Lobster Ravioli with Truffle Mushroom Cream Sauce Paired with 2009 Piedmont Vineyards Special Reserve Virginia Chardonnay

I recently spent the better part of a week in Boston.  Although I was there for business, I was eating my way through Beantown at every opportunity.  I was particularly fortunate to be staying at the Mariner’s Inn in the North End - an Italian neighborhood with dozens of wonderful Italian restaurants.  While walking down Hanover Street grazing through menu after menu of mouth watering delights, I felt I was in Italy – there were equal amounts Italian and English conversations as I strolled along.

Here are just a few of my indulgences while in Boston:

• Wellfleet Oysters at Union Oyster House
• New England clam chowder from Boston Chowda
• More Wellfleet Oysters at The Met Back Bay
• Osso bucco at Mama Marias
• Seafood fra diavolo at Strega
• Veal Marsala at Artu Rosticceria &Trattoria
• Lobster ravioli in a white wine truffle cream sauce at Florentine Café
• Oh, and a couple of cigars at Stanza Dei Sigari

My last meal in Boston was the lobster ravioli from the Florentine Café.  Soon after the meal, I was on the phone with Chef Sue to tell her I just had the best lobster ravioli of my life.  I mentioned that I was inspired and planned to attempt a recreation of the dish.  While my intentions were good and pure, I was stopped short by Chef Sue when she said “I will handle this.”  Chef sue is working hard these days – meaning she needed a day of therapy cooking.  I did not put up a fight.

With only a couple days separation from my wonderful experience at Florentine Café, the memory of flavors still lingered closely.  I tasted Chef Sue’s version and was amazed at how close she matched it – without the benefit of sampling the meal I had enjoyed just three days earlier!  Maybe we can credit my precise and detailed description…or maybe we can just call Chef Sue a kitchen magician.  The only difference I could detect was the slight acidity and fruit added by the wine used in the Florentine Café version.  Chef Sue decided to forego the wine component.

The principle flavors of this dish come from the sweet lobster, and creamy, earthy truffle components of the sauce.  Within the dish, the flavors are very well balanced, allowing each component to bask in the limelight without competing for attention.  Beautiful.

My pairing choice was the 2009 Piedmont Vineyards Special Reserve Virginia Chardonnay.  This wine is a full bodied Chardonnay featuring pronounced butter and healthy oak flavors with a lengthy, and satisfying finish.  This is not a shy wine – it grabs your attention and demands you take another sip to ensure there are no misunderstandings.  For some foods, this wine may not be the best choice given the prominent role of the French Oak.  However, it worked splendidly with the truffle, cream, and sweet lobster flavors of our dish.  The moderate acidity and full body formed a nice balance with our meal.  As we finished, both Chef Sue and I commented that this wine would be spectacular with smoked chicken or smoked fish.

Recipes

Pasta Dough

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups semolina flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 6 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

1. Add flower to the bowl of your electric mixer (with dough hook)
2. Start the mixer to medium speed and add eggs one at a time.
3. Add olive oil and salt.
4. Let the mixer do it's thing until the dough is smooth, firm and dry. You can adjust the texture with water or the addition of flour.
5. Remove the dough from the mixer, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let sit for an hour.

Lobster Ravioli

Ingredients

• 1 lobster (2 to 3 pounds)
• 1 pint half and half
• 1 pound sliced baby portabella mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons white truffle oil
• 1 pound pasta dough
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

1. Steam lobster. To steam live lobster, pour about two inches of water in a large pot, add 1 tablespoon of salt for each quart of water (sea salt is best). If you have a steaming rack, use it. Bring the water to a rolling boil and add lobster - head first. Cover and return to a boil as quickly as possible and start counting the time. Here are recommended cooking times:
   • 1-1/4 lbs. 7-8 minutes
   • 1-1/2 lb. 8-10 minutes
   • 2 lbs. 11-12 minutes
   • 2-1/2-3 lb. 12-14 minutes
   • 5 lb. 20-22 minutes

Lobsters are done when the outer shell is bright red and when the meat is white, not opaque. DO NOT overcook your lobsters. Your lobsters will continue to cook a little after you take them out of the pot. To stop the cooking process, place your steamed lobsters in a bowl of ice before cracking. 

1. Reserve one cup of the steaming liquid for use in the sauce.
2. Remove claw and tail meat and cut to bite size pieces. Reserve half of the meat and set aside.  Dice the remaining half, mix with ricotta cheese, and season to taste.
3. Roll out pasta dough and make ravioli from tablespoon of lobster mixture. Cook ravioli for two minutes just before serving.
4. Sauce. Add 1 cup liquid reserved from steaming the lobster to a sauce pan with 1/2 of the sliced mushrooms to the pan. Cook over medium heat for about ten minutes.
5. Add mushrooms and liquid to a blender with 1/2 of the half and half. Blend until smooth. Return to the sauce pan and add remaining half and half, and mushrooms. Simmer, reducing by 1/3.
6. Add truffle oil and reserved lobster meat. Season to taste, and simmer until lobster is warmed through.
7. While simmering sauce, boil ravioli for two minutes, drain and pour sauce mixture over the ravioli when serving.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Frog Legs a la Poulette with Truffle Parsnips and Honey Dew Melon Gazpacho Paired Five French Wines (yes, five!)

During a recent visit to my all time favorite butcher, Nick’s of Calvert in Prince Frederick Maryland, Chef Sue drew my attention to a before unnoticed section of the store featuring some off-the-beaten-path delicacies.  I am constantly in search of opportunities to expand my culinary repertoire and quickly became excited about the possibilities.  I will gradually work my way through the entire display case, but decided to start with frog legs.

Knowing little more than frog legs are naturally attached to frogs, I began my research.  As I scoured the internet to learn about frog legs and their preparation, I found that from a culinary perspective, frog legs have their roots in France.  With this tidbit in hand, I decided to proceed with a French preparation and promptly settled on frog legs a la poulette.  As is my routine, I collected a number of recipes, analyzed them, selected the best aspects of each (in my opinion) and cobbled together the recipe you will find at the end of this post.  The frog legs were accompanied by a honey dew melon gazpacho starter (an original of mine) and truffle parsnips thanks to Chef Sue.



The honey dew melon gazpacho started the night off with brilliant freshness amplified by the mint and cilantro in the recipe.  The mint and cilantro components are contrasting flavors that wonderfully focused the bright sweetness of the honey dew melon.  As we enjoyed this palate cleansing treat, Chef Sue offered her praise but suggested that it could be improved by reserving some portions of the melon, peach, and tomato, chopping them and adding back to the puree for a more complex texture.  I agree completely with Chef Sue and plan on making this adjustment.  I thoroughly enjoyed the gazpacho and am certain I will be preparing it again soon with this improvement.  If you decide to make the gazpacho, I would recommend reserving 1/3 of the tomato and peach along with 1/4 of the melon.  Chop these to about 1/4 inch cubes and add back to the mixture after blending.

While the frog legs were pleasant, they tasted like, um, chicken.  I was expecting (and hoping for) a touch of gamey flavor, but alas, the cliché proved true – frog legs taste like chicken.  Chef Sue did not completely agree with me on this assessment and noted a gamey flavor.  C'est la vie.  Although the meat was not deserving of a “must have” endorsement, the sauce in the a la poulette preparation is a medal winner.  It was rich, full of mushroom induced earthiness, and a wonderful flavor profile that made our wines sing with joy.

The truffle parsnips were a glorious accompaniment to the poulette sauce.  The creamy earthiness of this dish was a beautiful compliment to the poulette sauce with extremely well balanced flavors distant echoes between the truffle and mushrooms, and a nice textural contrast to the frog legs.  The earthiness also became an enjoyable complement to the minerality in each of the wines.



As for the wines, things get complicated.  I selected the 2005 Chateau de Citeaux Bourgogne Chardonnay and new that friends Aaron and Lena were bringing a bottle (2007 Cahteau de Rully Primier Cru Rodet).  So far, so good.  The world began to spin out of control when Richter and Meredith showed up with three bottles disguised in paper and bows with the challenge of identifying the grapes.  This made for great fun and a couple of surprises I will get to momentarily.  Here is the full list of the wines we enjoyed:

• 2005 Chateau de Citeaux Bourgogne Chardonnay
  
• 2007 Cahteau de Rully Primier Cru Rodet Bourgogne
  
• 2008 Christophe Camu Chablis
  
• 2008 Savigny Les Beaune Premier Cru Les Peuillets Bourgogne
  
• 2009 Gonnet Gigondas Rhone

Without divulging the contents of the disguised Chablis, Meredith offered a helpful piece of information by stating this wine was the one in the group with bright acidity.  With this knowledge, we paired the 2008 Christophe Camu Chablis with the honey dew melon gazpacho which turned out to be a perfect pair in balance between acidity and sweetness of the gazpacho.  The acidity also did a fine job of penetrating the creaminess of the other items on the menu, but showed its true colors in the gazpacho pairing.  To get a sense of this wine, think of a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, back off the sweetness a notch, and add minerals.  A very pleasant and versatile pairing wine.



The three burgundies were similar in flavor profile with subdued melon, peach, butter, and citrus accompanying instantly notable minerality.  With the exception of the 2005 Chateau de Citeaux Bourgogne Chardonnay, all presented a well balanced and moderately bright acidity.  The 2005 Chateau de Citeaux Bourgogne Chardonnay stood out with a well integrated and creamy mouth feel.  Another standout performance was the pleasant buttery flavors from the 2007 Cahteau de Rully Primier Cru Rodet Bourgogne which made for a heavenly match with the poulette sauce and the truffle parsnips.



The undisputed surprise of the night was the 2009 Gonnet Gigondas Rhone.  This wine stood out for two reasons.  First, it was the only red wine in the crowd of Chardonnays.  Second, while all the wines worked wonderfully, the 2009 Gonnet Gigondas Rhone was clearly the best pairing across all three recipes.  The 2009 Gonnet Gigondas Rhone is a medium bodied wine with rich flavors of red and dark berries supported by noteworthy minerality and subtle tannins.  I would not have independently selected this wine, but I am extremely pleased the professionals at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill recommended this wine to Richter and Meredith.  It was one of those great surprises that come along on occasion and result in a mind bending awesome parings.



I cannot pour enough accolades over the great folks at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill.  They assisted all of our dinner party with recommended wines for the pairing.  On top of that, they offered Richter and Meredith three different approaches to the pairing – the acidity and minerality of the Chablis, the well balanced and buttery 2008 Savigny Les Beaune Premier Cru Les Peuillets Bourgogne, and the winner for the night, the 2009 Gonnet Gigondas Rhone.



With five wines, blind tasting, great food, and great friends, this was an extraordinary evening.




Recipes

Honey Dew Melon Gazpacho


Ingredients

• Flesh from 1/2 honey dew melon
  
• 1 peach, peeled and diced
  
• 1 tomato, diced
  
• 1 tablespoon honey
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. After extracting the flesh of the melon, cut in to pieces or cubes about 1 inch large.
   
2. Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth.
   
3. Taste and adjust sweetness with honey.
   
4. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Truffle Parsnips


Ingredients

• 4 medium parsnips (cleaned, pealed and cubed)
  
• 3 small red potatoes (cubed)
  
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
  
• 2 oz. butter
  
• Truffle salt or truffle oil to taste
  
• 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 or truffle oil to taste.  If you decide to go with the truffle oil, you will want to season with salt.
   
4. Plate and garnish with green onions.

Frog Legs a la Poulette

Ingredients

• 1 dozen frog legs
  
• 2 wine glasses white wine (one for you, and one for the frogs)
  
• 2 cups diced mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
  
• 2 tablespoons flour
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 1 tablespoons sugar
  
• 1/2 small onion diced
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  
• 1 cup chicken stock
  
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
  
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
  
• Season to taste with salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Wash the frog legs and pat dry.
   
2. Sauté onions and frog legs in a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter over medium high heat until onions are translucent.
   
3. Season with salt and add a glass of wine and mushrooms. Simmer for 5 minutes.
   
4. Add remaining butter, sugar, flour, and paprika. Cook for 5 minutes.
   
5. Add chicken stock, lemon juice and cream.
   
6. Bring to a boil then add the parsley.
   
7. Reduce heat to medium and thicken with egg yolks, remove from heat and serve.

In vino veritas, buen provecho

Craig

Grilled Flank Steak Marinated in Balsamic Vinegar with Fresh Garden Vegetables on Garlic and Truffle Focaccia Paired with 2007 Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Notwithstanding golf obsession, summer is all about grilling and locally grown fresh produce.  If you are looking to add some variety to your summer grilling adventures, you have come to the right place.  This creation of Chef Sue’s is sure to be a winner with the anxious onlookers standing around your grill.  Chef Sue’s tasty combination of focaccia, fresh vegetables and marinated flank stake have a wonderful depth of flavor and freshness that will gain the envy of your grilling mates.

While this recipe is quite easy, the depth of flavor from each of component stands out brilliantly.  First, we have to start with the marinated flank steak.  The balsamic vinegar adds some nice acidity and the first of many flavor layers (note; balsamic vinegar can be treacherous territory with respect to wine pairing – fortunately no problems here) .  Next, the fresh vegetables (grape tomatoes from Chef Sue’s garden, and onions and zucchini from the local farm stand) add wonderful summer freshness.  The combination of gorgonzola and mozzarella cheese add, eh, cheesy goodness.  Finally, the addition of truffle oil ties all the flavors together with a wonderful earthy bass note.  All these wonderful flavors are supported by a beautifully puffy and equally tasty garlic truffle focaccia.

With respect to the wine pairing, this dish offers a number of possibilities.  Certainly a Chardonnay would blend well with the truffle, garlic, and vegetable combination.  We decided to focus the pairing on the flank steak and went with the 2007 Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  We were delighted.  The inviting deep ruby color and rich aromatics of cassis, roasted espresso bean and dark ripe plum follow through with flavors of blackberry, and hints of minerality that linger.  While not an ideal flavor construction for the “fresh vegetable” aspect of the food, it danced beautifully with the flank steak and produced an overall effect that accentuated the flavors of both the food and wine.  We will likely give this paring a another go with a Chardonnay or a light bodied Pinot Noir– just because we can.  And other than the flank steak marinade and the focaccia starter, this meal takes very little forethought.

Recipes

Balsamic Marinated Grilled Flank Steak

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds flank steak
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves fresh minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

Preparation

1. Marinate flank steak with all ingredients for at least 4 hours.
2. Grill steak to medium rare - about 6 minutes per side. This may very depending on the temperature of your grill.

Focaccia Starter

Ingredients

• 1 package dry yeast
• 1 cup of warm water
• 3 tablespoons flour

Preparation

1. Combine ingredients and let set for at least 4 hours. If you have more time, that is better. You can let the starter set for up to two days.

Focaccia

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• Focaccia starter
• 1 package dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 - 1 cup of water (depending on humidity - higher humidity = less water)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons truffle oil
• 1 sliced zucchini
• 1 sliced onion
• 12 grape tomatoes sliced in half
• 3/4 cup gorgonzola cheese
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Preparation

1. Combine flour, yeast, herbs, salt, starter and 1/2 cup of water. Mix and continue to add up to an additional 1/2 cup of water or until the dough becomes sticky - whichever comes first.
2. Let rest for one hour.
3. Dust preparation surface with flour and kneed dough for 5 minutes.
4. Cover with towel and let rest for one to three hours.
5. Preheat oven to 500 degrees (with pizza stone in the oven)
6. Stretch dough and place on a pizza stone and brush with truffle oil
7. Add zucchini, grape tomatoes, onion, and cheeses.
8. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Cut the focaccia to desired serving sizes then top with thinly sliced flank steak, fresh off the grill, being sure to cut across the grain.
10. Just for fun, drizzle a bit more truffle oil over the top of your creation, the aromas will draw everyone to the table.

With the 2 1/2 pound flank steak Chef Sue grilled, we were left with ample leftovers.  I have a great recommendation for this tasty hunk-o-meat.  See my post on “Open Faced Steak Sandwich Topped with Sautéed Celery Root and Leeks Paired with 2006 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma County Merlot.”

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Recipe for Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

Last week I reported on the latest gathering of our little DC area wine tasting group (see Truffle Macaroni and Cheese Paired with 2008 Pahlmeyer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay).  As I described, the clear star of the show (not that it is a competition…that anyone will admit) was Kelvin and Leya’s Truffle Macaroni and Cheese Paired with 2008 Pahlmeyer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.  The food, the wine, and the pairing were absolutely amazing – a true grand slam unaided by steroids!

Kelvin and Leya were kind enough to share the recipe.  I have not yet prepared this heavenly version of mac and cheese, but hope to do so soon.  In the mean time, give it a go and let me know what you think.  I am sure you will be pleased (ok, roll your eyes back in your head while moaning aloud kinda pleased).  Thanks Kelvin and Leya!

The Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound box of penne pasta
• 1/2 bar unsalted butter
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese shredded
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
• 1 cup Sottocenere with Truffle Cheese
• 4 tablespoons Savitar White Truffle Oil
• 1//2 cup Savitar Truffle Peelings
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot, and add pasta
2. When soft, strain pasta and place in a large bowl
3. Add butter, mix in then set aside
4. Add eggs and milk to a separate bowl
5. Beat egg and milk mixture with whisk
6. Pour mixture into large bowl with macaroni and mix gently with spatula
7. Add all cheese, oil and truffles
8. Season with salt, seasoned salt and pepper
9. Fold together with spatula
10. Check consistency and add more milk if too stiff
11. Sprinkle a little cheese on the bottom of a casserole dish
12. Spoon pasta and cheese mixture into dish
13. Smooth over with spatula
14. Sprinkle all remaining cheese on top
15. Place in oven for 35 minutes at 350 degrees (or until done)

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Truffle Macaroni and Cheese Paired with 2008 Pahlmeyer Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

Sorry friends, I have no photography for this post (other than the token photo above).  Thankfully I have good reason for this lapse, and I have a bit of compensation for you; a multiple pairing discussion.  All this is a result of last night’s monthly gathering of friends (which actually happens about every second or third month) for a wine tasting.

So here is a little history.  This group started several years ago with a very simple structure.  Each couple brings a white and a red wine, and an hors d’oeuvre.  The host, which rotates among the group, is always at liberty to add further instructions such as “only Washington State wines,” or “only Old World wines.”  Over the last few gatherings we have imposed a new standing guideline – pair your hors d’oeuvre with one of the wines you bring.

This was a great move, and with each event, the pairings are getting more exciting.  Chef Sue and I could not agree on our hors d’oeuvre, so we each made one.  Honestly, we did not work too hard on agreeing – we both wanted to cook.  I would tell you more about Chef Sue’s pairing, but I can’t remember the wine she selected.  I can tell you this; she prepared superstar green chile tamales (with a very pleasant bit of heat) paired with a sweet German wine (not a Riesling).  The heat and the sweet were a very pleasant pairing.

I took a similar approach and prepared cream cheese and bacon stuffed green poblano peppers paired with a 2008 Wente Riverbank Riesling.  The poblanos are mild, but when combined with the cumin, and the richness of the cream cheese and bacon, I needed a moderate sweetness and equally moderate acidity to form a complimentary pair.  The 2008 Wente Riverbank Riesling worked exceptionally well.  This Riesling is not overly sweet, displays delightful apple flavors, and has a well balanced acidity that make it a versatile wine.

I was very pleased with my handy work, but was quickly humbled by the pairing offered by good friends Kelvin and Leya.  As soon as they walked in the house, and before I saw what was in the pan, I was already having a Pavlovian response to the aroma of truffle.  And it soon got even better.  Kelvin described their pairing while I impatiently waited for him to stop talking and get to the good stuff.  It was worth the wait.  The 2008 Pahlmeyer was a spiritual experience with full HD/3D visions of angels.  And the truffle macaroni and cheese lived up to the aromas that left me in a olfactory stupor just moments earlier.  And the pairing was Olympic caliber.  I am negotiating with Kelvin and Leya for release of the recipe and will be sure to share it once they relent.

For now, here is the recipe I constructed for cream cheese and bacon stuffed green poblano peppers.

Ingredients

• 12 poblano peppers
• 12 strips of bacon
• 1 medium onion minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise.  Scrape out the seeds and ribs then rinse.  Place open half down and allow to drain/dry while you prepare the cream cheese filling.
3. Mix together all the filling ingredients.  Voilà!
4. Pack the filling into the peppers.  Voilà!
5. Poblano peppers should be roughly about 1/2 bacon strip in length (yes, you can even measure with bacon!).  Cut the bacon in half laterally and gently, with all appropriate respect, place a piece of bacon over each pepper half.
6. Place on a sheet pan and send to the over for 30 minutes.
7. Remove from oven, allow to cool for about 5 minutes and serve.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig