Tips and Tools » With Chardonnay
Pear Brined Tea-Smoked Duck
Makes 2-4 Servings
Ingredients
2 duck breasts, Moulard, Muscovy or Pekin all work well
2 cups (475 ml) water
2 cups (475 ml) ice
1/4 cups (60 ml) kosher salt
2 pears, quartered
4 cardamom pods, crushed
6 juniper berries, crushed
4 cloves, crushed
3 tbsp loose green tea
Preparation
Heat the water, salt, pears, cardamom, juniper and cloves in a medium saucepan until the salt has dissolved. Remove from heat, add the ice and stir until cool. Make a crosshatch pattern on the fat side of the duck breasts with a very sharp knife to allow for permeation. Place the cold brine and duck breasts in a ziplock or shallow dish and allow to brine overnight. Remove from brine and pat dry. Place a dutch oven with lid over medium high heat. Once heated, place the duck breasts, fat side down, in the pan. Fat will render quickly and fill the bottom of the dutch oven. As it collects, periodically pour it off. This process takes 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the layer of fat. You will know most of the fat has finished rendering when a crust begins to develop and it takes on a lightly-charred look. At this point, remove the breasts from the dutch oven, pour off the fat (a little remaining is fine) and drop the tea into the oven. Cover for 30 seconds. Open quickly so as not to let too much smoke out, and replace the breasts, this time flesh-side down. Cover the lid and sear for two minutes on that side, quickly remove the lid, turn the breasts back over, and sear for an additional two minutes for medium rare. (this may vary depending on the thickness of the duck breasts- a thermometer read of 134° is a good goal) Remove the breasts to a cutting board and slice on the bias into strips. Serve with cranberry compote, pea shoots, and Okinawan sweet potatoes roasted in duck fat.
Honey Baked Ham
Makes 24 Servings
Ingredients
2 tbsp (30 ml) Pineapple juice
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 ml) ground cloves
1 cup (250 ml) honey
1, 8 lb (3.5 kg) fully cooked whole ham
Pineapple chunks or slices, if desired
Preparation
Preheat an oven to 325° F (165° C). Stir the pineapple juice, cinnamon, clove, and honey together in a small bowl; set aside. Place the ham in a shallow roasting pan. Bake in the preheated oven 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the ham from the oven, and baste with the honey glaze. Return to the oven; continue cooking until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140° F (60° C), about 45 minutes longer. Baste occasionally as the ham finishes baking. Garnish with pineapple slices or chunks before serving, if desired.
Grilled Chicken with Celery Root, Escarole & Apples
Makes 6 Servings
Ingredients
6 chicken breasts, 6 oz (175 g) each
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) cracked black peppercorns
2 tbsp (30 ml) thyme, chopped
2 tbsp (30 ml) rosemary, chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) chili flakes
Marinade
1 cup (250 ml) celery root, peeled and julienned
2 apples, peeled, cored and julienned
1 lemon, juice and blanched zest of
2 oz. (50 g) pancetta, finely diced
2 tsp (10 ml) Dijon mustard
2 tbsp (30 ml) 35% cream
2 tbsp (30 ml) mayonnaise
2 tbsp (30 ml) chives, finely chopped
kosher salt and white pepper to taste
3 escarole lettuces
Preparation
Remove the skin from the chicken. In a medium bowl combine the olive oil, peppercorns, thyme, rosemary and chili flakes. Add the chicken to the bowl and completely cover both sides of the chicken with the marinade then refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C) Remove the chicken from the marinade. Discard the marinade and place the chicken in the oven on a baking sheet. Cook for 6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear and chicken is cooked all the way through. Divide the escarole among 6 salad plates. Top the greens with the celery root salad. Place the cooked chicken on the salad. Serve.
Marinade
Mix together the celery root and the apples and add the lemon juice and zest. In a sauté pan set over medium heat cook the pancetta for about 10 minutes. When the pancetta is golden brown remove it and pat dry with kitchen towel. Add the pancetta to the apple/celery root mix. Add the mustard, cream, mayonnaise and chives, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve.
Grilled Salmon with Herbed Vegetable Topping
Makes 6 Servings
Ingredients
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2- inch (8- mm) slices
1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 red onion, sliced into 1/2 - inch (8- mm) rings
4 green onions
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and quartered
4 portobello mushrooms, halved
2 heads red radicchio, halved
kosher salt and white pepper to taste
1 tbsp (15 ml) Dijon mustard
1 lemon, juice of
2 tbsp (30 ml) Chardonnay
1 tsp (5 ml) minced garlic
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
1 cup (250 ml) bread crumbs
1 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
2 sprigs tarragon, finely chopped
1/4 cup (50 ml) chives, finely chopped
2 lbs (1 kg) salmon, divided into 6 portions
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
Preparation
Preheat the grill. Toss the vegetables together and season with salt and pepper. Add the mustard, lemon juice, wine, garlic and the 1/2 cup (125 ml) of olive oil. Grill the vegetables until they have developed golden brown grill marks, about 10 minutes. When the vegetables have cooled enough to handle, pulse them in a food processor. Transfer the vegetable purée to a bowl and add the bread crumbs, rosemary, tarragon and chives. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper and rub with a nice coating of olive oil. Place the salmon on the grill and cook to your preferred doneness. (I suggest 6 minutes per side.) When the salmon is cooked, top generously with the herbed vegetable topping and serve.
Creamy Broccoli with Turkey Bacon*
Makes 8 Servings
Ingredients
6 cups (1.5 L) fresh broccoli florets
1/2 tbsp (2.5 ml) salt
4 oz (100 g) reduced fat cream cheese, Neufchatel, cubed
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
2 tbsp (30 ml) spicy brown mustard
4 strips heated, chopped Butterball® Turkey Bacon, heated, chopped
1/4 cup (60 ml) sunflower kernels, roasted, salted
Preparation
Place broccoli, 1/2 cup water and salt in saucepan; cover. Bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 8 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain; keep warm.
Place cream cheese and milk in same saucepan on medium heat. Cook and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in mustard and turkey bacon; cook 1 minute.
Add broccoli; mix lightly. Spoon into serving dish; sprinkle with sunflower kernels.
*Recipes courtesy of Butterball, LLC.