"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 Crazy Carb Adventure Continues with a Visit from my Long Lost Friend, Protein!

Since beginning the "Breads & Breakfasts" Chapter in "Savor the Moment," I have been looking forward to making the Monterey Jack Corn Bread with Basil and Roasted Peppers (pg. 91) - I mean, how delicious does that sound? Also, since this crazy carb adventure has wreaked a bit of havoc on the scale, I decided to pair this fabulous bread with something on the lighter side that involved my old friend, protein! The Barbecued Chicken with Mango Salsa (pg. 173) seemed to fit the bill with homemade BBQ sauce, fresh mango salsa and boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Also, since the grill was already hot, we went with the Grilled Asparagus with Roasted Peppers (pg. 214) as well.

The Corn Bread is chock full of delicious flavors and textures including yellow cornmeal, buttermilk, Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños, fresh basil, corn kernels and chopped roasted red peppers. While the recipe was relatively straightforward, I have to report after baking it for the stated 45 minutes plus an additional 15 and getting a "clean" toothpick test I ended up with a bread that was uncooked and oozing in the middle. Disappointing, true but the edges were delicious and the silver lining of that cloud was that I wasn't left with an entire corn bread to snack on all week!

I have to admit I was a little wary of the Barbecued Chicken simply because when I think of Barbecued Chicken I don't think of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I think of plump, juicy, bone in chicken breasts, thighs and legs with the skin very much ON! Are you with me? But in the spirit of a healthier, lighter meal, I was willing to give it a try. In the interest of full disclosure though, I did add boneless, skinless chicken thighs.

The Mango Salsa is a fabulous blend of mango, tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeño and  lime juice that I simply adored! I would definitely make this to go with other grilled fish or chicken dishes or just to enjoy with tortilla chips - delicious! The sauce for the chicken was also very good,  calling for crushed tomatoes, mango, vinegar, sugar and chipotle chile in adobo sauce. Chipotles are smoked jalapeño peppers and adobo (Spanish for "sauce, seasoning or marinade") is a blend of tomato puree, garlic, vinegar, salt and spices. They are extremely flavorful and gave a delicious, spicy punch to the Barbecue Sauce. Once grilled, the heat of the chicken was nicely offset by the chilled Mango Salsa. I'm sorry to report I forgot to top the chicken with the salsa for the photo but trust me, it is awesome!

The Grilled Asparagus with Roasted Peppers came from the kitchen of 32 East, Delray Beach's hallowed dining establishment. This recipe also involves one of my favorite culinary tasks, roasting peppers! I sliced the peppers in half lengthwise and put the halves skin side up on a baking sheet under the broiler. This way you don't have to worry about turning them and there's no mess trying to roast them over your gas burner. Once sufficiently charred, I popped them in a bag and gave them some time for the skins to loosen. For the asparagus, I could only find the thin, wimpy kind, so I didn't bother blanching them before grilling - a very good decision. Once the peppers were peeled and chopped they are incorporated into a dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley and Dijon mustard - yummy! The dressing is then spooned over the hot, grilled asparagus which is then finished with shaved Parmesan Cheese.

This meal was an interesting blend of delicious flavors and it was nice to enjoy a dish with protein again! I have included the recipe for the Monterey Jack Corn Bread with Basil and Roasted Peppers. Be sure to bake it long enough so you, too, are not left with an undercooked center! I hope you enjoy and please don't forget to savor the moment.

XO,

Monterey Jack Corn Bread with Basil and Roasted Peppers

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

 1 cup chopped onion

1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal

 1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

 1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños

1 1/3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed, drained

1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute for 10 minutes or until tender. Cool to room temperature.

Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the chilled butter and rub with fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Whisk the buttermilk and eggs in a medium bowl. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until blended. Mix in the cheese, corn, bell peppers, basil and sauteed onion.

Pour into a greased 9x9-inch baking pan, Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Cut into squares.

Note: The bread can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead. Cool completely, cover loosely with foil and store at room temperature. If desired, rewarm bread for 10 minutes at 350 degrees before serving.

Serves twelve

DIAD at the Caring Kitchen in Delray Beach

The Junior League of Boca Raton, with its dedication to promoting voluntarism and improving the community, requires its active members to complete a number of volunteer hours each year. Today, I completed my "Done in a Day" (DIAD) shift at the Caring Kitchen here in Delray Beach. I have done this shift every year since joining the League almost 5 years ago. It is truly time well spent and I love it since it benefits my immediate community - we live just a few miles away!
During a shift, approximately 10 Junior Leaguers descend on the facility and whip together about 200 turkey sandwiches, in efficient assembly-line style, for children in local after care programs. It's such a great feeling knowing those kids will have a nutritious snack between the time they get out of school and when they get home. The girls were nice enough to let me photograph them today, latex gloves and all. Thanks, Ladies!
The Caring Kitchen is the hot meal program of C.R.O.S. Ministries in Delray Beach located at 196 NW 8th Ave. It is primarily carried out with food donations and volunteers from the community. The program has also recently added additonal services in an effort to help people acheive self-sufficiency. If you are interested in volunteering or making a donation please visit: http://www.crosministries.org/kitchen.htm. 'Tis the Season!