Anne Amie Vineyards, Carlton Oregon

It's Muller Time

A couple weeks ago we were excited to host Arkansas' beautiful Capital Hotel Sous Chef Travis McConnell and his lovely wife Carla at the winery for lunch. If you've been following the blog, you'll remember that Thomas spent time there earlier this year for a charity dinner featuring the cuisine of Emeril Lagasse paired with wines from several wineries.

This was a chance for us to show off our culinary skills with a Thomas Houseman original. 

What prompted this dish was a recent visit from journalist Liza Zimmerman and her good friend (and now ours!) Victor from the Ritz-Carlton in Miami pictured above with Thomas, Liza and Business Operations Director, Tim Lamers.

Serves 2

Victor’s Snapper

 

Victor of the Miami Ritz Carlton inspired this recipe.  Victor visited recently and got me thinking of growing up in Florida.  I remember the fishing boats coming in loaded with fresh snapper from the Gulf of Mexico.  His visit also brought up memories of plucking kumquats off our bush and popping them into my mouth, also of eating fresh avocado like apples.  This is my interpretation.  It fuses the tastes of my childhood fused with my love for grilling.  When I was in New Zealand I found excuses to grill almost every night.  I believe everything tastes better if cooked outdoors- from potatoes to pizza.  This also utilizes the philosophy of drinking the wine with the dish that is also the same wine the food is marinated in.  Not the actual marinate, mind you, but the same wine.  Since the wine marinade is low pH it undergoes a partial enzymatic “cooking”  of the fish before being seared in a hot cast-iron skillet to lock in the flavors! YUM!

 

2 medium-sized red snapper fillets

1 cup 2007 Anne Amie Muller Thurgau

2 tbs sweet chili sauce

2 garlic cloves

4 kumquats, seeded and cut into strips

1tlbs + tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 pinch sel de mer

1tsp fresh Mexican tarragon (French tarragon will do)

 

Put fillets in a medium sized stainless steel mixing bowl. Put all ingredients in the bowl over the fillets with exception of the 1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil.   Heat bbq to 425-450.  Put an 8-inch cast iron skillet in with 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil to pre –heat until oil glistens (bout 5 min.). When skillet is hot put fillets and marinade in skillet.  Cover.  Cook 3-5 minutes until flesh is cooked throughout, but moist.  Drink with remaining Muller Thurgau.

 

Pictured below from left is viticulturist Jason Tosch, Travis and Carla, winemaker Thomas Houseman and associate winemakers Andy Gribskov and Tammie Crawford.

 

With summer finally here, now is the perfect time for you to create your own recipe using our 2007 Muller Thurgau!

Enjoy!

Kim

A Visit with Appellation America's Alan Goldfarb

Last week, journalist Alan Goldfarb from Appellation America and friends descended upon the Willamette Valley and stopped in to have a nice lunch with us.  Pictured above is winemaker Thomas Houseman and me with Alan, Carl & Scott (l to r).  This was their 11th annual wine country tour together and we were honored to be a part of it!

Chanterelle Bread Pudding

Here in wine country we usually think of grapes when it comes to harvest season, but in Oregon it also means something else – mushrooms. Oregon is rich is earthy flavored things from pinot noir, truffles to mushrooms. Among the incredibly wide range of mushrooms available here, the chanterelle is among the finest and most sought after. This bread pudding works wonderfully as a main course or side dish in a more dramatic meal. This dish is perfect with our Winemaker’s Selection Pinot Noir.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups cleaned and sliced chanterelle mushrooms

1 medium diced onion

6 stalks sliced celery (thin but not too thin)

5 cloves garlic – minced

5 cups cubed, crusty rustic bread a day or two old

2 tablespoons minced fresh sage

2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 cups cream

1 cup milk

3 eggs

2 egg yolks

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat oil in large sauté pan and sauté gently for two minutes; add celery and sauté for two more minutes. Add garlic and toss for one minute and remove from heat.

In a large bowl, bread cubes, chopped herbs, salt and pepper then mix in the mushroom mixture and set aside.

Butter a baking dish.

Wisk the cream, milk, eggs and egg yolks in a bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the bread mixture and mix gently, but completely.  Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and push down gently.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes, but do not overcook so as not to dry out the egg custard.

Serves 6 as a main course or 12 as a side dish.