Appetizers

Chocolate Canapés for Red Wine

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  • 1 c. unsalted butter, softened
  • 1⁄2 c. powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 1⁄2 c. flour
  • 1⁄2 c. cocoa
  • 1⁄4 tsp. salt
  • 1⁄4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • Kosher salt for topping

Sift flour, cocoa, salt, and cayenne into a prep bowl. Cream butter and sugars; add egg yolk and beat until smooth. Add sifted dry ingredients and beat until thoroughly combined. Divide dough in half. Using wax paper, roll each half into a log, about 1 1⁄2 “ diameter. Freeze until very firm, at least an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Slice hardened logs into 1⁄4” pieces, spacing them about 1” apart on the parchment. Sprinkle as desired with Kosher salt. Bake 15 minutes until just firm. Let cool 3 minutes on the parchment before removing to a wire rack. Makes about 5 dozen. (Dough may be frozen up to 2 weeks. Baked canapés may be stored air-tight at room temp up to 2 days.)

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Test Pilot P-47 Thunderbolt

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Cooper-Garrod Bacon Jam

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  • 1 lb. bacon, cut into 1⁄2” pieces
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1⁄2 tsp. ground mustard
  • 1⁄2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
  • 1⁄2 c. brandy
  • 1⁄2 c. maple syrup
  • 1⁄4 c. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

In a Dutch oven over moderate heat, cook bacon 15-20 minutes until crispy. Remove to paper towels. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp. grease; add onion, shallots, and garlic. Stir and cook until softened, 5-8 minutes. Add mustard and chipotle powder; stir 1 minute before adding brandy and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits. Return bacon to pan, add balsamic and Worcestershire. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring some, until syrupy and thick. Cool 10 minutes before pulsing in food processor until chunky. Makes about 2 cups. Serve atop crostini; can spread with creamy blue cheese before adding Bacon Jam.

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Syrah

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Caramelized Onion & Blue Cheese Bruschetta

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Makes about 20, depending on size of baguette

  • 3/4 c. walnuts, toasted and chopped
  • 2 onions
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • chicken broth, as needed
  • 5 oz. crumbled blue cheese
  • 1 baguette, sliced 1⁄4” diagonally
  • olive oil

Preheat oven to 375. Put baguette slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and bake 8-10 minutes until toasted. Halve onions vertically; cut into thin slices. Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions; stir to mix in butter. Continue cooking, stirring frequently until onions are very soft and caramel-colored. Use small amounts of broth to keep from sticking to pan. To assemble: spoon onions atop toasted baguette slices, then some blue cheese, then some walnuts. Heat under a broiler just until cheese begins to melt.

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Cabernet Sauvignon

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Cheese Teases

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  • 1 ½ c. finely grated Gruyere
  • 1 ½ c. finely grated Pecorino Romano
  • 1 ½ c. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano(approx. ¼ lb. of each cheese)
  • 1 ½ c. flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 c. Crisco oil
  • 2 Tbsp. milk
  • Dry bread crumbs
  • Butter for greasing pan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9” x 13” baking pan and “dust” with bread crumbs, shaking out any excess. Combine flour and baking powder in a bowl. Mix eggs, oil, and milk in a larger bowl before stirring in grated cheeses. Add flour mixture to cheese mixture, stirring until it cleans the sides of the bowl. Press evenly into prepared pan, smoothing top with a spatula. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes before turning out onto a cutting board and turning right side up again. Cut into 48 bars or 96 squares (4×12-or-24 pieces across).

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Test Pilot, F-104 Starfighter

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Beer Balls

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Serves 6-8

Meatballs:

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 egg ½ cup bread crumbs
  • Salt and freshly-ground pepper

Sauce:

  • 1 cup catsup
  • 1 cup beer
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire
  • Salt and pepper

Combine meatball ingredients.  Shape into miniature meatballs and brown in a small amount of shortening.  Drain on paper towels. Boil sauce ingredients for 10 minutes. Pour over meatballs and simmer 3 hours. Serve hot. It’s easy to make up a multiple batch. Freeze meatballs and sauce in separate containers.  Take out only what you might need and simmer at that time.

The recipe is from A Cooking Affaire, Butcher Block Press, PO Box 6, Medicine Lodge, KS67104.

Serve with Cooper-Garrod Cabernets

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Pâté de Campagne

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  • 1/2 lb. chicken livers
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted
  • butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup brandy
  • 1 yellow onion, quartered
  • 2 cloves garlic, halved
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 lb. ground sausage meat
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • Bacon, regular slices

Saute chicken livers in butter until just firm enough to handle. Trim any gristle. In a food processor fitted with steel blade, combine cooked livers, eggs, brandy, onion, garlic, and spices. Process until well-mixed and fairly smooth. Crumble raw sausage meat into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with flour and use a strong-handled spoon to stir in processed liver mixture. Line a bread tin or pate mold with bacon slices. Pour in the pâté mixture, cover with a lid or foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or until juices are clear. Cool 15 minutes then weight and refrigerate overnight.

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Cabernet Franc

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Gravad Lax (Swedish Cured Salmon)

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  • 2-2 1/2 lbs salmon filet, with skin
  • 4 Tablespoons salt
  • 4 Tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup chopped fresh dill
  • Large Ziploc bag

Cut the salmon in half so you have two rather equally-sized portions.  Remove any bones; tweezers are a fine tool!  Mix the salt, sugar, ground pepper, and dill.  Cover one of the filets with the spice mixture and put the other filet on top.  Place stacked filets in Ziploc and seal.  Refrigerate with a weight atop the package.  (Wine bottles work well!)   Turn the filet bag every 8 hours.  After 48 hours, pour out the “juice” to keep the fish from getting too salty.  Serve in thin slices.  (We enjoy it on toast or mini-bagels spread with cream cheese and topped with capers.)

Serve with Cooper-Garrod Chardonnay

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