Make Ahead Holiday Hors d'oeuvres
By St. Supery winery chef, Ron Barber

With all the rushing around during the holidays it’s nice to have a couple of hors d’oeuvres ready to go on a moment’s notice.  Here are two recipes that can be made ahead of time. They also pair beautifully with St. Supéry wines.

Why not join (my lovely wife and hospitality guru) Beatrice Barber at the winery on December 10th for a Table Setting for Entertaining seminar in our Victorian Atkinson House, for holidays tips and wine tasting paired with hors d’oeuvres? For more information please visit the visitors program page here or call our Events line for reservations at 1-800-231-9116.

Happy Holidays!

For the Confit:

4 duck legs and thighs
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 bay leaf – crushed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
4 juniper berries – crushed
1/2 teaspoon garlic – chopped
Rendered duck fat or canola oil as needed

Mix all seasoning and coat the duck pieces. Place in a container and cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate overnight. Brush off excess seasoning mixture and stew the duck pieces in duck fat or canola oil to cover until very tender.  This will take about 2 hours. Remove from the fat and allow to cool.  Remove the fat, pull the meat off of the bone and shred.  You can allow the duck to cool in the oil if you are not going to serve it right away.  It will keep for weeks along as it is completely covered.

Yield is about 3 cups – enough for about 48 croutons

For the Red Onion Confit:

2 medium red onions - peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pinch of salt
1/4 cup St. Supery Cabernet Sauvignon
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Slice the red onion very thin.  Heat the olive oil in a non-reactive saucepan and add the onion. Add the salt and cook over a low heat until the onions are very tender.  Add the wine and balsamic vinegar and allow to reduce until almost dry.  Cool to room temperature.

For the Croutons:
Thinly slice a baguette and brush with olive oil.  Place in a 350-degree oven until lightly browned.

To assemble:
Place about a tablespoon of the shredded duck on a crouton and top with a half-teaspoon of red onion jam

Smoked Trout & Apple Roulade
Serve with St. Supéry Sauvignon Blanc or Virtu

You can make these ahead of time and freeze.  Wrap the roll in plastic wrap and freeze.  Reheat from the frozen state in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool and then slice with a sharp knife.

1 Granny Smith apple – peeled, seeded and cut into a fine dice
1/2 pound smoked trout cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons shallots – minced
4 tablespoons goat cheese
4 phyllo dough sheets
1/2 cup butter – melted
2 tablespoons chives - minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Combine the pear, trout, cream cheese, shallots, parsley and lemon juice in a small bowl. Lightly brush each sheet of phyllo with the melted butter and stack them.  Spread the filling on the bottom 1/3 of the phyllo dough.  Roll up like a jelly roll, place on a cookie sheet, seam side down, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let cool and slice into 3/4" pieces.  Serve at room temperature.