Guest Chef- Sarah Scott
Chef Sarah Scott’s Irresistible Wild Side
Tres Sabores has had the honor of welcoming Chef Sarah Scott to the ranch on several occasions. As the host chef for the Great Chef’s Program at Robert Mondavi Winery for well over a decade, Sarah prepped, supped and sipped with the masters of international cuisine but this adroit, self-effacing, joyful, 35 + year resident of the Napa Valley has always returned to the fundamentals: understanding the elements of a preparation. “When I’m working with wine and food, I always think about the different elements — sweet, savory, bitter, acid — and I work to balance those. When they come together, they’re balanced, and a dish can be wonderful with wine.” Well—OK—it’s fine to read this but another thing altogether to sense the nuances in both food and wine and the ‘tweaks’ needed to make the outcome perfect.
Sarah has this talent in spades, friends. But why not plunge in and have a try yourself?! These recipes were created especially for the 2020 Winter Wonders Tres Sabores wine club shipment.
Crostini with Lemon-Mint Ricotta and Peas
Pour a glass of wine for the chef! Our suggestions:
2019 Picpoul Blanc, 2017 Headline White
(Makes 12 crostini)
For the crostini:
1 small baguette
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 350.
Thinly slice the baguette (1/4” slices), lay the pieces out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat.
Bake on one side for 5-8 minutes until slightly crispy.
Pull the sheet from the oven and flip the slices over.
Brush the bread slices with olive oil, season with salt & pepper.
Bake until light golden brown, about 8-12 minutes.
For the ricotta and peas:
1 cup good quality ricotta
Zest of 2 lemons (juice the lemons; reserve the juice)
2 Tbsp. slivered fresh mint leaves (plus additional mint for garnish)
1/3 cup cooked English peas
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Place the ricotta in a bowl. Stir in the lemon zest and slivered mint leaves. Add ½ t. salt, ¼ t.pepper and 2 tsp. of lemon juice. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or lemon juice as needed.
Place the peas in a small bowl and season with ¼ t. salt and a pinch of pepper, 1 tsp. lemon
juice and 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil.
To assemble:
Spread some of the ricotta on a crostini, top with some of the peas. Top with a small mint leaf.
Crispy Rancho Gordo Beans with Two Sauces (Frijoles Bravas)
Pour a glass for the chef! Our suggestion:
¿Por qué no? Napa Valley Red Wine
1 lb. Mayacoba** beans, cooked until tender, drained well
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Chopped parsley
Fleur de sel
Heat a generous amount of oil in a large cast iron pan or large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the beans in batches, enough to make a single layer and cook until crisped and golden, stirring occasionally as they cook to make sure they are crisped on all sides. Hold each batch in a warm place as you cook the rest.
Brava Sauce:
1 tablespoon Tres Sabores olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
1 arbol chile, crushed into bits (or ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
¾ cup canned, crushed San Marzano tomatoes
½ tablespoon sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
Combine the oil, garlic and chile in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the tomato paste and sherry vinegar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vinegar evaporates, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and
sugar and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the flavors have melded together, about 30 minutes. Stir in the paprika and salt.
Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture achieves a ketchup-like consistency that you can just drizzle, but
is still thick. Keep at room temp if serving right away. Otherwise, refrigerate in sealed
container for up to 2 weeks.
Aioli:
1 large egg
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Combine the egg, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a food processor. Process for 30 seconds, then slowly begin drizzling in the oil with the machine running until the mixture is emulsified. Use immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week.
** www.ranchogordo.com/collections/heirloom-beans/products/mayocoba-bean or substitute any smaller, thin-skinned soup bean –try a pinto bean, for example. Also, see Rancho Gordo’s website for a brilliant guide to cooking beans.
Pan-Seared Duck Breasts with Sun-Dried Tomato and Pomegranate Relish
Pour a glass for the chef!
Our suggestions: St Laurent by JonEVino, or
Tres Sabores Zinfandel, Rutherford Estate
For the relish:
1 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
2 teaspoons finely chopped Italian parsley
Place the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, lemon zest, pomegranate molasses, salt and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse then process the mixture until very finely chopped. With
the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is well mixed. Add the thyme and parsley and pulse into the mixture. Taste for seasoning, adjusting with more salt or lemon juice to taste.
For the duck breasts:
6 boneless duck breasts, skin on
kosher salt
pepper
Lay the duck breasts on a baking sheet, skin side up, and place in the freezer until the skin is very chilled and firm, about 20 minutes.
Using the point of a sharp knife, score the skin in ¼” intervals making a crisscross pattern. Season the breasts with salt and pepper and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Remove the duck breasts from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.
Place the duck breasts, skin side down, in a large saute pan over medium heat. As they cook, the fat will render from the skin. Periodically, drain off the fat into a small bowl.
Cook until the skin is golden brown and crisped. Turn the breasts over and cook another 3-5 minutes, or until medium rare. Remove from the pan onto a baking sheet, tent
loosely with foil and let rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing.
To serve:
Slice the duck breasts and serve with a generous dollop of the relish.