Cheesy Spinach Wheel
Ingredients
Serves 8 to 10
4 oz (125 ml) cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp (30 ml) mayonnaise
2 tbsp (30 ml) grated Parmesan
2 tbsp (30 ml) grated Romano cheese
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ tsp (1 ml) dried basil
¼ tsp (1 ml) hot sauce, such as Tabasco, (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
¾ cup (175 ml) drained, roughly chopped canned artichoke hearts
1 cup (250 ml) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well squeezed
14 oz (400 g) puff pastry, thawed if frozen
3 tbsp (45 ml) pesto
1 cup (250 ml) shredded cheese, such as Monterey Jack, cheddar or mozzarella
1 tbsp (15 ml) water, plus extra for brushing
1 egg
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, Tabasco (if using) and salt and pepper until well combined. Add artichoke and spinach and mix to incorporate.
- Divide puff pastry in half. Roll half of pastry into a roughly 12.5-in (31.25 cm) circle. Transfer to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Spread pesto in centre of pastry circle, leaving a 1-in (2.5 cm) border around edge.
- Spread spinach mixture evenly on top of pesto. Scatter shredded cheese evenly over spinach. Lightly brush edge of pastry with water.
- Roll remaining pastry into a roughly 12.5-in (31.25 cm) circle and place over circle with spinach mixture. Lightly press pastry circles together from centre outwards and pinch to seal edges. Using a fork, poke holes all over pastry surface to allow trapped air to escape while baking. Invert a 12-in (30 cm) plate over centre of chilled pastry and trim off any excess pastry that is hanging over from edges. Shape excess pastry into flowers or leaves for decoration, if desired. Refrigerate pastry and decorations for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C).
- Invert a small bowl over centre of chilled pastry and lightly press to secure position. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut pastry wheel into four quarters from inverted bowl to edges. Then cut each quarter into 6 even wedges, totalling 24 wedges. Twist each wedge 2 to 3 times. Remove bowl and set aside.
- Lightly whisk together 1 tbsp (15 ml) water and egg to make egg wash. Brush over top of pastry. Discard remaining egg wash. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Drink Pairings
Oysters Persillade
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
½ cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp (5 ml) finely grated lemon zest
1 cup (250 ml) packed parsley leaves and tender stems, finely minced
1 tsp (5 ml) fleur de sel
¼ tsp (1 ml) finely ground black pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
¾ cup (175 ml) plain bread crumbs
24 medium-sized oysters
Instructions
- Arrange oven rack in upper third of oven and turn on broiler.
- In a medium bowl, stir together butter, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, fleur de sel, pepper and nutmeg with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it forms a smooth paste.
- Carefully shuck oysters and arrange in an ovenproof dish or rimmed baking sheet. Place 1 tsp (5 ml) butter mixture on top of each oyster and sprinkle generously with bread crumbs.
- Place under broiler and, keeping a close eye on oysters, broil until butter is bubbly and bread crumbs are golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter or plates and serve warm.
Drink Pairings
Mushrooms à la Bordelaise
Ingredients
Serves Serves 4
1 lb (454 g) mixed whole mushrooms
¼ cup (60 ml) unsalted butter
½ tsp (2.5 ml) finely grated lemon zest
2 tsp (10 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) finely minced shallot
½ tsp (2.5 ml) minced garlic
½ tsp (2.5 ml) kosher salt
¼ tsp (1 ml) freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped fresh parsley leaves or chives
pan-fried or toasted sliced country bread, to serve
Instructions
- To prepare mushrooms, trim or remove stems and wipe clean with a clean, damp tea towel. Cut mushrooms as needed so they are all roughly the same size. Set aside.
- In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt butter, lemon zest and juice. Stir in mushrooms, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Remove lid and stir in olive oil. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and let mushrooms simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in shallots, garlic, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until shallots and garlic have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Remove skillet from heat and adjust seasoning to taste with additional salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley or chives and serve warm with bread.
Drink Pairings
Black Tahini, Miso & Kimchi Hummus
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
2 cups (500 ml) cooked chickpeas, plus extra for garnish
1 garlic clove, chopped
¼ cup (60 ml) black tahini
1 tbsp (15 ml) white miso
3 tbsp (45 ml) lemon juice, plus extra as needed
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for garnish
½ tsp (2.5 ml) fine sea salt
⅛ tsp (0.5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp (30 ml) roughly chopped kimchi, for garnish
1 tsp (5 ml) white sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- In bowl of a food processor or blender, combine chickpeas and garlic. Blend until roughly chopped, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Add tahini, miso, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed. If too thick, adjust consistency of hummus as needed with additional lemon juice, or water. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a generous drizzle of olive oil, kimchi, chickpeas and white sesame seeds. Serve with desired accompaniments.
Drink Pairings
Brown Butter Crepes with Caviar
Ingredients
Serves 8
¼ cup (60 ml) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
½ cup (125 ml) all-purpose flour
½ cup (125 ml) rye flour
¼ tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk, plus extra as needed
½ cup (125 ml) crème fraîche, for garnish
1 to 2 oz (30 to 60 g) caviar, for garnish
Instructions
- In a small frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter starts to turn golden brown, about 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer browned butter to a heatproof bowl and set aside so it cools but still remains liquid, about 20 minutes.
- In a blender, combine eggs, flours, salt, whole milk and 2 tbsp (30 ml) browned butter and blend until thoroughly combined. Reserve extra browned butter for another use. Transfer crêpe batter to a bowl, cover and let rest in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight. Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; if not, stir in more milk, 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) at a time until correct consistency is achieved.
- Heat a 7-in (18 cm) non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, ladle in enough batter to coat pan, tilt until even, then cook for about 1 minute. Crêpe is ready to flip when bubbles appear on surface and edges look dry. Flip with a spatula and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer to a plate and cover with a tea towel. Repeat with remaining batter. You should end up with about 16 crêpes. At this point, crêpes may be wrapped in parchment paper and then plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 1 month. Let crêpes come to room temperature before serving.
- When ready to serve, fold crêpes as desired and top with a dollop of crème fraîche and caviar. Transfer to a platter and serve.
Drink Pairings
Albacore Tuna Tartare on Nori Chips
Ingredients
Serves 8
canola oil, for frying
6 sheets nori
1 cup (250 ml) water
6 tbsp (90 ml) cornstarch
kosher salt, to taste
½ lb (8 oz) sushi-grade albacore tuna, diced
½ cup (125 ml) finely diced cucumber
1 tbsp (15 ml) mayonnaise
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
½ tsp (2.5 ml) lemon zest
½ tsp (2.5 ml) sriracha (optional)
1 tbsp (15 ml) finely chopped chives
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
microgreens, for garnish
Instructions
- Pour 1-in (2.5 cm) oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or enameled cast iron casserole. Using a frying thermometer, heat oil to 350 F (180 C). Line a baking sheet with paper towel and set aside.
- Using scissors, cut each nori sheet into roughly 3-in (8 cm) squares. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch. One at a time, dip nori pieces into cornstarch mixture (whisk occasionally if cornstarch starts to settle on bottom of bowl) and immediately transfer nori to hot oil, frying about 3 to 4 pieces at a time for 10 to 15 seconds. Be careful, as oil may splatter. Take care not to fry too many sheets of nori at a time or they may stick together. Using tongs, flip nori and continue to fry until oil is still and no longer bubbling, about 10 more seconds. With tongs, carefully transfer nori chips to lined baking sheet. Season with salt immediately. Repeat with remaining nori, then set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together tuna, cucumber, mayonnaise, lemon juice and zest, sriracha and chives until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- When ready to serve, top each nori chip with a spoonful of tuna tartare. Garnish with microgreens and place on a serving platter. Enjoy immediately.
Drink Pairings
Savoury Cheese Truffles
Ingredients
Serves 25
1 x 8 oz package (227 g) cream cheese, room temperature
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup (125 ml) crumbled feta cheese
2 green onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1½ tsp (7 ml) finely chopped fresh dill
1 tsp (5 ml) dried oregano
¼ tsp (1 ml) smoked paprika
⅛ tsp (0.5 ml) freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup (175 ml) black sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, with a handheld beater fitted with whisk attachments, beat together cream cheese and olive oil. Add feta, green onion, garlic, dill, oregano, smoked paprika and black pepper and stir together with a wooden spoon. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Pour black sesame seeds onto a plate and shake until seeds are in an even layer. Scoop about 1-in (2.5 cm) rounds of cheese mixture into your hands and roll into a ball before placing onto seeds and rolling to coat. Place cheese truffles on a serving plate and refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
Drink Pairings
Grilled Scallops with Lemon Salsa Verde
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
2 tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
1 small garlic clove, finely minced or grated
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ lemon, rind removed, pulp cut into segments
3 capers, finely chopped
1 small anchovy fillet, mashed
1 tsp (5 ml) finely chopped shallot
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
12 medium scallops
kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- To make lemon salsa verde, in a bowl, mix together parsley, garlic, 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil, lemon segments, capers, anchovy, shallot and pepper, and set aside.
- Preheat barbecue to high. Toss scallops in salt and remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil. Grill for about 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until cooked all the way through.
- Serve in a bowl or scallop shells, topped with lemon salsa verde.
Drink Pairings
Tuna Nduja
Ingredients
Serves 1⅔ cups (400 ml)
6 oz (170 g) fresh ahi tuna, roughly chopped
½ cup (125 ml) whipping cream
½ cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp (15 ml) Calabrian Bomba chili paste, or 1 serrano chili, finely chopped, or to taste
1 tsp (5 ml) kosher salt
½ tsp (2.5 ml) black pepper
2 tsp (10 ml) smoked Spanish paprika
1 tbsp + 1 tsp (20 ml) red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small food processor or blender, and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Serve with bread or crackers. Best enjoyed within 1 day.
Drink Pairings
Prawn Escabeche
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
¾ cup (175 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 whole garlic cloves
1 small carrot, peeled, sliced
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
6 whole black peppercorns
½ tsp (2.5 ml) kosher salt, plus extra for boiling
½ cup (125 ml) white wine vinegar
1 lb (454 g) raw medium-sized prawns, peeled and deveined
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine oil, garlic, carrot, shallot, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt. Warm over medium-low heat until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vinegar. Let mixture cool to room temperature.
- Prepare an ice bath. Blanch prawns in a pot of salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, or until fully cooked through and opaque. Remove prawns and shock in ice bath, then remove and drain on a paper towel.
- Place prawns in a non-reactive container and pour oil mixture over. Cover and marinate in refrigerator overnight. To serve, remove thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns from marinade and transfer prawns to a bowl. Top with marinating oil, garlic, carrot and shallot and serve with bread. Will keep for up to 3 days in refrigerator in a sealed container.