Cuore di Agnello Brasato al Chianti (Lamb Heart Braised in Chianti)

Every once in a while, a local grocery store stocks lamb hearts. I have made lamb hearts once before, as part of my culinary challenge, Around the World in Eighty Dishes.  The dish was Khalyat Alkadba wal Galoob or Fried Heart and Livers, a main dish from Libya.  It was the first time that I cooked with lamb hearts, and, I told myself that I would work with the ingredient again.  

From a nutritional perspective, lamb hearts have their positive and negative attributes.  Lamb hearts are relatively high in cholesterol, which is a definite negative; however, they are also packed with many essential vitamins and minerals.  A serving of lamb hearts, which is about 4/10 of a pound, has a whopping 357% of the daily value of Vitamin B12, along with 134% of Riboflavin, 95% of Protein, 59% of Iron, 42% of Niacin and 22% of Vitamin C.  

Recently, the store stocked locally raised, lamb hearts.  I bought a couple of hearts with a specific recipe in mind.  I decided to braise the lamb hearts in wine, much like a Brasato al Barolo.  I thought about braising the hearts in Barolo wine, but a bottle of Barolo can be very expensive.  For that reason, a brasato is often done with other red wines, such as Chianti.  A good Chianti Riserva is much cheaper than Barolo and it can still produce a great sauce.  

I found a recipe for beef hearts braised in wine, so I used that as a guide.  However, I made a few changes to the recipe, apart from the use of lamb hearts and Chianti wine.  I substituted beef broth with veal stock.  I also added some ingredients, such as a shallot and crushed red pepper.  In the end, my efforts produced a nicely braised dish of lamb hearts coated in a velvety, rich sauce.  I have to say that this is a great success.

CUORE DI AGNELLO BRASATO AL CHIANTI

(Lamb Heart Braised in Chianti)

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com 

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

1 pound of lamb hearts (about two hearts)

1/8 cup of all purpose flour

2 tablespoons of butter

1 carrot, sliced

2 Vidalia bulbs, diced finely

1 shallot diced finely

1 pinch of crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon of dried thyme

1/4 cup of Chianti Riserva

1/4 cup of veal stock

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of flat leaf parsley, chopped finely

Directions:

1.  Prepare the hearts.  Wash the hearts and dry them.  Trim the hearts of excess fat and arteries.  Slice the heart in half and then slice the halves in 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices.  

2.  Saute the hearts.  Heat the butter over medium high heat in a deep saute pan.  Coat the heart slices in flour and add to the saute pan.  Cook the heart slices for thirty seconds to one minute.  

3.  Add the vegetables and liquids.  Add the onions, shallots and carrots, along with the crushed red pepper and thyme.  Also add the wine and veal stock.  Cook for fifteen minutes at most. 

4.  Plate the dish.  Spoon the lamb hearts, vegetables and sauce into bowls.  Sprinkle with flat Italian parsley.  You can serve this dish with some mashed potatoes or rice.

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

Given the lamb hearts are braised in Chianti wine, the most obvious choice for a wine pairing is a Chianti wine.  Any Chianti wine -- Chianti Classico, Chianti Riserva, Chianti Ruffina, etc. -- will do.=  Other Sangiovese wines, including blends like Super Tuscans, will also pair well with this dish.  A couple of wines that I have reviewed, which I think would work well with this dish include:

La Mozza -- Aragone

40% Sangiovese, 25% Alicante, 25% Syrah and 10% Carignan

Tuscany, Italy

Flavors of cherries, raspberries and a little plum

Marchesi Frescobaldi -- Nipozzano Riserva

100% Sangiovese

Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Flavors of dark cherries, with a little spice

ENJOY!

For more about the nutritional value of lamb hearts, check out Self Nutritional Data.

Domaine de San de Guilhem (2010)

One of the greatest aspects of my culinary adventures, at least with respect to wines, is the opportunity to learn about the lesser known grape varietals.  I have previously posted about two lesser known Italian grapes, Celanese and Falaghina, and the wines produced using those varietals.  Recently, I came across Alain LaLanne's San de Guilhem, a wine made with three lesser-known grape varietals: Colombard, Gros Manseng and Ugni Blanc.  I bought a bottle to learn a little more about these three grapes.  

LaLanne produces the Domaine de San de Guilhem using 40% Colombard, 30% Gros Manseng and 30% Ugni Blanc.  Colombard grapes are white grapes used in Bordeaux blends, as well as Vin de Pays Côtes de Gascogne.  These grapes can be used to produce crisp white wines, but they have a high acidity, which results in it being used more in blends, where other grapes can offset that acidity.  Gros Manseng is a grape that ripens later than most others, that thrives in cooler and lighter soils.  It is a weaker and more temperamental grape,  easily damaged by heat or hail.  Like the Colombard, the Gros Mansang has a higher acidity and is also used in blends.  It is the last grape, Ugni Blanc, that provides a balance to a blend of Colombard and Ugni Blanc.  Unbeknownst to me, I have actually encountered Ugni Blanc before, because it is the French equivalent to Trebbiano, a white grape widely planted in Italy.  Ugni Blanc provides freshness and fruitiness that can help tame the acidity of other grapes.

Colombard and Ugni Blanc have as much to do with distilled liquor as they do wine.  Both grapes are distilled to make Armagnac, which is a brandy from the eponymous region of Gascony in Southwestern France.  Acres and acres of vineyards were cultivated with that brandy in mind.  However, when the global market for Armagnac began to decline, some growers in Gascony, like Alain LaLanne, turned their attention to making table wines rather than hard liquor.

Alain LaLaine grows grapes on a 50-hectare vineyard known as Domaine de San de Guilhem, which is located in the village of Ramouzens in the eastern portion of Bas-Armagnac in Gascony.  The region is described as having of sloping green hills, an oceanic climate, and sandy soils.

The Domaine de San de Guilhem pours a golden color.  There are floral notes, like a flowers in a field.  To the extent of fruit, there is some honeydew and melon.  With respect to the flavors, there is definitely citrus, like lemon and melon.  The wine is light and crisp, but there is a tartness from the Colombard and Gros Manseng that still prevails over the Ugni Blanc.   

I found this wine at a local grocery store.  It sells for about $10.99 a bottle.

ENJOY!

Pan Seared Tilapia and Cortez Bay Shrimp with Roasted Raddichio Salad

It has been a while since I tried to create a recipe or make a Chef Bolek Original.  The reason rests with the fact that I have been extremely busy at work.  By the time I get home, I either don't feel like cooking or I just want to make something quick. There were a couple of nights where I tried to make something original and "blog-worthy," except what I ended up with was something straight out of Hell's Kitchen.  As I looked at and ate the dish, I could just picture Gordon Ramsey in the room, screaming and swearing at me or the dish.  "What is that," Ramsey would yell in his Scottish/English accent, "that $#*+ is f*<k!^g disgusting.  I expect more from you."  So, with those thoughts in my head, the dishes never made it to the blog.  That is one reason why I have not been posting as much as I usually do. 

Still, the whole point of this blog is to chronicle the adventures of someone who, unlike Chef Ramsey, has no professional training, no Michelin stars, and no (recent) restaurant experience. Clare tells me that I should post the good, the bad and the ugly, but, quite frankly, while the good looks good, the bad is bad and the ugly can be ... at times ... downright ugly.

My greatest inspiration is my beautiful wife, because much of what I cook, I cook for her.  Recently, I wanted to make a nice dinner for her.  I purchased some Tilapia and some shrimp.  While that satisfied the protein for the dinner, I needed some vegetable or other side dish.  I saw a head of radicchio -- it is hard to miss the pinkish-purplish mass in the midst of greens -- and remembered my effort at grilling radicchio.  Radicchio is a very bitter vegetable, but grilling or roasting it helps to blunt the bitterness.  Add in some roasted sweet onions, along with some shallots and shiitake mushrooms sauteed in butter, and I had the makings of a warm salad. Some toasted pine nuts and walnuts, with whole parsley leaves, would finish the dish. 

As for the shrimp and fish, both are prepared with a simple saute. I wanted the protein to be relatively simple and experiment a little with the roasted radicchio salad.  The salad was good, but still a little too bitter for me.  An alternative that might help to reduce bitterness even further is to baste the radicchio quarters with a mixture of olive oil and butter or just use butter. 

This dish will not win any awards or, perhaps, Chef Ramsey's approval, but Clare liked it.  That is good enough for me.  

PAN-SEARED TILAPIA AND CORTEZ BAY SHRIMP

WITH ROASTED RADICCHIO SALAD

A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 2

Ingredients (for the fish):

2 fillets of tilapia

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

1 lemon, juiced

Ingredients (for the shrimp):

6 large shrimp (16/20 count)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pinch of aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper

2 tablespoons of white wine

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Ingredients (for the radicchio):

1 head of radicchio, sliced into wedges and cored

1 sweet onion, sliced into wedges

1 shallot, sliced thinly

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/8 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons of walnuts, toasted

Directions:

1.  Roast the radicchio.  Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay the radicchio wedges and onions on a large rimmed baking sheet and brush with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes to fifteen minutes, or until crisp around the edges and just tender. Serve at once.

2.  Saute the remaining ingredients for the salad. Heat a saute pan over medium to medium high heat.  Add the mushrooms.  Saute the mushrooms, stirring occasionally so they don't burn, until you begin to draw out the moisture (it will sound a little like hissing).  Add two tablespoons of butter and stir into the mushrooms.  Add the shallot and crushed red pepper.  Continue to saute until the shallot is translucent, about three to five minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside. 

3.  Saute the shrimp.  Season the shrimp with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the shrimp and the aleppo pepper.  Cook the shrimp on each side for a minute or two, and flip, continuing to cook for another minute remove the shrimp and set aside.  Add the white wine and cook for a minute or two. 

4.  Cook the fish.  Add the fish to the pan and begin to saute the fish.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil if necessary.  Saute the fish for about four minutes and flip the fish.  Continue to cook for another four minutes or until done.  When the fish is nearly done, add the shrimp to the pan to heat the shrimp.

5.  Plate the dish.  Plate the fish and place the shrimp on top of the fish.  Plate the radicchio salad on the side.  Drizzle some lemon juice over all of the dish.

PAIRING THIS DISH

This dish calls for a white wine.  While selecting the ingredients for the grilled radicchio salad, I came across a white blend made with Colombard, Gros Manseng and Ugni Blanc.  This wine worked very well.  It had a slight tartness, from the citrusy flavors, that actually worked to reduce the bitterness of the radicchio. I was pleasantly surprised that the wine paired so well with the dish.  So here it is:

Alain LaLaine -- Domaine San de Guilhem (2010)

40% Colombard, 30% Gros Manseng, 30% Ugni Blanc 

Gascony, France

Flavors of lemon and melons

ENJOY!

Collina La Mora Barbera D'Asti (2009)

The story, as told by the label, goes like this: "[w]hen the work in the vineyard was beat out to the rhythm of oxen or horses, to which he confirmed, he chose the easily reached vineyards on gentle slopes close to the road."  The story continues, by explaining that the grandfather, Secondo Crivelli, bought "the more distant steeper vineyards which were harder to work.  But as the local winemakers have always said, 'a fa el vin bon'" or "it gives good wine."  The Collina la Mora Barbera d'Asti, which is produced by Crivelli, is produced from the grapes on those more distant, steeper vineyards."

Personally, I know little about the grapes and wines in northeastern Italy, especially the Piedmont region produces some very good wines, but, the most well-known wines, such as the Barolo and Barbaresco, are usually out of my price range.  (That is probably a truer statement with respect to Barolo than Barbaresco.)  However, when I recently made Pappardelle with Spicy Lamb Ragu, the suggested wine pairing was a Barbera wine, which is a more affordable Piedmontese wine.  The wine I chose is Crivelli's Collina La Mora.

Indeed, the saying was that the Barbera wines were "what you drank while waiting for the Barolo to be ready."  Barbera wines are produced using the grape varietal with the same name. There are three DOCs or DOCGs connected with Barbera wine: Barbera d'Asti, Barbera d'Alba and Barbera del Monferrato.  The Collina La Mora is a Barbera d'Asti, which falls within the DOCG for the wines produced and made from grapes cultivated around the Piedmontese town of Asti.  According to the rules of the DOCG, require at least 85% of the grapes to be Barbera grapes.  Winemakers can use Freisa, Grignolino or Dolcetto grapes for the remaining 15% percent.  The wine must also be made by March 1 following the harvest or vintage year and must have a minimum alcohol of 11.5%.

The Collina La Mora Barbera D'Asti carries the DOCG on its label, which means it complies with the rules.  The wine pours pours a ruby red color, with purplish hues depending upon the light. The aromatic elements of this wine include cherries, raspberries and some floral notes.  These same elements carried through to the taste.  Although a relatively young wine, it was not too acidic, rough or tannic.  Indeed, it was surprisingly drinkable given its age.

As I noted above, I purchased this wine to specifically pair it with the Pappardelle with Spicy Lamb Ragu.  The recommendation came from Josh Wesson, the founder of Best Cellars and the author of Wine & Food: A New Look at Flavor. Josh picked a Barbera wine, although he did not specify whether it should be a d'Alba, d'Asti or del Monferrato, suggesting any of them would do.  Josh believes that the Barbera has the natural acidity to match a rich food, such as ground lamb in the ragu sauce.  I said it once, and, I'll say it again, he is right.

The Collina La Mora Barbera d'Asti is available at wine and grocery stores.  If I recall correctly, it sells for about $19.99 a bottle.

ENJOY!

Bergström Winery Cumberland Reserve (2009)

When one talks of a "blend," it is often to describe a wine that is produced with two or more different grape varietals. A wine made with, for example, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes.  However, a blend can also be made with just one grape.  The "blend" comes from using grapes that are grown and cultivated from different vineyards.

One example of such a blend is Bergström Winery's Cumberland Reserve.  This wine is a "blend" of Pinot Noir grapes from at least four different vineyards in the Willamette Valley.  The vineyards from which Bergström gets the grapes for its blend include de Lancellotti, Bergström, Shea and Temperance Hill.  (I have previously reviewed Bergström's Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir, which was made with grapes from only that vineyard.)  The wine is aged for twelve months in oak barrels (17% of which is new French oak), which are one to five years old.

I looked for the notes to the 2009 vintage, but could only find the notes for the 2010 vintage.  Yet, those notes provide a good starting point for the 2009 vintage.  The winemaker describes the wine as having a vibrant and youthful ruby red color.  This is definitely true of the 2009 vintage. 

The winemaker describes the aromatic elements as having a "very expressive nose of dark chocolate, black cherry and dark raspberry fruits, sweet violet flowers and a toasty oak driven vanilla spice."  I could sense the black cherry and dark raspberry, along with a little oak or vanilla.  I had a harder time sensing the chocolate in the wine.  

Finally, the winemaker describes the flavors of the wine as "pure flavors of dark cherry and raspberry which echo on the richly textured palate and are framed in by pie spices, dried rose petal and earth flavors and nuances."  Once again, I could sense the fruits, but I had a little more difficulty sensing the pie spices or dried rose petals.  I did get the earthiness in the taste of the wine.

As with any Oregon Pinot Noir, it can be paired with a range of foods.  These wines are especially well paired with the iconic Oregonian flavors and ingredients, such as mushrooms and salmon.  

This wine is available at larger wine stores, such as Binny's in Chicago.  A bottle sells for about $42.00.

ENJOY!

Pappardelle with Spicy Lamb Ragu

For a couple of years, I went to wine tastings with Clare at the National Geographic Society.  At these tastings, Joshua Wesson (the founder of Best Cellars) introduced the audience to an array of different wines and, in the process, offer advice on pairing those wines with food.  I really enjoyed those tastings and, at one of them, I bought Josh's cookbook, Wine & Food: A New Look at Flavor.  This cookbook is a great read, especially for someone like myself ... who knows little about wine pairing but is eager to learn.  It contains over fifty recipes and, just like the wine tastings, Joshua provides wine pairing suggestions for each one. 

I have read Joshua's book a few times, trying to absorb as much as I can about wine tasting and pairing.  I have always wanted to make some of the recipes from the book and pair them to the wines that Josh recommends.  One particular recipe is the Pappardelle with Spicy Lamb Ragu.  This dish draws its inspiration from Bolognese-style sauce.  Recently, I purchased a package of pappardelle from a local store with the specific intent of making this recipe.  However, I have been very busy at work lately and I kept putting off making this dish.  The package of pappardelle sat in our pantry for days and then weeks. 

After one particularly long and hard day at work, I decided that I would make the Pappardelle with Spicy Lamb Ragu.  My decision was definitely worth it. I followed the recipe with one exception.  I substituted unsalted beef stock for beef broth.  I made this substitution because I generally prefer using stock to broth, and, when a recipe calls for broth, I almost invariably substitute stock.  The dish still turned out very well and, as exhausted as I was, I enjoyed a great meal  ... and two great lunches thereafter. 

PAPPARDELLE WITH SPICY LAMB RAGU

Recipe from Joshua Wesson, Wine & Food, A New Look at Flavor, page 129

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound of ground lamb

1 yellow onion, minced

1 cup finely chopped fresh cremini mushrooms

1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, or to taste

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 3/4 cups of reduced sodium beef broth

1/4 cup dry red wine

1 cup tomato sauce

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

2 small fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3/4 pound dried pappardelle

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese,

     plus more for serving

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Directions:

1.  Brown the lamb.  In a non-stick frying pan large enough to hold the sauce and the pasta, heat the oil over high heat.  Add the lamb and saute, stirring to break up any clumps, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a plate.

2.  Saute the vegetables.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan and return the pan to medium heat.  Add the onion, mushrooms, and red pepper flakes and saute until the mushrooms have released their moisture and the onion is translucent and soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

3.  Finish the sauce.  Return the lamb to the pan and add the broth, 1/2 cup of water, the wine, tomato sauce, tomato paste and rosemary.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered until the sauce has thickened slightly, 25-30 minutes.  Add the vinegar and cook for 1 minute longer.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Keep warm over low heat.

4.  Cook the pasta.  About 15 minutes before the sauce is ready, bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil.  Add the pappardelle and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes or according to the package directions.   

5.  Finish the dish. Raise the heat under the sauce to medium.  Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce, and toss and stir to combine.  Add the 1/4 cup of Parmesan, the parsley and again toss to combine. 

6.  Plate the dish.  Divide the pasta among warmed shallow bowls and serve right away.  Pass additional Parmesan at the table. 

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

As I  mentioned at the outset of this post, the great thing about Joshua's book is that he offers pairing suggestions for each of the recipes.  The suggestions include New World wines, Old World wines, and alternative pairings.  For this recipe, the "New World" match was a Sangiovese wine from the Mendoza region of Argentina.  The "Old World" pairing was a northern Italian Barbara wine.  The "alternative pairing" was a Californian Blanc de Noirs or a Sangiovese Rose.  Of all these suggestions, I was able to find a Barbera d'Asti, which comes from the northern Italian region of Piedmont:

Crivelli -- Collina La Mora Barbera D'Asti (2009)
100% Barbera
D'Asti, Piedmont, Italy
Flavors of cherries and raspberries with faint hint of spice

According to Josh, a Barbera wine has the natural acidity to match with the tomato in the sauce and to balance the richness of the ground lamb.  He was right.  The Barbera worked perfectly with this dish. 

ENJOY!

Japanese Green Tea IPA

Stone Brewing Company is primarily known for its aggressively hopped, in-your-face style of beers ... with names like Arrogant Bastard and Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale.  Stone is also known for its collaborations with other brewers.  The general formula of these collaborations is to have three brewers from three different breweries join together to produce unique examples of beer styles.

Stone Brewing Company is a well established and well recognized brewer.  However, its collaborations offer a great opportunity learn about little-known brewers.  One example of this is the Japanese Green Tea IPA, which Stone brewed with the Japanese Brewery of Baird Beer and the Guam brewery of Ishii Brewing.  I had heard of Baird Beer while working on my blog post about Kiuchi Brewery's Hitachino XH.  With its motto of "Celebrating Beer," Baird Beer produces a line up of craft beers with names like Wheat King Ale, Rising Sun Pale Ale, Suruga Bay Imperial IPA, and Shimaguni Stout. Baird also produces a range of seasonal beers using ingredients such as Japanese figs, mikan fruit and yuzu.  Unlike Baird Beer, I had never heard of Ishii Brewing, a small brewer on the island of Guam.  According to its website, Ishii brews only two beers ... Minagof Pale Ale and Minagof India Pale Ale.  The word "Minagof" means happiness in Chamarro, which is the language of the indigenous peoples of Guam.

There is definitely some "minagof" in the Japanese Green Tea IPA. The beer pours a perfect apricot/orange color, which is, in my mind, the ideal color for an India Pale Ale or Imperial India Pale Ale.  As the picture shows, there is a decent amount of foam that rests gently on top of the beer.  The aromatic elements of this beer are largely the same as an India Pale Ale, although there is a hint of green tea in the aroma.  The tea comes out a little more in the taste, but not too much.  Rather, it is the traditional flavor of grapefruit, brought about by the hops, that is the principal flavor of this beer.

At 9.0% ABV, the beer provides not only a strong grapefruit flavor, but a good sense of alcohol with it.  These flavors, with the alcohol, could pair well with something grilled.  Perhaps it is the suggestion provided by the name of the beer, but, this beer could pair well with yakitori or teppanyaki.  Whether it is grilled chicken skewers or beef cooked on an iron griddle, that seems to work with this beer.  For those lacking an iron griddle, the beer could also be paired with steaks or chicken cooked on a backyard grill as well.

The beer sells for about $7.99 for a twelve ounce bottle, which is a steep price.  However, this beer was brewed as a fundraiser, with the proceeds going to Japanese tsunami relief programs.  On that basis alone, it is definitely worth the price, but you get the added benefit of a very good beer.

ENJOY!

Corte alla Flora Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (2008)

Francesco Reddi, an Italian poet, has described the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano as the "King of Italian Wines."  The wine style gets its name from the town of Montepulciano, which is located in central Tuscany, as opposed to the grape varietal known as Montepulciano.  (The Montepulciano grape is used most commonly in Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wines, which is a subject for another post, such as this one.)   

The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano has its own Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita or DOCG.  The rules of the DOCG provide that the wine must contain at least 70% Prugnolo Gentile grapes, which are a clone of the Sangiovese grapes.  Winemakers have options with respect to the remaining 30% of grapes, and, use varietals such as Canaiolo Nero, Mammolo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  The wine is aged for 2 years in oak barrels.  If it is aged for 3 years in oak barrels, then the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano can have the name "Riserva."

Corte alla Flora produces its Vino di Montepulciano with a blend of 80% Prugnolo Gentile, 10% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. 

The Corte alla Flora Vino Nobile di Montepulciano pours a dark ruby red, with crimson tones.  The winemaker describes the aromas as raspberry, blackberry and sweet violet, followed by coffee and vanilla.  For me, the aromatic elements of this wine were ripe cherries and blackberries, with a little earth and leather.  After a while, I began to pick up some vanilla in the wine.  The body of the wine is subtle, with a little acidity on the finish.  The flavors brought out in this wine include cherries and plums. 

The Vino di Montepulciano can be paired much like a Chianti Classico, Sangiovese di Romagna or a Rosso di Montepulciano.  I paired this wine with Pollo di Parmigiana, my version of the classic Chicken Parmesan. This wine worked very well with the additional spices that I added both to the breading and the tomato sauce.  It also worked paired very well with the chicken, providing a juicy wine that complemented the juiciness of the baked -- as opposed to deep-fried -- chicken breast. 

The Corte alla Flora Vino Nobile di Monetpulciano is available at grocery stores and wine stores.  It sells for anywhere between $19.99 to $22.99.

ENJOY!

Chef Bolek's Pollo di Parmigiana

I both love and hate Chicken Parmesan.  I love the dish because, when it is made right, it combines chicken, cheese and tomatoes into one amazing meal.  However, when it is done poorly, it can be really bad.  And some Italian restaurants -- who shall remain nameless -- downright "butcher" the dish.  The prep cooks relentlessly pound the unfortunate chicken breasts until they are  flattened into a shape that resembles a two-dimensional football or a Frisbee.  As if that was not enough, the cooks then coat the breasts with a bland breading, deep fry the hell out of them and finish the dish by drowning the breasts not once but twice ... first with gooey "Parmesan" and then with runny tomato sauce.

One of my earliest cooking adventures was to develop what I thought would be a good Chicken Parmesan or Pollo di Parmigiana.  I said "good," not "best" or "perfect."  (I realize that, when it comes to cooking, I am far from perfect.) 

For me, there are four keys to a "good" Chicken Parmesan.  First, set the tenderizer or mallet aside and leave the breast in its original state.  This complicates the cooking of the dish because the average chicken breast has different thicknesses at each end.  Still, it is better than a flat piece of chicken.  Second, unplug the deep fryer.  A "good" Chicken Parmesan is NOT deep-fried.  The chicken should be pan-fried only as long as it takes to brown the bread crumbs.  The chicken should be finished in the oven, baked at a reasonable temperature to ensure that it does not dry out.  Third, two words ... Parmigiano Reggiano.  If you are going to make Chicken Parmesan or Pollo di Parmigiana, why not use the cheese that is actually produced in the areas around the city of Parma in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.  Finally, use home made sauce.  For this particular recipe, I used crushed San Marzano tomatoes, and, added the herbs and spices that I wanted.  I also made the sauce with a consistency that resembles marinara rather than the runny sauces used by some restaurants.  The chunks of the sauce, along with the cheese and the chicken provide a great range of flavors with each bite. 

So, there you have it.  A "good" Chicken Parmesan recipe.  It may not be the best, but it definitely works for me. 

CHEF BOLEK'S POLLO DI PARMIGIANA

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2

Ingredients (for the Chicken):

2 boneless chicken breasts

1 cup of flour

2 cups of Italian style bread crumbs

1 tablespoon of dried basil

1/2 tablespoon of dried oregano

1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon of onion powder

1/2 tablespoon of crushed red pepper

1/2 tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper, plus 

     additional ground black pepper to taste

1 egg

1/8 cup of extra virgin olive oil

2 cups of grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Flat leaf parsley, chopped

Ingredients for the Tomato Sauce

1 can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes

1/2 tablespoon of dried basil

1/4 tablespoon of dried oregano

1/4 tablespoon of crushed red pepper

2 cloves of garlic, diced finely

1/4 onion, diced finely

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1.  Bread the chicken breasts.  Create a three stage breading process beginning with flour, then beaten egg and then bread crumbs.  Season the flour heavily with freshly ground black pepper.  Combine the basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper and ground black pepper with the bread crumbs.  Mix well.  Dip each breast first in the flour, then the egg and finally in the bread crumbs.  Let the breasts rest for about ten minutes. 

2.  Brown the chicken breasts.  Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in an oven proof pan.  Also heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Once the oil is hot, place the breasts allow them to cook for about five minutes on each side.  After ten minutes, place the pan in the oven.  Continue to cook the breasts for about ten more minutes, flipping them after five minutes.  After about twenty minutes of pan frying and cooking in the oven, add a substantial amount of the grated Parmigiano Reggiano on top of the breast.  Continue to cook for at least five minutes or until the cheese has melted and begins to brown.  Remove the chicken to rest for about five minutes. 

3.  Make the sauce.  While the chicken is cooking in the oven, heat about 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on medium high heat. Add the onions and saute for two minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for an additional two minutes.  Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano and crushed red pepper.  Add salt and ground black pepper to taste.  Continue to simmer on low heat until the chicken is ready to be served.

4.  Plate the dish.  Plate the chicken breast.  Spoon some of the tomato sauce on top of the chicken breast.  Sprinkle the parsley over the top.  Serve the remainder of the sauce on the side.  

PAIRING THIS DISH

This dish is fairly easy to pair with wine. If you want to pair the dish with the region, I would suggest a Sangiovese di Romagna.  However, this dish goes well with other Italian wines, such as Chianti Classico, Super Tuscans and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.  Here are a couple of wines that I've reviewed that would pair well with this dish: 

Collina dei Lecce -- Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva

100% Sangiovese grapes

Emila-Romagna, Italy

Flavors of cherries and raspberries

Marchesi Antinori -- Villa Antinori

55% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Syrah. 

Tuscany, Italy

Flavors of dark cherry, blueberries, earth and spice.

 ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Haiti

It has been a while since my last challenge, which was to make Escudella, a main course from Andorra.  With the pleasant thoughts of my role as an Escullaire for a day, I turn to my next challenge ... to make a main course from Haiti.  I assumed this challenge in the context of cooking a four course meal Haitian meal with my beautiful Angel for our Wine Club friends.  While only the main course counts toward my personal culinary challenge, I have included all four courses -- which actually includes five dishes (more about that later) -- with this post.

For the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti's cuisine has benefited from a wealth of different cultural and culinary influences.  The indigenous peoples, the Arawak and Taíno, cultivated fruits and vegetables, including but not limited to  guavas, papayas, sweet potatoes, pineapples and corn.  With the Age of Discovery, the Europeans then left their mark on the cuisine.  European traders and settlers brought  oranges, lemons, mangoes, rice and sugarcane  The last ingredient also left a further mark upon Haiti, as Europeans brought slaves from Africa to work on the sugarcane plantations.   The Africans made a significant contribution to Haitian cuisine with ingredients such as  beans, taro root, pigeon peas and okra.

My goal with this challenge was to make a four course dinner featuring dishes that are commonly served on the tables of Haitian families.  Having not visited Haiti personally, this is quite a challenge.

THE FIRST COURSE

The first course is Accra.  This dish is a Haitian version of Akkra, a Senegalese fritter made with black eye peas.  Rather than using peas, the Haitians use malanga, also known as eddoe, which is a close relative to taro root. This dish can be made either by deep frying the or pan frying the fritters.  This recipe calls for doing the latter, using about a cup of oil in a pan.  Make sure that the oil gets very hot and add a few tablespoons at a time so as to not cause the temperature to drop too much.  We served these fritters with a little sour cream, which works well with the root vegetable fritters.

ACCRA (Malanga Fritters)
Adapted from Haitian Recipes

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 pound of malanga, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon of ground pepper
1 teaspoon of adobo seasoning
Salt, to taste
2 teaspoons of flat leaf parsley
1 cup of oil
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 shallot minced
1 teaspoon of garlic powder

Directions:

1.  Prepare the malanga.  Soak the malanga in water overnight.  Heat a  pot of water on high until the water begins to boil.  Boil the malanga for about ten minutes.  Check to see if they are cooked by piercing the root with a fork.    Remove the malanga and allow them to cool.  The cover or skin should come off easily.  Allow the taro root to cool before proceeding to the next step. 

2.   Prepare the fritters.   Grate the malanga.  Mash it with a fork.  Combine the remaining ingredients and mix them in well.

3.  Fry the fritters.  Use a skillet, heat the oil until it is very hot.  Pour a spoonful of batter at a time.  Flip over to brown evenly.  Remove and set aside.  Blot with a paper towel to remove excess oil. 

THE SECOND COURSE

For the second course, I made a Soupe aux Pois Rouge or Red Pea Soup.  I could not find any red peas, so I substituted small red beans.  I followed the recipe and the resulting product closely resembled the texture of refried beans.  I added a couple cups of water to provide a more soup-like texture to the dish. 

SOUPE AUX POIS ROUGE

Recipe adapted from Haitian Recipes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 bag of small red beans

1 scallion, chopped

1 shallot, diced

1 garlic clove, smashed

1 teaspoon of adobo

1 teaspoon of black pepper

2 teaspoons of dried thyme

1 teaspoon of flat leaf parsley

1 teaspoon of oil

Directions:

1.  Boil the peas/beans.   Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the peas.  Boil for about one and one half hours until the peas are tender.  Drain the peas, set aside and reserve the liquid. 

2.  Prepare the soup.  Add the peas to a food processor, along with two cups of the reserve liquid and about another cup or two of water if you want to create a soup-like consistency, four cloves of garlic, and puree until smooth.

3.  Finish the soup.  Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat.  Saute the shallot and scallions for three to five minutes.  Pour the pea soup into a large pot over medium heat.  Season to taste with the seasoning.  Stir in the thyme, parsley, scallion and shallot.  Remove from heat and serve with white rice.

THE MAIN COURSE

Of course, the Around the World in 80 Dishes Challenge requires me to make a main course.  To satisfy the challenge, I decided to make Griots, which is a popular Haitian pork dish.  I have to admit that this is a dish that I have been wanting to make for quite a while.  I read a couple of articles about Griots and the process by which it is made.  I found the articles interesting and I was very happy to have the opportunity to make this dish.  

The process is fairly straightforward.  The pork is rinsed in citrus juice (orange and lime) and then marinated with various spices for a few hours.  The meat is then cooked twice.  It is first boiled with the marinade (although I have seen some recipes that call for roasting it).  Once the meat is tender, the meat is fried until it is browned in a pan with some oil.   

GRIOTS

Recipe adapted from Haitian Recipes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of pork

1 Scotch Bonnet pepper

1 teaspoon of parsley

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of thyme

1/2 teaspoon of rosemary

1 teaspoon of adobo

1 lime 

1 orange

Directions:

1.  Prepare the meat.  Cut the meat into medium pieces.  Wash thoroughly with lime and/or sour orange juice.  Season the meat well with adobo, rosemary, thyme, parsley, garlic powder, and pepper.  Marinate for about four hours.

2.  Boil the meat.  In a saucepan, cover the meat with water and boil over medium heat until water evaporates.  Stir occasionally and cook until the meat is tender.  Remove the meat and set aside.

3.  Fry the meat.  Heat the oil in a skillet, fry each side of the meat to brown evenly.

THE NATIONAL DISH

I decided that I would serve the Griots with the "National Dish" of Haiti, Diri Kole ak Pwa, which is also called "Ris et Pois" or "Rice and Beans."  My beautiful Angel made this dish and she did a great job.  The rice dish has quite a kick from the Scotch Bonnet peppers.  If you cannot find Scotch Bonnet peppers, you can do what I did and substitute Habanero peppers.  You can see the peppers, they are the little orange strips amongst the rice. 

DIRI KOLE AK PWA (Rice and Beans)

Recipe adapted from Tastebook

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

2 (8 ounce packages) of dry kidney beans

8 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallot bulbs, minced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups of uncooked long grain white rice

4 bay leaves

2 tablespoons of kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves

6 sprigs of fresh parsley

6 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 Scotch Bonnet chile peppers 

Directions:

1.  Prepare the beans  Place beans in a large pot, and cover with 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Drain, reserving liquid.

2. Cook the beans and rice. Heat oil in a dutch oven or similar pot over medium heat. Saute shallot and garlic until fragrant. Stir in cooked beans, and cook for 2 minutes. Measure reserved liquid, and add water to equal 5 cups; stir into skillet. Stir in the uncooked rice. Season with bay leaves, adobo seasoning, salt, pepper, and cloves. Place sprigs of parsley and thyme, and scotch bonnet pepper on top, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove thyme, parsley, and scotch bonnet pepper to serve.

THE FINAL COURSE

My beautiful Angel also made dessert for this meal ... Bonbon Sirop.  I would describe this dish as Haitian brownie with a citrus rum glaze, although it is technically a dense flour cake with a citrus rum glaze.  For this dish, we went all out, even using Rhum Barbancourt, a Haitian rum, when making the glaze.  The flavors of the cinnamon, ginger and molasses are very prominent in this dish. 

BONBON SIROP

Adapted from Haitian Recipes

Serves Many

 Ingredients:

2 cups of butter

3 eggs

1 cup of brown sugar

1/2 tbsp of grated ginger

1/2 tbsp of ground cinnamon

1 tsp of nutmeg

1/2 cup of molasses

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract 

1 tsp of baking soda

4 cups of all-purpose flour

Glaze (optional)

1/3 cup of water

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of butter

1 tablespoon of rum

1 tablespoon of orange zest

1 tablespoon of lemon zest

Directions:

1.  Prepare the Bonbon Sirop.  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Whisk eggs, butter and brown sugar together.  Combine the remaining ingredients and beat into a dough like paste.  Spread the paste into a pre-greased baking dish.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Set aside.

2.  Prepare the glaze.  Pour water, sugar, butter, lemon zest, and orange zest in a saucepan over high heat.  Stir constantly for 10 minutes until it caramelizes into a semi-thick syrup.  Take the glaze off of the heat and add rum. Drizzle the glaze over the Bonbon Sirop.

*     *     *

This is the first challenge in which I worked with my beautiful Angel to make a full meal as part of the Around the Woprld in 80 Dishes challenge.  Clare is an excellent cook and together, we make a great team.  Overall, I think we succeeded in creating a great meal.  Each dish was very good, although the Griots and Diri Kole ak Pwa were my favorites.  The Bonbon Sirop came in a close second.  And, finally, we made a donation in an amount equal to the food costs for our wine club dinner to Just Haiti, which, among other things, helps Haitian coffee growers and their families get a fair price for their crops.   

Good food and good times, all for a good cause.  What more could anyone ask for?  Until next time ...

ENJOY!