"Wines that Pair with the Fabulous Flavors of Summer" & Recipe for Porcini Dusted Hogfish from Chef Chris Miracolo!

Chef Chris Miracolo

"Summertime, and the livin' is easy"... not to mention really hot! In keeping with the season, this month's installment of our "Savor the Summer" series at Max's Harvest featured "Wines that Pair with the Fabulous Flavors of Summer."

Summer in Florida (and most other parts of the country recently) isn't really the ideal time of year for those tannic Cabernet Sauvignons or oaky Chardonnays - especially if you are a fan of the light, refreshing flavors of Summer cuisine. In keeping with the evening's theme, we traveled around the globe sampling wines from a variety of countries perfect for enjoying during the sultry Summer months.

Our vinous lineup was once again paired with the phenomenal cuisine of Chef Chris Miracolo. Chef tailored each Summer-inspired dish to suit the nuances of each of our featured wines to create this truly mouth-watering menu: 

   

Reception

Stuffed Pluots with Goat Cheese, Candied Pistachio and 

Sherry-Black Pepper Bacon Marmalade

Poema, Cava Brut NV

1st Course

Bluepoint Oysters, Pickled Ramp, Grapefruit-Pink Peppercorn Mignonette

Pfaffl Grüner Veltliner "Austrian Pepper" 2009

2nd Course

Rock Shrimp & Boursin en Croute, Tarragon Butter & Micro Herb Salad

Michel Redde Sancerre "Les Tuilieres" 2012

3rd Course

Porcini Dusted Hogfish, Celery Root Puree, Blueberry-Champagne Sauce

Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Morgon 2009

4th Course

Chipotle-Pomegranate Palmetto Creek Farms Pork Shoulder Roast with 

Braised Collards & Creamed Corn Bread

Robert Oatley Shiraz Mudgee 2009

Dessert

Mango Upside Down Cake with Key Lime Ice Cream & Strawberry Chips

Michele Chiarlo Moscato d'Asti "Nivole" 2010

Following dinner, guests voted for their favorite dish of the night and Chef Chris kindly agreed to share the recipe with The Glamorous Gourmet readers. The winning dish was the delightfully creative Porcini Dusted Hogfish with Celery Root Puree & Blueberry-Champagne Sauce. Everyone was blown away by the unexpected yet delicious flavor combination and how perfectly the dish paired with the Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques Morgon, a light-bodied red with lovely flavor and structure. So without further ado, I'm happy to share Chef Chris's recipe with you:

The Winning Recipe: Porcini Dusted Hogfish with Blueberry-Champagne Sauce!

Porcini Dusted Hogfish with Celery Root Puree & Blueberry-Champagne Sauce

Courtesy of Chef Chris Miracolo, Max's Harvest

Fish

4-7 oz Hogfish Fillets, skin on scaled (may substitute halibut or other light white fish)

1 oz dried porcini mushrooms

1 tbl fresh chopped thyme

Kosher Salt to taste

Freshly ground Black pepper

2 fl oz grapeseed oil

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Celery Root Puree

1 celery root, peeled and cut into 1” cubes

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp ground white pepper

Salt to taste

2 oz unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Blueberry-Champagne Sauce

6 ounces blueberries, rinsed and stems removed

½ cup Dry Champagne

1 Tablespoon Champagne Vinegar

Watercress for the plate

Heat oven to 325°F. Place porcini mushrooms on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 10 minutes until fragrant. Cool to room temperature and place in a coffee/spice grinder and mill until a fine powder. With a small knife score skin in a criss-cross pattern ½ apart from each other being careful not to cut too deeply into flesh. Dust fish fillets with salt, pepper, thyme and porcini powder. Set aside.

Place celery root in a large pot of salted water and boil until soft (Approx 30 minutes). Strain and place in food processor. Puree until smooth while adding nutmeg, pepper and butter through hole on top. Set aside.

Place blueberries, vinegar and champagne in a sauce pot over medium heat and simmer  for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over low-medium heat with oil and butter until butter just begins to turn brown. Place fillets in pan skin side down one at a time. Adjust heat to ensure you do not burn mushroom powder. After a few minutes turn fish over and sauté on other side. Remove fish from pan. Pour blueberry sauce into pan to deglaze.

Place 4-5 watercress sprigs on each plate, place celery root puree atop watercress, Place fish skin side up atop puree and spoon pan sauce over fish and around plate. Serves 4.

I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe and a big thanks to Chef Chris for sharing it with us! Please check out the video above for even more fun photos from the evening. We hope you can join us for the final dinner of our "Savor the Summer" series on Wednesday, August 1st featuring the exquisite Provencal rosés of Chateau d'Esclans. For more information or to make a reservation, please call 561-381-9970. Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

Wine Pairing Principles for Thanksgiving and Beyond!

Holidays like Thanksgiving can sometimes cause an acute case of WPP otherwise known as wine pairing paralysis. With the cacophony of flavors and textures involved in a meal whose primary goal is to stuff oneself until bursting, what wine could possibly (1) complement the meal (2) appeal to a variety of palates and (3) not break the bank? Don’t fret, my fellow wine lovers, here are a few tips to help make the process a little easier for Thanksgiving or any other holiday meal.

When presented with dishes such as roasted turkey, caramelized onion and cornbread stuffing, cranberry compote, sweet potato casserole and Brussels sprouts at the same meal, the best wines to select (and guests too I might add) are those that “play nicely with others.” Choose wines that are fruit-forward with a food-friendly acidity that will not only stimulate your taste buds but “do no harm” to your already flavor filled meal. Hold off on tannic Cabernet Sauvignons or heavily oaked Chardonnays and opt instead for lighter style Rieslings, unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot.

The same principles apply when trying to satisfy a variety of palates at your holiday gathering. Avoiding wines with harsh tannins and heavy oak influence is usually a good game plan. Select a fruity, approachable Cru Beaujolais or crisp, bubbly Spanish Cava to appease your guests. While universally appealing, these wines will also complement the flavors in your meal beautifully.

Thirdly, we all know holidays like Thanksgiving can involve feeding a small army of family and friends; however, finding an appropriate wine to serve doesn’t have to break the bank. Choose wines from regions known for producing great values at reasonable prices including Spain’s La Rioja, Chile’s Central Valley and France’s Beaujolais AOC to name a few. Save your Classified Growth Bordeaux and California cult collectibles for another occasion! Stock up on your favorite value wines and have them on hand when guests drop by for some “holiday cheer.”

Use the above principles to eliminate your wine pairing paralysis and get you through any holiday meal in style. Here are a few recommendations to get you started – Cheers and have a fabulous Thanksgiving Holiday!


1. J Vineyards “Cuvée 20” Brut Sparkling Wine NV $20
2. Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler Riesling QbA Mosel 2009 $12
3. Castillo de Molina Chardonnay Reserva, Casablanca Valley 2009 $15
4. Bodegas Faustino VII Rioja 2007 $12
5. Louis Jadot Moulin-à-Vent Château des Jacques 2009 $18
6. Viña San Pedro 1865 Single Vineyard Syrah 2007 $25

Bon Appétit,