Featured Wines for May 2012

Each month, Carafe features both a Red and a White

six week wine at $10.00 OFF each 23 Litre batch.

                                                              

          Barolo

Rich and full bodied with deep juicy fruit followed by lightly toasted oak. An Italian delight - serve with saucy meat dishes 

 

 

    

        White Zinfandel

Back in time for summer. This light bodied wine features a delicate pink (blush) hue, strawberry aroma and soft fruity flavour. 

 

 

       

 

                             Recipes

 

Italian Style Chicken with Red Wine

Ingredients

4    slices of pancetta cut into strips (or bacon)

1    Spanish onion

1    whole chicken cut into pieces (leave skin on)

4    garlic cloves, minced

1    cup chicken broth

2    cups red wine

2    bay leaves

2    Tbsp fresh thyme

2    Tbsp fresh parsley

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

3   Tbsp olive oil

1   Tbsp flour

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

1   Tbsp butter

Directions

In a large pot, brown the pancetta on medium high

Remove the cooked pancetta, set aside.

Season chicken

Add olive oil to the pancetta fat, and brown the chicken well on all sides.

Add sliced onions and garlic, cook until softened

Add the cooked pancetta, salt, pepper, chicken broth, red wine, and bay leaves, thyme, and parsley.

Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.

Add the mushrooms and cook for another 30 minutes on low.

Remove the chicken, onions and mushrooms to a separate platter.

Discard bay leaves

Mix the flour and water together. Pour this into the liquid. Increase temperature to medium high, stirring constantly, cook until sauce becomes thick and coats the back of spoon.

Turn the temperature to low and add the 1 Tbsp butter.

Return the chicken and vegetables  to pot to reheat.

Plate the chicken with the sauce and garnish with parsley if desired.

 

Serve with boiled potatoes, rice, or buttered pasta

 

 

Shrimp and Scallops on the Half Shell

This elegant dish is equally appropriate as a first course or light luncheon.

 

4       scallop shells (or oven proof ramekins)

1/2    pound medium shrimp

1/2    pound bay scallops

3 1/2 Tbsp white wine

2/3    tsp unsalted butter

1/3    cup thinly sliced small mushrooms

1 1/3 Tbsp flour

1/3    cup milk

3 1/2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

3 1/2 Tbsp bread crumbs

 

Wash scallop shells or butter ramekins and place on cookie sheet. Preheat broiler.

 

Peel and devein shrimp, then coarsely chop. Quarter bay scallops. In  a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine shellfish and wine and heat until bubbling. Stirring constantly, cook until scallops are opaque and shrimp are pink. Drain and reserve cooking wine. Set scallops and shrimp aside.

In the same pan, heat butter over medium heat and sautee mushrooms until they begin to exude moisture. If mixture gets to dry and begins to stick, add a small amount of reserved cooking wine. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes.

Add milk in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a whisk. Sauce should thicken immediately. If it doesn't continue to cook over medium heat, stirring, until it is the consistency of heavy cream. Add Parmesean, scallops and shrimp and remove from heat.

Spoon an equal amount of seafood mixture into each scallop shell. Top with bread crumbs and broil until lightly browned and bubbling (3 to 5 minutes). Serve hot.