French ABCs

It's fun to tour the wine regions of France from your own table like this: starting in Alsace, moving on to Burgundy and Bordeaux, and finishing in Champagne. When we do a French ABCs wine dinner at L'Espalier, we always try to start with A, move on to the Bs, and conclude with C—and to present some unexpected wines from these regions. It can be a challenge depending on what food we're serving, but it's fun to play around. If someone at your dinner has been to one or all of these regions, ask them to share memories of their travels. This summer version of the ABCs is a perfect way to celebrate Bastille Day, which is July 14.

 

Menu & Pairings

 

Heirloom Tomato Soup With Succotash	2004 Domaine Valentin Zusslin, "Pinot d'Alsace Vieilles Vignes," Sylvaner, Alsace
Butter And Herb-Poached Maine Lobster With Cucumber, Avocado, And Nasturtium Salad	2004 Jean-Marc Brocard, Sauvignon De Saint Bris, Burgundy
Roasted Duck With Ginger And Plums	2001 Château Villa Bel-Air, Graves, Bordeaux
Nick'S Wild Mint Ice Cream With Warm Berries	Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Demi-Sec, Champagne

Wine Notes

1ST PAIRING: HEIRLOOM TOMATO SOUP WITH SUCCOTASH
SERVED WITH: 2004 DOMAINE VALENTIN ZUSSLIN, "PINOT D'ALSACE VIEILLES VIGNES," SYLVANER, ALSACE

Alsace is generally associated with Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris. But the region also grows Sylvaner, which is sometimes dismissed as an unimportant varietal. With enough love, though, it can develop a rich and concentrated flavor that stands up to the flavor of fresh tomato. An Alsace Pinot Gris would also be nice here.

2ND PAIRING: BUTTER AND HERB-POACHED MAINE LOBSTER WITH CUCUMBER, AVOCADO, AND NASTURTIUM SALAD
SERVED WITH 2004 JEAN-MARC BROCARD, SAUVIGNON DE SAINT BRIS, BURGUNDY

Bring together lobster, avocado, and butter and you have a rich, decadent dish. So for your wine, you want something bright and acidic to cut through all that. This is a Sauvignon Blanc from the only part of Burgundy that grows Sauvignon Blanc. A crisp white such as Chablis or a dry Champagne are other good choices.

3RD PAIRING ROASTED DUCK WITH GINGER AND PLUMS
SERVED WITH 2001 CHâTEAU VILLA BEL-AIR, GRAVES, BORDEAUX

Merlot is the main component of this soft, fruit-forward red wine from the south of Bordeaux. Alternatively, pair a Pinot Noir or a California Merlot with this dish.

4TH PAIRING NICK'S WILD MINT ICE CREAM WITH WARM BERRIES
SERVED WITH VEUVE CLICQUOT PONSARDIN, DEMI-SEC, CHAMPAGNE

As promised, here's something from Champagne to finish: a sweet-style champagne. You could also serve a sweet-style prosecco, or a non-sparkling light, sweet dessert wine here.

Heirloom Tomato Soup with Succotash

Serve this soup at room temperature, not chilled, so the tomato flavor can really shine. This dish is incredibly simple, and it lets the tomatoes speak for themselves. I add a tiny bit of sherry vinegar, because I think it brings out the flavor of the tomatoes, and that's about it. You could use your favorite tomatoes from your garden, or the tomatoes from your local farm stand or farmers' market. Whatever you do, use excellent, local tomatoes in season. Midwinter grocery store tomatoes simply will not do.

 

3	pounds ripe tomatoes (preferably a mix of heirloom varieties)
1	tablespoon sherry vinegar
2	teaspoons salt, or to taste
2	teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
2	tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Blanch, peel (below), and seed the tomatoes, straining the seeds in order to capture as much juice as possible.
2. Puree the tomatoes and their juice in a food processor until smooth. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper and blend until well incorporated. Serve in bowls over Succotash ([>]), and drizzle each bowl with a teaspoon of olive oil.

 

PEELING TOMATOES

To remove the skins from tomatoes, core them and cut a small X on one end. Prepare a small bowl of ice water. Bring some water to a boil in a small saucepan and carefully place the tomatoes in the boiling water. After 10 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon and immediately place in the ice water until they are completely cool. Remove the tomatoes from the water, and the skins should slip off easily.

Succotash

2	ears corn, with their husks
1	bunch fresh basil leaves (about 2 loosely packed cups)
3	garlic cloves
1	teaspoon salt
1	teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3	teaspoons olive oil
½	cup fresh or frozen lima beans, blanched
½	cup fresh or frozen fava beans, blanched
½	cup green beans, blanched and sliced into ½-inch pieces
½	cup diced red onion
1	6-ounce ball buffalo mozzarella or regular fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1-inch strips

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Bake the corn (with the husks on) for 25 minutes.
3. While the corn is baking, make a pesto by combining the basil, garlic, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. While blending, slowly add the olive oil, pureeing until smooth.
4. Let the corn cool, then remove the husks and cut the kernels off the cobs. Combine the corn, lima beans, fava beans, green beans, onion, and mozzarella and toss with the pesto mixture.

Butter and Herb-Poached Maine Lobster with Cucumber, Avocado, and Nasturtium Salad

At L'Espalier we use day-boat Maine lobster, which means we get the lobster the same day it's taken out of the water. Our cultured butter comes from Vermont Butter & Cheese Company, and it is readily available in better supermarkets. Use the best, freshest lobster and butter you can find and this dish will be not just special but unforgettable. Use fresh herbs, and leave them whole for poaching. I've been making this dish since I ate at Alain Chapel in Burgundy in 1989. He had a lobster dish with herbs on his menu, and it moved me. When I came back to Boston I worked on perfecting my own version. This is it.

 

3	1¼-pound live hard-shell lobsters
1	cup (2 sticks) butter
1	dried chipotle chile, chopped
1	tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves
1	tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1	tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1	tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1	teaspoon fresh lemon thyme leaves or regular thyme leaves
1	teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
2	teaspoons salt, plus more for serving

1. Place a large pot with 2 inches of water over high heat. When the water is just simmering, plunge the lobsters headfirst into the water and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for 6 minutes. Remove the lobsters from the pot and let cool.
2. Remove the lobster meat from the shells, claws, knuckles, and tail and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat and add the chipotle, tarragon, rosemary, parsley, chives, thyme, oregano, and salt. Cook on low heat, never allowing the butter to simmer, for 4 minutes. Add the lobster meat and poach for 5 minutes. Remove the tails from the butter and slice them in half lengthwise. Distribute the lobster meat evenly on a platter, pour the butter over the lobster, and season with a sprinkle of salt. Serve with Cucumber, Avocado, and Nasturtium Salad ([>]).

Cucumber, Avocado, and Nasturtium Salad

1	large cucumber
1	avocado
10	nasturtium flowers (below), rinsed and chopped
1	tablespoon fresh orange juice
1	tablespoon fresh yuzu juice (below)
1	tablespoon minced shallot
	Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Peel and thinly slice the cucumber. Remove the pit and skin from the avocado and dice the flesh. Combine the cucumber, avocado, and nasturtium flowers in a medium-size bowl and toss gently.
2. Whisk together the orange juice, yuzu juice, and shallot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the salad and toss gently to combine.

 

EDIBLE BLOSSOMS

Look for colorful nasturtium flowers in the produce section of large supermarkets or at farmers' markets.

YUZU

Yuzu is an Asian citrus fruit that resembles a small, somewhat ugly grapefruit. It's available at many better grocery stores and produce shops, as well as Japanese and Korean markets. If you can't find yuzu, substitute grapefruit juice, or just use 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice.

Roasted Duck with Ginger and Plums

Duck was my favorite food when I was a little boy. When we went out to dinner when I was as young as 4 or 5, I always ordered duck a l'orange. It's still a favorite of mine, and my children love it now. So of course I had to present a duck recipe for you and your family to try.

¼	cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce
¾	cup fresh orange juice
2	tablespoons honey
4	tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1	teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
4	garlic cloves, minced
1	teaspoon crushed red pepper
2	whole ducks (about 3 pounds each)
6	ripe plums
1	cup red wine
¼	cup port
1	star anise pod
1	cinnamon stick
4	whole peppercorns

1. Make a marinade by combining ¼ cup of the soy sauce, ¼ cup of the orange juice, the honey, 3 tablespoons of the ginger, the five-spice powder, garlic, and red pepper. Place the ducks in a large plastic bag, pour in the marinade, and tie tightly, pressing out as much air as possible. (Or you may divide the ducks and marinade between two large zipper-top plastic bags.) Refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
3. Cut the plums in half, remove the pits, and place the plums, cut side down, in a baking dish. Add the red wine, port, the remaining ½ cup orange juice, the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger, the star anise, cinnamon stick, and peppercorns to the dish. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the skin starts pulling off the plums. Remove from the oven and remove the skins from the plums. Reserve the plums and the liquid from the pan.
4. Remove the ducks from the marinade and discard marinade. Prick the skin of the ducks all over with a fork. Place a steamer rack and 1 inch of water in a large pot over high heat. When the water is boiling, place the ducks on the rack and cover. Steam for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the ducks from the rack and place them in a roasting pan. Pour the plums and the plums' cooking liquid over the ducks. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and roast the ducks for 1 hour and 20 minutes, basting every 20 minutes (add water to the pan if needed for basting).
6. Remove the ducks from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Place the plums on a serving platter, strain the remaining liquid, skim off the fat, and adjust the seasoning as desired. Carve the duck meat off the bone and serve it on a platter with the plums, accompanied by the sauce.

Nick's Wild Mint Ice Cream with Warm Berries

In the summer, pairing fresh warm berries with cold ice cream makes for an unbeatable dessert. It's simple, not stuffy or formal, and tastes amazing. We make this ice cream with wild mint brought to us by L'Espalier sommelier Nick Tranquillo, who actually came to us through Wine Mondays. Nick was a young research assistant at Harvard University, and he loved food and wine but didn't have much disposable income to spend on fancy dining. He read about Wine Mondays soon after we started the program in 2002, and decided he could afford the reasonable price. He came week after week and got to know wine director Erik Johnson, and started asking more and more questions and studying wine. Soon he became part of our staff. In addition to being a walking food and wine encyclopedia, it turns out he knows where to find outstanding wild mint.

 

2	cups heavy cream
2¼	cups milk
2	cups spearmint leaves
2	large eggs
1	large egg yolk
½	cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1. Combine the cream, milk, and spearmint in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard the mint.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Slowly pour one-half of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture to temper the eggs, being careful not to pour too quickly or you may cook the eggs
3. Pour the remaining milk mixture back into the saucepan and blend in the tempered egg-milk mixture. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the liquid is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. An instant-read thermometer dipped into the liquid should read 160°F. Remove from the heat and strain into a large bowl that you can set into an ice bath ([>]). Once cool, cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
4. Remove from the refrigerator and freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Serve with Warm Berries (recipe follows). It's also terrific with hot fudge sauce.

Warm Berries

½	cup sugar
3	tablespoons water
1	tablespoon butter
½	teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2	cups mixed berries, washed ([>])

1. Combine the sugar and water in a small sauté pan. Slowly dissolve the sugar over low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the butter and lemon juice.
2. Add the berries and sauté very briefly (about 10 seconds). Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Serve warm.

Crab-Corn Fritters with Cucumber-Watercress Salad, [>]

Endive, Roasted Red Pepper, and Black Olive Salad, [>]

Watermelon Sorbet with Fresh Basil, [>]

Vidalia Onion, Cèpe, and Arugula Tarts, [>]

L'Espalier's Fried Chicken and Honey Biscuits, [>]

Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks with Frank's Potato Gratin, [>]

Vegetable Gratin with Tomato-Saffron Coulis, [>]

Bittersweet Chocolate Terrine with Warm Pumpkin Sauce and Shaved Black Truffle, [>]