Classic All Red Wine Club Recipes - April 2023

Below you will find 3 recommended pairings, 1 for each of your wines. Enjoy!

Castellare Chianti Classico

Pairing: Fresh Tomato Bruschetta

Adapted from: Inspired Taste | Serves 3

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ripe tomatoes, at room temperature (3 to 4 medium)
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 basil leaves, thinly sliced
• Six 1/2-inch thick slices Italian or French bread
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

Directions:

1. Halve tomatoes then remove and discard the majority of the seeds. Chop tomatoes into 1/4-inch chunks then add to a medium bowl with a generous pinch of salt, a small pinch of black pepper, one tablespoon of the olive oil and the basil. Stir and let sit 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat a grill pan over medium heat or prepare an outdoor grill for medium heat. Drizzle bread slices with the remaining tablespoon of oil and grill 2 to 3 minutes on each side until warmed through and grill marks appear.
3. Rub one side of the bread while still warm with garlic — two to three strokes per bread slice should do it.
4. Stir the tomatoes one more time; taste then adjust with more salt or pepper as needed. Spoon a generous amount onto each bread slice. Drizzle a little of the juice remaining at the bottom of the bowl over tomatoes and enjoy.

Luigi Bosca Malbec D.O.C.

Pairing: Grilled Steak with Herbed Butter

Adapted from: Iowa Girl Eats | Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 2, 1lb bone-in strip steaks cut 1-1/2" thick (or your steak of choice)
• vegetable oil

For the Steak Spice:

• 3/4 Tablespoon rock salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes

For the Herbed Butter:

• Big pinch steak seasoning (see above)
• 1 stick salted butter (1/2 cup,) softened to room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary
• 1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh thyme
• 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced

Directions:

1. For the Steak Seasoning: Add ingredients to a mortar and pestle then coarsely grind. Alternatively, add ingredients to a heavy duty Ziplock bag, squeeze all the air out, then crush ingredients with a meat pounder, rolling pin, or heavy bottomed skillet.
2. For the Herb Butter: Add ingredients to a bowl then stir with a fork to combine. Scoop herb butter onto a sheet of plastic wrap then shape into a thick log and refrigerate until firm (if time is of the essence you can freeze for 20-30 minutes.) Can be done ahead of time.
3. For the steaks: Trim steaks of any big hunks of fat to avoid flare ups on the grill then pat dry with a paper towel. Rub each side with oil then season generously with the steak seasoning and press gently into steaks so it adheres - you should use most if not all of the seasoning.
4. Light 2/3 or 1/2 of your grill burners (2 of 3 burners, or 1 of 2 burners, depending on how many burners you have) then heat on high for 10-15 minutes, or until the grill reaches 500 degrees. Add steaks to the lit side then sear on each side for 1-1/2 minutes (adjust accordingly if your steaks are bigger or smaller than 1lb cut 1-1/2" thick,) keeping the lid closed between flipping. Transfer steaks to unlit portion of grill then continue cooking for 7-10 minutes with the lid closed for medium doneness, or until they've reached your preferred level of doneness. Remove steaks to a platter then let rest for at least 5 minutes. Top with sliced herb butter then serve.

Liquidity Merlot

Pairing: Warm Shiitake Mushroom & Cheese Dip

Adapted from: Always Ravenous | Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1-1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, de-stemmed, and torn into uniform pieces
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup shallots, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 heaping tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 1 baguette, sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and salt and sauté for about 8-10 minutes or until mushrooms are soft and have released their water. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and reserve.
3. Return the pan to medium heat, add butter and melt. Add the shallots, garlic, and thyme and sauté for about 2 minutes of until soft and slightly golden. Add the flour and cook, stirring for about 1 minute. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring to dislodge any browned bits, cook for about 1 minute.
4. Add the heavy cream and soy sauce to the pan, reduce liquid to half, about 3-6 minutes. Add the mushrooms back to the pan, stir and cook for another 2 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a broiler-proof serving dish. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Broil until cheese is melted and golden. Serve hot with baguette slices and a glass of Merlot.