CHAMPAGNE TRUFFLES
Ingredients
Serves about 24
½ cup (125 ml) champagne
14 oz (400 g) white chocolate, chopped
¼ cup (60 ml) whipping cream
¼ cup (60 ml) unsalted butter, at room temperature
various sized sugar pearls, for garnish
icing sugar, for garnish
sliced blanched almonds, for garnish
Instructions
- In a small saucepan warm champagne over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce volume by half, about 10 minutes. Set aside and cool to room temperature.
- Add chocolate and cream to a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water. Do not let bowl directly touch water. Stir occasionally until chocolate has completely melted. Remove from heat before whisking in cooled champagne reduction. Add butter, 1 tbsp (15 ml) at a time, and whisk until incorporated and mixture is smooth. Press some plastic wrap on surface of chocolate mixture and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.
- Once firm, scoop spoons of chocolate mixture and form into small balls. Roll a third of truffles in various sized sugar pearls, a third in icing sugar and remaining third in blanched almonds. Store truffles in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Serve while still slightly chilled.
Drink Pairings
BABY POTATO SALAD WITH HERB AND GRAINY MUSTARD DRESSING
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
1 lb (500 g) baby potatoes, unpeeled
1 lemon, zest and juice
½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) grainy mustard
2 tsp (10 ml) kosher salt, plus extra
¼ tsp (1 ml) ground black pepper
½ cup (125 ml) roughly chopped fresh herbs, such as chervil, dill, parsley, and chives
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan with just enough water to cover. Generously season water with salt. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, with lid ajar, until fork-tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain potatoes and cut in half while still warm. Place in a large bowl.
- Whisk remaining ingredients in a small bowl and add to warm potatoes. Gently toss together to evenly coat. Serve at room temperature.
Drink Pairings
BEETROOT MOUSSE WITH SPRING VEGETABLE ESCABECHE
Ingredients
Serves
BEETROOT MOUSSE:
1 lb (500 g) + 1 red beets, divided
½ cup (125 ml) cold water
4 tsp (20 ml) unflavoured gelatin
2 tbsp (30 ml) unsalted butter
2 tbsp (30 ml) red wine vinegar
1 tbsp (15 ml) apple jelly
1¼ cup (300 ml) Beaujolais red wine
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
½ cup (125 ml) finely grated Parmesan
3 tbsp (45 ml) prepared horseradish
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
ESCABECHE:
⅔ cup (150 ml) grape seed or vegetable oil
⅓ cup (75 ml) white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 medium golden beet or candy cane beet, thinly sliced
1 large watermelon radish, thinly sliced
1 medium turnip, thinly sliced
watercress or baby arugula, for garnish
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 5-in (2 L) loaf pan with a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place red beets in large saucepan and cover with 2-in (5 cm) cold water. Slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer beets until tender and a knife pierces easily. Drain beets and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel and roughly chop all but one red beet.
- In a small bowl sprinkle gelatin over ½ cup (125 ml) cold water and allow to bloom for 10 minutes.
- In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped beets, red wine vinegar and apple jelly and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add red wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to blender along with gelatin and blend until smooth. Add olive oil, Parmesan and horseradish. Blend again until well incorporated and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour mixture into prepared pan and refrigerate until set, about 6 hours.
- To make ESCABECHE: In a saucepan over low heat, warm grape seed oil, white wine vinegar, garlic and thyme. Once warmed, stir in golden beet, radish and turnip slices. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. While waiting to cool, thinly slice remaining 1 red beet and rinse well under cold water. Add red beet slices along with a good pinch of salt and toss to coat all vegetables well in marinade.
- To serve, unmould mousse terrine with help of plastic wrap and slice into ½-in (1.25 cm) slices. Arrange on serving plates and garnish with some of the drained escabeche vegetables and a few pieces of watercress or arugula, if desired. Serve immediately.
Drink Pairings
BRAISED LAMB WITH PISTACHIO DUKKAH AND CARROT PURÉE
Ingredients
Serves 8
BRAISED LAMB:
8 lamb osso bucco
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 tbsp (60 ml) olive oil
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into ½-in (1.25 cm) pieces
2 celery sticks, chopped into ½-in (1.25 cm) pieces
2 yellow onions, chopped into ½-in (1.25 cm) pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
1¼ cup (300 ml) white wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 orange, zested into long strips using a vegetable peeler and juiced
2 whole cloves
4 cups (1 L) lamb or chicken stock
grilled slices of orange, for garnish (optional)
PISTACHIO DUKKAH:
3 tbsp (45 ml) coriander seeds
1 tbsp (15 ml) cumin seeds
½ cup (125 ml) shelled pistachio nuts
¼ cup (60 ml) sesame seeds
3 tbsp (45 ml) unsweetened shredded coconut
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
CARROT PURÉE:
1 lb (500 g) carrots, peeled and chopped into ½-in (1.25 cm) pieces
1 lb (500 g) yams, peeled and chopped into ½-in (1.25 cm) pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
salt, to taste
1 tbsp (15 ml) unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 F (140 C).
- Season lamb osso bucco liberally with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat oil over medium-high heat in large frying pan. Sear osso bucco until browned on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate. Return frying pan to heat and sauté carrots, celery, onions and garlic until they begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add wine to deglaze pan, scraping any browned bits off bottom of pan using wooden spoon. Allow wine to reduce by half, about 4 minutes, before stirring in thyme, strip of orange zest, juice of orange and cloves. Transfer wine mixture to a heavy-bottomed roasting pan along with stock. Place roasting pan on stovetop and bring stock mixture to a boil over high heat. Add osso bucco to pan, cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in oven to braise until fork-tender, about 2 hours. Turn osso bucco every half hour to evenly cook.
- While lamb is braising, prepare PISTACHIO DUKKAH: In a small frying pan, toast coriander and cumin seeds over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer spices to spice grinder or mortar and pestle and allow to cool completely before finely grinding. Meanwhile, toast pistachios in same frying pan as spices, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and finely chop before placing in a small bowl. Add sesame seeds and coconut to frying pan and toast until golden, about 2 minutes. Add coconut and sesame seeds to bowl with pistachios. Stir in ground spices along with salt and pepper to taste.
- Prepare CARROT PURÉE: In a mediumsized, heavy-bottomed saucepan bring carrots, yams, garlic, stock and a pinch of salt to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook until carrots are very tender, about 12 to 14 minutes. Purée mixture in blender or food processor with butter until smooth.
- Once osso bucco finishes braising, carefully remove from sauce and set aside, keeping warm. In a blender, purée sauce until smooth.
- To serve, dollop Carrot Purée onto serving plates. Top with a piece of osso bucco and garnish with a drizzle of sauce, a sprinkle of Pistachio Dukkah and a squeeze of juice from the grilled orange slices, if desired. Serve immediately.
Drink Pairings
CAJETA ICE CREAM WITH TORTILLA CONE
Ingredients
Serves 8 tortilla cones
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
1 cinnamon stick, about 4-in (10 cm) long
4 cups (1 L) goat’s milk
¾ cup (175 ml) granulated sugar
½ tsp + ⅛ tsp (2.5 ml) baking soda
pinch kosher salt
2 cups (500 ml) chilled whipping cream
1 tbsp (15 ml) dark rum or vanilla extract
salted popcorn, optional, for garnish
CINNAMON SUGAR TORTILLA CONES:
½ cup (125 ml) sanding sugar or turbinado sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon
8 Homemade Corn Tortillas, 6-in (15 cm) each
¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) clover honey
Instructions
- Scrape seeds out of vanilla pod and reserve for another use. In a medium saucepan stir together vanilla pod, cinnamon stick, goat’s milk, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally with a heat-resistant spatula, until sugar dissolves and milk gets foamy, about 15 minutes.
- Continue to cook at a gentle simmer, stirring and scraping down sides of saucepan very frequently until milk is thick, golden, and reduced to no more than a thin, very thick layer, about 45 minutes. Stir mixture more frequently as it thickens to prevent scorching. Cook mixture until a trail remains for 1 to 2 seconds when spatula is dragged across bottom of saucepan. Remove from heat and discard vanilla pod and cinnamon stick. If total amount of cajeta is less than 1 cup (250 ml) thin with a bit of extra goat’s milk or else it will be too thick once cooled. Transfer cajeta to a large heat resistant bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, whisk whipping cream and rum together until stiff peaks form. Stir a third whipped cream into chilled cajeta until just combined. Gently fold remaining whipped cream into cajeta mixture before pouring into a 9x5-in (2 L) loaf pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 6 hours. Serve ice cream scooped into Tortilla Cones and garnish with a sprinkle of salted popcorn, if desired. Enjoy immediately.
- To make CINNAMON SUGAR TORTILLA CONES: Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Brush both sides of each tortilla with oil before rolling each into a cone shape. Secure seam with a couple of toothpicks. To ensure cone keeps it shape while baking, crinkle up some tin foil and place it inside cone. Place tortillas seam side down on baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Rotate cone so seam side faces up and continues baking until lightly browned and starting to crisp up, another 5 to 10 minutes. Allow cones to cool for 1 minute before removing and discarding toothpicks and foil. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Tortilla cones should crisp up as they cool. If still a little soft, return to oven for another 2 to 3 minutes. When cool, paint a 1-inch (2.5 cm) line around top of cone with honey. Dip honey pained portion of cone in sugar cinnamon mixture to coat. Tortilla cones are best served eaten within a couple of hours of being made.
Drink Pairings
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SKILLET LASAGNA
Ingredients
Serves 6
2 lbs (1 kg) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
1 large yellow onion, peeled, cut into rounds
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh sage
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, divided, plus extra
1 tbsp (15 ml) pure maple syrup
1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
12 lasagna noodles
4 slices double-smoked bacon
8 to 10 whole sage leaves
10 oz (300 g) goat’s cheese
½ cup (125 ml) ricotta cheese
1 large egg
6 oz (180 g) fresh mozzarella balls, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). To a large bowl, add butternut squash, onions, garlic, sage, 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil, maple syrup, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread evenly. Roast until squash browns lightly in spots, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 F (190 C).
- While squash roasts, cook lasagna noodles in a large saucepan of salted boiling water according to package directions, until al dente. Drain, refresh under cold water and toss with remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil. Set aside.
- Fry bacon in large frying pan over medium heat. Cook, turning once or twice, until crisp. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to cool, then crumble into pieces.
- Carefully add sage leaves to hot bacon drippings in frying pan over medium heat. Fry for 30 seconds or until crisp. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate with bacon to drain.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together goat’s cheese, ricotta and egg. Set aside.
- To assemble, lightly grease a 10-in (33 cm) cast iron frying pan, then place ⅓ of squash mixture over bottom. Top with ⅓ goat’s cheese mixture, 1 strip worth of crumbled bacon and 2 lasagna noodles, breaking up a third to fit pan as necessary. Continue layering of ingredients 2 more times, ending with a layer of noodles. Cover lasagna with mozzarella slices before baking until piping hot and cheese is golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with reserved crumbled bacon and fried sage. Serve hot.
Drink Pairings
BEEF CHEEKS
Ingredients
Serves 4
4 beef cheeks, about 1 lb (500 g)
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, divided
1 medium carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 medium stalk celery, chopped
1 leek (white only), chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
6 each, black peppercorns, whole cloves and whole allspice
1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato purée
¾ cup (175 ml) full-bodied red wine
2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock
½ cup (125 ml) sultana raisins
½ cup (125 ml) Celery Root Purée
CELERY ROOT PURÉE:
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 lbs (700 g) peeled celery root cut into 1-in (2-cm) pieces
4 cups (1 L) milk
Instructions
- To make BEEF CHEEKS: Pre-heat oven to 325 F (160 C). Pat beef cheeks dry and season with salt and pepper. In a saucepan, heat 1 tbsp (15 ml) of oil, add beef cheeks and cook, in batches, turning halfway, for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Add remaining oil to pan and add vegetables and garlic. Cook until golden. Add thyme, peppercorns, cloves and allspice, stirring to combine with vegetables. Stir in tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour red wine into pan and stir, scraping bottom. Add beef cheeks and pour enough chicken stock to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and place in oven. Bake for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and almost falling apart. Remove, let cool slightly and shred meat. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
- Pour sauce into a fine mesh strainer set over a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, add raisins and cook until sauce has reduced by half.
- Place a pastry ring in middle of a plate and add Celery Root Purée. Add shredded cheeks and top with sauce. Serve with seasonal vegetables.
- To make CELERY ROOT PURÉE: Place garlic and thyme in a piece of cheesecloth, tie with kitchen twine to enclose. Place in a medium saucepan along with celery root and enough milk to cover. Bring to a simmer over medium heat until celery root is very tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl, reserving ½ cup (125 ml) of milk and discarding cheesecloth bundle. Process celery root and milk in a blender in batches. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Drink Pairings
BRAISED RABBIT WITH MUSTARD SAUCE AND SPRING SUCCOTASH
Ingredients
Serves 4
BRAISED RABBIT WITH MUSTARD SAUCE:
3 lb (1.5 kg) whole rabbit, cut into 6 pieces
1½ tsp (7 ml) salt
1 tsp (5 ml) black pepper
3 to 4 tbsp (45 to 60 ml) vegetable oil
2 medium-sized yellow onions, finely chopped
2 medium-sized carrots, peeled, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp (15 ml) finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 cups (500 ml) dry white wine
1¾ cups (475 ml) chicken broth or stock, heated
¼ cup (60 ml) Dijon mustard
¼ cup (60 ml) whole-grain mustard
4 tbsp (60 ml) cold, unsalted butter, diced
SPRING SUCCOTASH:
extra-virgin olive oil, to grease pan
½ red onion, finely diced
¼ cup (60 ml) white wine
1 cup (250 ml) chicken broth or stock
½ bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into small pieces
½ cup (125 ml) fava beans, peeled, or edamame beans
1 cup (250 ml) canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup (250 ml) sweet green peas
4 green onions, trimmed and sliced
2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped Italian parsley
6 sprigs fresh basil, stemmed and leaves torn
2 sprigs fresh tarragon, stemmed and leaves removed
1 lemon, zest and juice
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse rabbit and trim fat. Pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Heat a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add 3 tbsp (45 ml) oil to pan and brown rabbit on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer browned rabbit to a roasting pan large enough to hold pieces in a snug, but single layer. Repeat with remaining rabbit.
- In the same frying pan, sweat onions, carrots and garlic until softened. Add thyme and bay leaves. Deglaze pan with white wine, stirring up the brown bits from bottom of pan. Bring to a boil. Pour mixture over rabbit. Pour heated chicken broth over top. Cover with tight-fitting lid and bake for 45 to 55 minutes.
- While rabbit cooks, make Spring Succotash. Add a little oil to a 12-in (30 cm) heavy-bottomed saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Add onion and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Do not brown. Deglaze with white wine and boil vigorously until reduced by half. Add chicken broth or stock.
- Add asparagus, fava beans, chickpeas and sweet peas. Cook through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Once liquid is reduced as desired, add green onions, herbs, lemon zest and juice and a splash of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- When rabbit is fork tender, remove from oven and set aside. In a medium-sized saucepan, sweat rosemary in 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil for 1 minute. Strain the braising liquid from rabbit into saucepan and simmer, until reduced by half. Whisk in mustard until blended. Whisk in butter, a little at a time, until smooth. Remove from heat.
- To serve, divide succotash among serving plates. Top with carved rabbit slices and dollop mustard sauce over rabbit.
Drink Pairings
BABY BACK RIBS WITH HOMEMADE BARBECUE SAUCE
Ingredients
Serves 6
BARBECUE SAUCE:
2 tsp (10 ml) kosher salt
½ tsp (2 ml) ground pepper
1 tbsp (15 ml) smoked paprika
1 tsp (5 ml) dry mustard
¼ cup (60 ml) brown sugar
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce
½ cup (125 ml) apple cider vinegar
½ cup (125 ml) ketchup
RIBS:
3 x 2 lbs (1 kg) racks baby back ribs
1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
1 tbsp (15 ml) kosher salt
1 tsp (5 ml) ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine BARBECUE SAUCE ingredients in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat, simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Transfer to food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Place in a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be refrigerated for 1 week.
- To make RIBS: Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Remove silverskin from underside of ribs and trim off any excess fat. Rub ribs with vegetable oil, salt and pepper, and wrap in a single layer of foil. Bake for 1 hour.
- About 15 minutes before the end of baking, grease grill and preheat barbecue to 350 F (180 C).
- Remove ribs from foil package and generously baste with Barbecue Sauce. Place on greased grill and reduce heat to 300 F (150 C). Barbecue ribs over low heat, constantly basting with Barbecue Sauce. Flip ribs several times during grilling until they are sticky and caramelized with sauce. Remove to a cutting board. Cut ribs between the bones into pieces and serve.
Drink Pairings
AHI TUNA POKE CONE
Ingredients
Serves 12
MISO SESAME CONES:
¼ cup (60 ml) butter
½ cup (125 ml) corn syrup
1 tbsp (15 ml) miso paste
½ tbsp (7 ml) sesame oil
1 pinch each,salt and black pepper
¼ cup (60 ml) all-purpose flour, sifted
½ tbsp (7 ml) ground ginger
¼ cup (60 ml) black, white or mixed sesame seeds
AHI TUNA POKE:
¼ cup (60 ml) Japanese shoyu
½ tbsp (7 ml) sambal oelek
1 tsp (5 ml) wasabi
1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1½-in (4 cm) piece ginger root, peeled and finely minced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
½ medium white or sweet onion, peeled and finely diced
1 lb (500 ml) ahi tuna, cut into ¼ -in (0.5 cm) dice
2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped dry-roasted macadamia nuts, optional
caviar, tobiko or masago, for garnish, optional, available at Asian supermarkets
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Melt butter and corn syrup in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, stirring until mixed together. Do not boil. Remove from heat and whisk in miso paste and sesame oil. While stirring continuously, add flour and mix until smooth. Stir in ginger and sesame seeds.
- Drop in 1 tbsp (15 ml) portions on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 or 3-in (5 to 8 cm) apart, as they will spread. Bake 10 minutes, then remove from oven and cool slightly until firm enough to flip over, about 2 minutes. Bake one more minute.
- Remove from oven, cool slightly until firm enough to handle and form into small cones while warm. If they start to get too hard to shape, return to oven to soften a bit. Once shaped, set on a rack to cool.
- In a bowl, combine shoyu, sambal oelek, wasabi, sesame oil, garlic, ginger root, green onions and white onion. Add the ahi tuna and toss until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. To serve, fill cones with poke mixture and garnish with caviar, tobiko or masago.