Napa Valley Crab Cakes with
Casa Nuestra’s 2009 Chenin Blanc, Old Vines, St. Helena Estate

By Chef Jon Wynarchuk

Makes four servings:

2 large eggs
½ cup real mayonnaise
1 cup Panko bread crumbs (Japanese seasoned bread crumbs)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
½ the juice of a fresh squeezed lemon (to taste)
½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 shallot minced
1 stalk of celery fined chopped
1/4 red bell pepper finely chopped
Dash of Tabasco (to taste)
4 ounces of sweet butter for frying
1 pound of fresh lump crabmeat (pressed and drained)
Kosher Salt and White Pepper (to taste).

You can add whole wheat bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes as a binder (remove crust from bread) for a more dense cake.

• Combine all wet ingredients including eggs, whisk together to combine.
• Add lightly sautéed chopped and minced vegetables, with Old Bay seasoning.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Combine Panko Bread Crumbs and Whole Wheat Bread (optional). The mixture should loose.
• Carefully fold in the fresh lump crabmeat.
• Form four equally sized cakes. Cakes should be loose but not falling apart. If necessary, adjust firmest with additional Panko bread crumbs. Do not overwork the cake.
• Preheat a sauté pan on medium heat. Add butter and fry the cakes until golden brown on both sides, approximately three minutes a side, making sure cake is cooked through.

Serve over a small portion of fresh baby field greens with a light citrus viragerette, using rice wine vinegar. Garnish with a, spicy remoulade or your favorite tartar sauce topped with a large caperberry. Enjoy with a big glass of Casa Nuestra’s 2009 Dry Chenin Blanc!

Braised Lamb in Casa Nuestra Cabernet Franc with Currents and Dried Plums
(six dinner portions)

Chef Jon Wynarchuk

Ingredients:
2 ½ lbs of Lamb Leg or Shoulder cut into four large pieces
Kosher Salt and freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste
2 tbsp – Olive Oil
2 tsp – fresh garlic, chopped
1 ½ cup – white onion, chopped
1 cup – carrots, chopped
1/3 cup – all-purpose flour
2 springs of fresh Thyme, leaves removed from stems
1 bottle of Casa Nuestra Winery – Cabernet Franc
¾ cup – tomato puree
2 quarts – brown chicken stock (or water)
10 each dried Plums, pits removed
½ cup dried currents
1 tbsp butter, cold and cubed
1 tsp lemon zest, finely chopped
2 tsp parsley, chopped (reverse one tsp for garnish)

Procedure:

• Season the meat with salt and pepper on all sides.
• Heat a large braiser or sauté pan over high heat. Add the olive oil until hot.
Add the pieces of lamb and sauté until browned very well on all sides, about 5 minutes. Do not overcrowd. Repeat until all lamb is browned. Remove lamb and set aside.
• Add all of the vegetables to the same pan and lightly sauté until softened.
• Sprinkle flour on the vegetables. Stir until flour is absorbed.
• Return all the lamb to the pan, add the Thyme, Casa Nuestra Cabernet Franc, tomato puree, chicken stock, plums and currents. Bring to a boil.
• Simmer covered on the stovetop over low heat for about 1-½ hours or until lamb is fork tender.
• Transfer the lamb, vegetables, plums and currents to a serving platter and keep warm.
• Over high heat reduce the braising liquid by half.
• Add the cold butter, lemon zest and parsley to the pan and gently swirl the pan to melt the butter and combine the ingredients.
• Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour the sauce over the warmed lamb mixture and serve over egg noodles, lemon zest smashed potatoes or Gorgonzola polenta.

Osso Buco a la Romagna, by Jon Wynarchuk
pair with 2007 Tinto St. Helena

Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
4 (1 ½ in thick) veal shanks, about 12 ounces each.
3 teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup finely chopped pancetta or prociutto
1 ½ cups chopped onions
¾ cup chopped celery
¾ chopped carrots
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
2 bay leaves
4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 ¼ cup red wine (Casa Nuestra Tinto St. Helena, of course!)
1 cup peeled and seeded chopped tomatoes
3 cups beef stock or canned low-sodium beef broth
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Polenta or risotto, for serving
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan, for serving

Place oil in a Dutch oven and heat over high heat. While the oil is heating, season the shanks with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and ¾ teaspoons of the pepper and dredge in flour to coat. Shake to remove any excess flour. When the oil is almost smoking, add the shanks and cook until well browned on both sides, about four minutes per side. Transfer the shanks to a plate and set aside. Add the pancetta, onions, celery, and carrots to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned around the edges, about 4 minutes.

Add the garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, remaining salt, and remaining pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the Tinto St. Helena Wine to the pan and stir to continue. Add tomatoes and beef stock and return the shanks to the pan. Bring the cooking liquid to a broil, cover the Dutch oven, reduce the heat to medium low and cook, covered, for 2 ½ to 3 hours, or until the shanks are very tender and beginning to fall away from the bones.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer to a latter and cover with foil to keep warm. Skim as much of any accumulated fat from the surface of the cooking of the cooking liquid as possible. Stir in the parsley into the Dutch oven and continue to cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes longer. Serve the shanks with polenta or risotto, drizzling the sauce over the shanks. Garnish with the grated Parmesan.  Salud!

Grilled Pork Chops with Pancetta & Forest Mushrooms in Tinto St. Helena Sauce
by a very special Club Member, Chef Ryan Hicks – Serves 2

2 pork rib chops, 8-10oz each
Marinade
1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup Tinto St. Helena, or other dry red wine
2 tbsp olive oil, roasted garlic oil is nice too!!
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp fresh chopped oregano, 1tsp dried
2 tsp fresh chopped tarragon, 1tsp dried
1 garlic clove, smashed
Salt
Pepper
 
In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Put chops in a glass dish or Ziploc bag and pour marinade over. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or so.
 
Sauce (prepare during marinade)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 oz pancetta (bacon is a substitute)
1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
1 leek, white only, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped, seeded tomatoes
1-cup Tinto St. Helena, or other dry red wine
2 cups beef, veal or chicken stock
2 tbsp cold butter
Salt
Pepper
 
In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add pancetta and sauté for a few minutes until crispy. Add the onion, leek and tomatoes and sauté until the onions are soft. Add 3/4 cup of the wine. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by half. Add the stock and cook till you get a sauce like consistency. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of wine and stir well. Remove from heat and stir in cold butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.
 
Mushrooms
1 cup mushrooms, whatever you can get your hands on; variety makes for better tasting and interesting dish.
3-4 tbsp olive oil (if you have grape seed oil, I recommend using it as it has a higher smoke point)
 
In pan heat oil until it’s almost smoking. Put mushrooms in pan and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
**Remove the chops from the marinade and pat dry. Grill, flipping once till internal temperature reaches 130-135 degrees. Let meat rest for 5 minutes before serving.  To plate up, pool sauce on plate and place chop on top. Top with mushrooms. And of course, pair up with a glass of Tinto St. Helena. Cheers!!

Chef Ryan Hicks

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