French Themed Dinner Recipes

I've been so excited about the release of these new wines that I never posted the recipes! Looking at them again, I really am pleased with the way this whole dinner turned out. I originally tested them on a fairly large group and was amazed at how simply the whole thing came together. I was actually sitting with a glass of Optu White in mind hand (and a clean kitchen) when my first guests arrived. Pretty much everything can be done in advance and reheated before serving, with the exception of the lamb, which doesn't need too much attention. Additionally, several of the ingredients overlapped from course to course, making the grocery shopping pretty simple.

The inspiration for this dinner was to create a menu for our Bordeaux-styled wines that you might actually eat in Bordeaux. I wanted to keep everything simple, yet elegant, and as seasonal as possible. We went to the University Farmer's Market that day and purchased our cheeses, some herbs and produce, and the amazing lamb from Sea Breeze Farms who raise their animals on Vashon Island. Really, I give all credit for the lamb dish to the folks at Sea Breeze. It was so flavorful and tender, avoiding the gaminess that sometimes comes with lamb. And, they de-boned it for me right there at the market, which was awesome since I really didn't want to deal with that.

If you missed the original menu, you can find it just a few posts down...

Now - on to the recipes! I'm including the full recipes for the featured wines this month. The other items from the menu are pretty simple, but if you want a full recipe for any of those, just let me know.

Ratatouille
2007 Fidelitas Red Mountain Merlot
serves 4 as a first course

I love this recipe because I feel that it is a great example of a possible vegetarian dish/red wine pairing. It's great as a first course, but can easily be a main dish served over some creamy polenta. This is adapted from Julia Child's ratatouille recipe...just made a little more simple.

INGREDIENTS
1 large eggplant
2 zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 orange bell pepper, cut into strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large can diced tomatoes, with liquid
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
baguette
DIRECTIONS
To prepare the eggplant and zucchini: peel the eggplant and cut into 2” long matchsticks. Trim the ends of the zucchini and cut into similar size pieces. Spread the eggplant and zucchini on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes, then blot dry with a paper towel.
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add eggplant and zucchini to skillet and sauté until light golden, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to skillet, then the onion and peppers. Sauté until just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the canned tomatoes over the onion and pepper mixture, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Begin to layer the tomato, onion and pepper mixture in a medium size pot. Add a third of the mixture to the bottom, then half of the eggplant and zucchini, continuing to layer until all of the vegetables are in the pot. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of parsley. Cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Uncover, bring the mixture to a simmer and baste the mixture with accumulated juices, cooking until only 2 tablespoons of liquid remain. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to individual bowls before serving. Top each dish with fresh parsley and serve with warm, fresh baguette.

Oh Julia, I love how you manage to use every dish in my kitchen...

Roast Leg of Lamb with Herb Jus and Cepes a la Bordelaise
2007 Fidelitas Red Mountain Red Wine
2007 Boushey Vineyard Red Wine
serves 6
I already raved about the lamb enough. The herb jus is wonderfully aromatic and accents the rosemary from the marinade. The crowd on my test evening loved it with the Boushey, but I think it is a great pairing with both of the wines. The cepes a la bordelaise is a great way to serve mushrooms on their own. Even the non-mushroom lovers liked this dish. With butter, shallots and lemon, how can you not?

ROAST LEG OF LAMB
INGREDIENTS
⅛ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs fresh rosemary, minced
salt and pepper
5-pound leg of lamb (bone-in or boneless)
DIRECTIONS
Make a simple marinade with the olive oil, garlic, rosemary and ample amounts of salt and pepper (a splash of white wine is good here too). Place the lamb in a plastic bag, and pour the marinade over the top. Get as much air out of the bag as possible, seal the bag, put into a dish to catch any leaks. Allow the lamb to marinate, turning the bag occasionally, for at least 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425˚. Prepare a roasting pan by adding about an inch of water in the pan, under the rack, to catch any drippings. Place the lamb on the roasting rack with the fattiest side up. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, not touching the bone if the leg is bone-in.
Roast at 425˚ for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 300˚. Continue cooking for another 50-60 minutes until the thermometer reads 130˚ for medium rare. Allow to sit for 20-25 minutes at room temperature before carving and arranging on a platter.

HERB JUS
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
½ tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ reduced chicken stock
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 1 cup, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and strain through a mesh sieve into a small serving dish or drizzle over the platter of lamb.

CEPES A LA BORDELAISE
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 pound fresh wild mushrooms (porcini, cremini), wiped clean with stems removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon lemon zest
DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, melt the butter with the lemon juice over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add the olive oil, increase the heat, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer until mushrooms are soft, about 20 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with the parsley and lemon zest.

The lamb platter with a hefty garnish of thyme and a small dish of cepes a la bordelaise.