Shrimp and cheese? You bet. The cheese in this is an amazing mild Dutch (“Dorothea Potato Chip Goat cheese“) that incorporates potato, onion and herbs into the finished product. We found it at Westborn Market in Berkley, and it’s worth searching for.
We prepared this as one of the Winter Comfort Foods for a recent Chef’s Night menu and it’s been featured in a photo gallery by The Hungry Dude’s Joe Hakim, a Photo Gallery on the Rogue Estate Facebook and an article in Real Detroit Weekly. Enjoy!
Shrimp Gratin Appetizer (Yields 4 small 4 oz. ramekins)
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
1.5 – 2 cups half & half, heated
6 oz. grated Dorothea Potato Chip Goat cheese
24 (31-45 count) raw shrimp peeled and deveined, thawed, tails removed
3 scallions finely sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
dash white pepper
dash nutmeg
dash salt
2-3 oz. grated Raclette cheese
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1.5 tbsp Virgin Olive Oil
pinch paprika
pinch dried thyme
pinch of salt
Flat-leaf parsley (for garnish)
1) Make Mornay (cheese sauce)
Combine flour and butter over medium heat, simmer while stirring until raw flour smell goes away (10 minutes). Add 1.5 cups half & half and stir until thickened, lower heat (if too thick, add more half & half). Add grated Goat cheese, stir to combine.
2) Assemble
Add shrimp to cheese sauce, and simmer on lowest heat for only 1-2 minutes. Spoon into mixing bowl; add scallions, garlic, pepper, nutmeg and salt to taste, stir. Spoon gratin into into 4 small ramekins, making sure each contains 6 shrimp. Make crumb topping: stir together Panko, oil, paprika, thyme, and salt. Top each ramekin with 1/4 of the Raclette and crumb topping.
3) Bake
Bake ramekins at 350°F for 10 minutes until golden on top. Remove, let cool slightly, garnish with parsley.
Pairs very well with a chilled Alsatian or Oregon Pinot Gris.
(The Bottle In Front Of Me is a series of regular, brief tasting notes from the Rogue Estate’s resident wine guy, Ian.)
Que Syrah, Syrah…
Lost Canyon Syrah had such promise.
I recall several years ago when Syrah came to the attention of Cab drinkers as both an exotic being heavily marketed by Australia (AKA Shiraz) and as a funky Californian upstart (Syrah). It’s always been a capable blending grape, good for adding some ripe dark fruit and syrupy mouthfeel to its sometimes more austere vinifera cousins. On its own, it yields a relatively simple but potentially very deep crowd-pleaser.
The battle continues, Cali VS Aussie, MegaCorp VS rebel producer, to this day. I have few preconceived notions about the grape, or the wine it gives up. In my experience it’s good with meat, sweet, and smoke. BBQ AKA the barbie.
But I was sad to hear that we lost Lost Canyon (in its original incarnation) as a contender.
2007 Lost Canyon Russian River Syrah (About $15)
Learn more about the winery: http://www.princeofpinot.com/winery/205/
Learn more about the bottle in front of me: http://buyingguide.winemag.com/catalog/lost-canyon-2007-trenton-station-vineyard-syrah-russian-river-valley
SEE: Dark, deep brilliant red through and through
SWIRL: A nice heavy coating of the glass, with quick, striking legs
SMELL: Rich blackberry and black cherry fruit, leaves, leather, vanilla, plums, and even smoked bacon, heat from the alcohol.
SIP: Tart and tannic, black fruits, and vanilla from fairly new oak
SAVOR: Chewy/meaty but not as syrupy as more common new world versions
Final impression: All The classic brambly fruit notes, a bit tight, rough and young. Yet it’s as good as any Syrah I’ve had at the price and a nicer alternative to cheap Aussie Shiraz. Next week I plan to test a comparable Barossa Valley Shiraz to compare.
Pair with: BBQ with sauce, or any meats with grilled onions.
Jan 07
Brining for you
Bob likes to explore local markets and buy things he’s never tasted or even heard of, all in the name of science.
It’s been a banner season for exciting new vendors to Detroit’s Eastern Market: The Brinery from Ann Arbor is as much to the sour end of the scale as Slow Jams is to sweet. Brine-master Dave has honed naturally fermented pickle perfection from an alluring array of Michigan-centric ingredients that are sure to please many a mouth. (Aside: I should get an award for that awesome alliteration.)
The first thing most eaters know of fermented foodstuffs, even if they don’t realize it is Kimchi. Surprise, gang – Kimchi is rotted cabbage, hot peppers and when you’re eating the hard core authentic stuff, anchovies or oysters. The Brinery currently offers two varieties of Kimchi, one with the fish and one without, however the ‘with’ is being phased out, since the fermented fish is a difficult ingredient to source as locally grown/produced.
I’ve been cleaning a jar of ‘with’ since I met Dave a few weeks ago. The Kimchi is tart, with the right heat level to warm the mouth without an obnoxious after-burn. (I’m not a hot head, despite my collection of chile pepper based sauces and ingredients) The texture an ideal ratio of crunch to squish and as you can see in the photo, the color is a beautiful fiery orange that can really play a great contrast to many dishes for you plate artists.
Full disclosure: my grandparents tell me I’ve more polish heritage than anything else. To that end, I’ve been eating and enjoying sauerkraut my whole life. I approached Storm Cloud Zapper with the highest scrutiny.
As with all of The Brinery‘s products, this european take on rotted cabbage is naturally fermented and naturally colored with all Michigan sourced ingredients. (Dave takes “Made in Michigan” VERY seriously.)
This kraut lives up to it’s label. It’s bright, tart flavors, excellent texture and the striking purple made this my immediate go-to kraut for any meal. This is how kraut should be. If you’ve traditionally disliked the stuff, swing by The Brinery booth and give it another try, because this is the one that can sway you.
Last on this week’s review is a jar of pickles. Detroit, the McClure brothers didn’t invent pickling. It’s time you knew. In this particular jar The Brinery saw fit to naturally ferment Michigan carrots, garlic and hot peppers.
The result: WOW. A full on frontal assault against the ho-hum of the average dill pickle. The pleasing snap and subtle sweetness of a good winter carrot coupled with an undeniable tang of fermentation, matched with a garlic and pepper heat that will definitely put a little sweat on the brows of milder mouths while keeping the hot heads happy as well. This jar was the first to empty.
Like all of The Brinery‘s products, the presentation worthiness of this pickle is top shelf. The three beauties pictured in this article are indicative of Dave’s entire product line: everything looks as good as it tastes and tastes as good as it looks.
Find The Brinery products at Detroit’s Eastern Market, Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market and various groceries in Ann Arbor and beyond. See their Web and Facebook pages for more info.
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(The Bottle In Front Of Me is a series of regular, brief tasting notes from the Rogue Estate’s resident wine guy, Ian.)
The stiff upper lip.
Imagine an Italian immigrant living in New York during prohibition, buying grapes from California to make wine in his basement. From these passionate beginnings we finally arrive at a flagship French-inspired wine favored by the British early in the 20th century.
Kind of make you dizzy, doesn’t it? But the wine in question stands on its own, albeit supported by a sinfully large marketing budget. It’s a strong wine, but reserved – an even blend between old and new world style. It’s a serious step above plonk, relatively risk-free, and wisely priced for the nervous buyer (plus, wrapped in a gold wire net!). That being said, the Coppola Claret will never give you that funky, unique love-it-or-hate-it “Wow” factor, but it’s a great doorway into better class of wine for a lot of curious drinkers.
2009 Coppola Claret (About $17)
Learn more about the winery: http://www.franciscoppolawinery.com/
Learn more about the bottle in front of me: http://ffcp.s3.amazonaws.com/fcw/wine/diamond/claret/09_DiaClaret_FS.pdf
SEE: Rich deep ruby, fading to a slight rose at the rim.
SWIRL: A medium body coats the glass with prominent legs.
SMELL: A tight nose at first. As the alcohol burns off, aromas of wood, leather, plums and a hint of salted licorice. There are familiar Cabernet scents but in a more reserved style than California usually delivers.
SIP: Quiet blackberry and cassis slowly open to reveal faint woody spices. Coriander, allspice, clove and orange peel in careful amounts.
SAVOR: A moderately long finish adds bitter vanilla, and faint tobacco smoke. As the wine opens caramel, apple skins, and even Concord grapes emerge.
Final impression: This Claret take a long time before you can even think about unbuttoning its blouse. Patience and attention pays with a balanced and very nuanced flavor. Dependable.
Pair with: Nice with the Sunday roast, stews, and most British versions of French winter classics.
Dec 21
TBIFOM #03: A Nice Mix
(The Bottle In Front Of Me is a series of regular, brief tasting notes from the Rogue Estate’s resident wine guy, Ian.)
A nice mix.
Almost everyone I know approaches new music the same way: we get on kicks where we find a new band, or a new sound that fascinates us. We learn as much as we can and sample any and all releases that are related. I tend to approach wines the same way. When I’m not matching a particular dish, I tend to explore wines from a single region, varietal or style until I get bored enough to seek out the next thing.
Earlier this Fall I was on a Rhône valley kick.
This region in the southeast of France (just north of Provence) is known for the diversity of its grape varieties which are blended in a bunch of different ways to make Côtes du Rhône, Côtes Rôtie, Crozes Hermitage, Gigondas, Châteauneuf du Pape and a whole lot more. Most Côtes du Rhône makers mix Grenache with Syrah and Carignan or Mourvèdre to yield easy drinking, food-friendly wines with lots of herbal and spice notes. They are not built to age the way Bordeauxs and Burgundies are, but most will improve with several years in the bottle.
2008 Domaine Sainte-Anne Côtes du Rhône Villages (About $16)
Learn more about the winery: http://www.chateauneuf.dk/gervais/en/geren4.htm
Learn more about the bottle in front of me: Link not available, but George over at Gang of pour has liked this one in the past. http://blogs.gangofpour.com/2007-domaine-sainte-anne
SEE: A beautiful bright medium red, turning slightly rosy at the edge.
SWIRL: The wine coats the glass nicely, with tiny, evenly spaced legs.
SMELL: Right out of the bottle, this is tight, with a nose of red berries and citrus/grapefruit. It opens to reveal holiday spices, dried fruits, cedar, and a forest full of woody herbs.
SIP: Tannic, tart and warm on the tongue, with cranberry and a touch of bitter orange.
SAVOR: With time in the glass and a suitable meal, the flavors deepen and soften, ending in a moderately long cocoa finish.
Final impression: A nice, balanced southern Rhône, with the complex spice flavors and aromas typical of the region. Classic old world French (built for food).
Pair with: Quite nice with grilled lamb loin chops and roasted herbed potatoes. It might possibly pair better with a Christmas goose, with roasted garlic or braised leeks.
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