“If you do not have a good wine to use, it is far better to omit it, for a poor one can spoil a simple dish and utterly debase a noble one.” ~Julia Child
Suggested amounts of wine to add: Soups: 2 T per cup • Sauces: 1 T per cup • Gravies: 2 T per cup • Stews & Meats: 1/4 cup per pound • Poaching liquid for fish: 1/2 cup per quart
ULTIMATE POT ROAST
- 1 boneless beef chuck-eye or other chuck roast (3 to 4 pounds)
- 2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 2 med onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 c dry red wine (or reduced-sodium beef broth)
- 2 c reduced-sodium beef broth
- 1 lb small red potatoes, quartered
- 4 med parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 6 med carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 325°. Pat roast dry with paper towel; tie at 2-in. intervals with kitchen string. Sprinkle roast with pepper and 1-1/2 t salt. In Dutch oven, heat oil over med-high heat. Brown roast on all sides. Remove from pan.
Add onions, celery and 1/2 t salt to the pan; cook and stir over med heat 8-10 mins or until onions are browned. Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves; cook and stir 1 min longer.
Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan; stir in broth. Return roast to pan. Arrange potatoes, parsnips and carrots around roast; bring to a boil. Bake, covered, until meat is fork-tender, 2-2-1/2 hours.
Remove roast and vegetables from pan; keep warm. Discard bay leaves; skim fat from cooking juices. On stovetop, bring juices to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half (about 1-1/2 cups), 10-12 minutes. Stir in vinegar and parsley; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove string from roast. Serve with vegetables and sauce.
CROCK POT LEMON-CHICKEN SOUP
- 9 c reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 4 c shredded cooked chicken (from 1 rotisserie chicken)
- ¾ c chopped sweet onion (1 small onion)
- ¾ c thinly sliced peeled carrots (2 large carrots)
- ½ c thinly sliced celery (3 celery stalks)
- ½ c dry white wine
- 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 8 ounces uncooked orzo pasta
- ¾ c frozen English peas, thawed
- ¼ c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 T lemon zest plus ¼ cup fresh juice (from 2 lemons)
Combine broth, chicken, onion, carrots, celery, wine, and salt in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW until vegetables are tender, about 4 hours.
Increase heat to HIGH, and stir in orzo. Cover and cook until orzo is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in peas, parsley, zest, and juice.
Add heated broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to absorb between additions. Cook just until risotto is creamy and rice is almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients; cook and stir until heated through. Serve immediately.
MINI CHEESECAKES WITH WINE GELEES
- 3 T unsalted butter (melted, plus more for brushing)
- 7 whole graham crackers
- ½ cup plus 1 T sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 pinch of salt
- 10 ½ ounces log of fresh goat cheese (softened)
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons crème fraîche (5 ounces)
Wine Gelees
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
- 2 ½ T cold water
- 3 T each of orange Muscat, Pinot Noir and tawny port
- 4 t sugar
Preheat oven to 325°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut four 3-inch rounds of shirt cardboard. Brush insides of four 3″ round and 2-1/2″-deep ring molds with butter. In food processor, grind crackers with melted butter and 1 T sugar. Set the molds on baking sheet and line bottoms with cardboard rounds, trimming to fit. Pack crumbs into the molds; press to compact. Bake 10 minutes. Let cool.
With electric mixer, beat egg, yolk, salt, and remaining 1/2 c of sugar on medium until pale and fluffy, about 2 mins. Add cheese and beat until smooth. Fold in crème fraîche. Spoon into molds and smooth the tops. Bake about 30 min, until cheesecakes are just set but not browned. Let cool; refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hr.
Heat a sharp, thin-bladed knife under hot water; dry the knife. Carefully run blade around the edge of each cheesecake. Pressing up on the cardboard, ease cheesecakes out of molds; return to baking sheet. Cut four 11″x2 1/2″ strips of parchment paper. Wrap paper around the perimeter of each cheesecake to form a collar that extends 1″ above the surface; secure with tape.
In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let soften. Microwave at high power about 15 seconds or just until gelatin is melted. Put 4 wines in separate ramekins. Add 2 t sugar to rosé and Pinot Noir and microwave 20 seconds; stir to dissolve sugar. Stir 1 t melted gelatin into each of the 4 wines. Let wines stand until cooled, about 10 minutes. Pour one of the wine gelées over each cheesecake and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 20 minutes.
Remove parchment-paper collar from each cheesecake. Carefully remove cardboard bottoms and serve.