Bacalao​ served with croutons

paired with 2021 Rosato

Ingredients: serves 2

3/4 lb. salt cod fish
1/4 yellow onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 c. sherry wine
1 russet potato, peeled and cut
7 dried nora peppers (reconstituted) or 1 red bell pepper
1/2 C. heavy cream
1/4 C. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

  • Soak the cod overnight in cold water, changing the water a couple of times.

  • Preheat oven to 375°

  • Remove the fish from the water and clean away any bone or skin.

  • In a separate pot, place the potato and cover with cold water, simmer until the potato gets soft and drain placing through a potato ricer or mash it lightly.

  • In a medium sized tagine, put the cleaned fish, chopped onion, garlic, leek, bay leaf, peppers, olive oil and sherry wine. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.

  • Heat the cream together with the butter in a separate pot until the butter is melted.

  • Combine the fish mixture with the potato, cream and butter mixture, add more olive oil and mix well using a rubber spatula or spoon. Place in an iron skillet and broil for additional 5 minutes or until top gets golden.

  • Serve with Croutons.

Bistecca Fiorentina WITH SALSA VERDE

PAIRED WITH 2019 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Ingredients: Serves 4

Meat:
1Kg T-Bone Steak, At Room Temperature 
Sea Salt And Freshly Cracked Black Pepper 
4 Rosemary Sprigs
Olive Oil 

Salsa Verde:‍
1 Cup Parsley Leaves 
1 Cup Chervil Fronds 
¼ Cup Tarragon Leaves 
¼ Cup Oregano Leaves
¼ Cup Chives, Chopped
2 Small Garlic Cloves 
1 Tbsp Lemon Zest, Finely Grated
½ Cup Olive Oil
Sea Salt And Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Preparation

  • To make salsa verde, place parsley, chervil, tarragon, oregano, chives, garlic, and lemon zest in a food processor and process until finely chopped, then add oil, salt and pepper. Process until combined.

  • Preheat barbecue to high heat, season steaks generously with salt and pepper. Grill for 6-8 minutes turning occasionally until charred all over. 

  • Reduce heat to low, balancing steak on its base so only the bone is making contact with the grill plate, continue to cook for 2 minutes until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of steaks reads 40°C. Transfer steak to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes. Increase heat back to high. 

  • Cut meat from bones. Keep warm. Return bones to grill and cook turning often, until crisped and well charred, about 5 minutes.

  • Cut meat to 2cm slices and transfer to a platter. Dip rosemary in olive oil and brush over steaks, sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with bones and salsa verde alongside. 

Pasta Alla Norma

PAIRED WITH 2018 VALPO

Ingredients: Serves 6

3 Japanese eggplants, (sliced into 1/3 inch half moons)

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, (divided)

1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons, (divided)

3 garlic cloves, (smashed and peeled)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 28-ounce can chopped san marzano tomatoes, or 2.2 lb jar whole San Marzano tomatoes*

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound short tube pasta, such as Elicoidali, Mezze Millerighe or Rigatoni Rigate

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/2 cup torn basil leaves, (from 2 stems)

1 cup coarsely grated ricotta salata


Preparation

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

  • Place the eggplant in a colander and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Allow the eggplant to sit for 15 minutes. Spread the eggplant on a clean kitchen towel and ring out any excess moisture. Spread the dry eggplant on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 1/4 cup olive oil and roast, stirring halfway through, until the eggplant is tender and browning in spots, about 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside.

  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat. To the hot pan add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the red pepper flakes followed by the tomatoes, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the oregano. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the boiling water generously with salt and add the pasta. Cook the pasta for 1 minute less than package directions about 11 minutes. Using a pasta spider or strainer, scoop the pasta directly from the water into the tomato sauce. Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to the pan. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese directly on the bare pasta. Toss well to coat. Simmer the pasta in the sauce over medium heat until al dente adding another 1/4 cup of pasta water if needed. This will take another 2 to 3 minutes. Toss in the roasted eggplant and the basil. Serve sprinkled with grated ricotta salata and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.

  • *Cook',s Note: If using the 2.2 lb jar of San Marzano tomatoes, break them up by hand in a bowl before cooking, or add them straight to the pan and use scissors to cut them up. Add 1/4 teaspoon extra salt to the recipe, if using, and taste to adjust seasoning if necessary.

Porchetta Pork Roast

PAIRED WITH 2015 VALPORONE

Ingredients: Serves 8-10

  • 1 (7- to 8-pound) bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder roast, or a 6- to 7-pound boneless roast, fat trimmed to ¼-inch thickness

  • ¼cup chopped fennel fronds

  • ¼cup chopped fresh rosemary

  • 2teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

  • 5garlic cloves, grated or mashed to a paste

  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

  • 1½tablespoons kosher salt

  • 1teaspoon fennel seed

  • ¾teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • ½teaspoon black pepper

  • ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

  • Score skin and fat all over pork, taking care not to cut down to the meat.

  • In a food processor or mortar and pestle, combine fennel fronds, rosemary, sage, garlic, lemon zest, salt, fennel seed, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Pour in oil. Pulse or mash until it forms a paste. Rub all over pork. If using a boneless roast, tie with kitchen string at 2-inch intervals. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.

  • Remove pork from refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before you want to cook it. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Transfer pork to a rimmed baking sheet and roast 35 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and cook an additional 2 hours 45 minutes to 4 hours, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 180 degrees, which will give you sliceable, tender meat. (Bone-in roasts will take longer than boneless ones.)

  • Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Make sure everyone gets some of the cracklings.

Tarte Tatin

PAIRED WITH RETICO DESSERT WINE

Ingredients: Serves 8

  • 6 to 8 large, firm-fleshed apples, preferably Braeburn, or use a mix of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith

  • 6 tablespoons/80 grams salted butter, very soft

  • ⅔ cup or 135 grams granulated or light brown sugar

  • 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry, about 8 ounces (store-bought is fine)

Preparation

  • At least one day before you plan to cook the tart, prepare the apples: Slice off the bottom of each apple so it has a flat base. Peel and quarter the apples. Use a small sharp knife to trim the hard cores and seeds from the center of each quarter; don’t worry about being too neat. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, lightly covered, for at least one day or up to three days. (This key step reduces the amount of liquid in the tart. Don’t worry if the apples turn brown; they will be browned during the cooking anyway.)

  • When ready to cook, heat oven to 375 degrees (or 350 if using convection). Thickly coat the bottom of a 10-inch heavy ovenproof skillet, preferably nonstick metal, with butter. Sprinkle sugar evenly on top.

  • Cut one piece of apple into a thick round disk and place in the center of the skillet to serve as the “button.” Arrange the remaining apple pieces, each one standing on its flat end, in concentric circles around the button. Keep the pieces close together so that they support one another, standing upright. They will look like the petals of a flower.

  • On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry about ⅛-inch thick. Place an upside-down bowl or pan on the pastry and use the tip of a sharp knife to cut out a circle about the same size as the top of your skillet. Lift out the circle and drape gently over the apples. Use your hands to tuck the pastry around the apple pieces, hugging them together firmly.

  • Place the skillet on the stovetop over medium heat until golden-brown juice begins to bubble around the edges, 3 minutes (if the juices keep rising, spoon out as needed to remain level with pastry). If necessary, raise the heat so that the juices are at a boil. Keep cooking until the juices are turning darker brown and smell caramelized, no longer than 10 minutes more.

  • Transfer skillet to the oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes, until puff pastry is browned and firm.

  • Let cool 5 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a round serving plate. (Or, if not serving immediately, let cool completely in the pan; when ready to serve, rewarm for 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven before turning out.) If any apples remain stuck in the pan, gently use your fingers or a spatula to retrieve them, and rearrange on the pastry shell. Cut in wedges and serve warm with heavy cream, crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.