Auntie is in town so we are celebrating her visit and spring.
We kicked off the night with caprese salad. Thick sliced tomatoes,
fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, red onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar,
salt, and pepper. Stack it and eat it. Food and fun. No fire right
now. Kicking back with Oberon, auntie, and Amy. So good.
Ok, here's what happened. I was hungry, alone, and ready to relax. The
Toad Hollow unoaked Chardonnay and the Brie were calling my name.
This dish has pretty much all of my favorite non-meat items:
mushrooms, brie, strawberries, green apples, arugula, balsamic
vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Here is what I did:
Sauteed mushrooms with olive oil and goat butter.
Take a slab of Brie, cut laterally. Cover the bottom portion of the
Brie with a layer of mushrooms. Put the top layer of the cheese back
on then cover the Brie with the remaining mushrooms. The goal here is
to marry the cheese and mushrooms. Get 'em as close as possible then
put it in a pre heated oven (200 degrees) for about 15 minutes. Not
too long or the Brie will be all soupy.
With the cheese in the oven: thinly slice apples and quarter
strawberries, then plate. Throw some baby arugula in a non-stick pan
and sautee with a touch of water until warm and plate with the fresh
fruit.
When the Brie is ready, gently place (using a spatula) on top of the
arugula.
Add fresh ground pepper, sea salt, and drizzle the most expensive
balsamic vinegar you can afford.
Pick a wine, any wine!
Sear it, cover with Dijon mustard, roll in Italian bread crumbs/
Rosemary garlic seasoning, drizzle with evoo & minced garlic mix, then
grill to medium rare.
Served with arugula. Mixed 3 parts olive oil with 1 part balsamic vinegar (get the good stuff).
Combine 1 part soy sauce with 1 part Italian dressing. Marinate up to
24 hours, but really only a couple hours are needed as fish marinates
quickly.
Isn't the skin beautiful?
Cook the fish indirect (away from direct flame) on low-medium heat for about 45-60 minutes. Times will vary based on outdoor conditions.
Patti Johnson: we did consume with Bibb Lettuce and home made
dressing. -Credit to Mike Fox, my dressing mentor and Gandy Dancer in
A2 for the Martha's Vineyard dressing as the foundation for the recipe
which you'll all see some other time.
Wine idea: Toad Hollow unoaked Chardonnay.
The best thing about wrapping food in bacon (apart from the flavor) is
that it is nearly impossible to over-cook (unless you're terribly
distracted and/or over-served). Always grill bacon items away from the
flame as bacon grease catches on fire oh so easily. Once the bacon
looks cooked, you're done. Serve with Cholula hot sauce.
First doused with olive oil and just a bit of pepper. Threw some
hickory chips on the gas grill to give it a rustic smoked flavor. Hit
it with fresh lemon when almost done (acids must always be last).
Don't be afraid to serve it cooked medium, trust me.
