OAKVILLE CABERNET PAIRING – GNOCCHI WITH HEN OF THE WOODS MUSHROOMS AND POMEGRANATE SAUCE
INGREDIENTS:
Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish or appetizer
1 pound Hen of the Woods (Maitake) mushrooms, roughly torn into medium strips
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
¼ teaspoon granulated onion
Slat and Black pepper to taste
2 sprigs Rosemary
5 ounces baby kale or spinach
1 (12- to 18-ounce) package shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi
Grated Parmesan
Pomegranate Arils for garnish
Pomegranate Sauce
Yield 1/2 Cup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, minced
1 dried ancho chile, torn into big pieces, seeds and stem discarded
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed using the flat side of a knife
Pinch Kosher salt
1 teaspoon vegetable stock concentrate (such as Better Than Bouillon), optional
2 cups pomegranate juice
METHOD:
FOR GNOCCHI:
Preheat oven to 350°
Place torn mushrooms in a large bowl and toss with some extra virgin olive oil. Lay mushrooms out on a parchment lined sheet tray, sprinkle with seasoning, onion and salt and pepper and lay rosemary sprigs randomly.
Place in oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until just getting brown on tips of mushrooms. Once cooked remove from oven and allow to cool. Gently crush cooked rosemary to release some leaves on to mushrooms.
Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
In a large skillet, over medium high heat, add a splash of olive oil, then add gnocchi and sauté for a minute. Add kale and stir, cook until kale wilts then add in mushrooms.
To serve top with a drizzle of sauce, parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of arils.
FOR POMEGRANATE SAUCE:
In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium until melted. Stir in the shallot, chili, garlic and peppercorns. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the stock concentrate (if using), then pour in the pomegranate juice and cook over medium-high, whisking occasionally, until the liquid is the consistency of maple syrup and thick enough to coat a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pushing on the solids to extract any liquid. You should have about ½ cup sauce.
Courtesy of Mark Caldwell, Executive Chef Davis Estates
INGREDIENTS:
Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish or appetizer
1 pound Hen of the Woods (Maitake) mushrooms, roughly torn into medium strips
¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
¼ teaspoon granulated onion
Slat and Black pepper to taste
2 sprigs Rosemary
5 ounces baby kale or spinach
1 (12- to 18-ounce) package shelf-stable or refrigerated potato gnocchi
Grated Parmesan
Pomegranate Arils for garnish
Pomegranate Sauce
Yield 1/2 Cup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, minced
1 dried ancho chile, torn into big pieces, seeds and stem discarded
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed using the flat side of a knife
Pinch Kosher salt
1 teaspoon vegetable stock concentrate (such as Better Than Bouillon), optional
2 cups pomegranate juice
METHOD:
FOR GNOCCHI:
Preheat oven to 350°
Place torn mushrooms in a large bowl and toss with some extra virgin olive oil. Lay mushrooms out on a parchment lined sheet tray, sprinkle with seasoning, onion and salt and pepper and lay rosemary sprigs randomly.
Place in oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until just getting brown on tips of mushrooms. Once cooked remove from oven and allow to cool. Gently crush cooked rosemary to release some leaves on to mushrooms.
Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
In a large skillet, over medium high heat, add a splash of olive oil, then add gnocchi and sauté for a minute. Add kale and stir, cook until kale wilts then add in mushrooms.
To serve top with a drizzle of sauce, parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of arils.
FOR POMEGRANATE SAUCE:
In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium until melted. Stir in the shallot, chili, garlic and peppercorns. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the stock concentrate (if using), then pour in the pomegranate juice and cook over medium-high, whisking occasionally, until the liquid is the consistency of maple syrup and thick enough to coat a spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pushing on the solids to extract any liquid. You should have about ½ cup sauce.
Courtesy of Mark Caldwell, Executive Chef Davis Estates