Holiday 2020 | BCLIQUOR

CHAI FIGGY CAKES WITH RED WINE CARAMEL AND PEAR CRISPS*

Ingredients

Serves 10 cakes. * Please note, this recipe should be started at least 1 day in advance.

2⅓ cups (575 ml) granulated sugar, divided

1¼ cups (310 ml) water, divided

1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice

½-in (1.25 cm) piece fresh ginger, sliced

1 small bartlett pear

½ vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

1 cup (250 ml) red wine

1 tbsp (15 ml) + ½ cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided, plus extra for greasing

¾ cup (175 ml) chopped dried ﬁgs

¾ cup (175 ml) chopped dried dates

1¼ cups (310 ml) boiling water

1 tsp (5 ml) baking soda

3 chai teabags

1½ cups (375 ml) all-purpose ﬂour

2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder

½ tsp (2.5 ml) kosher salt

¼ tsp (1 ml) ground cinnamon

¾ cup (175 ml) packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

To make Pear Crisps, in a small saucepan, combine 1 cup (250 ml) sugar, 1 cup (250 ml) water, lemon juice and ginger and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, carefully cut pear into ⅛-in (0.25 cm) slices. Remove any seeds and submerge pear slices in sugar syrup. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours or, even better, overnight.
Preheat oven to 200 F (93 C). Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and top with a piece of parchment paper.
Remove pear from syrup, letting any extra syrup drip off, then place in a single layer on parchment-lined rack. Bake, turning over every hour, until ﬁrm and crisped, about 4 to 6 hours. Turn off oven and prop open oven door with a wooden spoon, letting pear slices cool completely in oven. Once cooled, use for garnish or store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days.
To make Red Wine Caramel, scrape vanilla seeds from pod into a small saucepan, then add vanilla pod and wine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat until wine is reduced to about ½ cup (125 ml), about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and discard vanilla pod.
In a medium saucepan, stir together remaining 1⅓ cups (325 ml) sugar and ¼ cup (60 ml) water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, without stirring, and washing down any sugar crystals that form on side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup turns pale golden, about 6 to 10 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan occasionally, until deep golden, about another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully pour red wine reduction down side of pan into caramel. Take care, as it will steam and sputter. Return saucepan to medium-low heat and stir continuously until caramel is smooth and has thickened slightly, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tbsp (15 ml) butter. Set aside or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
To make cakes, preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Grease 10 cups in nonstick popover pans.
In a medium bowl, stir together ﬁgs, dates, boiling water and baking soda. Add tea bags, submerging in mixture, and set aside for 10 minutes to soak. Discard tea bags.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together ﬂour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
In bowl of a stand mixer ﬁtted with paddle attachment, cream together remaining ½ cup (125 ml) butter and brown sugar until pale and ﬂuffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add ﬁg and ﬂour mixtures. Stir until just combined. Spoon batter into prepared cups until ¾ full. Place popover pans on a baking sheet and bake until a wooden skewer inserted in centre comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Allow cakes to cool about 10 minutes in pan before turning out onto a wire rack.
Divide warm cakes onto serving plates. Drizzle with Red Wine Caramel and garnish with a couple of Pear Crisps and a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired. Serve immediately. Any extra cakes can be frozen. Allow to cool completely, wrap well in plastic wrap or an airtight container, and freeze for up to 1 month. To thaw, leave out at room temperature for several hours, warming in a 300 F (150 C) oven for 5 to 8 minutes before serving, if desired.

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Drink Pairings

OSSO BUCO WITH MILLET “RISOTTO”

Ingredients

Serves 4

5 tbsp (75 ml) grapeseed oil, divided

4 veal osso buco, each about 1-in (2.5 cm) thick, tied around middle

kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

1½ tbsp (22 ml) all-purpose ﬂour

1 medium carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 medium yellow onion, ﬁnely chopped, divided

½ tsp (2.5 ml) dried thyme leaves

½ tsp (2.5 ml) dried rosemary leaves

2½ garlic cloves, minced, divided

2 cups (500 ml) dry white wine, divided

2 cups (500 ml) canned plum tomatoes

6 cups (1.5 L) low sodium chicken stock, divided

1 bay leaf

1 large pinch saffron threads

1 cup (250 ml) millet

2 tbsp (30 ml) unsalted butter

6 tbsp (90 ml) ﬁnely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped ﬂat-leaf parsley leaves

1 tsp (5 ml) ﬁnely grated lemon zest

Instructions

To make Osso Buco, in a large sauté pan or small Dutch oven, warm 3 tbsp (45 ml) oil over medium heat. Generously season veal with salt and pepper, then sprinkle ﬂour all over and pat into meat. Place veal in pan and brown well on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Add carrot, celery and half the onion to pan over medium heat, and cook, stirring often, until onion has softened and is transparent, about 4 minutes. Stir in thyme, rosemary and 1 clove minced garlic, then add 1 cup (250 ml) white wine and cook until wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and crush with a fork or potato masher, then add 2 cups (500 ml) stock and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then nestle veal into sauce. Cover, reduce heat to low and gently simmer until veal is tender, about 75 to 90 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure veal is at least ¾ covered with liquid; if not, simply top up with water. Once done, remove and discard bay leaf and gently transfer veal to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Pour remaining sauce into a large bowl. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then spoon as much fat off top as possible. Wipe out sauté pan or Dutch oven and pour sauce back in. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cut string off veal and return meat to sauce. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.
To make “Risotto”, in a small saucepan, bring remaining 4 cups (1 L) stock to a simmer over medium heat. Add saffron, remove from heat and set aside to steep.
In a medium saucepan, warm remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil over medium heat. Add remaining onion and one minced garlic clove. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add millet and let cook, stirring often, until starting to toast, about 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 cup (250 ml) wine and let cook for 1 minute. Add warm stock, about ½ cup (125 ml) at a time, stirring often, adding more stock once it has been absorbed; this will take about 30 minutes total. Once millet is al dente, remove from heat and stir in butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, combine parsley, lemon zest and remaining half minced garlic clove to make gremolata. Set aside.
To serve, spoon “Risotto” into four shallow bowls. Top each serving with a piece of osso buco and spoon sauce over top. Sprinkle with gremolata and serve.

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Drink Pairings

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH GREEN GAZPACHO AND APRICOT CAPER SALSA

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 dried apricots, diced

1 small shallot, ﬁnely chopped

1 tbsp (15 ml) roughly chopped and drained capers

3 tbsp (45 ml) ﬁnely chopped fresh ﬂat-leaf parsley leaves, divided

½ tsp (2.5 ml) lemon zest

1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice

¼ tsp (1 ml) kosher salt, plus extra to taste

½ English cucumber

3 fresh or canned medium tomatillos, ﬁnely diced

2 green onions, light green and white part only, ﬁnely diced

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp (30 ml) lime juice

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 tbsp (15 ml) grapeseed oil

12 large scallops, cleaned and patted dry with paper towel

Instructions

To make Apricot Caper Salsa, in a medium bowl, stir together apricots, shallot, capers, 1 tbsp (15 ml) parsley, lemon zest and juice and ¼ tsp (1 ml) salt. Set aside.
To make Green Gazpacho, cut cucumber lengthwise into long matchstick strips, leaving skin on, then ﬁnely dice. Transfer to a bowl along with tomatillos, green onion, garlic, remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) parsley, olive oil and lime juice. Stir together to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
In a large frying pan, heat grapeseed oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Season scallops all over with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, then add to pan. Sear on both sides until a golden crust forms and they just lose their translucent colour, about 30 seconds per side.
To plate, divide gazpacho between serving bowls, topping each with 3 warm scallops and a spoonful of Apricot Caper Salsa. Serve immediately.

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Drink Pairings

TRUFFLE MUSHROOM PÂTÉ

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

1 oz (30 g) dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup (250 ml) boiling water

2 tbsp (30 ml) unsalted butter

3 medium shallots, ﬁnely chopped

10 oz (280 g) cremini mushrooms, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup (250 ml) mascarpone cheese

½ tbsp (7 ml) red wine vinegar

⅓ cup (75 ml) Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 tbsp (30 ml) trufﬂe oil

¼ cup (60 ml) roughly chopped fresh ﬂat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tsp (10 ml) chopped fresh thyme leaves

½ cup (125 ml) roughly chopped toasted walnut halves

toasted baguette slices, cornichons and/or raw vegetables, to serve

Instructions

Place porcini mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over. Set aside to soak for 10 minutes.
In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium heat until foaming. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add cremini mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, drain porcini mushrooms and reserve liquid for another use, if desired. Finely chop mushrooms, then add to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cook for 1 minute then remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Transfer mushroom mixture to a food processor ﬁtted with steel blade attachment. Add mascarpone, vinegar, Parmigiano-Reggiano and trufﬂe oil. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a small gratin dish or mould lined with plastic wrap so that it hangs over edges. Cover with plastic wrap and press down gently so it touches top of pâté, and refrigerate until ﬁrm, about 2 hours. (Any extra pâté can be frozen, well covered, in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator overnight before serving.)
When ready to serve, in a small bowl, stir together parsley, thyme and walnuts. Remove plastic wrap and sprinkle mixture over pâté in a thin layer. Serve with toasted baguette slices, cornichons and/or a selection of raw vegetables, if desired.

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Drink Pairings

CLEMENTINE BUBBLE

Ingredients

Serves 1

¾ oz (22 ml) Absolut Vanilia Vodka

2½ oz (75 ml) freshly squeezed clementine juice (Can substitute mandarin juice.)

½ oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice

3 oz (90 ml) C Sharp Sparkling Brut

whipped cream, for garnish

orange zest, for garnish

Instructions

In a mixing glass with ice, combine vodka and juices and stir to chill. Strain into a Collins glass, add sparkling wine and top with ice, leaving room for a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish with orange zest.

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Featuring

WARM BRAISED RED CABBAGE SALAD WITH TAHINI SAUCE

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 6

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil

½ medium white onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp (30 ml) butter

1 small head red cabbage, halved, core removed, sliced vertically

¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar

1 medium orange, juice only

2 tbsp (30 ml) golden raisins

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tbsp (30 ml) pumpkin seeds, toasted

1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped parsley leaves

TAHINI SAUCE

2 tbsp (30 ml) tahini

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp (15 ml) grainy mustard

2 to 4 tbsp (30 to 60 ml) water, to taste, plus extra as needed

salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a large cast iron pan or Dutch oven with a lid, cook bacon over medium-high heat until golden brown and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Reserve 1 tbsp (15 ml) bacon fat in pan and discard the rest.
In same pan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onion for 5 minutes, until soft, then reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic, butter and cabbage. Sauté for 5 minutes, until cabbage is glossy.
Add vinegar, orange juice and raisins. Season with salt and pepper and cover with lid. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is soft and liquid has fully reduced. Remove from heat and set aside.
To make Tahini Sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together tahini, garlic and mustard. Add water, 1 tbsp (15 ml) at a time, until creamy but not too runny.
Transfer cabbage to a serving dish and drizzle with Tahini Sauce. Garnish with bacon, pumpkin seeds and parsley.

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Drink Pairings

MISO BUTTERED BEANS

Ingredients

Serves 6

2 tbsp (30 ml) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tbsp (15 ml) miso paste

½ tbsp (7 ml) sweet chili sauce

1 tbsp (15 ml) minced ginger

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp (15 ml) grapeseed oil

1 large shallot, sliced

1 lb (454 g) green beans, trimmed

1 x 19 oz (540 ml) can butter beans, rinsed

1 tbsp (15 ml) sesame seeds

1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil

¼ cup (60 ml) whole cilantro leaves

2 green onions, white part only, thinly sliced

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together butter, miso, chili sauce, ginger and garlic. Set aside.
In a large wok or cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shallot and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened. Add green beans and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are medium-soft and slightly browned. Add butter mixture and cook for 1 minute, then add butter beans. Stir to coat in butter and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat, top with sesame seeds, and drizzle with sesame oil. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with cilantro and green onion.

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Drink Pairings

Winter Vegetables au Gratin

Ingredients

Serves 6

1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

2 tbsp (30 ml) butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 small fennel bulb, cored and sliced

6 thyme sprigs, leaves only

2 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into ¼-in (0.5 cm) rounds

2 cups (500 ml) chopped chard

1¼ cups (310 ml) whipping cream

½ cup (125 ml) vegetable stock

¼ tsp (1 ml) ground nutmeg

1 cup (250 ml) + ½ cup (125 ml) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided

salt and white pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add butter, garlic and fennel. Sauté for another 5 minutes, then add thyme. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine potatoes, chard, cream, stock, nutmeg and 1 cup (250 ml) Parmesan. Add fennel mixture and gently toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Layer vegetables in an 8 x 11-in (20 x 28 cm) casserole dish, ensuring potatoes are lying ﬂat. Pour remaining liquid over and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup (125 ml) Parmesan and bread crumbs.
Cover with foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Remove foil and broil on high for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bread crumbs are golden brown.

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Drink Pairings

MAPLE MADNESS SOUR

Ingredients

Serves 1

1 egg white

2 oz (60 ml) Sortilège Canadian Whisky & Maple Syrup Liqueur

1 oz (30 ml) fresh lemon juice

1 pinch sea salt

lemon zest and/or slice of cooked bacon, for garnish

Instructions

Separate egg white into cocktail shaker, inspecting for and removing any shell or broken yolk. Add Sortilège, lemon juice and salt. Add ice, shake vigorously, then fine strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with lemon zest and/or a slice of bacon.

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