"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,

The 2nd Anniversary of "The Art of Wine & Food" Series!

At last week's installment of "The Art of Wine & Food" at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale we celebrated the second anniversary of the series!

In addition to our featured wines we had lots of fun giveaways including a Family Membership to the Museum, free tickets to the "Shark" Exhibition accompanied by gorgeous Guy Harvey coffee table books, free tickets to the wine tasting of your choice as well as a free month of The Glamorous Gourmet Wine Club, complete with wines and recipes to pair with them. We also gave special recognition to two very special guests who have been with us since the beginning, Kathleen Van Schalkwyk and Jill Harris. 

Our official theme of the evening was "Take a Walk on the Wild Side with some Alternative Grape Varieties" and featured three wines selected specifically to indulge your inner wine geek! The wines were accompanied by the delicious cuisine of Hugh's Catering whom we have had the pleasure of working with on many of the events in the series. We also gave a big round of applause and heartfelt thank you to Republic National Distributing Company for their ongoing support over the past two years! 

In the spirit of wine geekiness, the evening's wines were made from grape varieties a little off the beaten path but delicious nonetheless and definitely worth experiencing:

2008 Pfaffl Grüner Veltliner Austrian Pepper 

The home of Mozart, Edelweiss and Riedel Crystal has a long, rich tradition of winemaking that dates back to approximately 700 B.C. Nowadays Austria is a dynamic wine region characterized by its white wines which account for approximately 65% of the country's total production.
 

More than one third of the vineyards are planted to Grüner Veltliner, a white grape which is indigenous to Austria and not found much outside its borders. Austria’s wine law, which is very similar to Germany’s, dictates grape variety and yields within delineated zones of production. This particular wine hails from Austria's largest wine-growing area, Niederösterreich which is located near the capital of Vienna.
 

This wine is 100% Grüner Veltliner fermented in stainless steel to preserve its fresh fruit flavors and acidity. It is bright green-yellow in color with hints of citrus, minerals and herbs on the nose. On the palate, flavors of lime zest, honeydew melon and white pepper follow through on a refreshing finish. This wine is a natural match for shellfish, grilled fish, chicken or Asian-inspired cuisine. Guests enjoyed this wine paired with deliciously refreshing Ceviche Shooters.

2010 Renato Ratti Barbera d'Alba  

Piedmont is one of Italy’s most revered wine regions and home to the majestic Barolos and Barbarescos made from the Nebbiolo grape. While lesser known, the Barbera grape provides the majority of the region’s everyday wines which are also capable of great style.
 

Unlike many producers, Renato Ratti entered the world of winemaking without a family tradition behind him. Free of any ancestral ties or responsibilities, he was able to face Barolo, "with neither pride nor prejudice, but with unfettered freedom." He was a true pioneer in the region, responsible for creating the first single-vineyard Barolos produced in the same tradition as Burgundy. Following his untimely death in 1988 his innovative wine-making philosophy lives on today thanks to the passion and commitment of his son Pietro.
 

This 100% Barbera is crafted from 20 year old vines located in the Torriglione vineyards situated in La Morra. The Tortonian soil creates wines that are approachable with marked fragrance, softness and elegance. This wine spent six months in French oak barriques creating a wine with an intense, ruby red color and aromas and flavors of ripe plum, cassis, violets and spice. This wine is perfect for pairing with heartier dishes such as aged cheeses, grilled or roasted meats and/or tomato based sauces. Guests enjoyed this lovely red paired with Hugh's Mediterranean Flatbreads.

 

2008 De Bortoli Deen Vat 4 Petit Verdot

Deen De Bortoli created his Vat Series with the idea of developing a range of delicious, full-flavored wines at an affordable price. Deen personally selected the blends and chalked the numbers on the vats to identify them. The Vat Series includes traditional varietal wines and also wines made from interesting varietals newer to Australia.
 

This wine hails from the Riverina wine region in New South Wales. Petit Verdot is one of Bordeaux’s classic black grape varieties which is currently enjoying a revival in Australia, where it performs exceptionally well. This late-ripening variety does well in the warmer climates of Australia and other New World wine regions compared to the cooler climes of France where it didn’t ripen as well due to climatic differences.  

This wine is a vibrant, deep ruby-purple color with heady aromas of blackberries, cherries, and violets. On the palate, rich dark fruit, chocolate and spice predominate along with chewy tannins imparted by the oak aging. Enjoy this wine paired with smoked meats, roasted or grilled lamb, veal chops, and/or a big, juicy steak. This wine was paired very well with Hugh's Lamb Rounds with Grain Mustard Demi-Glaze.

Looking forward to our next event on Thursday, July 19th featuring "The Rosé Lifestyle of St. Tropez with Chateau d'Esclans" with our Special Guest Paul Chevalier. We will have the pleasure of sampling the latest releases of some of the world's finest rosés. If you think you're not a fan of these delightfully pink dry wines, think again! To make reservations, please contact Gail Vilone at gvilone@moafl.org or (954) 262-0249. Hope to see you there! 

 

 

 

Cheers,