Cabernet Bolognese
Pair with Wildwood Oak Winery or any quality Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion, finely chopped 3 Celery stalks, finely chopped 2 Carrots, finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tsp. dried basil
1⁄2 tsp. dried thyme
1-pound lean ground beef
Directions:
3⁄4 Cup Wildwood Oak or quality Cabernet Sauvignon
1⁄2 Cup Milk, whole
2 Cups Tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
10 ounces Dry pasta of choice Optional: Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese and fresh basil to serve
- Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
- Once the oil shimmers, add the onion, celery, and carrots and
sauté for about 5-7 minutes until the onions are translucent and the carrot begins to soften. Add the garlic, basil and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook the garlic for about 1 minute. - Add the ground beef and using a wooden spoon break up the meat into small pieces and stir to combine. Sautee the beef until no pink remains and the beef starts to brown.
- Add the wine and lower the heat to medium so the sauce continues to slightly bubbly. Stir occasionally until the wine has reduced by at least half. Carefully, scrape up any brown bites stuck to the bottom of the skillet while the wine cooks down.
- Add the milk and tomatoes and stir to combine. Let the sauce continue to simmer for about 15 minutes more until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Once the pasta is al dente, drain the water off and season the pasta with a pinch or two of salt. Mix the pasta and the Bolognese together and serve.
- Top with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired.
Recipe developed by Beehive Kitchen for Wildwood Oak Winery
Crab Cakes with Mustard Sauce
Pair with Wildwood Oak Winery or any quality Chardonnay
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Mustard Sauce
1 Tbl. Dijon Mustard
1 ½ tsp Agave Syrup
2 tsp White Wine vinegar
3 Tbl. Neutral oil (Canola or the like)
½ tsp. Garlic, fresh & finely minced
1-2 Tbl. Shallot, finely minced
Crab Cakes
½ lb. Lump crab meat
½ cup Fresh Bread crumbs
2 Tbl. Mayonnaise or Aioli
Salt & Pepper to taste
Spice blends or seasonings of choice such as Old Bay, Tabasco, Worcestershire Sauce, etc. may be used to taste
1-2 Tbl. Grape seed or other high temperature oil for searing.
Directions:
Mustard Sauce: Combine all ingredients except for the oil. Whisk vigorously until light and foamy. Add oil drop by drop until an emulsion forms and then add oil faster until completely absorbed.
Crab Cakes: Check crab for shells and set aside. Combine mayonnaise/aioli with salt, pepper, and any other seasonings in a medium bowl, fold in crab and bread crumbs, careful to not break-up crab meat. Form crab mixture into 6 equal patties using ring mold or by hand. Chill formed cakes for 30 minutes.
Heat heavy bottomed skillet over high heat, remove crab cakes from refrigerator, and lower burner to medium heat just before putting in crab cakes. Sear crab cakes without crowding the pan on first side for 2-3 minutes. Using a fish spatula, carefully turn over and sear for another 2-3 minutes.
Serve immediately with mustard sauce.