Recipe Summary

Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 8-ounce Gold potatoes
Fine sea salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, divided
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons chopped green onion tops, divided
4 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
1/4 cup water
4 7- to 8-ounce skinless salmon fillets, each cut lengthwise into 2 strips
Cracked black peppercorns
Chopped fresh chives 

How to cook

 Bring wine, shallots, and vinegar to boil in heavy small saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cover.

Do ahead: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 40°°F. Place each potato on separate sheet of foil, sprinkle with sea salt, and wrap tightly. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Remove foil; cool to just warm, about 20 minutes. Cut lengthwise in half. Scoop flesh into medium microwave-safe bowl, leaving 1/4-inch-thick potato shell. Add 2 tablespoons butter and milk to potatoes in bowl; mash well. Stir in sour cream and 3 tablespoons green onion tops. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Do ahead: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Loosely cover shells and filling separately and let stand at room temperature.

Rewarm potato shells, then filling, in microwave at 20-second intervals until heated through. Stir smoked salmon into filling; season with sea salt and pepper. Mound filling in shells.

Place 1/4 cup water and salmon fillets in heavy large skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover; steam over medium-high heat until salmon is just opaque in center, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, rewarm wine-shallot reduction over medium-low heat. Add remaining 8 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until each is melted before adding next; continue whisking until beurre rouge is thick (do not overheat or sauce may separate). Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon sauce onto 4 plates. Place potatoes on 1 side; sprinkle with remaining green onions. Arrange 2 salmon strips atop sauce on each plate; sprinkle with peppercorns and chives.

Wine Suggestion: a Domaine de Brully - Chardonnay 2004 (AOC Burgundy)

Recipe Summary

Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 filet mignon steaks, each 1 1/2-inches thick
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
4 (3/4-inch thick) slices goat cheese
Red Chile Sauce, recipe follows
Chopped cilantro, for garnish

How to cook

Preheat the grill to high. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before grilling. Meanwhile, combine the cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Liberally season both sides of each filet with the spice mixture. Grill the filets for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium doneness.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Remove the steaks from the grill onto a baking sheet, and top each with a slice of the cheese. Place under the broiler until cheese is golden brown and soft. Alternatively, use a blow torch or kitchen torch to brown the cheese. Ladle the sauce onto each plate, place the steak in the center, and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Red Chile Sauce:
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 red capsicum, lightly toasted
2 jalapeno peppers, lightly toasted
1 fresh chili, lightly toasted
6 to 8 cups homemade chicken stock
1/4 cup creme fraiche
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until soft. Add the chiles and stock, and bring to a simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chiles are soft. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth.

Strain the mixture into a saute pan that has been set on high heat for a few minutes, and cook the sauce until slightly thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the creme fraiche and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Wine Suggestion: a Bordeaux Superieur AOC Red "Chateau Le Grand Verdus" 2003

Bon Appetit

Brice

German Recipe

Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 pound smoked bacon, rind removed and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
2 medium-large onions, sliced
9 cups drained sauerkraut (about 5 to 6 pounds), rinsed and squeezed drys
1 tablespoon juniper berries
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
6 sprigs parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 bottle white wine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds assorted smoked and precooked fresh sausages (we used cooked garlic sausage cut into thick slices, frankfurters, and chipolata)
6 small precooked knuckle of ham                                                                                                                                1 pound piece smoked boneless pork loin, cut into 6 slices
2 1/2 pounds small waxy-style potatoes, peeled

Serving suggestion: Coarse-grained mustard

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and onion and cook, stirring, until soft. Add the sauerkraut and stir to combine.

In a swath of cheesecloth, combine the juniper berries, peppercorns, parsley, thyme, cloves, and bay leaves and tie into a bundle with a piece of kitchen twine. Add the spice bundle to the sauerkraut mixture. Pour in the wine and add enough water to cover the sauerkraut. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Cover pan tightly with foil and braise in middle of oven for 2 hours. (The sauerkraut may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead, cooled, uncovered, and chilled, covered with plastic wrap.)

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and, working in batches, brown the sausages.

Uncover the casserole and nestle the sausages, the knuckle of ham, pork loin, and potatoes in the sauerkraut, partially submerging them. Recover and continue braising for 30 minutes more.

Serve the choucroute at the table in the Dutch oven or transfer to a large serving platter.

Wine Suggestion: a Riesling

Bon Appetit

Brice