Fifty-sixth Post ~ Wine Feature: Blueberry Chambourcin Port Dinner

I arrived home on Sunday travel-weary (yet brimming with memories!) from our 16-day Alaskan adventure. Marked on my calendar, where it had been firmly planted for three months, were the words "PORT FEST".

I had gotten my hands on a unique vintage - a bottle of blueberry chambourcin port - from Vetter Vineyards about a year ago. Fellow foodie and wine connoisseur Meg and I decided that if we were going to do justice to a bottle (or even part of a bottle!) of port, we'd have to plan this right. So plan we did. Here's the menu:

BEVERAGES

~ Blueberry Chambourcin Port

~ Ice water

APPETIZER

~ Hickory-smoked almonds (Wegmans - way cheaper than Blue Diamond, and just as yummy!)

~ Imported French chocolate (via Japan and my friend Nozomi!)

~ Stilton (a classic, right?)

ENTRÉE

~ Pork medallions ladened with blueberry chutney (home-made by Meg's awesome mom!)

~ Steamed broccoli florets (what, we can't be healthy about this?)

DESSERT

~ Meg's outstanding blueberry cobbler

Here's how to pull it all together so that you can enjoy many hours of dining, dishing and drinking!

Make sure the port has had at least 24 hours out of the wine rack standing upright to allow sediments to, well, settle. Chill for about 15 minutes before pouring.

Have the cheese, almonds, chocolate and water ready on the table.

Know your limitations: Meg handled the baking. Period. Although she did assure me that this was a user-friendly recipe, I gladly stepped aside and readied the entrée while she handled getting dessert in the oven:

Put either stick-free foil on the pan or a little olive oil. Slice pork into inch-thick medallions. We had two each. Spoon some blueberry chutney (or another fruit chutney or even jam) over the pork. Pop in a 350-degree oven/toaster oven for about fifteen minutes.

This chutney was sweet and had a little zip, either from cardamom or chili powder, or possibly both. Meg's mom - care to weigh in? In any case, this chutney stood alone without any need for additional spices. If you're using jam, consider grating a little nutmeg over the top or adding a spring of a fresh herb like rosemary or thyme and a hint of black pepper.

While the pork is cooking and the cobbler is baking, sit and enjoy the appetizer and your first tasting of port. Vetter's port went wonderfully with the appetizer - the chocolate brought out the velvety texture of the wine, and the stilton and smoked almonds highlighted its intense berry tones. The wine is intense without being too heady - the bouquet is as delicious as the flavor, and it warms you at the first sip without that dizzying effect one can experience with too bold a drink. At 18%, it's also slightly lighter than most other ports I've encountered, which, in my opinion, makes it a more enjoyable beverage. A fine start!

During the last few minutes your pork is in, steam the broccoli in the microwave for three minutes or until desired doneness. The easiest method is to put the broccoli in a bowl with a tablespoon of water and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Try very hard not to burn yourself on the escaping steam when it's done.

Serve the pork with lightly buttered and salted broccoli. The port complemented the pork beautifully! Even though port is typically reserved as an after-dinner drink, this ruby port was fruity and approachable with bright characteristics. This made it a wonderful mirror to the entrée.

Enjoy some photos, some girl talk, nibble on some more chocolate, and then enjoy the cobbler. Here is a link to this recipe that Meg found (and masterfully executed, I might add)! The blueberry-stained copy she gave me will reside in my cookbook forever! The cobbler's sweetness gave the port a bit of a refreshing snap to it - but it wasn't at all clashing. It was a perfect dessert for this (typically) dessert wine!

A fine meal, fine wine, and the best ingredient of all, fine companionship!

Yours in the love of good food, wine and camaraderie,

AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Forty-fifth Post ~ Maple Rosemary Salmon

Perhaps it's the fact that I'm going to Alaska in 91 days (but who's counting). Perhaps it's the fact that Panera just started a new line of salmon dishes and I'm smacked in the face with 5-foot tall salmon billboards every time I drive past one. Perhaps it's the fact that I just plain love salmon. For whatever reason, tonight's meal happens to be a salmon fillet.

I went to Wegmans tonight after the seafood shop was closed. I found salmon fillets from Canada packaged in twos. I only wanted one. I happened to see one of the guys who works the seafood shop passing by, so I asked him if it would be okay to freeze one of the fillets.

:: PAUSE ::

This is the reason I love Wegman's. They will happily cheat themselves out of a larger sale in the name of good food. Customers know that they're not going to get taken to the cleaners - food is too important to these people.

:: UNPAUSE ::

So the guy's eyes widened for a split second in horror, and then he cringed. "Weeeeell... I guess you could... How 'bout I just package one of these up for you?"

Sold. So I left with a 6 oz. farm-raised salmon fillet from Canada.

I was in the mood for an easy meal, so I bought some "Take It" (rather than "Make it") Wegman's vegetables. Although they were yummy, I must say it was a rather pointless purchase, as I was more than satisfied with this generous salmon fillet and glass of wine. Here's what you'll need to make tonight's salmon:

~ Salmon fillet (preferably skin-off - this fillet came pre-skinned; if it's not, you can usually ask the fish seller to do it for you)

~ Maple syrup (the real stuff -mine's from a NYS maple syrup artisan who makes probably the best bottles of this liquid gold that you can get anywhere in this world.

~ Powdered ginger

~ One sprig rosemary

~ Salt (to taste)

~ Sweet white wine

~ Olive oil

:: PAUSE AGAIN ::

It is my opinion that most restaurants over-cook fish; salmon in particular. Now, I know I love sushi, but I'm not expecting my fish to come out raw - but I'm not expecting it to be dry and "fishy" tasting, either. The way I'm going to suggest cooking salmon takes some time, but it's worth it. And it's a pretty -hands-off technique - aside from flipping it once, there's not much to do but let it cook on very low heat. Cooking salmon this way will create a tender, moist, flavorful piece of fish that is not at all "fishy." I think most people who say they don't like salmon have had it where it's overcooked and too strong tasting.

:: UNPAUSE ::

So prep your pan by rubbing it down with the olive oil. Start the pan heating. Unwrap the salmon, and cover all sides of it generously with maple syrup. Place it skinned-side down in the pan. Sprinkle some ginger over the top of it and press a sprig of rosemary into the top. Let it cook on very low heat until it is cooked halfway up. Carefully turn it over. Continue to cook on very low heat until the edges are a beautiful "salmon pink" and the very, very center is a shade darker. Turn it one more time and add a very small amount of sweet white wine (I'm talking 1-2 tablespoons, here) and let it gently simmer. Turn off the heat while you get your side on the plate and your wine poured.

I paired tonight's dinner with Vetter Vineyard's Victorian Chautauqua - one of my long-time favorites. It's sweet without being cloyingly so, and it compliments the maple syrup in tonight's meal. Usually, I pair salmon with a red wine, but this recipe makes the salmon so light and mild, it's overshadowed by a red. A nice light sweet white brings out all the flavor you'll need.

Here's to an easy supper!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.