Culinary Inclinations
from the Kitchen
at Amalie Robert
Estate
Pre-Spring 2015
Aka “How to Eat Like
a Winemaker”
Welcome to “Pre-Spring” from the Kitchen at Amalie Robert
Estate!
Waiting for Spring in the Pacific Northwest is a time for contemplation and
planning. The sun is seen from time to time punctuating the rain and on very
special occasions lighting up the Willamette
Valley
In December we noticed the
evening hours approach earlier and more boldly in the late afternoons. The
primal urges of hunger and thirst awaken from their midday slumber. Foragers
and hunters unite in their common struggle to satiate a never ending desire
adjoined with a glass of poetry to nourish their body and soul.
The theme for these first few
months of the budding New Year is comfort food. Aromas that fill the kitchen
with memories of meals long past that seemed to take all day to prepare. Braised
meats, cassoulet, lasagna and poultry on a spit are the makings of legendary
culinary experiences. There were no microwaves. There was a wood burning cook
stove and wood from a fallen cherry tree.
First Course: The lack of
planning is the key to flexibility
We like to begin with a properly
chilled glass of 2012 Her Silhouette Chardonnay or Our Muse Viognier. If we
have been in the winery all day, this makes our fingers match the sensation in
our toes – that of being cold and wet. However, not too cold, a stainless steel
fermented wine still needs to be warm enough to lure you to her seductive
charms while being cold enough to send a shiver of cleansing acidity up your
backside. You expend a lot more than a little effort keeping this contained to
your right brain; all the while your left brain is trying to figure out the
next course…
Oysters are a great place to
start and we like the firmness of the bivalves this time of year. Depending on
how your domestic relationship has evolved, you may find that opening oysters
together is a very relaxing way to share the day’s triumphs, despite their
level of completion. Or, you may find that you are the submissive in the
relationship. Green Tabasco can help.
Another seasonally delectable
gift from the Pacific Ocean this time of year
is Dungeness crab. We like to call cracking and eating Dungeness crab more of a
conversational course than a real food course. We always seem to spend a good
deal of time on the cracking and very little time on the eating. The wine
consumption adjusts accordingly.
Trading up to the BFC. The BFC is
our colloquial term for the Heirloom Cameo - Barrel Fermented Chardonnay. As
you can plainly see, the BFC does not
stand for Big Farming Chardonnay, thank you very much. The Heirloom Cameo
offers more intrigue and texture to the Chardonnay experience, surpassing the binary
reptilian brain and permeating the limbic system. The pinnacle of this style
has often been the white wines of Burgundy
based upon the same Chardonnay grape.
Perhaps it is the weekend, as
defined by your attitude and not some silly manmade construct of a calendar,
and you have the luxury of time to burn. Then a preparation of Dungeness crab
cakes sautéed in clarified butter served atop a bed of winter greens or a warm
brioche may satiate. The richness of this dish pairs beautifully with the
layered texture and cleansing acidity of the 2012
Heirloom Cameo Chardonnay.
For those more adventurous, and
living somewhere other than vinetopia, we would also recommend Burgundy snails sautéed in garlic, parsley and butter.
Once you have experienced this dish properly prepared and served with a glass
of slightly chilled Heirloom Cameo, it is hard to believe that snails were not
invented singularly for this purpose.
Second Course: Putting the duck
confit into your green leafiness
Weeds. The green leafy plants
that help everything go ‘round and come out properly. While they can also be
served toward the end of the meal, we find that they lose the battle to the
cheese course and are sadly left wanting.
So buck up and get out the duck
confit and 2013 Pinot Meunier! Duck confit is widely available at
better meat purveyors and online. If you are interested in making your own you
certainly can. But just remember that you don’t need to go build your own solar
array just because you want some light in your home, but you could. And while
we are all about growing your own, please be aware that it takes a while to go
from hatching your own duckling to…
If this is a “dress to impress”
affair, we highly recommend slowly warming the duck confit for at least an hour
so that the entire room has the rich aroma hanging heavy as your guests arrive.
You will have them at “Can I take your coat?”
Start with a bowl of fresh green
leafiness. Consider adding a little fresh dill frond or pea tendrils (Ernie
planted winter peas for cover crop last fall, and we have about 20 acres worth
of pea tendrils to source from.) Toss around some toasted hazelnuts and dried
cherries, adorn with crumbles of blue cheese or goat cheese, drizzle with your
favorite balsamic vinaigrette and top with warm shredded duck confit. Keep in
mind people eat with their eyes, another contribution from the reptilian brain,
so a few extra minutes on plating can really pay dividends.
It is entirely permissible, and
often part of a strict quality control program to sample the Pinot Meunier with
the duck confit prior to plating. It is important to factor this into your
planning, as you do not want to under serve the duck confit due to excessive
quality control sampling. Ditto the Pinot Meunier.
Variations on a theme here
include smoked or poached salmon, braised rabbit or thinly sliced venison loin.
Be prepared to have your guests compliment you on the lovely green garnish at
the bottom of their bowls. Don’t take it personally; it’s the reptilian brain
talking.
Third Course: “Pinot Noir is
the most exciting wine to pair with food.” – Ernie Pink
While we don’t often quote
ourselves, we do find that it adds complexity to the conversation. The reason
Pinot Noir can excel at so many culinary challenges is its natural proclivity
for acid. Acidity is that cleansing experience that enlivens and invigorates
the palate. Acidity cuts through the bravado of rich dishes to reveal balanced
flavors and an exponential culmination of the food and wine experience. It
stimulates and we salivate, and who couldn’t use more of that, Pavlov?
As our theme this time is comfort
food, we are going to go with a cassoulet of braised rabbit. To be sure there
is no confusion as to where our journey is headed, let’s define cassoulet as a slow
cooked dish of braised, often fatty or tough cuts of meat, or poultry with
white beans and sausages steeped in wine.
Our choice of naturally lean
rabbit can easily be replaced by lamb shanks, duck legs, or pork shoulder. All
are very good choices and pair well with Pinot Noir. However, Ernie’s annual
physical is in January, so he likes to clean up the pipes before he sees the
doc.
Contact your purveyor of fine
meats well in advance to secure a rabbit. You can raise your own, but before
doing so please see the reference to ducklings above. Rabbit is a very lean
meat that has virtually no fat. If you have ever flown into Charles de Gaulle
airport during the daylight hours, those little brown fur balls on the tarmac
are rabbits. While most rabbits have a very keen sense of hearing, those do
not.
The first task will be to braise
the rabbit in a large, well oiled skillet. To do this we recommend separating
the rabbit into the following pieces: 2 front quarters (what little fat that is
on a rabbit is located here); the saddle; 2 hind quarters. This can easily be
accomplished by a competent butcher. If you plan to handle this task in the
future, you may want to ask the butcher to wait until you arrive before the
dismemberment begins.
If this is to be a DIY, you will
most likely need a large, sturdy cutting board, a sharp meat cleaver, towels
and a hammer. A first aid kit and an assistant with a driver’s license and car would
also be prudent.
Preheat your horno (Spanish for
oven) to about 350 and set a large baking dish inside to come up to
temperature. Open the Pinot Noir and apply the obligatory quality control
procedures. Add the rabbit carefully to your preheated and oiled skillet.
Season with fracked (fresh cracked) pepper, thyme and a little powdered ginger.
These pieces will not take long to develop a nice patina. Your mission is to
seal the meat to retain its juices for the next phase of cooking. Turn
repeatedly to sear without deep heat penetration, which will come later.
Carefully remove the preheated
baking dish, add the rabbit pieces and return it to the horno. Take a moment to
compliment yourself on the beautiful patina with a sip of Pinot Noir. In the still warm skillet, add equal parts
chopped orange bell pepper, sweet yellow onion, julienned carrots (rabbits just
love carrots,) a couple minced cloves of garlic, a few small foraged morels and
a very little bit of finely chopped Anaheim pepper. Thank your submissive sous
chef for the hard work with a glass of Amalie’s Cuvée Pinot Noir, vintage of your
choice, but to really make a statement pour the 2008. Note: if you are not intending to see your
physician you may consider
adding some sausage to the dish at this juncture.
Stir these vegetables
occasionally until softened and beginning to brown. Add one to two cups of your
favorite white beans. Stir occasionally over medium heat and add about a cup of
that left over white wine that is still in the refrigerator from last year.
Testing for quality is a must do.
At this point you will have about
ten minutes to either a) clean up the kitchen or b) enjoy a glass of that
wildly delicious 2008 Amalie’s Cuvée Pinot Noir with your submissive sous
chef who has been cleaning up the kitchen as you have been plowing straight
through. Clearly, the 2008 was the right call.
When the ten minute timer escorts
you back to reality, remove the braised rabbit from your horno and add the
skillet mixture. Cover with a glass lid or wrap loosely with foil and return to
your horno. Spend about 30 to 45 quality minutes with your submissive sous
chef. At the time of your choosing, secure a bottle of 2009 Estate Selection Pinot Noir for the main event and
apply the obligatory quality control procedures.
Before plating, you may add any
of the following to the bottom of the service dishes: creamed polenta with
garlic, smashed skin on red potatoes with thyme and rosemary, parsnip and
turnip hash with a wee little bit of rabbit sausage. Garnish with shaved
Manchego cheese and chopped cilantro or Italian parsley.
Fourth Course: Something for
Her
Sometimes you just know when it’s
right. Sometimes you are not sure, but never let on. Other times you haven’t a
clue, but you want to find out what will happen. While this may describe a lot
of things, like nuclear physics, it also describes the Syrah program at Amalie
Robert Estate.
Long story short is that Ernie
wanted to satiate his desire for cool climate Côte Rôtie style Syrah on his
vineyard site that had never before grown Syrah. “It’s a doddle,” he would say,
knowingly. Well, 2006 brought with it our gravity flow winery and the first ever
harvest of Ernie’s Syrah. We were about to find out, knowingly.
That first year turned out a fine
barrel of wine. Next up was that horrible, nasty 2007 vintage that earned us
the title of “Best Domestic Syrah of the Year” from Wine & Spirits Magazine.
Some doddle indeed. As the vines age and respond to the vagaries of each
passing vintage, Dena sometimes wonders how much was really at risk, how much
was known and just how much was “a doddle.” She also knows that in farming, it
is often better to be lucky than good.
What she doesn’t wonder about is
what pairs well with our 2011
Satisfaction Syrah. The hands down dish of the winter months is roast rack
of lamb with creamy Brussels sprouts and julienned parsnips. While the
preparation is fairly straightforward there are variations on a theme, as you
might expect…
The most functional preparation
involves a Frenched rack of lamb with all the excess fat removed. Season with
fracked pepper, cumin, thyme, rosemary, smoked paprika, then convection roast
at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, turning twice. Let stand for at least 5
minutes, slice between each bone and serve “bones up.”
The next preparation is mustard
encrusted and a bit more involved, but allows for some creative dissidence.
Begin with a Frenched lamb rack as alluded to above. Mix up a medium
consistency paste based on Dijon
mustard by adding fracked black pepper, sesame oil, dried thyme, ginger and
cumin. Whip this into a frenzy and spread lengthwise on the loin using a small
fork leaving the ridges in place. Season with black sesame seeds and sprinkle
with smoked paprika.
Convection roast at 350 degrees for
about 30 to 35 minutes without turning. Allow to stand for at least 10 minutes
to cool. The crust will retain much more of the meat’s natural juices and
prevent it from cooling quickly.
Note: You may use any combination
of ingredients in the mustard preparation, including none at all. You are only
limited in the ingredients you use by the natural conflict that occurs between
the left brain, right brain and the time allotted by our timeless companion,
the reptilian brain.
For all you daredevils out there
we conclude with a Beef Wellington preparation substituting lamb loin, or what
we call “Lamb Wellies.” You will need two lamb loins removed from the bones and
tied together. This will closely resemble a beef loin to which Beef Wellington
is based. Do not over cook. You will want to be sure the music is turned way
down low when you slice these open diagonally so that you may fully appreciate
the “ooh’s and aah’s.” I say, “Well done old man, well done!”
Note: If lamb is not readily available,
beef, buffalo, elk or venison will due in a pinch. White Pekin duck breast is
an equally challenging and appreciated preparation “à la Wellies.”
Fifth Course: The Cheese Board
and Pabuk’s Gift
This is the part of the program
where you are craving a little something sweet or sticky or both. The wonderful
world of cheese is one where you can find all manor of flavors, textures and
more to the point, very unique and pungent aromas. “Époisses de Bourgogne” or Époisses
is rumored to be Napolean’s favorite cheese. It is also rumored to be banned
from being carried on all forms of public transportation in France . It’s that “wonderful.”
Your selection may include local
or imported cheeses. We recommend your tour of the cheese world include cow,
goat and sheep’s milk cheeses in textures from creamy to firm concluding with
an exciting streak of blue. If in doubt, ask the “fromagier” to recommend and then try a sample.
Often times our cheese board will
also include exciting little accoutrements such as toasted Willamette Valley
Red wines typically can pair with
a wide variety of cheeses, white wines seem a bit more specific, and sweet
wines seem to have a strong desire for blue cheeses in particular. But with the
exception of Cool Whip and pineapple, few of these pairings can be applied
topically and removed orally. It is in this realm of wine that Pabuk’s Gift
reigns supreme.
Pabuk’s
Gift is our naturally botritized Chardonnay. A gift left behind from
Typhoon Pabuk that rained on Oregon ’s
harvest parade in 2013. Made in the Trockenbeerenauslese style, this wine is
extremely concentrated and unctuous. In addition to some wonderful blue
cheeses, Crème Brûlée and New York style cheesecake are great pairings - and
easily applied.
Kindest Regards,
Dena & Ernie
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