Dinner Time

Since we're faced with maybe a little rain over the weekend, we wanted to highlight some recipes from our partner wineries. A nice, home-made meal with a good bottle of wine sounds about right to us.

Beef Stew with Vietti Barbera d'Alba

3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into large cubes
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 cups Vietti Barbera d'Alba
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon lard (you can substitute an equal amount of vegetable shortening or butter)
1/2 cup water

Combine all ingredients except onion, garlic, lard and water and marinate 4 hours or, if possible, overnight. When ready to cook, brown the onion and garlic in a tablespoon of lard in a stewing pot. Add the marinated meat, setting aside the marinade, and left it brown slowly and thoroughly. Strain the marinade and add it to the stewing meat. Then add the water, cover and cook for about an hour or until the meat can be pierced easily with a fork. Serves 4 to 6. And have another bottle of Vietti Barbera d'Alba on hand.

Cheese and Mushroom Empanadas

Whenever our team members have had the opportunity to travel to Argentina, the food item that is universally raved about is the simple Empanada. Courtesy of Casa Lapostolle, we recommend this recipe. Feel free to experiment with other fillings.

INGREDIENTS
Dough
(You can substitute a good quality store-bought pastry dough)
3 1/2 ounces vegetable shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2/3 cup warm water
3 cups flour, plus extra for rolling out dough

Filling
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/3 cups onion, minced
12 ounces button mushrooms, stems removed and caps minced
3 tablespoons dry white wine
Salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
Empanada dough (see above)
6 ounces Gouda cheese, shredded
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Prepare the Dough

Heat the shortening in a small saucepan over low heat. When it begins to melt, immediately add the salt and warm water. Remove from the heat, and place the flour in a food processor. While the machine is running, pour half of the liquid through the feed tube. Stop the machine, turn it to pulse, and slowly add the remaining liquid, scraping down the sides if necessary. Turn dough out onto a lightly fl oured surface and knead briefly until smooth. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until cool, at least 30 minutes.

Final Preparation

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet.

Add the onion and sauté on medium heat until soft. Add mushrooms and sauté until ingredients start to brown. Add the wine and cook until the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Lightly flour a surface and roll dough out as thin as possible. Cut 3-inch circles out of the dough, saving the scraps, which can be re-rolled only one time. Place a small pinch of cheese on one half of each circle and top with about 1/2 tablespoon of the mushroom mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the lling. Brush egg wash around the edges and fold the dough over to make a half-circle. Tightly crimp edges by folding them over or using the tines of a fork.

Heat vegetable oil in a 2-inch deep fryer, sauté pan, or wok. When the oil reaches 375 degrees, slowly drop in empanadas, six at a time. Cook a few minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool brie fly before serving.

Serve with Casa Lapostolle Sauvignon Blanc. This is totally worth the effort.

Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Rombauer Chardonnay is one of the most popular domestic selections, and they offer some seasonal recipes on their web site. This particular springtime recipe can be finished on the grill or in the oven, because we like choices, and because we need a reason to get our grills ready for the season.

Combine in a food processor or blender and puree:
-1⁄3 cup fresh lime juice
-Up to 10 habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers (three is fine for most everyone, six is not, eight is probably too many)
-2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
-2 tablespoons fresh orange juice-3 scallions, coarsely chopped
-2 tablespoons dried basil
-2 tablespoons dried thyme
-2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds (highly recommended) or 1 tablespoon dry mustard
-2 teaspoons ground allspice
-1 teaspoon ground cloves
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon black pepper

The mixture should have the consistency of thick tomato sauce. If necessary, thin with additional: lime juice, vinegar, or orange juice.

Brush the jerk mixture over:
-8 whole chicken legs or 8 bone-in chicken breast halves
You can slap it on the grill right then and there, or refrigerate and let marinate in a bowl or plastic bag for 1 hour or more (preferably three, ideally twelve). The flavor payoff is worth planning ahead.

To grill, lightly oil the grill rack and prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire. Spread the hot coals on one side of the grill. Arrange the chicken pieces skin side down on the side of the grill away from the coals. Cover the grill and cook for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook 15 to 20 minutes more.

To cook in the oven, preheat the broiler. Arrange the leg quarters skin side down on a broiler tray. Place the pan 8 inches beneath broiler for 12 to 15 minutes. Turn chicken skin side up and broil until browned and crisp and the meat registers 170°F on a thermometer, about 8 to 10 minutes. If the skin begins to char before the chicken is done, move the pan farther from the heat. Remove to a platter and let stand 10 to 15 minutes.

Serves about 8 people, so you might need two bottles of Rombauer Chardonnay.