The mid-winter bottling party for our Frambelle raspberry dessert wine had more helpers than ever before! We served them this Spanish menu featured a warming stew of regional seafoods, potatoes with a bright sauce, and Mediterranean greens. The foods paired magnificently with our 2009 Melon de Bourgogne.
2 lb. Pacific cod, chopped into 1" chunks
1 lb. (after cleaning) spot prawns, shelled & deveined
1 lb. cockle clam meat, cooked, cleaned & chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 C. olive oil
2 T. salt
2 T. Hungarian paprika
1 T. ancho chile powder
generous pinch saffron
4 bay leaves
1 t. fresh ground pepper
2 C. Perennial Vintners Melon de Bourgogne
4 C. good fish stock
2 29 oz. cans San Marzano tomatoes
Pulse & scrape down onions, bell peppers and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped but not paste. Remove into bowl. Blend tomatoes and their juice in the food processor until smooth.
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy bottom stew pot. Add chopped vegetables and salt. Saute 10 minutes, stirring frequently without browning. Add paprika, chile powder, saffron, bay leaves and pepper. Saute another 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Add wine and bring to boil for 2 minutes. Add stock and tomatoes. Bring to low simmer, cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Uncover, add fish, bring back to simmer and cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp and clams, turn off heat and cover for 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve.
Serves 12-15.
5 lb. red potatoes, cubed
1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 C. water
1/4 C. Perennial Vintners Verjus
1 bunch Italian parsley, rinsed, leaves only
12 green onions, green part only
4 garlic cloves
1 T. salt
1/2 t. fresh ground pepper
Put all ingredients except potatoes in a blender. Puree, scraping sides several times until a smooth medium body paste.
Put potatoes in a large pot of well salted cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook 5 minutes or until almost tender. Drain thoroughly and place in large serving bowl.
Pour sauce over potatoes and serve immediately. Alternatively the potatoes and sauce can be chilled separately then combined for a summer presentation.
Serves 10-12
2 bunches curly kale, washed, stems removed and chopped
1/4 C. raisins
1/4 C. pine nuts
2 T. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed
3 anchovy fillets (1.5 t. paste)
Although Swiss chard or spinach with raisins and pine nuts is a traditional Catalan dish, this Genovese version also includes garlic and anchovy, with kale replacing the traditional spinach.
Soak raisins in warm water for 30 minutes or until plump. Drain.
Heat olive oil over medium high heat in very large pot. Add pine nuts and stir constantly 1 minute or until almost browned. Add garlic and anchovies and stir another 30 seconds.
Add raisins, almost fill the pot with kale and immediately stir up from bottom. When it's wilted down, add the rest of the kale. Add a few tablespoons of water if the kale isn't wilting quickly and definitely before the bottom browns. Continue to toss and cook a few minutes after the kale is throughly wilted down.
Serves 6-8.