Food & Wine Pairings
April 2008 Recipe of the Month & Wine Pairing
Goat Cheese Tartlets
This is easy and quick, great for an appetizer at cocktail parties.
Ingredients:
Athenos mini tartlets (frozen section near pastry)
Goat cheese (plain, softened)
Shallots (diced)
White wine
Butter
Let the tartlets sit out of the freezer while you prepare the filling. Sauté the shallots in a little butter and white wine on a medium heat. When they are translucent, remove from heat. Mix the shallots into the goat cheese in a bowl, and blend until smooth and creamy. The heat from the shallots will melt the cheese slightly. With a small spoon stuff the tartlets with the mixture, filling past the top. Do not press hard on the shells as they are fragile.
Bake as directed on the tartlet box and serve warm from the oven with a crisp sauvignon blanc. Enjoy!
Ginny Clancy, Program Coordinator, Center for Wine, Food & Culture
ginny.clancy@stonybrook.edu
Previous Pairings
January 2008
Crab and Artichoke Dip with Sliced Baguette
1 bunch chopped scallions
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cans artichoke hearts, chopped and drained
2 cans lump crab meat (drained)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 chopped fresh, seeded red pepper
3/4 cup grated hard cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano, Asiago, etc.)
1 cup mayo
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté red pepper and scallions in olive oil until lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the artichokes, crab, mayo, cheese, salt, and pepper. Add the pepper and scallions. Mix well and place in a buttered casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Let sit for 5 minutes on the counter to settle. Serve with crusty sliced baguette.
This dish is wonderful with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. The creaminess of the dip is a perfect balance with the tart acidity of the wine. Channing Daughters of Bridgehampton, Long Island, has a wonderful Sauvignon Blanc that is an excellent choice.
February 2008
Scallops Wrapped in Maple Bacon & Papaya Salsa
1 pound fresh (Peconic Bay!) large scallops
1/2 pound maple smoked bacon
2 large, ripe papaya, room temperature
plain Grey Poupon mustard
fresh scallions
Cut the scallops in half, rinse. Trim edges of bacon to remove excess fat. Skewer scallops wrapped in bacon and grill until cooked, approximately 7 minutes, turning to avoid charring.
Clean the papaya, discarding seeds and skin. Cube the fruit, which should be ripe and soft. Toss lightly with Grey Poupon mustard, without seeds. Let rest at room temperature while scallops finish cooking.
Plate the skewer, with salsa alongside, and garnish with chopped scallion and fresh black pepper. Best served with a crisp white wine. A wonderful selection is the Pinot Blanc from Lieb Cellars.
March 2008
Chicken Cordon Bleu with Portobello Mushroom Gorgonzola Sauce
Dreg in egg, bread and fry thin chicken cutlets until they are just brown, but not cooked all the way through. Allow 2 cutlets for each person. Place them in a baking dish and layer the cutlets with slices of rosemary ham in between each cutlet. Top with sprigs of fresh rosemary. Cover and bake at 325 for 25 minutes.
Once the chicken is in the oven, saute slices of Portobello mushrooms in a little bit of white wine and olive oil, salt and pepper. When they are almost tender, turn down the heat to very low and let reduce uncovered.
Add chunks of fresh Gorgonzola or blue cheese and half-and-half and let it reduce until melting but not bubbling. Stir constantly and turn off heat for the last minute to allow slight thickening.
Plate the chicken, spoon the mushrooms and sauce on top. Serve immediately before the sauce cools. A hearty green vegetable like brussell sprouts are a great side as are oven roasted baby red potatoes with rosemary. Pair with a medium-bodied red such as a Cabernet Franc or a Pinot Noir. Enjoy!