Deconstructed Maryland Crab Corn Chowder Paired with 2006 Buena Vista Carneros Ramal Vineyard Clone 17 RY Chardonnay

Today’s pairing features one of my favorite food adventures – taking a classic recipe, ripping it apart, and rebuilding it into something new and delicious while maintaining the basic backbone of the original dish.  The victim for today is a Maryland Crab Corn Chowder and is a creation of Chef Sue.  My role was simple; select the wine, make some photography, and enjoy.  Easy stuff.

Chef Sue’s idea was both simple and brilliant.  Chef Sue turned the chowder into a corn custard lovingly placed in ramekins, then topped it with butter sautéed fresh picked crab and scallions.  And of course, when you say Maryland and Crab in the same utterance, you are obligated to finish the sentence with Old Bay seasoning to add some authentic Maryland flavor.

The flavor profile for this dish is consistently sweet and buttery throughout.  With the exception of the Old Bay seasoning to add a little kick, the corn, the custard, the crab, and the scallions all feature sweetness.  The scallions add a nice depth and complexity to the flavors, and the buttery flavor shines through with the corn, crab, and custard.  With all this rich creamy goodness, the recipe limits the serving size to a single 6 ounce ramekin.  Confession:  I had two servings and have no regrets.

The 2006 Buena Vista Carneros Ramal Vineyard Clone 17 RY Chardonnay is rated at 90, 91 and 92 points by various sources and features some wonderful flavors.  From the winemaker:

True to its Carneros terroir, this Chardonnay exhibits floral aromas and a pretty nose of green apple, Asian pear, citrus rind, mineral, and hazelnut. The wine continues with flavors of peach and spiced apple and tropical flavors with a nice broad mid-palate, which leads to a long finish with a great acid/fruit balance. The 2006 Ramal Vineyard Chardonnay has complexity with its multiple clonal selections, showing bright acidity and great fruit intensity along with richness and lush texture.

My only addition to these tasting notes is the pleasant and subtle butter notes evident in the finish and wonderfully balanced with the fruit and the acidity.  This Chardonnay is a real joy, and worth every penny of the $30 price tag.

The pairing of our deconstructed Maryland crab corn chowder and the 2006 Buena Vista Carneros Ramal Vineyard Clone 17 RY Chardonnay was truly exceptional.  The nicely balanced bright fruit and acidity of the wine with the buttery finish was a perfect compliment to the buttery sweet flavors of the crab chowder.  I was particularly enamored with the butter flavors echoing among the two.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (roughly 3 ears)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon truffle salt
• 1 pound of freshly picked crab steamed with Old Bay
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 bunch finely sliced scallions
• Old Bay seasoning to taste

Preparation

1. Cook corn in boiling water until very tender. Allow to cool and cut kernels from the cob.
2. Combine corn and milk in a sauce pan and warm over medium heat.
3. Whisk eggs in a bowl and temper with heated milk-corn combination.
4. Added tempered eggs to sauce pan, add truffle salt, and continue to cook for two minutes over medium heat.
5. Pour the custard mixture evenly into four (6 oz.) ramekins.
6. Place ramekins in a casserole dish and pour water around the ramekins to just over half the height of the ramekins. Place in 375 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch.
7. Remove ramekins and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
8. While custard is cooling, heat butter in a skillet over medium heat until the nanosecond the butter begins to turn brown. Immediately remove from heat.  Don’t burn the butter.
9. Add crab and green onions and return to heat stirring constantly for about two minutes.
10. Serve custards topped with crab and season to taste with Old Bay seasoning.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Coffee and Beer Marinated Steak with Truffle Parsnips Paired with 2004 McClean Vineyards Estate Private Reserve Paso Robles Syrah

Welcome to a special Memorial Day weekend edition of Craig’s Grape Adventure.  I don’t normally post on the weekend, because my handy Google Stats tell me that most of you are enjoying a bit of escapism while at work during the week.  No worries, I won’t let your little secret out.

Grilling is a time honored tradition in the U.S. over the Memorial Day weekend.  In case you have not yet completed your menu for the weekend, this pairing may provide an interesting twist on the traditional.  Chef Sue and I tested it last night with absolutely mouth watering results.

In the interest of full disclosure and appropriate credits, this recipe comes from Whats Cookin – Food With Taste.  I highly recommend you sign up for their free newsletter that conveniently shows up in your inbox twice a week with some deliciously unique recipes.  Thanks a bunch to the folks at Whats Cookin for an endless stream of inspiration.

It goes without saying that Chef Sue and I cannot take any recipe at face value.  In this case we stayed pretty true to the Whats Cookin recipe for Coffee Steaks Under the Influence, but made a few modifications mostly out of convenience and a little intuition.  Follow the link for the original recipe.  I have parenthetically noted our modifications in the recipe at the end of the post.

The Food

I was drawn to this recipe out of idle curiosity – a coffee and beer based marinade – really?  My curiosity was rewarded with a wonderful blend of flavors.  Although the marinade and the rub include a number of ingredients, the coffee was clearly the headliner.  The coffee, toasted on the surface of the steak was a perfect addition to the steak.  It was not overwhelming and added a very pleasant nutty coffee note to each bite.  This earthiness melded perfectly with the truffle parsnips chosen to fill out the plate.

The Pairing

Normally I would discuss the wine a bit before getting to the pairing.  However, in this case I am simply too anxious to get to the heart of the matter.  The pairing was spectacular.  We have already established that the steak and parsnips feature a wonderful nutty earthiness with plenty of umami to bring smiles to the faces of even grumpy old men.  The 2004 McClean Vineyards Estate Private Reserve Paso Robles Syrah precisely complemented these flavors with deep flavors of chocolate (chocolate and coffee – YES!) plumb, and a pleasant spiciness which added a delicious peppery coating to the steak.  At $28 per bottle, this wine is well worth every penny to pair with the fruit of your grilling efforts.

The Recipe 

Coffee Steak Under the Influence

The following recipe is presented in it's original form. Chef Sue's modifications and other notes are parenthetically noted.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces heavy beer. I used Yuengling Black And Tan, but any dark preferably craft beer will work.
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Crystal Hot Sauce
• 3 boneless strip steaks (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), trimmed of fat (Chef Sue chose London Broil cut in Barney Rubble thickness - honestly, use your favorite steaks, its all good.)
• 3 tablespoons fine ground dark roast coffee
• 1 tablespoon pure chile powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Preparation

The Night Before: Mix the beer, Worcestershire sauce and Crystal Hot Sauce in a large freezer zipper lock bag. Put the steaks in the bag, seal it shut, then refrigerate overnight. (Chef Sue combined ALL the ingredients in the marinade - they all made sense in the marinade and she could not resist the temptation. Rather than marinade overnight, Chef Sue let the steaks marinade for about 4 hours.)

Grilling Day: Mix the other ingredients in a bowl. Take the steaks out of the marinade, discarding the marinade. Pat dry the steaks with paper towels, then dampen with vegetable oil. Coat the steaks with the spicy mix, patting in gently with your fingers.

Pre-heat the grill. If you’re using a propane grill, high heat is good. Grill the steaks until they have a dark crust. Two minutes on each side for medium rare (depending on thickness of steaks). Four minutes per side for medium. (As designated grill master at our secret Potomac lair affectionately known as the Crab Shack, my grilling method is slightly different. Because we used the Barney Rubble cut (think hugely thick Brontosaurus steaks), I grilled on high heat with my tried and true process of 2.5 minutes, rotate 90 degrees for another 2.5 minutes, flip for 2.5 minutes, then rotate 90 degrees for another 2.5 minutes. This process results in those oh so beautiful grill branding marks and beautifully pink medium rare steaks. The timing is completely dependent on the steak thickness which may require some minor adjustment. Use a meat thermometer and adjust your grilling time to get an internal temperature of 130 to 140 degrees F. Legal disclaimer: USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees. If grilling steak to 130 degrees is the riskiest activity in my life, I can live with that. For my palate, the more you head in the direction of well done, the greater the loss of flavor. When you remove the steak from the grill, allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing/plating. The internal temperature will continue to rise during this resting period and the juices will redistribute throughout the steak ensuring a plump juicy piece of meat.)

Truffle Parsnips

Ingredients

1. 4 medium parsnips (cleaned, pealed and cubed)
2. 3 small red potatoes (cubed)
3. 1/4 cup cream cheese
4. 2 oz. butter
5. Truffle salt to taste
6. Green onions (chopped as garnish)

Preparation

1. Boil parsnips and potatoes until fork tender.
2. Mash parsnips and potatoes in a bowl along with the cream cheese and butter.
3. Season with truffle salt to taste.
4. Plate and garnish with green onions.

Enjoy your grilling, and have a great Memorial Day weekend.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Rosemary, Thyme and Mint Crusted Leg of Lamb

Oh dear baby Jesus (thanks Ricky Bobby for that quote)!  It was a Friday in Washington DC and my wife (Chef Sue) and I took the back door out of DC and headed down to our weekend getaway on the Potomac river (affectionately known as the Crab Shack).  I met Chef Sue at the house and was greeted with a pronouncement of the menu for the evening.  I was both excited to indulge, but unprepared with wine…and therefore…oh dear baby Jesus!

Here is the menu:

• Baked elephant garlic with brie on toasted baguette
• Roasted butternut ginger soup garnished with pan fried ginger strips
• Rosemary, thyme, and mint crusted Australian boneless leg of lamb
• Garlic, truffle, and parmesan gnocchi
• Roasted cauliflower with chickpeas and onions
• Two tickets to the phat pharm.

As Chef Sue stunned me with this great news, I instantly thought this deserved a feature on the blog…but I needed the right wine.  With no good wine stores within 30 minutes of our secret Potomac lair, I quickly called Golf Buddy Steve who was on his way the Crab Shack and placed a wine order.  It was a hasty decision, but one that worked well.  Alas, you will have to wait until the next posting before my choice is revealed.

In the mean time, I encourage you to take a look at the menu, the recipes, and make your decision.  Which wine would you choose?  As a hint about my selection, the thought process was focused solely on the lamb.  Take a moment and leave a comment with your choice.

And here are the recipes:

Baked elephant garlic with brie on toasted baguette

First, admire the majesty of the elephant garlic, then cut off the pointy end, drizzle on some olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, and place in a preheated oven at 350 for about an hour or until the exposed garlic cloves turn golden brown.

Slice and lightly toast a baguette – I’m sure you can handle this without insulting but potentially comical directions.

When the garlic is done, crank the knob up to 400 and throw in (ok, gently place) a whole brie (straight from the fridge) for 15 minutes.  Spread a clove of buttery smooth garlic on your toast, add a generous dollop of brie lava flow, close your eyes, and moan seductively.  This, along with a pomegranate martini should keep you entertained through the rest of the preparations.

Roasted butternut ginger soup with pan fried ginger strips

Quarter two butternut squash and remove the seeds along with the other stringy stuff.  Once cleaned and pretty, finish cutting the squash into roughly one inch squares and place on a sheet pan.  Do the same favor for a large onion by cutting into large chunks and separating the pieces.  Now give the squash and onion some company by cutting an inch and a half piece of fresh ginger root, peal, and slice into thin strips.  With the trio mingling on the sheet pan, fulfill their last wishes by drizzling with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper.  Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

After the 45 minute sauna, add the happy veggies to 4 coups of chicken stock.  Blend, strain, and combine in a pot with two cans of coconut milk and another one inch section of thinly sliced fresh ginger.  Season to taste, heat and serve with pan fried ginger strips as a tasty garnish (one and a quarter inch section thinly sliced and fried to a medium crisp in veggie oil). 

Rosemary, thyme, and mint crusted Australian boneless leg of lamb

Head out to the back yard and slaughter a lamb.  Fresh is best.  If your butchering skills are under developed, pick up a boneless leg of lamb (which normally comes with a handy net around it) and tuck herbs into the webbing (rosemary, thyme and mint)  Alternatively, combine your herbs in a food processor with butter to make a tasty suntan oil for your lamb.  Massage the paste into the lamb with lots of love.

Place your herb happy lamb in a roasting pan and then into your 400 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes (uncovered).  Reduce heat to 350 and cook until the lamb is at a pleasant internal temp of 140 (approx 1.5 hours).  Wrap in aluminum foil and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes.

Now, the juicy good part: put the roasting pan on the stove over medium heat and deglaze with 1 cup of madeira followed shortly by one cup of water.  Stir until all the little tasty chunky parts are swimming in unison and singing a 60’s folk song.  Reduce in the same pan by 1/3 then strain into a small sauce pan and reduce again by 1/3.  Adorn your lamb with this tasty reduction when serving.  A final blessing with a dab of mint jelly completes the miracle upon plating.

Garlic, truffle, and parmesan gnocchi

Boil three potatoes and rice them (see the steamy photo below).  Make a bowl with the riced potatoes, add 1 cup of flower to the bowl, then 2 egg yolks and one complete egg (less the hard stuff).  Mix with a fork then add 1/2 cup of parmesan, salt, pepper and pinch of nutmeg.  Lightly form a ball bigger than a golf ball, but smaller than a baseball then roll into a log of one inch diameter.  Cut into 1” pieces, and repeat until you have no more gnocchi dough.  Boil water and add gnocchi - boil until they float then drain. Sauté some chef selected mushrooms and shallots in olive oil and add a touch of truffle salt to excite your adoring fans.  Add the sauté to the gnocchi, toss and cover with freshly grated cheese.

Roasted cauliflower with chickpeas and onion

Cut a whole cauliflower into 1/2 inch slices cutting from top to stem.  After a back flip and 1 and a half twists, the cauliflower should be resting on a sheet pan with a thinly sliced vidalia onion to keep company. Make it a harmonious trio by adding a can of drained garbanzo beans, coat with olive oil, cumin, salt pepper, coriander, paprika, and minced garlic.  Bake for 25 minutes at 400 or until cauliflower is smiling (crispy brown on the edges).

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig