Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe help to make the season bright. But for Northwest cooks, succulent shellfish, heavy meat and game dishes and rich desserts paired with the proper wines make our holiday seasons bright.
Bright holiday cooking begins with Sea Scallops with Basil and Prosciutto, a recipe from Short Cuts to Great Cuisine (The Crossing Press, 1994, $12.95). Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Cut six paper-thin pieces of prosciutto into thirds lengthwise. Top 18 medium sea scallops with 18 fresh basil leaves and wrap each scallop in a length of prosciutto. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Bake until the scallops are barely cooked (5 to 10 minutes).
Serve with Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2008 Sauvignon Blanc from Washington's Horse Heaven Hills AVA ($18). Bursting with melon and citrus flavors balanced by herbal and grassy notes, this succulent wine mellows the saltiness of the prosciutto while enhancing the lush scallops.
The recipe for Wine-Country Stuffed Mushrooms comes from Bonair Winery and Vineyards in Zillah, Wash. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.
Rinse and trim 14 medium white mushrooms. Remove the stems and chop finely. Cut a small slice from the top of each mushroom (to form a cap) and reserve the mushrooms and caps.
Cook the chopped mushroom stems, 3 tablespoons chopped onion and one tablespoon minced garlic in 3 tablespoons of olive oil 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often.
Add a half cup of Chardonnay, stir well and cook 3 minutes. Pour the vegetables into a bowl and add one (3-ounce) package lowfat or regular cream cheese (room temperature and cut into cubes), 2 tablespoons cooked bacon (crumbled) and 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley and stir well.
Fill the mushrooms with the mushroom mixture and top each with a mushroom cap. Arrange the mushrooms (sliced side down to keep from rolling) on a rimmed baking sheet and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until tender.
Pair the mushrooms with Bonair 2008 Chardonnay, Yakima Valley, $13, which immediately entices with tropical fruit aromas and flavors (pineapple!), a sensible amount of oak and mouth-filling roundness.
Skillet-Roasted Duck Breasts with Caramel-Cabernet Sauce comes from Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining (Wiley, 2007, $34.95). The rich, balanced sauce is the star here; it would also work well over beef tenderloin.
To make the caramel for the sauce, in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix 2 tablespoons each granulated sugar and water until dissolved. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, without stirring, until the caramel turns medium brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest for 2 minutes.
Return the pan to medium heat and (carefully, as it may spatter!) add 6 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the hardened caramel until soft and combined. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced to 3 tablespoons. Remove from the heat and reserve.
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add three-quarters of a cup of chopped shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden but not browned. Add one-and-one-quarter cups of Cabernet Sauvignon and stir well. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid reduces to about half a cup, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the reserved caramel reduction to the skillet and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1 teaspoon of unsalted butter a little at a time. If desired, strain the sauce for a more elegant presentation.
Drizzle the sauce over duck or beef and serve with Burrowing Owl Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Okanagan Valley, $38, a serious red wine (powerful tannins!) that opens with aromas of cassis and cedar, then continues on the palate with dark-fruit and chocolate flavors and finishes L-O-N-G and satisfying.
Ultralight Chocolate Cake is adapted from Little Meals (Villard Books, 1993, $20). Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour an 8 1/2-inch springform pan. Beat 6 egg whites until stiff and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine a half cup of unsweetened cocoa powder with 1 cup of granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 2 egg whites, 2 tablespoons cold coffee and one-quarter teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
Mix a half cup of whole almonds (toasted and finely ground) with 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and add to the cocoa mixture. Stir well. With a rubber spatula, add one-third of the beaten egg whites. Fold in the remaining egg whites and pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25 minutes (do not overbake!). Let rest for 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh berries.
Serve the chocolate cake with Trio Vintners 2007 Carmenere ($28) from the Walla Walla Valley. Trio's Denise Slattery describes the wine as, "undeniably lush, with berry, pepper-spice and floral aromas. On the palate, it is much darker, like a tobacco- and espresso-wrapped chocolate."
Cheers to the bright season!
BRAIDEN REX-JOHNSON has been writing about Pacific Northwest food and wine for 18 years. She is the author of seven books, including Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining (Wiley, 2007). Read her blog, Northwest Notes, online at NorthwestWiningandDining.com or follow her on Twitter.
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