Saturday, Sep. 01, 2001

A pair of point blanc pairings

By Eric Degerman

Northwest chefs pair dishes with Amity Vineyards Pinot Blanc

Amity Vineyards Pinot Blanc

Each issue, Wine Press Northwest sends a bottle of Northwest wine to two chefs and asks them to match a recipe to it. This issue's wine is the 2000 Amity Vineyards Willamette Valley pinot blanc, which retails for $12.

Amity's Myron Redford is a big pinot blanc fan. And that's the "real" pinot blanc, he points out in the winery's latest newsletter.

It seems that for about three decades, California wineries that ordered pinot blanc vines got melon, a white wine grape with a similar leaf shape. So they still call it pinot blanc in California, even though it isn't. But in Oregon, if it says pinot blanc on the label, it is.

Confused? Don't be. Just enjoy Amity's pinot blanc for what it is: a deliciously fruity, food-friendly, versatile wine that is a great alternative to chardonnay.

And pinot blanc is part of a growing tradition in Oregon, which favors a couple of other pinots: noir and gris. This pinot is a close relative.

Sazerac, Seattle

Jan Birnbaum might have the best of two worlds when it comes to cooking and working with wine.

The New Orleans native owns two restaurants — Sazerac in downtown Seattle and Catahoula Restaurant and Saloon in Calistoga, Calif.

"All my career I have worked at learning more about wine," Birnbaum said.

A wine that winds up on a Birnbaum wine list deserves its spot, but Sazerac is named after a whiskey-based concoction from New Orleans that dates to the 1790s, which some believe makes it America's oldest cocktail. Part of the decor are brick columns wrapped in newsprint from the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

There's a Bourbon Street theme throughout much of Birnbaum's life, which includes a degree in petroleum engineering from Louisiana State University.

He started as a baker, then he began to rise quickly within the food industry while working for one of the best: Paul Prudhomme. Birnbaum once hopped in and out of 46 cities in 38 days with Prudhomme for one of the famous chef's book tours.

Two decades later, Birnbaum, 44, jets between the Napa Valley (his wife, Linda, oversees Catahoula) and Seattle. In 1997, he opened Sazerac with hotel mogul Bill Kimpton, whose holdings include nearby Hotel Vintage Park.

"Sazerac is destined to become a Seattle classic," wrote John Hinterberg, restaurant critic for The Seattle Times.

Birnbaum owns the 185-seat Sazerac, which is next to the $26 million Hotel Monaco on Fourth Avenue. Order morning room service at the Hotel Monaco, and you get breakfast from Sazerac.

The association with Kimpton took root in the Napa Valley.

"When I opened (in Calistoga), Bill Kimpton, who resided then in the Napa Valley, really enjoyed the food and the feeling of Catahoula," Birnbaum said. "He really wanted some of the good food and fun feeling of Catahoula in his venture in Seattle, so we partnered."

Prior to Catahoula, Birnbaum was executive chef at at Campton Place Hotel in San Francisco. While there, Campton Place was one of Food and Wine magazine's top 25 restaurants in America, topped the reader's poll in Focus magazine for "Best Breakfast in San Francisco." He also appeared on Julia Child's Master Chefs series for PBS and

Before that, he was at the Rattlesnake Club in Denver and chef d'cuisine of the Quilted Giraffe in New York City. It was in the Big Apple where he began to develop his sense for entertainment, and he's since incorporated open kitchens with wood-burning ovens when possible.

"I just have a sense of perspective on life if I light a fire every day," Birnbaum said. "There is something so basic about a fire and its relationship to cooking that makes a good ground zero for my creative ways."

His creative spark seems to rub off on his employees, especially Jason McClure, recently named executive chef at Sazerac at age 29.

"I've never worked with such a tightly knit group before who make it fun to come to work," said McClure, a graduate of Northern Arizona University who began as a line cook at Sazerac in 1997.

The restaurant has built a reputation as an exciting and entertaining place to dine, and the menu is known for its spicy gumbo, fried catfish with Mardi Gras slaw and, of course, wood-fired chicken and fish.

With a menu that leans toward mouth-watering seafood, it was no surprise that Birnbaum reached for something off his menu that's timely, fun and pushes the limits that Northwest palates are used to.

He calls it, "JB's Softshell Crab BLT" and while it's not the first hors d'oeuvres offered up as a Match Maker, leave it to Birnbaum to create the feature's first sandwich.

"I can see this dish served as little finger sandwiches with a frosty glass of Amity Vineyards pinot blanc out on the deck with a group of friends or as a first course," Birnbaum said. "The summer begs for these two to be eaten and sipped together."

His first thought of Myron Redford's wine was "crisp."

"The Amity Willamette Valley pinot blanc's forward fruit is just right with the crispy, light batter of the crab," Birnbaum said. "The refreshing apple qualities in the wine are perfect with the smoky bacon of this knife-and-fork sandwich. The bracing acidity is divine with buttery toasted bread and the creamy remoulade studded with the perfectly briny capers in the sauce."

Sazerac, 1104 Fourth Ave., Seattle, 206-624-7755, www.sazerac.citysearch.com

JB'S SOFTSHELL CRAB BLT

Serves 12 as hors d'oeuvres

Ingredients: 12 slices sourdough bread 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil 6 softshelled crabs, cleaned 8 tablespoons kosher salt 2 tablespoons ground black pepper 2 teaspoons cayenne 1 teaspoon white pepper 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground dry mustard 1 tablespoon paprika 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup creole aioli (recipe follows) 12 slices smoked bacon 2 cups arugula, cleaned and stemmed 1⁄2 head of soft lettuce like bibb, red leaf or red oak 24 slices of juicy ripe summer tomato 11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour 11⁄2 cups cornmeal Oil for frying

Directions:

1. Mix the kosher salt, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne, cumin, coriander, dry mustard and paprika, reserve.

2. Brush the bread with the olive oil and sprinkle with about a tablespoon of the spice mix.

3. Grill the bacon and sourdough over a medium-hot fire. Move bacon frequently to avoid flareups, remove to paper towels when crisp.

4. Sprinkle half of the seasoning mix on the crabs. Pour the buttermilk over the soft shell crabs. Allow them to soak in the refrigerator for half an hour.

5. Mix the flour and cornmeal in a flat bread pan. Add the other half of the spice mix to the flour mixture.

6. Remove crabs from the buttermilk allowing the excess to drip off. Dredge the crabs in the flour and pat them to help the flour stick. Lift the wings of the crab to get the cornmeal mixture unter the flaps of the crab.

7. In hot oil sauté or deep fry the crabs in batches, so as not to overcrowd the pan. Place cooked crabs on a drain pan.

8. To assemble, spread toasted bread with the creole aioli. Place the tomato slices, two pieces bacon, arugula, lettuce and a crab on each slice. Top with remaining bread. Push four sandwich picks, one in each corner and cut the sandwiches in quarters on the diagonal with a serrated bread knife. CASCABEL AIOLI

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients: 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1⁄2 teaspoon Tabasco 2 cloves garlic, minced 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 1⁄2 teaspoon white pepper 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 4 cascabel chiles, stemmed, seeded and toasted 1 cup light olive oil

Directions:

1. Place first nine ingredients into a food processor bowl and allow to soak for 10 minutes until the chiles are softened.

2. Spin the ingredients in the processor for one minute or until the chilies and garlic are pureed. With machine running, add oil in a steady stream.

Mortimer's Idaho Cuisine, Boise

The name of his business says a lot about Jon Mortimer.

He's been devoted to upscale dining in Idaho's capital for several years and remains committed to new ideas, reasonable prices and local ingredients.

Even his first cookbook is called The Idaho Table, scheduled for release by the holidays.

"I think if you go to any great restaurant in America, you will find that most of the menu is composed of local ingredients," Mortimer said. "These ingredients are fresher, better quality and encompass the taste of what tourists and passers-through are looking for in a great meal."

And he has globe trotted while honing his skills from an early age.

He began working in Sun Valley, Idaho, restaurants at age 14, then attended the University of Arizona. While in Tucson, he worked in the Scordato restaurant, rubbing elbows with traveling European chefs.

After earning his business degree, Mortimer went on to the Horst Mager Culinary Academy in Portland — now part of the Cordon Bleu system — for his first formal training. An apprenticeship led him to the Norsk Haus, a famous pastry kitchen in Norway, followed by another apprenticeship near Florence, Italy. From there, Mortimer worked at a Paris bistro before returning to the Northwest.

Those experiences helped land him the position of executive sous chef of the Newport Bay Restaurant Corp., for which he opened three restaurants. In time, he moved on to become head of culinary expansion of McCormick and Schmick, taking him to California, Colorado and Washington.

By then, he'd met his wife, Shara, and it was time for a homecoming. The move to Boise gave him a better opportunity to pursue his main hobby — cycling.

"We wanted to get out of the rain, and we were just kind of stopping through and one thing led to another and ... well, you know," Mortimer said.

It was no coincidence Mortimer has spent time at many of Boise's finest restaurants. He started at Peter Schott's before opening his own place — B.B. Strands. His growing family prompted Mortimer to sell B.B. Strands.

"It was the right move at that time in our lives," he said. "Ivan Strand, who sold it to us, was a great partner and friend, and that is what we miss most."

So he went back into the work force, serving as executive chef at the Grove Hotel, then the Cottonwood Grille before striking out on his own again with his namesake restaurant — Mortimer's.

"Now that you mention it, I have put my mark on a lot of restaurants in Boise," Mortimer said, "but for 10 years prior to moving to Boise, all I did was open restaurants for several different companies, so I guess it has just become a way of life for me."

The path led him to a small restaurant site within the historic Belgravia Building. His renovations included an overhaul of the kitchen, setting up a bakery, and carving out a wine cellar for 2,500 bottles that can accommodate private dinners for parties.

Wines by glass lean toward Idaho. Regulars can expect the menu to change about 40 percent each week, with a focus on fresh fish and seafood while procuring local lamb and quail. And everyone will find reasonable prices, with entrées rarely costing more than $20 and including a complimentary pre-appetizer and sorbet course.

Just save room for his renowned fresh fruit cobblers.

Mortimer's serves dinner only, open 5-10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, but he offers on- and off-site catering.

That's not all. He also runs Culinary Consulting, an avenue for him to work on new products and ideas within the food industry for the likes of Tyson, General Foods and Heinz.

"Consulting is great way to expand your boundaries, learn about what you do, network and get paid at the same time," he said. "I have really enjoyed the many different projects that I have been involved with."

Mortimer found the Amity Vineyards 2000 pinot blanc "true to the varietal. It had good forward fruit, balanced with crisp acid for a lingering finish. There were notes of honey, apple and citrus."

With that, he arrived at Rainbow Trout Roulade with Crisp Potato Cake, a dish that incorporates ingredients that made Idaho famous. And if you visit his restaurant, you can see the recipe come to life as a regular item on the menu.

Mortimer's Idaho Cuisine, Belgravia Building, 110 S. Fifth, Boise, Idaho, 83702. 208-338-6550.

RAINBOW TROUT ROULADE WITH CRISP POTATO CAKES

Serves 4

Ingredients: For the potato cake: 2 large russet potatoes 1 tablespoon chopped shallot 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill Kosher salt, to taste 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 egg whites 1 cup corn meal 1 cup canola oil

For the trout: 4 rainbow trout, 8 ounces each with head off, gutted 2 cups fresh spinach leaves 1⁄2 pound crawfish tail meat 1 tablespoon shallots, diced extremely fine 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons butter 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1⁄2 teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground 2 teaspoons fresh dill, finely chopped 1 cup Amity Vineyards pinot blanc

For the sauce: 1 cup Amity Vineyards pinot blanc Juice of one lemon Zest of 1⁄2 lemon 1⁄4 cup heavy cream 1⁄2 pound cold unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-ounce flakes) 1⁄2 teaspoon freshly chopped dill Ground sea salt, to taste

Directions:

For the potato cakes:

1. Wash and bake potatoes at 350°F for 50 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes.

2. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and grate the white meat out of the skin into a mixing bowl. Combine with the shallot, dill, salt, black pepper and egg white.

3. Pack the batter into 4-ounce balls and press on a counter into 3⁄4 -inch thick cakes.

4. Coat the cakes with corn meal.

5. In a nonstick pan, heat the oil until it is hot but not smoking. Cook the cakes for 1 minute or until golden brown, flip the cakes and place the pan in the oven for 3-4 minutes, or until the other side is golden brown. Remove the cakes from the pan and blot with a paper towel in preparation for serving.

For the trout:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and butter an 8-inch square baking dish.

2. In a nonstick sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and add the shallots. Sauté for 45 seconds or until the shallots become translucent.

3. Add the crawfish tail meat and cook briefly. Once the crawfish tails begin to turn red, toss with the spinach, dill,1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper and remove the stuffing from the pan into a bowl.

4. Locate and remove the pin bones from the trout by making a slice on the top and the bottom of the row of bones and pulling the strip out with your fingers. (Note: Most respectable fish markets will do this for you.)

5. Use a flexible filet knife to slide the filet off of the skin.

6. After the skin is removed from the four trout, place the filets two on top of each other in four stacks, skin side up on a work surface. Sprinkle the filets with the remaining kosher salt and white pepper. Divide the spinach and crawfish stuffing into four even piles and place them in the center of the stacks of trout filets. Roll the two ends of the filet around the filling and secure the ends of the filets with toothpicks.

7. Place the stuffed trout in the greased baking dish so that the stuffing is showing on the top and the bottom. Pour 1⁄4 cup of the wine and a small flake of the remaining butter over each roulade and bake for 12-15 minutes — or until the crawfish tails are just barely cooked through.

For the sauce:

1. In a nonreactive (stainless steel or copper) saucepan, combine the wine, lemon juice and shallots. Bring the pan to a rolling boil and allow the mixture to reduce by 1⁄2 before whisking in the cream.

2. Turn down the pan to a simmer and allow sauce to reduce until the bubbles are thick and the reduction is the viscosity of maple syrup.

3. With the mixture at a simmer, whisk in the butter one flake at a time, waiting for one to dissolve prior to adding the next. Once all the butter is added, whisk in the lemon zest and dill and remove from the heat immediately. Keep warm until serving. (Note: Placing the sauce in a Thermos works well for this.)

To serve:

Place the potato cakes in the center of a warm plate and place the trout roulade stuffing-side up on top of the potato cake. Pour 2 ounces of the sauce over the trout and garnish with a wedge of lemon and a sprig of dill.

Eric Degerman is associate editor of Wine Press Northwest. The Oregon native can be reached at 509-582-1509 or via e-mail at edegerman@tri-cityherald.com

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