The recipes that follow is from my recently published cookbook, “A Cook’s Table” Food and Wine Together (co-authored with Todd Wernstrom). The recipes are designed to lean against a specific grape varietal. And each Recipe will suggest a wine profile to compliment the dish… I have always labelled my style of cooking as wine friendly. And it was clear that each chapter in the book should be headlined by a grape varietal. So, enjoy classical as well as new dishes, that have, and will stand the test of time. They allow the wines to show what is best and most compelling about them rather that overwhelm what is in your glass.
For a deeper look, find, “A Cook’s Table” respectively at Amazon.com Barnes&Noble.com and at Two Chefs Restaurant. I urge you to find a proper glass, dig out your favorite pot or pan, Start slicing and dicing and enjoy.
Jan Jorgensen.
Flatbread with Goat Cheese, Chanterelles & Rosemary
Serves 6
My first encounter with a wood-burning oven was at Stars in San Francisco. The oven was not only used to cook proteins and vegetables. Perhaps the oven’s highest and best use was for flatbreads. Flatbreads have, of course, existed in some form for centuries but in many ways they have come to define California cuisine. This despite evidence that wood-burning “ovens” date at least back to 7000 BCE. Only wealthy families employed their own bakers, but large communal ovens have existed at least from that era going forward to this day.
What I find challenging—and intriguing—about working with a live fire is that there are no knobs to control temperature, but simply a fire that needs to be managed, sometimes constantly. Some restaurant ovens (and more and more outdoor entertaining areas at homes) have the luxury of a gas flame to assist the cook should he or she lose the fire. I’m sure our pre-20th Century predecessors would have been annoyed—maybe envious?—by our technology! My restaurant’s wood-burning oven is regulated the old-fashioned way.
The dough:
1 cup warm water
1 envelope dry yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
Pour the water into a food processor, sprinkling the yeast over it. Bubbles will form. Pulse once or twice to mix. Add the olive oil and honey. Add one cup of the flour to the yeast mixture and process until smooth. Add the remaining flour and salt, and process until mixture forms a ball. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky.
Remove dough from the food processor, knead it lightly on a floured surface and place it in a large bowl in a warm spot. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise for one hour, or until it doubles in size.
Punch the dough down and knead it lightly on a floured surface. With a pastry knife, divide the dough into 6 balls, and wrap each one in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
Topping:
1 lb. chanterelles, sliced and sautéed with 6 cloves of garlic cut into slivers
2 cups creamy goat cheese
2 cups grated Gruyère
1/4 cup finely chopped rosemary
olive oil
cornmeal for baking tray
Make the flatbreads:
Shape each ball into 10-inch rounds by placing them on a floured surface and punching the middle of the ball down. Pick up the disk and mold. Using your thumb on one side, middle and index on the other, crimp together and make a border, and place the dough back onto the floured surface and begin stretching the disk into the desired 10-inch disk. This may take a few minutes. You may do a few at the time; not all six need to be done immediately or together. Divide the Gruyère into 6 servings, sprinkling a serving onto a disk, then crumble some goat cheese on top, then sautéed chanterelles, and finally the chopped rosemary.
Sprinkle a bit of cornmeal onto a cooking tray. Using a pizza paddle, place the flatbreads onto a sheet tray and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Once golden brown and crispy, remove from the oven, brush the edges with olive oil and cut into six serving slices with a pizza cutter or long, sharp knife. Serve right away.
Kitchen Wisdom:
The important thing is that these flavors will complement bubbles more so than any other grape varietal. Chanterelles and rosemary are floral in aroma and flavor (though the mushrooms have an earthiness as well). Goat cheese’s tanginess works with most flatbreads. But feel free to experiment with other varieties.
What to drink:
This recipe has elements that would make it work with any style of Champagne. However, a Rosé would be the least successful match.
Lobster Thermidor
Serves 4
Thermidor is usually considered a recipe for special occasions, and as such, it merits the company of a properly chilled glass of Champagne. Both rosé and blanc styles work equally well. Lobster has been considered a luxe protein for many years now, although until the late 19th Century, it was thought of as ordinary or even less so and had no cachet. One of my favorite preparations for it is thermidor, and while it takes some work, it’s a very impressive dish that will make anyone who serves it look both generous and skilled. A big benefit related to this application is that it can be assembled the day before cooking with no loss of flavor or texture.
The dish has several origin stories, but perhaps the most interesting one links the Comédie-Française’s staging of a play called “Thermidor,” by Victorien Sardou (who is probably best known for having written the play that Puccini eventually staged as the opera “Tosca”), to the eventual dish of lobster put on the menu at the Paris restaurant Chez Marie in 1894. “Thermidor” was a reference to a renamed month in the French Revolutionary calendar and marked the timeframe when Robespierre and his ilk were thrown over in 1794 effectively ending the Reign of Terror. The timing of the dish’s creation may have been meant to mark the centennial of this event. Or the story may be apocryphal. Either way, the dish is superb!
Ingredients for the court bouillon:
3 cups White Burgundy
2 cups water
1 large onion, quartered
1 carrot, quartered
1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
small bunch parsley
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp thyme
6 black peppercorns
1 tbsp fresh tarragon
2 live Maine lobsters, 2 lbs. each
Mushrooms:
1/2 lb. fresh button mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp lemon juice
salt
Sauce:
5 tbsp butter plus 4 tbsp butter, divided
6 tbsp flour
1 tbsp heavy cream plus 1/2 cup
1 tbsp dry mustard
2 egg yolks
pinch cayenne pepper
1/3 cup Cognac
1/2 cup grated Gruyère
In a large pot, simmer all the bouillon ingredients for about 15 minutes, add lobster, cover and steam for about 10 minutes until done. Remove lobster from bouillon, set aside.
While lobsters are cooking, stew the mushrooms in the butter and lemon juice for about 5 minutes, then season with salt. Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add any remaining mushroom juice to the bouillon, and reduce the broth to about 2 cups. Strain into a pot. This is now the base for the sauce.
In another pot, cook the 5 tbsp butter and flour slowly for 2 minutes without browning. Add lobster broth and simmer gently for 5 minutes, then stir in the cream. Set aside. In a saucepan whisk together egg yolks, mustard, 1/2 cup cream and cayenne. Slowly add the lobster sauce to the egg mixture. Carefully reheat mixture and do not allow it to boil. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
To prepare the lobster:
Split the lobster lengthwise, and keeping the shell halves intact, remove the meat from the tails and claws, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Set shells aside. In another pan, sauté lobster meat with 4 tbsp butter for a minute or two, then add the Cognac carefully.
To serve:
Preheat oven to 375. In a large pan, mix lobster meat, mushrooms and sauce. Wrap the lobster shells with tin foil (this will help shells stay level), spoon the filling into the shells and sprinkle with the grated Gruyère. Place in the middle of the oven and cook for about 10 minutes until the cheese has taken a golden-brown color. Serve immediately.
Kitchen Wisdom:
The dish can be made in a cocotte as well as served in the shell. Truthfully, a cocotte is a better vehicle to serve the dish in because it is easier to manage, but nothing beats the visual of the stuffed shell. The use of Burgundy in the court bouillon is admittedly indulgent but so is the dish. That said, feel free to substitute any rich Chardonnay instead.
What to drink:
Given the extravagance of this dish, you should consider going all out Champagne-wise. If you’ve just banked that big bonus, any house’s tête de cuvée would be festive and work well. If you’re not feeling quite that flush, any non-vintage would as well, though a Blanc de Blancs might become a bit shy when faced with all this richness unless it has lots of bottle age or is the house’s tête de cuvée.
Grilled Swordfish “Mignon” with White Bean Stew
Serves 4
I’m breaking the rules a bit in the world of cooking terminology. “Mignon” typically refers to a singular serving of beef tenderloin, sometimes wrapped in a bacon slice to add flavor and keep the protein tightly formed. But mostly to add flavor.
When buying swordfish to serve this way, try to find a loin measuring 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter. Cut the loin into steaks, just like a “filet mignon.” The loin should be the length of servings needed, so for this recipe, you would need about 11 to 12 inches of loin (skin and bloodline removed).
Although the recipe starts on the grill, you could do the initial part in a sauté pan on the stove. And as with many sautéed meat dishes, it should be finished in the oven. When wrapping the swordfish mignons in bacon, use good quality bacon, thick and sweet, not thin, salty and very smoky.
Ingredients:
4 swordfish mignons
8 slices of good quality bacon
8 wooden skewers, soaked in water
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup thyme and rosemary, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, smashed
Mix all ingredients for the marinade.
Wrap each mignon in the bacon slices, skewer them to keep the bacon tight and in place. Set aside.
Preheat a grill with two temperature areas (hot and medium hot). I’m a big fan of grilling on wood, but I understand not all environments allow for this choice. Regardless of your fuel, temperature control is important.
Place the swordfish on the hot part of the grill, brown the fish by criss-crossing on each side. Brush each side of the fish with the marinade after browning.
Transfer them to the cooler heat area, and every 2 minutes flip the fish and brush again. The bacon will render and crisp as the dish moves along. Once the dish seems done (10 minutes of cooking time), remove a skewer to test the temperature of the skewer on the middle of your lips. Pleasantly warm and juicy equals perfectly cooked. Cold means not done, and if so, keep going. Once done, set aside, and continue flipping them, while brushing with the marinade, until service.
White bean mash:
2 cups white navy beans, soaked overnight in water
4 cups chicken stock
1 bouquet garni
I like “smashed” food. It provides a pleasant feel on the palate and at the same time completes a dish.
In a suitable pot, start the beans in the chicken stock on medium-high heat, along with the bouquet garni, and once a light boil has been reached, lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and let the beans cook until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Strain the beans from the pot, and keep the cooking liquid.
Finish the beans:
1/2 cup carrots, cut into brunoise
1/2 cup celery, cut into brunoise
1/2 cup onion, cut into brunoise
olive oil for sautéing
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1/4 cup chopped parsley
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup of white wine
salt and pepper
Sauté the vegetables in the olive oil, then add the beans, white wine and remaining ingredients (except the fresh herbs and zest). Let the stew simmer for 20 minutes, if more moisture is needed, use the bean cooking liquid to adjust. Season to taste.
Serve the swordfish mignons along the white bean stew, family style. A simple green salad would be a good addition.
Kitchen Wisdom:
Cook the beans ahead of time, letting them cool down in their cooking liquid, which will keep them juicy and flavorful.
What to drink:
Don’t hesitate to serve Pinot with swordfish. While somewhat more assertive than salmon, the fact that the fish is wrapped in bacon brings it back to this red. Pinot loves smoke and bacon. There are several ways you could go here. A version from Nuits is one. We think though that a New World version might be just a little bit more apt as they often present as more smoky than those from Burgundy.
If it all goes wrong. Make a reservation.
305-663-2100
Two Chefs Restaurant
8287 South Dixie Highway, Miami
ABOUT US:
For more Miami community news, look no further than Miami Community Newspapers. This Miami online group of newspapers covers a variety of topics about the local community and beyond. Miami’s Community Newspapers offers daily news, online resources, podcasts and other multimedia content to keep readers informed. With topics ranging from local news to community events, Miami’s Community Newspapers is the ideal source for staying up to date with the latest news and happenings in the area.
This family-owned media company publishes more than a dozen neighborhood publications, magazines, special sections on their websites, newsletters, as well as distributing them in print throughout Miami Dade County from Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, South Miami, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay and Homestead. Each online publication and print editions provide comprehensive coverage of local news, events, business updates, lifestyle features, and local initiatives within its respective community.
Additionally, the newspaper has exclusive Miami community podcasts, providing listeners with an in-depth look into Miami’s culture. Whether you’re looking for local Miami news, or podcasts, Miami’s Community Newspapers has you covered. For more information, be sure to check out: https://communitynewspapers.com.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Michael@communitynewspapers.com or Grant@communitynewspapers.com.
