria to his favorite coastal restaurant that features only seafood served fresh within hours of being caught.  This fresh flavors are further focused by simplicity in preparation with only minimal ingredients – olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon, and garlic.

The combined inspiration of Luke’s Lobster and Anthony Bourdain is clear; prepare seafood simply, with minimal ingredients, and let the flavor of the seafood shine.  The pairing featured in this post is Chef Sue’s interpretation of this challenge to present seafood in all it’s rich simplicity.  I have to admit that I planned to take a more literal translation of the Anthony Bourdain experience and limit myself to the seafood, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon, and garlic.  Alas, it was the weekend, and it was Chef Sue’s cooking therapy time.  Check back soon to see my interpretation as our friendly kitchen competition rages on.

Although Chef Sue took a bit bolder approach than I had conceived, I am oh so happy she did.  This was a wonderfully balanced dish with layer upon layer of complimentary and contrasting flavors.  The umami filled mushroom risotto is the foundation layer.  Add to that the pleasant bitter flavors of the garlic sautéed Brussels sprouts, and finally the pinnacle of this pyramid; sweet shrimp and scallops marinated in olive oil, garlic, fresh squeezed lemon, ground turmeric, diced tomato, and finely chopped basil – surrounding a beautiful cod fillet broiled under a generous coating of the marinade.  In other words, we have a solid umami foundation, very mild bitterness from the Brussels sprouts and garlic to contrast with the delicate sweetness of the seafood, all balanced with the acid from lemon juice and tomatoes.  Simply brilliant.  As a side note, Chef Sue applied a deft hand with the addition of the turmeric to the marinade.  This addition was intended to add color rather than flavor.  She accomplished this with alacrity – great color, and only the slightest hint of added flavor.

For the pairing, I selected a 2009 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Coast Wente Clone Chardonnay from the dangerously low selection of white wines in the Corl wine vault (I will work on remedying this soon – subtle hint to the wine makers – send me something, I will work with it!).  Here are the tasting notes from Benziger:

“The southern end of Sonoma produces wines with crisp acidity and fresh citrus flavors. On the palate, the wine is supple and long, with a touch of oak and butterscotch cookie in the finish. Enjoy with fried calamari, scallops in a light curry sauce, crab cakes, filet of sole with almonds, or turkey Panini.”

Our experience with the wine confirmed the bright citrus and crisp acidity which formed a perfect balance with the seafood.  Both Chef Sue and I translated the “butterscotch cookie” as more of a buttery flavor (probably a subtle distinction) which gave the sensation of pouring a perfect portion of clarified butter over the seafood – a natural combination.  The oak was subtle, pleasant, and did not detract from the wonderful layers of flavor mutually enhanced by the food and the wine.  In summary, the Benziger Chardonnay was a perfectly balanced compliment in all respects and achieved the “better than the sum of the parts” result we relentlessly pursue.  At $29, the 2009 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Coast Wente Clone Chardonnay is a good value and can be ordered online at http://www.benziger.com/2009_wentechard.

Remember to check back soon to see my interpretation of simplicity applied to a seafood medley of cod fillet, shrimp, and bay scallops.  I’m pretty sure this will be another Chardonnay pairing with a focus on buttery flavors.  If you have a wine you would like to suggest for this pairing, let me know.

Recipes

Garlic Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

You don’t need me to tell you how to do this.  Clean some garden fresh Brussels sprouts, halve them, and sauté with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients

• 1 lb assorted fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 cup Arborio rice
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 ounce fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1 ounce fresh grated Romano cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Sautee mushrooms and garlic in the olive oil and butter for two to three minutes.
2. Add rice. Stir until center of rice looks like a pearl - translucent white
3. Add chicken stock 1/4 cup at a time. Continue to add as the liquid evaporates
4. Continue adding stock and stirring until rice is tender - you may not use all of the chicken stock.
5. When rice is tender, stir in grated cheese.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Garnish with chives.

Marinated Broiled Cod Fillet, Shrimp and Bay Scallops

Ingredients

• One pound (mas o menos) cod filet
• 1/2 pound fresh shrimp with heads on - cleaned
• 1/2 pound fresh bay scallops
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Juice from 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon for marinade and other half for cod fillet.
• 1 large tomato diced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Combine olive oil, basil, turmeric, and diced tomato in a bowl for marinating the shrimp and scallops
2. Add shrimp and scallops to the marinade and toss to coat well
3. Cover your broiling pan with tin foil with a few holes poked in it
4. Broil cod and scallops first - 2 inches from broiler, covered with marinade and lemon juice
5. After five minutes, add the shrimp and broil for another four minutes.

In vino veritas, buen provecho

Craig

Curried Pumpkin Risotto with Chicken and Peas Paired with 2008 Cuvée De Peña Viognier

Photo Buddy John (John Andrew Downey II Photography) was in town this week so of course we decided to have some fun with a wine pairing.  And with John in the house, we had a guest photographer for this pairing.  While it is always fun to cook, pair, photograph, eat, and drink, it is a much easier endeavor when I can cook while John shoots.  This pairing presented a couple of interesting surprises, but not to worry, gastronomic joy was experienced by all.

The Food

I love curry.  If you take a minute to look through some of my past posts, you will find a bunch of pairings and recipes featuring curry – curried duck, roti, curried chicken, curried butternut squash soup and on, and on.  I offer no apologies – I love curry.  Throw in some coconut milk with all that curried goodness, and I get emotional.

Pumpkin risotto is a bold dish that combines sweet earthy flavors with rich, creamy textures and a coconut enhanced spicy lingering on the palate at the end of each bite. The pumpkin adds a heft to each morsel that takes this from being just another rice dish to becoming marque worthy.

This dish is another example of the curry smile that appears on my face when the sweet aromas begin to fill the house.  In addition to the holy marriage of curry and coconut milk, pumpkin (like butternut squash) introduces another flavor that marches comfortably in unison with the precision of a military parade.

The first surprise from this recipe was the way in which each component stood out as a distinct flavor.  Often, many components become lost in the combination like an oboe lost in an orchestra.  Clearly, the dominance of the curry was a feature flavor, but the cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, chicken, pork belly, parmesan cheese, cilantro and coconut each had their moment in the spotlight.

This was my first attempt at risotto.  The risotto played the perfect role as the foundation on which all the luxurious flavors were built.  However, I have to admit that while certainly enjoyable, the risotto was slightly on the al dente side.  Live and learn.

The Wine

The wine for this meal came from my monthly purchase of a mixed case from Schneider’s of Capitol Hill.  Honestly, the pair was inspired by the wine.  I had the wine in the rack, and said “what would work will with this bottle of 2008 Cuvée De Peña Viognier?”

With a light sweetness and flavors of citrus and mango, I hoped this Viognier would stand up to the bold flavors of the curried pumpkin.  I will talk about the pairing in a moment, but on it’s own, the 2008 Cuvée De Peña Viognier was very pleasant and enjoyable.  At $10 – $12, this wine is a reasonable value and an easy drinking wine.

The Pairing

And now on to the second surprise – the pairing was not as successful as I had hoped.  Although we (Photography Buddy John, Chef Sue and I) all enjoyed the wine, it did not stand up to the intense flavors of the curried pumpkin dish.  The wine seemed to lose all flavor in the face of such a daunting opponent.  These strong flavors demand a wine that is equally bold in either sweetness, HUGE fruit, acidity or a combination of these three.  Of these components, high acidity is most important – fight power with power!  If I were to do it again (which I will!) I would look to a big fruit and high acidity Sauvignon Blanc.  As a side note, be careful of high alcohol wines which cause problems with the big spice of a curried dish such as this.

Final Words

This dish is a delightfully indulgent trip into big flavor.  I highly recommend it, and will be back for a better pairing soon.  Be careful and bold in your selection of wine with this recipe.  Finally, I can’t promise I will lay off the curry, but will do my best to offer you some new and exciting options in the near future.  With crabs now in season, I see some seafood in our future as well as a culinary trip to Venezuela.  Stand by for a few of my favorites.

The Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb cubed chicken breasts
• 6 oz smoked pork belly (cubed to 1/2 inch) - alternatively use country bacon, or just plain bacon - it's all bacon and oh so good.
• 6 oz. butter
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 quart of chicken stock
• 1 cup of water
• ¼ cup sherry
• 1 finely chopped shallot
• 15 oz. canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling – just plain puree)
• 1 1/2 cups risotto rice
• 1 bag of frozen peas
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated fine
• 2/3 can coconut milk
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh cilantro (garnish)

Preparation

1. In a sauté pan over a medium-low flame, render smoked pork belly until firm. About mid way through the rendering, add the cayenne pepper and season with salt. Increase the heat to medium, add the curry, and turmeric, and sauté the chicken with the pork belly and pepper mixture, until browned on all sides. Set aside.
2. Pour the chicken stock and one cup of water into a pot and bring to a simmer.
3. Whisk 10 oz. of your 15 oz can of pumpkin puree into the warm stock.
4. When you are ready to make the risotto, place a medium size pan over a medium heat. Add two ounces of butter.
5. Once the butter melts, add the shallots, a pinch of salt and allow the shallots to sweat.
   When the shallots have sweated and begun to turn translucent, add the rice and stir.
6. Increase heat to medium and continue to stir vigorously for two minutes but don't let the rice take on color or brown.
7. Add the sherry and stir it into the rice until it cooks off.
8. Return the flame to medium-low and add the last half (6 oz.) of pumpkin puree and the cinnamon. 
9. Stir to combine completely and add your first ladle full of stock. As the stock reduces and the mixture turns creamy, continue to add stock (one ladle at a time - about 12 minutes to incorporate) continuing to stir for a total of 18 minutes. I recommend you have a glass of wine at the ready - this is tedious.
10. At 18 minutes, add the peas, chicken, bacon, coconut milk, and 1/2 of the cheese, and stir in completely and taste on the minute until the rice is done. There are lots of variables here, so you have to use your judgment on when you feel the rice is done.
11. Season with salt to taste and plate with cilantro garnish and cheese.