Food Pairings

Sauce Framboises

, , ,
  • 3 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/ 4 cup crème de framboises (raspberry liqueur)
  • 3/ 4 cup Cooper-Garrod Cabernet Franc
  • 12-16 oz. raspberries (can use frozen in off-season)
  • 1/ 4 teaspoon almond extract
  • toasted sliced almonds and fresh raspberries for garnish

In a 2-quart saucepan, stir sugar and cornstarch together until no lumps remain. Gradually whisk in crème de framboises and Cabernet Franc. Add raspberries and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract. Serve warm over ice cream, cake, even select fruits, sprinkling with toasted sliced almonds and garnishing with fresh raspberries.

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Cabernet Franc

Return to Food Pairings

Reine de Saba

, , ,

Serves 8

  • 5 oz. fine quality baking chocolate, semi-sweet
  • 2/3 c. butter
  • 2/3 c. sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2/ 3 c. ground almonds
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 drop almond extract
  • 1/3 c. flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8″ round cake pan, and line bottom with a piece of parchment, trimmed to fit atop the buttered surface. Melt the chocolate in a water bath. Add butter and sugar; whisk smooth. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and whisk in the eggs, ground almonds, and flavorings. Fold in the flour. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in a water bath for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. To serve, turn out onto a doily and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. Lovely accompanied with raspberries and whipped cream, or even Creme Anglaise!

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Test Pilot, F-86 Sabre Jet

Return to Food Pairings

Pork with Orange Cranberry Sauce

, ,
  • 4 boneless center-cut pork chops, pounded to 3/ 8″ thickness
  • 2 tsp. butter
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1/4 c. beef broth
  • 2 Tbs. frozen orange juice concentrate
  • 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp. cornstarch
  • Y4 c. dried cranberries (Doris sometimes uses dried cherries instead!)

Melt butter with olive oil in a 10″·12″ nonstick frying pan. When butter sizzles, add pork and cook, turning once, until both sides are well browned and center is no longer pink (cut to test), 4 to 5 minutes total. Remove meat to a platter and keep warm. Mix beef broth, orange juice concentrate, Dijon, and cornstarch until smooth. Stir in dried cranberries. Add to pan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil until slightly thickened, about 1 minute, then pour over pork. From “The Quick Cook” section in Sunset magazine.

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Cabernet Franc

Return to Food Pairings

Minted Grapefruit

, , ,

Serves 2 per grapefruit

  • 1 pink grapefruit per person
  • 1 T. sugar per grapefruit
  • 2 sprigs fresh mint per grapefruit
  • About 1/4 c. Chardonnay per grapefruit

Carefully remove the peel, membranes, and seeds from the fruit. Leaving the pith and memo branes imparts a bitter flavor, so take the time for this tedious prep work. You can speed it up by using a knife for crisp presentation of the fruit. Place the sections in a non-reactive bowl, sprinkling with the sugar and 1 sprig of mint per grapefruit. Pour Chardonnay onto the top of the fruit. Cover and refrigerate overnight. To serve, remove the marinated mint from the fruit; arrange sections in individual serving bowls, and garnish with a sprig of mint. French vanilla ice cream is a nice accompaniment.

Return to Food Pairings

Cornish Game Hen with Wine Sauce

, ,

Serves 2

  • 1 Cornish game hen, halved
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 shallots, chopped
  • 1 can chicken broth
  • 2/3 cup dry red wine
  • 2/3 cup frozen raspberries
  • 3 tsp. sugar
  • ¼ tsp. ground allspice

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Rinse hen halves and pat dry. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet; add hen halves skin side down and brown, about 6 minutes each side. Transfer to baking sheet and roast in oven until juices run clear when thigh is pierced, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, add shallots to skillet and cook for a couple of minutes until soft. Add wine and deglaze pan, scraping up browned bits; add broth, raspberries, sugar, and allspice. Boil until sauce thickens to coat spoon, crushing raspberries as you stir, about 12 minutes. Strain wine sauce into small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Serve hen halves with the sauce.

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Cabernet Franc

Return to Food Pairings

Filet with Merlot Reduction

, ,

Serves 2

  • 1/2 c. beef broth
  • 1/4 c. Cooper-Garrod
  • Merlot
  • 1 tbsp seedless raspberry jam
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
  • 2 slices bacon
  • 2 beef filets

In a saucepan over high heat, whisk together broth, Merlot, jam, and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce to about 1/3 cup. Meanwhile, wrap one slice of bacon around the side of each filet, securing with a toothpick as necessary. Preheat a skillet and sear the bacon sides; continue with the top and bottom of the filet, about 3-4 minutes per side, or longer for desired doneness. Put steaks on warmed plates and spoon sauce over to serve. Salt and pepper to taste.

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Merlot

Return to Food Pairings

Cherry Blossom Shrimp Salad

, , ,

Serves 2.  (Easily multiplied to serve more.)

  • 5 T. mayonnaise
  • 1 T. Dijon mustard
  • 1 T. + 3 T. olive oil
  • 1 T. water
  • 1 c. cherry or plum tomatoes, halved
  • 4 c. mixed greens
  • ½ lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • ¾ c. panko breadcrumbs

Combine mayonnaise and Dijon in medium bowl.  In large salad bowl, whisk together 2 T. of the mixture, 1 T. oil, and 1 T. water with salt and pepper to taste.  Add tomatoes and greens.  Pat shrimp dry.  Toss with mayo mixture in medium bowl to coat.  Put panko in a pie plate and press shrimp to coat both sides with crumbs.  Heat 3 T. oil in large skillet.  Add shrimp and cook, turning once, until golden, crisp, and cooked through.  Toss salad and divide between two plates.  Top with cooked shrimp.

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Chardonnay

Return to Food Pairings

Herbed Mushrooms

, , ,

Serves 2 as a side dish, 4 as garnishment

  • 8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/4 cup Cabernet Sauvignon

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and stir to coat lightly but thoroughly. The skillet may seem quite full, but mushrooms “shrink” as they cook! Add spices and continue to stir frequently as mushrooms brown. Add wine in last 5 minutes of cooking, continuing to stir until liquid is evaporated.

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Cabernet Sauvignon

Return to Food Pairings

Ginger Apricot Chicken

, ,

Serves 4

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
  • ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter
  • 8 dried apricots, thinly sliced
  • 2 large green onions, sliced
  • 1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • ¾ teaspoon ground ginger

Mix flour and coriander in shallow bowl. Pound chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper to 1/2-inch thickness. Season with salt and pepper. Dust with flour mixture, shaking off excess. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm. Add apricots and half of green onions to drippings in same skillet and stir over medium-high heat 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits. Mix broth and cornstarch in small bowl until smooth. Add to skillet; bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add preserves, honey, soy sauce and ginger. Boil until thickened to sauce consistency, about 2 minutes. Pour over chicken. Garnish with remaining green onions.

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Chardonnay

Return to Food Pairings

Happy Holidays Chocolate Bark

, , ,
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup unsalted pistachio meats, chopped
  • 1/3 cup pomegranate-infused Craisins®, chopped

Use the best quality chocolate chips available and combine in a 4-cup glass bowl. Microwave on half power one minute; stir. Microwave another minute on half power; stir to smooth. (May need another half minute.) Line a sheet-cake pan with parchment and spread melted chocolate mixture evenly. Sprinkle with prepared nuts and fruit. Cover with wax paper and press toppings lightly into chocolate; discard wax paper. Chill about 20 minutes, or until firm enough to break into bark pieces.

Accompany with Cooper-Garrod Cabernet Sauvignon

Return to Food Pairings