A Gourmet Wine Menu
The food must compliment the wine and vice versa. If you don’t care for
wine, anything else will suffice. Perrier would be preferable. Use your best
china and crystal, even if not all of it matches. This menu is perfect for this
time of year, very woodsy. I love to use words like that even inappropriately.
I hope I’m conveying the right message. Just make it and you will understand
me.
The wild mushroom tart can be prepared the day of the dinner and reheated
before slicing thinly to be served. This is a rich dinner so make sure you just
serve small portions of each course.
Wild Mushroom Tart in a Cheddar Cheese Crust
Bacon and Chicory Salad
Purchased French Bread with Sweet Butter (unsalted)
Lamb with Rosemary Garlic Butter Sauce
Crisp Potatoes
Pear and Apple Tart with Brandy
Wild Mushroom Tart in Cheddar Cheese Crust:
For the crust:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup grated medium sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons well-chilled unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
2 tablespoons well-chilled vegetable shortening, cut into small chunks
3 tablespoons ice water
For the filling:
1 ounce dried wild mushrooms
1 cup chicken broth, hot
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 lb fresh white mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt plus more if needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 large egg, plus one egg white lightly beaten
Arrange a rack at the center position and preheat the oven to 375.
To prepare the crust: place flour, cheese and salt in food processor fitted
with a metal blade. Place butter and shortening on top. Pulse until mixture
resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water through the tube and process until dough
forms a ball. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
On floured surface, roll out dough to 11 inch circle. Fit into 9-inch tart
pan. Fold overhanging dough into sides to reinforce sides. Pierce the bottom
of crust with a fork. Line with foil and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake
for 10 minutes then remove foil and bake until crust is light golden, 10 to
15 minutes more. Remove and cool.
To prepare filling: place dried mushrooms in a small mixing bowl and cover
with the broth. Let soak 1 hour and drain, reserve the liquid; chop mushrooms
and set aside. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot,
add prosciutto and onions and sauté, stirring for about 3 minutes. Add garlic
and cook one minute more. Add chopped mushrooms, soaking liquid, fresh mushrooms,
1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and tarragon and sauté, stirring often until mushrooms
soften and all liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Season with more salt and
pepper if needed. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place flour in a medium sauce pa over medium heat. Cook whisking constantly
for 30 seconds; whisk in milk. Continue to cook and whisk until mixture has
thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir sauce into mushroom mixture.
Stir in egg and egg white. Pour filling into prepared shell. Bake 30 to 35 minutes
until filling is firm and crust is a rich golden brown. Serve warm cut into
wedges. You can garnish with parsley if you want.
Chicory and Bacon Salad:
2 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/8-teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 lb thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 loaf French bread, crust removed, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 head chicory (curly endive), torn into large pieces
Salt (optional)
In a small bowl whisk together the shallots, mustard, vinegar and pepper.
Gradually whisk in olive oil in a thin stream. In a medium skillet cook the
bacon over medium heat until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove with
a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour off all but 1/4 cup fat from the pan. Add
the bread cubes to the hot fat and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Remove and set aside. Return bacon to the skillet and toss until heated through.
Remove from heat and stir in the dressing. Place chicory in a large bowl and
add dressing, bacon, and bread cubes, toss well. Salt lightly if desired.
Lamb with Rosemary Garlic Butter Sauce:
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs
3/4 cup melted butter
3 small shallots, chopped
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
6 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, flattened
3 racks of lamb, boned, save bones for sauce
6 tablespoons coarse ground mustard
Preheat oven to 375. Mix first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Season with
salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add flattened
garlic and cook until golden brown. Discard garlic. Add lamb to garlic and brown
on all sides in separate batches if necessary, about 3 minutes. Transfer lamb
to plate. Brush mustard over. Roll lamb in breadcrumb mixture.Place on rack
set in large roasting pan. Bake to desired doneness, about 20 minutes. Transfer
lamb to platter and let stand for 5 minutes. Cut lamb into 1/4 inch rounds and
serve with the sauce.
Rosemary Garlic Butter Sauce:
Lamb bones reserved from one rack of lamb
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 shallots, minced
2 bay leaves
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Place reserved bones in heavy large pot. Pour stock over and cook over medium
high heat until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 30 minutes. Strain stock
into heavy medium saucepan. Add vinegar, shallots, bay leaves, garlic and rosemary
and simmer until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Remove from
heat and whisk in 2 pieces of butter. Set pan over low heat and whisk in remaining
butter, one piece at a time, removing pan from heat briefly if drops of melted
butter appear. (If sauce breaks down at any time, remove from heat and whisk
in 2 tablespoons cold butter.) Keep sauce warm in top of double boiler over
warm water.
Crisp Potatoes:
6 large Idaho potatoes or other floury type
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Place rack on second level from bottom of oven. Heat oven to 500 degrees.
Peel the potatoes. Cut in half lengthwise, then in half across. Cut each piece
lengthwise into 3 wedges by holding the knife so the blade points in at an angle
as you cut into the potato. As the wedges are cut, put them into an 18x13x2
inch roasting pan. Dot wedges with butter. Arrange in pan so they touch as little
as possible. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
Scrape up the potatoes with a metal spatula and turn over. This helps them to
cook and brown evenly. Roast another 15 minutes, turn and roast 20 minutes more.
Serve warm.
Pear and Apple Tart with Brandy:
Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut
into pieces
1 egg, beaten to blend
2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
1 egg white, beaten to blend (glaze)
Filling:
3 medium Bosc or Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, thinly
sliced (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 red delicious apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
(about 1 pound)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons brandy
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For crust:
Mix flour, sugar and salt in medium bowl. Add butter and shortening and
cut in until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in 1 egg, then enough water
by tablespoons to bind the dough. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into
disk. Wrap in plastic; chill 30 minutes. Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Position
rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on lightly
floured surface to 14 inch round. Transfer to 9-inch tart pan with removable
bottom. Trim edges. Line tart with foil. Fill with dried beans or pie weights.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and brush with egg white glaze. Bake 5 minutes
more, transfer to a rack to cool. (Can be prepared a day ahead, wrap tightly
and store at room temp)
For filling:
Toss fruit with 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon in large bowl. Melt butter in
heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fruit, toss to coat. Increase
heat to high and sauté fruit until liquid thickens and fruit is tender, about
10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons brandy; ignite with match. When
flames subside toss fruit gently to coat.
Preheat oven to 350. Drain fruit. Arrange fruit slices in tart. Using electric
mixer, beat eggs, yolk, and 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until pale yellow and
slowly dissolving ribbon forms when beaters are lifted. Beat in flour, then
cream, vanilla and remaining 3 tablespoons brandy. Pour mixture evenly over
fruit. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until tester inserted in the middle comes out
clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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