2020 Christmas Wine Set Menu
Field Recordings Chardonnay X Christmas Wreath Salad
A Christmas wreath-shaped salad. It is made with apples, red cabbage, and lettuce, which are in season in winter. The bittersweetness of the red cabbage and lemon zest adds a nice accent. Home-made croutons and thick-cut bacon are lightly grilled to add a savory flavor. It is served with a refreshingly sour homemade lemon dressing. This is an appetizer that will make your table more colorful.
Ingredients (for 4 persons / cooking time: 20 minutes)
3 slices frilly lettuce
30 g baby leaves
1/2 red cabbage
1/2 avocado
1/4 apple
8 pieces cherry mozzarella cheese
30g thick-cut bacon
1/3 slice of bread
1/2 of a lemon
Olive oil, to taste
A pinch each of salt and black pepper
How to make
1. Cut the thick-cut bacon and bread into 1.5cm cubes. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and cook the bread and bacon in that order until lightly browned.
2. Tear the frilly lettuce and red cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Cut the avocado into 1.5 cm cubes. Cut the apples (skin on) into 1.5 cm cubes and soak in water with a pinch of salt.
3. Shave the zest of 8 lemons into 1.5 cm cubes and squeeze out the juice. Mix 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and black pepper to make a dressing.
4. Place the dressing from step 3 in a dressing bowl in the center of a round platter and spread the frilly lettuce, baby leaf lettuce, and red cabbage around it. Garnish with avocado, apple, cheese, bacon, baked bread (croutons), and lemon zest.
Points
• Instead of baking the bread, you can use store-bought croutons.
• If you use the same size and shape of ingredients on the salad, it will look nicer.
• Drizzle the dressing just before eating.
Bien Nacido Pinot Noir X Penne with Porcini Mushrooms in Tomato Sauce
Penne in tomato sauce with dried porcini mushrooms. The porcini mushrooms have a great aroma and a deep flavor. You can also use spaghetti instead of penne for this dish.
Ingredients (for 4 persons/cooking time: 45 minutes (excluding the time to rehydrate the dried porcini mushrooms))
1 can (400g) whole tomatoes
200g penne
20g dried porcini mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
10 basil leaves
3 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp red wine
20g butter
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Salt to taste
Parmigiano Reggiano, to taste
How to make
1. Place the dried porcini mushrooms and 300 ml of water in a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to soften. Wash the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and coarsely chop them. Scrape off the reserved water in a colander lined with kitchen paper.
2. Squeeze the whole tomatoes with your hands and remove the tough parts. Roughly chop the garlic, remove the tough parts of the basil, and cut into small pieces.
3. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and saute the garlic. When fragrant, add the porcini mushrooms and saute gently. Add the whole tomatoes, basil, reserved water from 1, and red wine and bring to a boil. Add granulated sugar and 1/3 teaspoon salt and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
4. Boil the penne (just before serving). In a separate pot, mix 2 liters of boiling water with 20 grams of salt, and add the penne. Boil the penne for 30 seconds less than the prescribed time and drain in a colander, reserving 100 ml of the cooking water.
5. In a frying pan, bring to a boil 250 ml of the tomato sauce from step 3 and the boiling water from step 4. Add the penne and cook over high heat for about 1 minute, letting the water evaporate, then add the butter and mix. Place on a plate and sprinkle with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Points
• Porcini mushrooms are natural mushrooms, so after soaking them in water, thoroughly clean the surface before use.
• Since there is no seafood or meat in this dish, the more olive oil is used, the better it tastes. This recipe makes more tomato sauce than you need for the dish. You can freeze the sauce for later use.
Whitehall Lane Rassi Cabernet Sauvignon X Braised Beef Shank in Red Wine
Braised beef shank in red wine is the perfect main dish for Christmas. Slowly simmered for two hours, the beef becomes tender and crumbly, and the vegetables are full of flavor. The addition of tomato paste gives it a rich flavor. The flavor of the black chocolate added at the end is the key.
Ingredients (for 4 persons / cooking time: 120 minutes)
800g beef shank
100g thick-cut bacon
1 onion (about 200g)
1 carrot (about 150g)
12 mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
600 ml red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste (about 18g)
15g black chocolate
2 tablespoons flour
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
A pinch of Italian parsley
How to make
1. Cut the beef shank into large pieces and sprinkle with a little salt and black pepper. Put the beef, 300 ml of red wine, and bay leaves in a food storage bag, and marinate for half a day in the refrigerator.
2. Remove the beef from the bag and sear it in a pan with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over high heat until well browned on both sides. Add the red wine in which the beef was marinated, the bay leaf, and 150 ml of water (not to be used), bring to a boil over high heat and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Skim the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove any scum, cover, and simmer over low heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
3. Cut the bacon, onion, and carrot into 1 cm cubes, cut the mushrooms in half, and roughly chop the garlic.
4. In a separate pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and lightly fry the bacon. Add the onion and garlic and saute until softened. Add the carrots and mushrooms, and when they are coated with oil, add the flour and mix. Add 300 ml of red wine, 2/3 teaspoon of salt, dissolve the tomato paste, and bring to a boil. When the mixture thickens, turn off the heat.
5 Add step 4 to step 2 and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes. Add the chocolate and simmer for 5 minutes. Place in a bowl and garnish with Italian parsley.
Points
• It is best to cut the beef shank into pieces of 8 x 3 x 3 cm.
• Serve with sliced baguette