“A bottle of white, a bottle of red, perhaps a bottle of rosé instead.” – Billy Joel, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant “Trey, I was like yo, Trey, do you think you could buy me a bottle of rosé?” – Nicki Minaj/Trey Songz, Bottoms Up In the wine world, nothing says Summer like rosé! This coppery-pink elixir is currently being consumed... Read More
The post Summertime Giveaway: Win a bottle of Château D’Esclans Garrus Rosé! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
“A bottle of white, a bottle of red, perhaps a bottle of rosé instead.” – Billy Joel, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
“Trey, I was like yo, Trey, do you think you could buy me a bottle of rosé?” – Nicki Minaj/Trey Songz, Bottoms Up
In the wine world, nothing says Summer like rosé! This coppery-pink elixir is currently being consumed by the case in hot spots ranging from East Hampton to St. Tropez. It’s crisp, refreshing and incredibly versatile as demonstrated by mentions from artists ranging from Billy Joel to Trey Songz. In keeping with the season, we’re giving away a very special bottle of rosé this month to one lucky winner, the Château D’Esclans Garrus Côtes de Provence Rosé – a $100 value!
This wine is from one of my favorite Provençal producers, Château D’Esclans (for more about them and our visit, please click here) and is the crown jewel of the Chateau’s portfolio. Proprietor Sacha Lichine has elevated the “glamour factor” of rosé, taking it from an “everyday wine” to something exceptional with his artisanal approach. The grapes for Garrus come from very old Grenache and Rolle vines which produce concentrated fruit with lots of flavor. The juice undergoes fermentation in both new and second year demi-muids and Burgundian style bâtonnage occurs twice weekly for 10 months. The result is a full-bodied rosé with heady aromas of strawberry, ginger and spice. On the palate, flavors of red berries, vanilla and clove are framed by ever so balanced tannins and acid. This sublime bottling will pair with dishes ranging from pan seared scallops to filet mignon or…nothing at all!
To enter the giveaway for the Château D’Esclans Garrus Rosé, simply leave a comment at the end of this post and tell us your favorite Summer vacation spot. From your own backyard to Martha’s Vineyard we want to know which place you love to escape to this time of year. Entering the giveaway is that simple and for additional chances to win, you can (1) sign up to receive our weekly newsletter by clicking here and/or (2) leave a comment on another one of our blog posts. Each additional comment will count as one additional chance to win.
This giveaway is open to anyone 21 years of age or older who lives in the continental United States and ends Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 8:00pm EST when a winner will be randomly drawn. The lucky winner will be contacted immediately to arrange expedited shipping and the cost of shipping is included as part of the contest.
Best of luck and remember, you have to play to win so leave your comment now!
Cheers,
In France, the fourteenth of July is referred to as Le Quatorze Juillet, otherwise known as Bastille Day. This important date commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14th, 1789. In solidarity with the French, I like to prepare a special Bastille Day Menu that brings the Champs-Élysées to Chez Miskew! The... Read More
The post Bastille Day Menu: Frisée aux Lardons & Honey Fleur de Lys! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
The French refer to it as “Le Quatorze Juillet” and in the US the Fourteenth of July is known as Bastille Day which commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14th, 1789.
The Bastille was a fortress-like prison used by the King and Queen to imprison those who challenged their authority and was viewed by many as a symbol of all that was wrong with the royalty. Finally, on July 14, 1789, a large number of French citizens gathered together and stormed the Bastille. Just as citizens of the United States celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence as the beginning of the American Revolution, so the French celebrate the storming of the Bastille as the beginning of the French Revolution. Two days after the storming of the Bastille, the King officially recognized the tricolor flag; the blue, white and red said to symbolize liberty, equality and brotherhood. Festivities and official ceremonies are held all over France on Bastille Day and the oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe is held on the morning of July 14th on the Champs-Élysées.
On Bastille Day here in the US, I like to prepare a French-inspired meal that brings the Champs-Élysées to Chez Miskew! One dish we can never get enough of when we visit France is Frisée Aux Lardons, a salad that’s a mixture of frisée lettuce, bacon (aka lardons) and a poached egg with a perfectly oozy, runny center. Once the salty nuggets of bacon are browned, shallots, Sherry vinegar, olive oil and fines herbes are added to the fat in the pan to create a deliciously tangy, sinful concoction that is the perfect dressing for the hearty, bitter frisée. Once the salad is assembled, it is topped with a perfectly poached egg tiara and the result…sheer deliciousness! I love the recipe for Frisée Aux Lardons from The Balthazar Cookbook which is from one of my all-time favorite restaurants in New York City. This cookbook is a must for all Francophiles who enjoy bistro-inspired food.
Pair this decadent salad with a delightfully refreshing Sancerre like the Michele Redde Sancerre Les Tuilières and you are in for a real treat! This wine has a mouth watering acidity that stands up nicely to the richness of the bacon fat and complements the Sherry vinegar “tang” perfectly. One of our favorite Frisée Aux Lardons/Sancerre pairings was enjoyed in the beautiful lobby bar of Le Meurice hotel in Paris well after midnight after a full day of walking “The City of Lights.” We eased into the sumptuous leather chairs enjoyed our meal and planned our next trip back!
As for something sweet, I love these Honey Fleur de Lys cookies I discovered on Laura Calder’s show “French Food at Home.” They are extremely easy to make and the key is to bake the cookies until they are a rich brown color which makes them taste like the burnt sugar topping of a creme brulée just not as intensely sweet – ooh la la! I ordered a fleur de lys shaped cookie cutter from eBay and a few days later voilà – Bastille Day cookies!
I hope you enjoy these Bastille Day-inspired recipes and I’d love to hear what you think. Please let me know in the comment section below and I’d also love to know if you have any favorite French-inspired dining experience or recipes you enjoy so please do tell!
Joyeux Le Quatorze Juillet,
“Frisee Aux Lardons”
from The Balthazar Cookbook, Keith McNally, Riad Nasr & Lee Hanson
Serves 6
Ingredients
6 slices of stale brioche
4 heads of frisée, cored, rinsed, spun dry, and torn into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 pound slab bacon (rind removed), cut into 1/2-inch lardons
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons fine herbs (parsley, chervil, chives, and tarragon finally chopped together)
6 large eggs
Sea salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Trim the crusts from the bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Place on a sheet tray and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Shake the pan halfway through to toast evenly. Combine the croutons in a large bowl with the clean frisée.
Prepare the pan for poaching the eggs: Fill a wide-straight-sided saute pan with water (about two-third fulls) and add the tablespoon of vinegar. Over a medium-high flame, bring to a gentle simmer, and adjust the heat to maintain it.
In a dry skillet or saute pan over medium heat, brown the lardons well on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the minced shallots and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, to soften and lightly brown them. Without pouring off the fat, add the 1/2 cup of vinegar to the pan. Bring to a boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape any delicious bits that have caramelized on the surface of the pan. When the vinegar has reduced by half, about 3 minutes, turn off the flame. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper, and stir well to combine. Pour this warm vinaigrette with bacon into the bowl of frisée, along with the croutons and fine herbes. Toss well to combine. Divide the salad among 6 serving plates, piled into small heaps.
Crack the eggs, one at a time, into a small saucer and then slide them into the simmering water. Poach for 4 minutes, resulting in a set white and a cooked but runny yolk. With a slotted spoon, scoop out the poached eggs, one at a time, drain, and position on top of each pile of frisée. Sprinkle with crunchy sea salt (like Maldon) and a few turns of a peppermill. Serve immediately.
For those of you who haven’t decided on your Fourth of July menu, you may want to consider this exceptional, Summer-inspired Kitchen Clambake from The Barefoot Contessa. This delicious mixture of succulent lobster, shrimp, clams and hearty kielbasa has always been one of my favorite Fourth of July meals. It provides all the delightful flavors of Summer without all the... Read More
The post Fourth of July Perfect Pairing: Kitchen Clambake & Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
For those of you who haven’t decided on your Fourth of July menu, you may want to consider this exceptional, Summer-inspired dish from The Barefoot Contessa. This delicious mixture of succulent lobster, shrimp, clams and hearty kielbasa has always been one of my favorite Fourth of July meals. It provides all the delightful flavors of Summer without all the schlepping and sand of a clambake on the beach. The flavors are also beautifully enhanced by the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, which Ina recommends serving with it in her iconic “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.” The wonderful synergy between wine and dish elevates this duo to “Perfect Pairing” status!
While the ingredients can be a tad pricey, this dish compensates beautifully with its ease of preparation and quick cooking time. Once the prep work is done and the shellfish are cleaned, everything is essentially piled into one big pot and the whole thing cooks in under an hour. Also, upon the ceremonial removing of the lid, you are sure to hear some audible “oohs,” “aahs” and “oh no she didn’ts” from your guests – it definitely has a “wow” factor!
Although many people think of Châteauneuf-du-Pape as a red wine, a white wine is also produced from this region located in France’s Southern Rhone Valley. The white incarnation is a blend of some relatively obscure grape varieties including Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, Bourboulenc and Clairette. Despite their obscurity, the end result is quite lovely consisting of a medium-bodied white wine with a delightful minerality and aromatic fruit and floral notes. These wines walk the line between a Sauvignon Blanc and a Chardonnay which is why they pair so well with the clambake; the wine is rich enough to stand up to the lobster but has enough acidity to complement the lighter shellfish too. Some wonderful producers of Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc include Château La Nerthe, Château de Beaucastel, and Château Mont-Redon.
In addition to the wine, serve the Kitchen Clambake with fresh corn on the cob slathered with butter, crusty bread and mugs of the seasoned broth the seafood has cooked in. I also like to have Old Bay Seasoning on hand which is so delicious with just about any type of shellfish. For an added touch of glamour, be sure to greet your guests with our signature Fourth of July Pomegranate Aperol Royale. I hope you enjoy this pairing and have a fabulous Fourth – God Bless America!
Cheers,
“Kitchen Clambake”
from Ina Garten’s “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook”
Serves 6 to 8
1 1/2 pounds kielbasa
3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large onions)
2 cups chopped leeks, well cleaned (2 leeks, white parts only)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 pounds small potatoes (red or white)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
2 dozen steamer clams, scrubbed
2 pounds mussels, cleaned and debearded
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, in the shell
3 (1 1/2 pound) lobsters
2 cups good dry white wine (since Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc is generally pricey, don’t feel like you need to use it in the recipe – any dry, white wine you enjoy drinking will do!)
1.) Slice the kielbasa diagonally into 1-inch thick slices. Set aside. Saute the onions and leeks in the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 16 to 20 quart stockpot over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the onions start to brown.
2.) Layer the ingredients on top of the onions in the stockpot in this order: first the potatoes, salt, and pepper; then the kielbasa, little neck clams, steamer clams, mussels, shrimp, and lobsters. Pour in the white wine. Cover the pot tightly and cook over medium-high heat until steam just begins to escape from the lid, about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook another 15 minutes. The clambake should be done. Test to be sure the potatoes are tender, the lobsters are cooked, and the clams and mussels are open.
3.) Remove the lobsters to a wooden board, cut them up, and crack the claws. With large slotted spoons, remove the seafood, potatoes, and sausages to a large bowl and top with the lobsters. Season the broth in the pot to taste, and ladle over the seafood, being very careful to avoid any sand in the bottom.
The flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping and sunny days are steadily replacing the gloom of winter. Spring is upon us and one of my favorite wines to enjoy this time of year is Chablis. These wines should not be confused with the low quality, jug wine made infamous in the 1970’s. In fact, quite the contrary, authentic Chablis... Read More
The post Wines of the Week: Spring is the Perfect Time for Chablis! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
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