what a look

Bacon Wrapped Partridge with Wild Mushroom Fondue and Fingerling Potatoes

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 each	whole fresh partridge
1/2 lb	bacon, good quality, thick sliced
2 C	fingerling potatoes
2 C	wild mushrooms, any kind washed and cut into medium pieces
1 C	wild baby arugula
1/2 bunch	thyme, fresh
1 oz	butter
1/2 oz	sherry vinegar
3 oz	white wine
1/2 C	fresh chicken stock
to taste	kosher salt
to taste	black pepper

Method

Preparing and Cooking the Partridge
First start by making sure all the feathers have been removed from the bird. Once the bird is cleaned, tie the legs together with butchers twine. Take the sliced bacon and start wrapping the breast; I personally like to make a little lattice with the bacon similar to a pie crust.

Once the bird has been wrapped, rub with olive oil, season with salt and pepper then place on a rack in an oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees. Cook for 12-20 minutes or until the legs are fully cooked and the bacon is a golden brown. Allow to rest in a warm area of your kitchen.

Fingerling Potatoes
Place the potatoes in a pot, cover with water and add half the thyme and season with salt. Simmer until the potatoes are done, then remove from the water and cut into small pieces. Reserve for latter use.

Wild Mushroom Fondue
In a medium sauté pan sauté the wild mushrooms in oil. Once golden brown, season with salt and deglaze with the white wine. As the wine cooks out add the chicken stock and the sherry vinegar, reduce by half then add the cooked potatoes, adjust seasoning again as needed. At the last second add the arugula and remove from the heat.

Plating
Start by carving the leg and breast off the partridge, be careful not to damage the cooked bacon. In the center of the plate place the potato and mushroom fondue in a little pile. Place the leg first then the breast second on top of the mushroom fondue, spoon a little of the excess liquid from the mushroom fondue around the bird and serve.

Enjoy!

Red Wine Braised Short Rib Sliders

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 lb	beef short ribs (get from local butcher)
1 each	yellow onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 each	carrot, large, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 each	garlic, whole head, cut in half
1 oz	tomato paste
1 each	fresh thyme bunch
1 each	bottle of good red wine, Cabernet or Zinfandel
1 qt	veal stock
1/2 ea	red onion, cut into thin strips
1/4 ea	red cabbage, cut into thin strips
2 oz	red wine vinegar
1 oz	sugar
3 oz	canola oil
1 oz	butter, unsalted
8-12 ea	small mini Brioche buns (available in fine bakeries)
1 t	coriander seed, whole
8-12 ea	Gruyere cheese slices (optional)
1 each	fresh wild arugula bunch
to taste	Kosher salt
to taste	fresh pepper
to taste	Maldon sea salt

Method

Braised Short Ribs:

1. Start by getting a large sauté pan hot over high heat. Once the pan is hot add the canola oil and sear the salt and pepper seasoned short ribs until golden brown.
2. Once the short ribs are golden brown remove from the pan and place in a deep casserole dish. Drain off half the oil and add the cut vegetables above.
3. Sauté the vegetables until they become golden brown, add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the red wine.
4. Return to the heat and reduce by half. Once reduced add the veal stock, thyme, coriander and reduce again by another half. Pour this mixture over the short ribs in the casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 325 degrees for approximately four to five hours.
5. The time will vary depending on the style of your oven; you can tell the short ribs are done when your knife can easily pass through the meat with little resistance.
6. Allow the short ribs to cool for several hours and absorb all the wonderful flavors they where just cooked in.

Pickled Red Onion and Cabbage Salad:

1. In a small pot add the vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil. Add the red onion and cabbage and cook for approximately four to five minutes, or until the onions and cabbage are tender.
2. You will see the cabbage will turn a bright red. Stir in the butter and then adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Reserve warm.

Plating:

1. Cut the brioche buns in half and toast in an oven until golden brown.
2. Place a nice size piece of short rib on the bun, season with sea salt and top with the red cabbage mixture and arugula. Put on the top bun and serve!
3. Optionally add Gruyere cheese slice to each slider

Pair with:

2007 Mauritson Rockpile Ridge Vineyard Zinfandel

Glazed Country Ham

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

12 LB	smoked, bone-in country ham
1/4 C	butter
2 1/2 C	dark maple syrup
1/2 C	molasses
1/4 t	ground cloves
2 T	English mustard, mixed with water to form paste
2 T	apple cider vinegar

Method

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Place the country ham on a rack in a roasting pan and add a few cups of water, cover with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours to heat through.

While the ham is heating, add the butter, maple syrup, molasses, cloves, English mustard and vinegar to a saucepan and heat through over a low flame, mixing all of the ingredients together. Remove the aluminum foil and baste the ham with the glaze during the last 30 minutes of the cooking, adding the glaze in three additions (basting with glaze every 10 minutes for the last 1/2 hour of cooking).

real meal.........

Sauteed Scallops, Sweet Corn Ragout, Balsamic Reduction

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 each	scallops, U-7
2 T	olive oil
2 T	butter
3 sprigs	thyme
2 each	shallots, sliced
to taste	kosher salt
to taste	fresh white pepper
-----	Sweet Corn Ragout
2 C	corn, cut off cob
3 T	butter
3 each	shallots, minced
2 T	black garlic, sliced
1 T	parsley, chopped
1 T	celery leaves, chopped
-----	Pancetta Balsamic Reduction
1/2 C	pancetta
3 C	balsamic vinegar
1 T	thyme, picked
1 T	olive oil
3 each	shallots, minced
1 T	sugar, granulated
1 T	butter

Method

Sautéed Scallops Preparation
Clean the scallops free of the side mussel.
Season the scallop with salt and fresh white pepper.
In a large sauté pan heat the olive oil till slight smoking point.
When the scallops start to lightly caramelize add the butter, thyme, and shallots.
Using a large spoon baste the scallops with the butter and fresh thyme.
Cook the scallops till medium and remove them from the pan. Let the scallops rest on the side.

Sweet Corn Ragout Preparation
In a medium sauté pan brown the butter till the milk solids start to caramelize and smell like toasted nuts.
Add the corn to the sauté pan and lightly sauté the corn until tender.
Add the shallots and black garlic.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To finish the ragout toss in the chopped parsley and celery leaves.

Pancetta Balsamic Preparation
In a small pot add the olive oil and pancetta. Render the pancetta well.
Add in the shallots and sweat till translucent.
Add the picked thyme and balsamic vinegar.
Reduce the balsamic vinegar by 3/4 .
Finish the sauce with the butter.
Adjust the acidity using sugar to taste.

chick...chick....chicken.

Chicken Saltimbocca with Vegetable Medley

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 each	chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless, 6 oz each
8 each	large fresh sage leaves
8 each	thin prosciutto slices (about 3 ounces)
1 T	butter
1 1/2 T	olive oil
1 each	yellow onion, medium, small dice
1/2 head	broccoli florets
1 LB	sugar snap peas
8 oz	carrots, julienned
1 each	red bell pepper, large, julliened
2 T	sherry vinegar
1 T	fine herbs
to taste	salt and pepper

Method

Place chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap. With a meat mallet, pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place 1 sage leaf on top of each chicken breast half. Top each side of the chicken breast with two prosciutto slices. Roll chicken and secure with kitchen twine at both ends.

Melt butter with oil in large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on both sides and finish cooking in the oven. Keep fat in pan and remove chicken to a large platter, cover and keep warm.

Using the same pan, (add more oil if necessary) cook onions until they start to brown. Add broccoli florets, sugar snap peas, carrots and red bell peppers, and cook until still slightly crisp. Deglaze pan with sherry vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss in fines herbs and mix thoroughly. Spoon vegetable medley over chicken saltimbocca.

i always love fries........

Sunny-side-up home fries

Serves 6

Ingredients

12 each	yukon gold potatoes, cut into wedges (sixths)
4 T	vegetable oil
3 C	button mushrooms, washed and quartered
1 each	onion, peeled, quartered, sliced thin
2 each	cloves garlic, peeled, sliced thin
1 T	chopped rosemary
2 C	grated aged cheddar cheese
12 each	large eggs
to taste	sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 t	paprika, smoked

Method

Heat oven to 350 degrees and place a roasting pan inside to get hot.

Pull the roasting pan out of the oven and add the vegetable oil, tilting the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Add the potatoes to the pan and return to the oven to roast. Do not stir or shake the potatoes for approximately 15 minutes or until they have colored nicely on the bottom. Then stir in the mushrooms, onions, garlic and rosemary and season with sea salt and fresh-ground pepper.

Place the pan in the oven and continue to roast for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender. Scatter the grated cheese evenly over the potatoes and then crack the eggs over and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Continue to cook until the whites of the eggs are set (approximately 4 minutes) or desired doneness of the yolks.

try it for sure...........

Steak Dry Rub

Yield 1-2 cups

Ingredients

1/2 C	light brown sugar
1/2 C	kosher salt
1 T	cayenne pepper
2 T	ground cumin
2 T	granulated garlic
2 T	granulated onion
1 T	dry English mustard (like Coleman's)
1 T	finely ground black pepper

Method

Mix all ingredients until well incorporated.
Yield: about 1-2 cup

To use 
Sprinkle on all sides of the meat to be grilled. Then thoroughly smack, flip, and rub it in.