Shitake Mushroom & Fontina Crostini
Serve with St. Supéry
Cabernet Franc
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound Shitake mushrooms – stems removed, cut into 1/4” dice
- 1 cup Fontina cheese- coarsely grated
- 1/4 cup shallots – finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves - peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 cup cabernet sauvignon
- 1 tablespoon parsley - finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bread baguette
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the shallot & garlic and cook until soft but not browned. Add the mushrooms, thyme, wine and salt. Cook until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender - about 15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and stir in the parsley.
For the crostini: Cut twelve slices from the baguette diagonally – slices should be about 3/8” thick and about 4” long. Place slices on a baking sheet and brush the tops with olive oil. Bake in a 350-degree oven until golden brown.
To serve: Top each crostini with the mushroom mixture and sprinkle with the Fontina cheese. Place back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted. Serves four as an appetizer.
Pan
Roasted Quail Stuffed with Morel Mushrooms, Leeks, Pancetta and
a Cabernet Franc & Thyme Reduction Sauce
Serve with St. Supéry
Cabernet Franc
Semi boneless
quail can be found at many grocery stores and Asian markets. You
can substitute Cornish hens if necessary. Any forest mushroom
can also be used if Morels are not available.
STUFFING
1⁄2 pound Morel mushrooms, cut into 1/4” dice
1-1/2 cup leeks, white part only, cut into 1/4” dice
1⁄4 pound pancetta, cut into 1/4” dice
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or other bread crumbs
1⁄2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
1⁄2 cup chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste
6 semi boneless quail
1 small carrot, small dice
1 small onion, small dice
1 small celery stalk, small dice
CABERNET FRANC & THYME REDUCTION SAUCE
1 cup St. Supery Cabernet Franc
1⁄2 cup veal stock (or chicken stock)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Place the pancetta in a large sauté pan and cook until
browned. Remove pancetta and place on paper towels to drain. Remove
all but 2 tablespoons of the pancetta fat and add the leeks. Cook
over medium heat until the leeks are soft - about 5 minutes. Add
the Morels, garlic, chicken stock and season with salt & pepper.
Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are soft. Toss in the
chopped parsley and breadcrumbs, stir. Allow mixture to cool before
proceeding.
Fill each quail with the stuffing and then make a small incision
in one thigh of each bird. Place the opposite leg through the
incision to help keep the stuffing from coming out. Season with
salt & pepper. Heat a large, ovenproof sauté pan and
add 2 tablespoons canola oil. When oil is very hot, carefully
add the quails, breast side down. Allow to brown (approximately
3 minutes) before turning the quail over. Scatter the onion, carrot,
and celery around the quail then place the pan into the oven.
Roast for 8 minutes. Juices should still be pink. Remove quail
from pan and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep them warm
while making the sauce.
For the reduction sauce, drain off excess fat from the roasting
pan and place pan over high heat. Add the Merlot and reduce by
half. Add the veal stock and thyme and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust
seasonings, swirl in butter and strain into a small saucepan.
Place quail on warm plates and spoon the reduction sauce over
them.
Serves 6
