Pan-Seared Cod Creamy Fennel Ragoût with Black Bean, Jícama, and Grilled Corn Salad Paired with 2008 Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay

In the very early days of this blog I posted a wine pairing featuring Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay - Butternut Squash and Chorizo Empanadas with Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay.  The pairing was spectacular, but I did not give the Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay my full endorsement when I wrote that the wine was wonderful but overpriced.  I decided to give it another chance, forked over another $40, and started the meal with an open mind.

While suffering through the heat wave that has its grip on the East Coast of the U.S., actually most of the U.S., Chef Sue and I began thinking of dinner and our desire for something light and fresh.  We quickly settled on one of our favorites as the centerpiece – cod.  Through some convoluted logic trail that I am unable to explain, fennel came to be named as a key ingredient as well.  Chef Sue quickly set about to find ideas.  Moments later she came across a recipe for pan-seared cod and creamy fennel ragoût at Epicurious.com.  Normally, this is just the starting point, but Chef Sue was satisfied with the recipe, and there you have it.

As a composition, the pan-seared cod and creamy fennel ragoût was subtle, buttery, creamy, flakey goodness.  The fennel was sweet and delicate and added just the slightest hint of licorice.  If you are not a licorice fan, no worries – you have to concentrate hard to pick up the flavor.  Fresh Florence fennel is quite sweet and subtle, and has little relationship to the much stronger flavor of fennel seeds.

Along with the pan-seared cod and creamy fennel ragoût, Chef Sue prepared a black bean, jícama, and grilled corn salad (this recipe also came from Epicurious.com).  This was a wonderful addition to the meal.  Unlike the internally complimentary flavors of the pan-seared cod, the salad was an exercise in well balanced contrast.  The black bean, jícama, and grilled corn salad was fresh, bright, and a wonderful textural contrast to the cod.

Now we come full circle to the 2008 Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Chardonnay.  First, here are the tasting notes from the winemaker:

“Our 2008 Napa Valley Chardonnay seduces right off the bat with brilliantly fresh, complex aromas of lemon-lime, scented pear, ripe yellow apple, honeydew melon and mineral. On the sleek, vibrant palate, rich, concentrated, ripe apple and pear flavors dominate, with refreshing citrus and mineral tones emerging in the wine’s wonderfully long, crisp, finish. Deliciously fresh and delectable now, this youthful Chardonnay will blossom and gain further richness and complexity with another 6-8 months in the bottle and will drink beautifully for 3 to 5 years.”

The only thing I would add is that I tasted subtle notes of vanilla, and was pleased with the acidity making this a wonderful wine for food pairing.  I was hoping to recant my prior assessment of this wine and suggest it was a good value.  While a wonderful wine, I still believe it is a bit pricey at $40.  Having said this, the pairing was exceptional.  The intense and bright fruit flavors are perfect compliments to the fresh flavors of the black bean, jícama, and grilled corn salad.  And like the salad, the Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay was a very pleasing contrast to the creamy, subtle flavors of the pan-seared cod.  This is a pairing well worth your time, effort, and $40 for the Chardonnay.

We were fortunate to share this wonderful meal with our neighbors Aaron and Lena.  We topped the night with a made from scratch banana cream pie while keeping one eye on Cadel Evans capturing the Yellow Jersey in the final time-trial of the Tour de France – leading to the first ever Tour de France win for an Australian – good on ya mate.  The banana cream pie was spectacular, but deserves our full attention in another post.  We will return to this piece of heaven soon.

Recipes

Pan-Seared Cod with Creamy Fennel Ragoût

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 fennel bulbs (sometimes called anise; 2 pounds), stalks discarded and bulbs cut lengthwise into 1-inch wedges
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (14 fluid ounces)
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped drained sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 (7-ounce) pieces cod, scrod, or halibut fillet (about 1 inch thick)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Garnish: fennel fronds

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil to fat in skillet, then cook fennel with salt and pepper over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Add broth, cream, tomatoes, and garlic to fennel and cook, partially covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until fennel is tender and cream is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
5. While fennel cooks, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
6. Season fillets with salt and pepper, then sauté 4 minutes. Turn over and sauté until just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.
7. Stir mustard and bacon into fennel ragout and season with salt and pepper. Serve cod over fennel ragout.

Black Bean, Jícama, and Grilled Corn Salad

Ingredients

• 2 large ears of corn, husked
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 cup 1/3-inch dice peeled jicama
• 1/2 cup 1/3-inch dice peeled carrots
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 1/2 teaspoons grated lime peel
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Preparation

1. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
2. Brush corn with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Grill corn until tender and brown in spots, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes.
3. Cool slightly. Cut off corn kernels; place in large bowl.
4. Add black beans, jicama, carrots, green onions, cilantro, and basil.
5. Whisk lime juice, orange juice, lime peel, cumin, and remaining 4 tablespoons oil in small bowl.
6. Mix dressing into bean salad. Season generously with salt and pepper.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Deconstructed Crab Cake Sandwich and Suggested Wine Pairing

The crabs are in!  Last weekend was spent on the water in Southern Maryland and I am happy to report we (by we, I mean Chef Sue) caught crabs!  Last year was a dismal year for crabs, but this year is already shaping up to be a banner year.  With fresh catch in hand, I decided it was time to do something interesting with my little crustacean friends.

My inspiration for this recipe comes from my true amazement of the chefs I watch on television who take a common dish, deconstruct it, and build something new, refreshing, and creative.  For this recipe I started with the idea of a crab cake sandwich.  A crab cake sandwich is comprised of a bun, a crab cake, a slice of tomato, some lettuce, and tartar sauce.  My approach was to use garlic bread instead of the bun.  The tomato and lettuce says salad to me, so the crab cakes lie on a bed of salad, and I took artistic license and converted the tartar sauce to dressing for the salad.  The crab cakes remain unmodified with the exception of size and form – I decided to go with slider size crab cakes as a better proportion for their bed of salad.

I did not make my traditional wine pairing with this recipe, but rather just grabbed a bottle off the shelf.  I would recommend either a Chardonnay, refreshing Pino Grigio, or Viognier with this recipe.  The dressing already has plenty of acid, so the acidity of the wine is not a concern – the dish is pretty well balanced.  Due to time constraints I did not have the opportunity to photograph this dish.  I’m sure I will be preparing it again and promise to do some shooting and share with you.  In the mean time, some pre-crab cake subjects will have to do.

Recipe

Salad Ingredients

• 1 bunch fresh spinach (remove stems)
• 1 avocado diced
• 1 medium red onion diced
• 2 ears fresh sweet corn (buttered, seasoned, and grilled under the broiler or on the grill - until you get some color on the kernals). Once slightly charred, cut kernals from the cob.
• 1 pink grapefruit (skinned, yes even the inside membrane - cut into wedges then halve)
• Finely minced Parsley for garnish

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Easy as making salad.
2. Because I used fresh spinach, a thorough wash was necessary followed by patting dry. Too much water and your salad won't be any fun. You could also substitute the fresh spinach with a half bag of baby spinach leaves.
3. Toss the salad ingredients.
4. Whisk the dressing ingredients and drizzle over the salad when plating.

Crab Cake

Ingredients

• 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 bunch of finely diced green onions
• 1/2 of a small onion - diced
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 to two cups bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons of butter

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
2. Add Old Bay seasoning, cayenne and add fresh ground pepper to taste and stir until mixture is well blended.
3. Add the green onions, diced onion, parsley and mayonnaise.
4. Role up your sleeves and use your hands to gently fold in the crab meat and breadcrumbs. This is a critical part of the operation with respect to the quantity of breadcrumbs. First, if you have some stale bread hanging around the kitchen, use it. The point is to avoid using pre-seasoned bread crumbs that might add unexpected flavors. The quantity is also important. You need to add enough bread crumbs to absorb much of the liquid leaving you with something that is easily formed into patties before heading to the skillet. On the other hand, you want to use as few bread crumbs as possible - the crab is the star, and breadcrumbs can dilute all that crabby goodness.
5. Divide the crab meat into golfball size balls - I used an ice cream scoop. The idea is to make something like crab sliders rather than full patties.
6. If you have enough time, it is best to cover with plastic and refrigerate for about an hour before cooking.
7. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and adjust heat to medium low. Sauté crab balls about 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. The heat is important. The idea is to keep it low enough to cook all the way through without overcooking the outside.  I listed 4 tablespoons of butter in the ingredients because due to the size of my skillet, I had to make two runs to sauté all the crab – in other words, 2 tablespoons for the first batch and then another 2 for the second batch.
8. While sautéing the crab balls, have your assistant prepare some garlic bread. I did this by cutting a baguette in half, lathering with butter and minced galic, then putting it under the broiler until toasted (thanks Chef Sue!).
9. Plate and dress the salad. Artistically place three crab balls on the salad and enjoy.