Wineshark Weekly - 13 May 2012

Have been coughing for a while, and got a bit of stuffy nose also. Obviously in the best condition, it is quite annoying and making me difficult to focus on both my job and other activities. But still, this week is still full of interesting things to share...

I cooked at home last Sun, preparing a Fish Minestrone with Pesto soup and a Grill Chicken with Grape Sauce. Again, to make the perfect soup, the ingredients and the stock is critical so I went to the wet market to buy fresh small fish. It is a healthy soup as there are a lot of vegetable in it, and adding the Pesto really bring out the flavors and dimensions. The chicken was also tasty, buying the live one in the wet market instead of the frozen/chilled ones in supermarket. Detailed recipe can be found in the blog.

Quite surprising maybe to some of you, but I in fact have not been to Taikoo Shing for a long time. This week went to Ashima, a Yunnan restaurant in Cityplaza, to try something special. Originally we planned to go to the one in Mongkok, fortunately I checked before going and found it was already closed. We ordered Crispy Bee Cocoon, Wild Mushroom and Chicken in Special Pot Soup, Prawn with Wild Mushroom, and Fried Rice with Pine Mushroom.

The bee cocoon looks scary but is in fact nothing, apart from a bit of starchy on the feel it did not taste weird.

The soup is a bit salty for me, though the chicken is tender and obviously the soup had been stewed for a long while to make the meat completely separated from bone.

As to the prawn it is acceptable, I would not complain on the size of the prawn but think it would probably look better and more appetizing if bigger ones can be used. But the colour is certainly nice.

The rice is the best of the dishes, and the finely chopped pine mushroom did bring a good aroma to the rice.

Overall it costs $370 (with tips), a reasonable price and the thing I recommend is the mushroom. Apparently the ingredients are coming from Yunnan and it is worth trying.

With VinExpo coming to town soon there are a lot of activities in the wine industry. I also made myself busy wine tasting. I joined the Weingut Brundlmayer wine tasting organized by ASC, a good Austrian wine producer. The most memorable for me were the Gruner Veltliner Auslese and Cabernet Franc.

I then attended the Diamond Creek wine dinner organized by One Red Dot, which was held in the Chinese restaurant in Hotel Icon. The view and food is gorgeous (a restaurant I want to revisit again very soon), and able to meet and chat with the Ross family was highly enjoying. It was not a big group with about 7-8 VIP so we all got to interact closely with the family, learning their philosophy and wine making practices. Of course trying their three labels, Red Rock Terrace, Volcanic Hill and Gravelly Meadow, on 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2007 vintage were simply exceptional. Got invited also to visit their vineyard which is not opened to public, and really looking forward to that!

Yesterday was our monthly wine party, and this time the theme is Cote de Nuits. We had a total of 6, all very good:

• Domaine Geantet-Pansiot Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 1995
• Domaine Robert Arnoux Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Corvees Pagets 2004
• Georges Lignier et Fils Chambolle-Musigny 2004
• Mongeard-Mugneret Vosne-Romanee 2002? (forgot the vintage...)
• Gros Frere et Soeur Clos Vougeot Grand Cru Musigni 2006
• Serafin Pere & Fils Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Millandes 2002

Special thanks to my friend Grace for offering her home for the party and doing all the cooking of the wonderful dishes!

Today is Mother's Day, and here let me finish by wishing all mothers forever healthy and happy!!

Wineshark Recipe - 43. Grill Chicken with Grape Sauce

First we marinate the chicken:

Ingredients:

• Spring Chicken - 1 cut in half
• Mixed Vegetable Shreds - 4 oz
• Thyme - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 3/4 tsp
• Black Pepper Finely - 1/2 tsp
• Cooking Oil - 1/2 tbsp

First cut the chicken in half, take the major bones to prepare for the chicken stock.

Mix the vegetable shreds with herbs and oil, and squeeze till the juices come out, and then marinate the chicken for about 3 hours.

Pan fry the chicken on both sides till it turns slight golden, and put in oven to cook for 30min at 240 degC.

Then we prepare the sauce:

Ingredients:

• Butter - 1 tbsp
• Plain Flour - 1 tbsp
• Dark Grape Juice - 4 oz
• Port Wine - 1/2 tbsp
• Chicken Stock - 1 oz
• Worcestershire Sauce - 1 tsp
• Dark Grape - 4 oz
• Spring Onion - 1 pc

Cook the butter with flour for 1-2 min, and then add the grape juice, Worcestershire sauce and port wine.

Add the grapes to mix well, then pour on top of the chicken, sprinkle with spring onion.

Wineshark Recipe - 42. Fish Minestrone with Pesto

Ingredients:

• Scallops Diced - 8-10 pcs
• Prawns - 8 pcs
• Fish Stock - 2 lb 2 oz
• Olive Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Onion Finely - 4 oz
• Carrot Finely - 4 oz
• Turnip Diced - 4 oz
• Potatoes Diced - 4 oz
• Celery Diced - 4 oz
• Small Pasta Shapes - 2 oz
• French Beans Cut - 2 oz
• Zucchini Diced - 2 oz
• Whipping Cream - 3 tbsp
• Red Kidney Beans - 1 1/2 oz
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh Chervil - 1 pc
• Pesto - 1 1/2 tbsp

First clean the scallops and cut into dices, remove the shells from the prawns.

Put the prawn shells to the fish stock to boil, and then add the prawn and scallops. Put the scallops and prawn on the bowl for serving.

Heat the pot with oil, and stir fry the onion and carrot for a while. Add the turnip and potatoes, then put the fish stock in.

Add celery, small pasta shapes to cook for about 5-6 min, and then add the remaining vegetable, red kidney beans and whipping cream. Add salt.

Pour the soup on the bowl with scallops and prawns, and finally add the pesto on top.

Wineshark Recipe - 41. Pesto

Ingredients:

• Garlic - 1 3/4 oz
• Pine Kernels toasted - 1 3/4 oz
• Grated Parmesan - 1 1/4 oz
• Fresh Basil Leaves - 1 oz
• Fresh Parsley Leaves - 1 1/2 oz
• Olive Oil - 6 1/2 oz
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Black Pepper Finely - 1/4 tsp

Put all the ingredients together in blender, and blend till it is thoroughly mixed.

Wineshark Weekly - 6 May 2012

This week we went to Queens Street Food Centre in Sheung Wan, originally wanting to revisit the Chiu Chow Lane stalls that we used to go when we were young. Actually that place brought a lot of fond memories for me, as my parents used to bring me to Queens Street to have the hotpot at the hawker stall there. Of course, that was a long time ago and now the place was a commercial building and the road was no longer having any hawker stall...

When we arrived it was full of people, but found that the Chiu Chow style stalls were closed (?) on the day. But having heard that one of the stall is also good, so we went to Chan Choi Kee. We had the White Pepper Pig Stomach and Intestine Soup, Golden Prawn and Steamed Garoupa Head and Stomach.

The soup was good, with the minced meat added to the soup which is their signature way of preparing this dish. The intestine was cleaned properly and no strange smell was associated.

The prawn was nice, with the salty egg yolk cooked in the way that it was coated on the prawn without solidifying.

The steamed fish was cooked at the right level, and I particularly like the shredded dried citrus orange peel, which brought a totally new dimensions to the fish.

Overall, a nice, family-style restaurant. With beer and soft drink the bill was $280. For the sophisticated people who cannot eat in such food centre, it may pose a problem but my belief always go to the quality of the food as the top priority, and cleaniness the second. If both are met, then I will go anywhere to try.

With a holiday this week I spent it to cook at home. This week I made two dishes, the South American Seafood Soup and a Grilled Duck Breast in Orange Sauce.

To make the proper fish stock, I went to the wet market to buy fresh small fishes and the effort paid off handsomely. The soup was so good and full of flavor that actually you need to be careful how much salt and seasoning you add, or will become too strong. The duck breast was easy to make, but the trick was to pan fry a bit on the skin before putting it into oven. Both recipes can be found in my blog as always.

With all the wines delivered to me now, I am becoming short of space seriously at home to keep all those. I have to speed up the drinking of the wines in order to get prepared for my examination also. Unfortunately with the traveling I did not get much chance at home to enjoy...

Chateau de Sales 2006 (Pomerol)

Good quality Pomerol with a fairly deep ruby color. Reasonably intense on the nose, the wine has developing and fairly complex aromas of black cherry, plum, cedar, earth, bilberry, cloves and violet. Medium in acidity, the tannin is ripe and velvety. Fairly full-bodied, the reasonably intense palate has black cherry, plum, cedar, coffee and hints of savory notes, relatively more simple than the nose. Finishing with a reasonable length, the wine is in good balance with firm structure. It is ready to drink now but can benefit from further ageing of another 6-8 years.

Chateau Moulin du Cadet 2005 (St-Emilion)

Good quality St-Emilion with a deep ruby color and garnet rims. The nose is reasonable intense, with good complexity, showing developing characters of blackberry, black cherry, bilberry, liquorice, cedar, oak and earth. Medium in acidity and tannin, ripe and silky in texture, the wine is of medium body with a fairly intense palate of blackberry, cedar, prune, chocolate and walnut. Finishing with a reasonable length, it is in good balance and smooth, showing typical right bank characters without much outstanding features however. Ready to drink now and can benefit from further ageing of another 2-3 years.

Last night we had good time celebrating couple of my MBA classmates birthday. Though I had been sneezing heavily (and now basically can't smell anything) I enjoyed the company. Wish you all healthy and happy forever!

Wineshark Recipe - 40. Grill Duck Breast with Orange Sauce

Ingredients:

• Duck breast - 2 pieces
• Butter - 3oz
• Shallot finely - 1 tbsp
• Onion finely - 2oz
• Carrot finely - 2oz
• Celery finely - 2oz
• Plain flour - 2oz
• Tomato paste - 1 tsp
• Orange juice - 1 lb
• Chicken stock - 8oz
• Orange liqueur - 3 tbsp
• Orange peel - dashes
• Salt - 1 tsp

First pan fry the duck breast on both sides till it turns golden. Then heat it in oven for about 5min.

Stir fry the shallot with butter, then add the mixed vegetables. When it smells good then add flour, tomato paste, orange juice, orange peel, chicken stock, orange liqueur and seasonings.

Put the sauce on the duck breast.

Wineshark Recipe - 39. South American Seafood Soup

Ingredients:

• Rice - 2oz
• Fish stock - 2 lb 4oz
• Avoset - 1.5oz
• Milk - 1oz
• Dry white wine - 1 tbsp
• White pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Fish fillet - 4oz
• Prawn - 4oz
• Squid - 4oz
• Mussel - 4oz
• Plain flour - 0.5oz

First prepare the fish stock, and then add the rice to cook for about 20min.

Use tissue to wipe dry the fish fillet and prawn, marinate with salt and white pepper powder, and then coat with flour to deep fry. Place in the bowl.

Add mussel and squid to the soup to cook for a while, then add avoset, milk and white wine, as well as seasonings. Then pour the soup onto the fish fillet and prawn.