I love John Pleshette's recipes.  He's the actor and foodie who shares delicious season recipes with friends and family.  We're so lucky to be in his inner circle:

Chicken with Chanterelles

Chicken with Chanterelles

Serves 4

3 to 4 lb chicken cut into 8 pieces

Vegetable oil

Butter

1 lb of fresh chanterelles

6 shallots

White wine

Fresh thyme

Fresh tarragon

Crème fraiche

Lemon

Fresh chives

Heat a large steep-sided pan over a high flame.

Dry the chicken pieces in paper towels.  Salt and pepper.  Pour 4 tablespoons of oil into the pan. 

Brown the chicken pieces skin side down in two batches so they don’t crowd the pan.  Adjust the heat so the skin browns but does not burn.  Cook for 6 minutes, turn, brown the other side 4 minutes more. 

Meanwhile, mince the shallots.  Cut the caps off the mushrooms.  Roughly chop the stems.  

When the chicken is browned, remove to a warm plate.  Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat, lower the heat, add 3 tablespoons of butter.  When the butter has melted, add the chopped shallots and the mushrooms. Cover. 

Cook for five minutes.  Uncover.  Raise the heat and cook off most of the liquid.  Pour in 1/2 cup of white wine.  Chop two sprigs of fresh tarragon, strip the leaves off a sprig of thyme and add to the pan. 

When the wine has reduced to a few tablespoons, pour in 1 cup of crème fraiche and stir for a couple of minutes to melt into the mushrooms.

Lower the heat and arrange the chicken pieces on top of the mushrooms.  Squeeze in 1 tsp of lemon juice.

Cook for about 10 minutes.  Pierce the thickest part of the second joint with a sharp fork.  If the juice runs clear, the chicken is done. 

Tilt the pan and nap the chicken with the chanterelles and cream.  Garnish with chopped chives and a few sprigs of tarragon.

Serve with rice, orzo or a rice-sized pasta such as chitarra.

Cellarwise wine pairing

Look for wines with an earthiness to complement 

The chanterelles, enough acid to cut the crème fraiche, and the density to hold up to the dish as a whole. The ’07 michel juillot bourgogne chardonnay (france, $13) has flinty green apple fruit and a bread dough note that would be exquisite here. If you don’t mind spending a little more, the ’07 j. M. Boillot montagny blanc 1er cru (france, $30) defines earthy, edgy green-fruited burgundian chardonnay.  Riesling  works here, such as  one with the stature and backbone of the ’07 peter lehmann riesling eden valley (australia, $15). For reds, the ’07 a to z wineworks pinot noir oregon ($20) is a very pretty, feminine partner to the chanterelles while the ’07 peachy canyon zinfandel paso robles “incredible red” (california, $11) will wrap the entire dish in a soft, red fruit blanket. Enjoy.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Actor and foodie John Pleshette sends us his fabulous weekly recipes.  Here's a perfect one for your Labor Day grilling:

Grilled Lamb

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Thanks to actor and foodie John Pleshette for his delicious recipes of the week:

Scallops with Chive Buerre Blanc

Sea Scallops with Chive Buerre Blanc

Serves 6

12 sea scallops
2 green onions
1 lemon
1/2 cup of white wine
1 sprig of thyme
1 sprig of tarragon
1 stick of sweet butter (1/4 lb)
1 bunch of chives

Mince the white part of the green onions.  Place in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Add the juice of one lemon, 1/2 cup of white wine, salt, thyme, tarragon and a few grindings of white pepper.  

Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer.  Reduce until there is about 1/4 cup of liquid.  Strain into a bowl, then return the liquid to the saucepan.  

Cut the butter into thumbnail-sized pieces and put on a plate.  

Dry the scallops thoroughly between several layers of papers towels.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Heat a large frying pan over a high flame.  Add a splash of vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of butter.  The butter will melt and foam.  

When the foam subsides, add the scallops.  Saute about 2 minutes a side.  Place scallops on a warm plate while you finish the sauce.  

Mince the chives.  You should have about 2/3 cup.  

Heat lemon-wine reduction over a medium flame.  Remove from the heat and beat in the butter, a few pieces at a time, with a wooden spoon.  

Stir in the chives.  

Divide the scallops into six servings, two per plate.  Spoon the buerre blanc over the scallops.

Cellarwise wine pairing

Well-chilled bottles of white wine are parachuting into the parking lot in hopes of being paired with this dish.  Because there’s richness, sweetness, and acidity at play here. Your white needs to be on the crisp side but with weight as well. Chef john’s first thought was Austrian Gruner Veltliner.

The ‘07s from Allram are special wines.  Look for the Kamptal Strassertaler ($11) or Kamptal Strasser Gaisberg ($17). Brundlmeyer, Pichler and Hirtzberger are equally respected producers.   Riesling is a classic match for beurre blanc and scallops, Australian being the way I’d go, such as the ’07 Leasingham Clare Valley “Magnus” ($11or the ’08 St. Hallett Eden Valley ($14). A crisp, flinty chardonnay would shine as well, and my first choice is the hard to find ’07 Crowley Willamette Valley Maresh Vineyard (Oregon, $22), which is worth the search. Alternately, look for the ‘07 Christian Moreau Chablis or the ’07 Joseph Drouhin Chablis (both from France, both $22).

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Thanks to chef and actor John Pleshette's for his meal of the week recipes.

Chicken Legs with Leeks and Cauliflower

Chicken Legs with Leeks and Cauliflower
Serves 6

6 chicken legs, legs and thighs separated
2 leeks
1 medium cauliflower
Butter
Flat leaf parsley

Dry chicken with paper towels.  Salt and pepper skin side.  

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a deep-sided frying pan with a lid.  When butter stops foaming, brown legs and thighs, skin side first.  Turn, salt and pepper, and brown the other side for about ten minutes.  

Meanwhile, trim the root ends and green part from the leeks.  Split lengthwise.  Rinse under lukewarm water to remove dirt.  Drain.  Cut into 1-inch pieces.  

Cut flowerets off the cauliflower.  Larger pieces should be split lengthwise; smaller pieces, scored on the bottom with a sharp knife.

When the chicken is browned, remove to a plate.  Pour off some of the fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan.  

Put leeks in the pan, lower the heat, cover.  Sweat for about 5 minutes.  leeks should be translucent, but not browned.  

Add chicken and cauliflower to the pan.  Cover.  Cook on a low flame for 5-7 minutes or until the cauliflower is firm but tender.  

Trim stems from parsley and scatter over the chicken.        

CellarWise Wine Pairing
This is simple, refined, and versatile as a dish, with older rather than younger cultural roots, and I think you should look for the same thing in the wines you might pour with it. My first instinct was Rhone Syrah like Crozes Hermitage or St. Joseph, but a better match (and value) might be a rural red blend from farther south. The ripe ’07 Delas Cotes du Ventoux ($10)is a good bet, as would be the rich, angular ’07 Domaine des Lauribert Vin de Pays de Vaucluse ($8). White works here as well, and the ’08 Domaine Pajot Cotes de Gascogne “Quatre Cepages” ($9) might be the dish’s soul mate. A fun alternate from Spain is the lighter, more floral ‘07 Casa Solar Viura Vino de la Tierra de Castilla ($7). Enjoy.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

I always look forward to actor and foodie John Pleshette's meals-of-the-week.  Enjoy!

Fettuccine with Favas and Morels

Fettuccine with Favas and Morels
Serves 4

1 lb of fettuccine or a pasta of your choice
2 lbs or fresh fava beans
1/2 lb of fresh morel mushrooms
2 scallions
3 cloves of garlic
dry white wine
fresh-grated Parmesan
chives
Italian parsley
Fresh tarragon

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil.  Fill a bowl with iced water.

Meanwhile, shell the fava beans.  Drop them in the boiling water and cook for one minute.  Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into iced water; drain.  Pinch off one end of each fava and squeeze out the green kernel inside.

If the morels are sandy, fill the sink with lukewarm water and rinse morels of grit or sand.  Drain in a colander.  Gently squeeze out as much water as you can; roll in a tea towel. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add fettuccine.  Meanwhile, trim and slice scallions into 1/2-inch rounds.  Peel garlic and slice thinly. 

Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and a splash of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.  When butter stops foaming, add the morels and cook for about 3 minutes.  Add scallions and garlic and continue cooking until they are soft but not browned. 

Add 1/2 of white wine.  Raise heat and cook till wine has almost evaporated. 

Skim 1/2 cup of starchy water from the pasta pot.  When the fettuccine is al dente, drain in a colander, then add to the sauté pan.  Cook over medium heat, adding some of the pasta water and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan.  add the fava beans and the leaves from two sprigs of tarragon.   Toss over heat for another 30 seconds, adding more pasta water if necessary.

Serve with parmesan, fresh chives and parsely on the side.

CellarWise Wine Pairing

Though Hannibal Lecter preferred a nice Chianti with his favas, the inclusion of morels instinctively makes me think Pinot Noir. As consumers, the landscape is shifting our way in Oregon as a number of under-$20 Pinot bottlings are hitting the market. Morels are incredibly well suited to the Willamette Valley version of Pinot’s flavors, simplifying this match. The much-maligned ’07 vintage in Oregon is misjudged, in my mind, as the pure feminine flavors of the grape seem to show through in very pretty wines. Look for under-$20 ‘07s from J. Christopher, Ayres, McKinlay, Grochau Cellars, & Wallace Brook (second label of respected Adelsheim), all simply labeled Willamette Valley. A non-vintage bottling from Brick House (NV Cuvee) is similarly shroom-friendly. Caliphiles may prefer wines from Roessler, Sanford, Au Bon Climat, and Melville, all under $25. Enjoy.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Spinach & Burratta Lasagna

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Asparagus Salad

Actor, chef and guest blogger John Pleshette offers us the recipe for a wonderful spring salad:

John Pleshette's Asparagus Salad
Serves 4

2 bunches of thick asparagus (4 per person)
1 large shallot
Champagne vinegar
Lemon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Italian parsley
Chives
Tarragon
Parmesan Reggiano

Trim off the tough ends of the asparagus.  Holding the asparagus flat on the cutting surface peel down from below the tips with a vegetable peeler.

Meanwhile, fill a large steep-sided pan water and bring to a boil on top of the stove.  Salt generously.  

Peel and slice the shallot into thin rounds.  Put a good pinch of sea salt and several grindings of pepper in the bottom of a bowl.  Add 2 tsps of champagne vinegar and 1 tsp of lemon juice.  Whisk together to dissolve the salt.  then whisk in about a 1/3 cup of olive oil.  whisk in shallots and set aside.  

Put the asparagus in the boiling water.  boil for 3 to 5 minutes or until the asparagus are pierced with sharp fork but still have some resistance.  

Meanwhile, fill the sink with cold water and a handful of ice.  As soon as the asparagus are done, remove with tongs and plunge immediately into the ice bath.  Let them cool for a 30 seconds and drain on a clean dish towel.  Roll them up to dry them until ready to serve.

Tear about 1/2 cup of parsley leaves from their stems.  Tear the leaves from 8 sprigs of tarragon.  Roughly chop 1/2 cup of chives.  

Toss asparagus together with vinaigrette and herbs.  Apportion onto four plates.  Using a vegetable peeler, shave thin slices of parmesan over the asparagus.

CellarWise Wine Pairing

Asparagus has an inherent bitter quality, providing the challenge for this match. Sauvignon Blanc can mimic that bitter grassiness, but stick to riper styles from California or Chile. From the former, look for the ’07 Ch St Jean (Fume Blanc) Sonoma County or the ’07 Kenwood Sonoma County, both $12 and readily available. From Chile try the ’08 Vina Montes Leyda Valley Leyda Vyd ($15) or the ’08 Vina San Pedro Elqui Valley ‘Castillo de Molina Reserva’ ($12), two gorgeous fruit-forward examples. For fun think about Oregon Pinot Gris, specifically less floral styles such as the ’06 Eyrie Vyd Dundee Hills or the ’07 Chehalem Willamette Valley (both $17). Enjoy.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

John Pleshette's Fettuccine with Chicken Livers and Peas

Fresh peas are starting to pop up in the farmers markets and those little crunches of green cuts through the richness of the livers.  You can substitute frozen peas, just make sure they are room temperature before you add them to the pasta.

Fettuccine with Chicken Livers and Peas
Serves 2-4

1 lb. of fettuccine
1/2 lb. of chicken livers
1 shallot
Butter
Olive oil
3/4 cup of peas
Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt generously. Shell the peas.  Peel and thinly slice the shallot. Wrap the livers in several layers of paper towels to dry thoroughly. Put the pasta in the water.  

When the pasta is nearly done, heat a large sauté pan over a medium high flame.  Salt and pepper the livers.  

Put a splash of oil and 3 tbsps of butter in the pan.  When the butter melts and the foam subsides, toss in the livers.  Brown on both sides over high heat about a minute a side.  Add the sliced shallots, stir into the livers for 30 seconds and remove from the heat.  

Scoop 1/2 cup of pasta water and set aside.  When the pasta is cooked, add the peas to the pot, drain in a colander.  

Return livers to the heat and add the pasta.  toss gently to coat the pasta with the livers and peas.  Add a little pasta water if necessary.

Grate some parmesan over the pasta.  Serve the rest on the side.

CellarWise Wine Pairing
Traditionally styled wines seem best here, and either red or white will do. The peas favor whites with similar elements, the oft-ignored Italian classic Vermentino’s green pea and hay flavors seeming perfect.  It ages well so you can look for wines as far back as ’04 or ‘05, but you’re likely find more ‘06s and ‘07s in stores. The Argiolas Vermentino di Sardegna “Costamolino” is stellar and retails for about $15. Another widely available version is the Antinori Vermentino Bolgheri Tenuta Guado al Tasso, selling for about $19. A special treat if you can find it is the Vermentino “Ariento” from Tuscany’s Massa Vecchia, a unique and expensive wine that’s worth the search to find.  Reds will need good acidity, and something with black pepper notes seems right.  The impressive ’07 Bodegas Borsao Garnacha Campo de Borja “Monte Oton” is just $8 and should work wonderfully.  The Delas Cotes du Ventoux, a great ’07 Rhone that’s $10 is another fine option. If your area is served by a Trader Joe's retailer look for their Italian direct-import line “Epicuro”, including a Vermentino as well as Nero d’Avola, Aglianico, and Salice Salentino reds. Selling for $6, they’re correct affordable options here.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Eggs Benedict

Actor, chef and Good Food guest blogger, John Pleshette shares with us his meal of the week.  This time, it's Eggs Benedict:

"I made this again last weekend for my sisters who were in town to see Mammals and substituted thick slices of toasted cheese bread (Alpine loaf) from the Bread Bar.  Try it.  You'll like it!"

Serves 2-4

2 Thomas’ English muffins
white vinegar
8 paper-thin slices of proscuito (about 1/4 pound)
1 stick of butter
2 whole eggs (4 if you’re really hungry)
2 egg yolks
1 lemon
fresh chives or chervil

Melt 3/4 stick of butter in a small saucepan.  Pour into a measuring cup.  Allow to stand until the white butterfat rises to the surface.  Skim it off.  reserve clarified butter in a warm place.

Split the English muffins using a dinner fork.  

Bring a saucepan of water to a simmer on top of the stove.  Add 2 Tbsp of white vinegar.

Separate eggs.  Beat the yolks in the top of a double boiler off the heat.  Season with salt and white pepper.  Whisk in a few Tbsp of lemon juice.  Dot with 1/4 stick of cold butter.  

Fill the bottom of the double boiler with an inch or two of water.  Bring to a simmer.  

Toast the English muffins under the broiler or in a toaster oven set to “top brown”.  Brown the bottoms first.  Turn over.  Butter and lightly brown top-side up.  

Place the muffins on two warm plates.  Arrange proscuito on top of the muffins.  

Fill the sink with cold water.  

Set the egg yolk mixture in the double boiler and whisk until it attains a custard-like consistency.  Remove frequently from the heat and test the bottom with your hand to make sure it doesn’t get so hot that the eggs scramble and curdle the hollandaise.  To cool down, dip the bottom in sink full of cold water.  

When the hollandaise is thick enough, remove from the heat.  Whisk in the clarified butter in a thin stream, slowly at first.  As the butter is emulsified and the sauce thickens, you can add more butter, stopping at the milky residue on the bottom.  Taste for seasoning.  Add more salt or lemon juice if you wish.

Break the whole eggs into a cup one at a time and slip into the simmering water.  poach for about three minutes.  The whites should be set.  The yolks, runny.  

Remove poached eggs with a slotted spoon and place on top of the English muffins.  

Nap generously with hollandaise.  Garnish with chives or chervil.

CellarWise Wine Pairing

The traditional choice for this elegant breakfast is champagne, but champagne is expensive.  I prefer the clay-like minerality of Cavas, which are made in Spain using the methode champenoise, but are sold widely at a fraction of the price.  Rose Cavas  are more robust in flavor and several nationally-distributed brands, like Freixenet, Cristalino, Codorniu, and Segura Viudas are now producing excellent Cavas.  Explore your local wine store for lesser-known brands and tell me what you find.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Monkfish with Spinach and Root Vegetables

Guest Blogger John Pleshette has a wonderful meal for us this week.  John says that the Monkfish is so easy to make that he included accompaniments, spinach and root vegetables.

Monkfish with Spinach And Root Vegetables

2 lb fillet of monkfish
Olive oil
Fresh thyme
4 small turnips
4 small new potatoes
4 medium carrots
2 bunches of fresh spinach
4 cloves of garlic
Butter
Italian parsley
Chives

For The Vegetables

Bring a large sauce pan of water to a boil.  Salt generously.

Choose vegetables that are approximately the same size.  Peel and trim.

Put in the potatoes and carrots first.  Boil gently for 5 minutes.  Add the turnips.  Boil for about 10 more minutes or until the vegetables are easily pierced with a small, sharp knife.   Test them separately and take out each vegetable as it is done.

If preparing ahead of time, plunge vegetables in a sinkful of cold water.  Drain in a collander.  

Otherwise, drain the vegetables in a collander.  Add 3 Tbsps of butter to the saucepan.  Return the vegetables to the pan and swirl around to coat with butter.  Sprinkle with a handful of chopped parsley and chives.  

For The Monkfish

Allow the fish to reach room temperature before cooking.  Season with sea salt and freshly ground white pepper.

Heat 1/2 cup of olive oil in a frying pan just large enough for the fish.   When the oil is quite hot, slip monkfish fillet into the oil and brown lightly on both sides.  

Reduce the heat to low and after a minute, add several sprigs of fresh thyme.  Poach the monkfish in the olive oil for another 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs.  The fish is done when a knife inserted to the center feels warm against your bottom lip.  

Remove to a warm serving platter and allow to rest while you cook the spinach.  

For The Spinach

Before you start to cook the fish, dump spinach in a sinkful of cold water.  Trim off the stems and drain in a collander.  

Peel the garlic and slice into thin pieces.

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 tbsps of butter in a saute pan.  When the butter is hot, add the garlic slices.  

As soon as you smell the garlic, add the spinach.  Salt generously and keep turning over with tongs until the spinach has collapsed but is still a vibrant green.

Surround the Monkfish with the vegetables and spinach.

Serves 4

Cellarwise Wine Pairing

These days it’s not very fashionable to recommend California chardonnay in serious food/wine pairing situations, but it’s a good choice here. The richness of the monkfish calls for more weight not less, and the spinach provides its own challenge, so chardonnays with tropical fruit notes, good cool-climate acidity, and minimal oak are the way to go. Regionally, look for Sonoma County (including Sonoma Coast & Russian River Valley), Monterey (including Santa Lucia Highlands), and Santa Barbara (including Santa Rita Hills) bottlings of non-reserve status (more affordable, less oak). As a value pour try the ’07 Chateau St Jean Sonoma county ($11), or for a few bucks more go for the excellent ’07 Bueller Russian River Valley ($15). The ’06 Logan Monterey county sleepy hollow vineyard ($20) is always solid, if you can find it try the unique ’07 mount Eden Monterey county ($18) as it should excel here. The ’07 Four Vines Santa Barbara county “naked” ($12) offers a more crisp version of the attributes we’re after, or go with the prototypical ’06 Sanford Santa Barbara county ($18). Enjoy.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend