Wente Vineyards and Philips Seafood East meets West Crab Recipe Challenge

Wente Vineyards and Phillips Seafood East Meets West Crab Challenge

Wente Vineyards an Phillips Seafood teamed up for the first inaugural East meets West Crab Challenge. Competing were Wente Vineyards the Restaurant and Wente Vineyards' Executive Sous Chef Owen Nattrass and Phillips Seafood Chef Todd Weisz. Both chefs were challenged to make two dishes using Phillips Crab Meat. One had to pair with the Wente Vineyards Morning Fog Chardonnay. The other had to pair with the Wente Vineyards Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon. Enjoy the following recipes and tell us on our Facebook page which one comes out the best!

Below are the two recipes from Wente Vineyards' Chef Owen Nattrass:

Green Garden Gazpacho with Crab, Almonds and Avocado

Paired with: Wente Vineyards Morning Fog Chardonnay

(serves 4)

For the gazpacho:
4 ea- heirloom cucumbers peeled and cut into rough chunks (we prefer lemon or armenian cucumbers)
1 cup- green grapes
2 ea- gypsy peppers (seeded)
4 cloves- peeled garlic
1 cup- yellow onion, roughly chopped
2Tbl- Slivered almonds
2 Tbl- sherry vinegar
2 Tbl- chopped basil
a pinch- chili flake
to taste- salt

For the garnish:

8 oz- Philip’s ‘Special’ Crab Meat
1ea- avocado cut into a small dice
1ea- lemon cucumber cut into small dice
1 Tbl- slivered almonds
4 ea- large Basil Leaves cut chiffonade
4ea- cucumber blossoms
1ea- bachelor button picked
pinch- Maldon or other flake salt
1 ea- lemon

Method:

Gazpacho: Combine all the ingredients for the soup in a Vitaprep or other variable speed blender. Puree smooth for 3-5 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and discard the pulp. Place in the refrigerator for one hour to chill

Service: in a small bowl combine the crab meat, avocado, cucumber and basil. Add a small squeeze of lemon juice. Spoon a small mound of the crab mixture slightly off center in the well of four soup bowls. Garnish each of the mounds with slivered almonds, bachelor button pieces, flake salt and a cucumber blossom. Carefully ladle the gazpacho around the crab mixture and serve.


Pan Roasted Sea Bass with Duck Fat Fingerlings, Red Wine Crab Butter, Trumpet Mushrooms and Cabernet Jus

Paired with: Wente Vineyards Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon

(Serves 4)

For the Potatoes:
8 ea- medium sized fingerling potatoes (cut in half lengthwise)
2 fl oz- of melted duck fat
1tsp- picked thyme leaves
to taste- salt

For the Crab Butter:
¼ lb – unsalted butter
8oz- Philips ‘special’ crabmeat
1 fl oz- Wente Vineyards Southern Hills Cabernet
½ tsp- picked thyme leaves
½ tsp- minced oregano leaves
To taste- Salt

For the Mushrooms:
6 oz- king trumpet mushrooms (cut into 1/4s lengthwise)
1tbl- grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
1 tsp- picked thyme leaves
To taste- salt

For the Cabernet Jus:
6 oz- aged beef scrap
2tbl- grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
½ cup- large dice red onion
1ea- head of garlic (cut in half)
2 tbl- tomato paste
3cup- Wente Vineyards Southern Hills Cabernet
1 ea- fresh bay leaf
1 tsp- whole black pepper
2ea- thyme sprigs
8 cups- veal stock

For the Fish:
4 ea- 40z portions of skin on sea bass
To taste- kosher salt
To taste- black pepper
2 tbl- grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)

For the Plate:
As needed- micro Russian kale

Method:

Sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wide sauce pan until it just starts to smoke. Add the aged beef scrap and let cook, stirring every couple of minutes until evenly browned (about 10-12 minutes). Add the red onion and continue stirring every couple of minutes until onions start to caramelize. Add the tomato paste and garlic. Pour in the Cabernet and allow to reduce by 2/3. Add the veal stock, bay leaf, thyme and black pepper. Reduce the heat and bring the sauce down slowly to 1/3 its original volume. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and skim any remaining fat off the top.

Crab Butter: Allow butter to soften at room temperature for half an hour. Combine the crab, butter, Cabernet and herbs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment blend the butter at medium speed until fully incorporated. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Place compound butter in a plastic storage container and refrigerate until needed.

Potatoes: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine potatoes, duck fat, herbs, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and stir until potatoes are evenly coated. Lay the potatoes on a parchment lined sheet pan and roast in the oven until tender and caramelized.

Mushrooms: Combine Mushrooms, oil, herbs, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl, and toss to until mushrooms are evenly coated. Spread mushrooms evenly on a parchment lined sheet pan and roast in the oven until well caramelized.

Fish: Liberally season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. Place 2 tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan and heat until the oil barely begins to smoke. Place the fish in the pan flash side down and let cook for 2 minutes. Carefully flip the fish over and gently press to make the skin lay flat. Cook on the stovetop for about 1 minute then place the pan in the oven and let cook for 3-5 minutes or until fish is firm to the touch. Remove fish from the pan and let drain on a napkin.

Service: Place 4 potato halves in the center of each plate. Top with a small mound of roasted trumpet mushrooms. Lean the fish against the mushrooms and top with a small amount of the crab compound butter. Drizzle the cabernet jus around the plate and garnish with micro kale.


Below are the two recipes from Phillips Chef Todd Weisz:

Lemon Caper Crab Cake
Paired with: Wente Vineyards Morning Fog Chardonnay

Yield: 4 crab cakes

Ingredients
8 oz. Phillips Crab Meat
1 egg
1 Tbsp. lemon Juice, fresh
1 ½ tsp. capers, drained
1/3 c. bread crumbs, plain, lightly toasted
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise, light/reduced-fat
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. sweet yellow onion, minced

Preparation Instructions

1. In medium mixing bowl, beat egg until frothy. Stir in lemon juice, capers, mayonnaise, garlic powder, lemon pepper seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and salt, until well blended.
2. Melt 1 Tbsp. of the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft, approx. 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Fold cooled onions into mixture in bowl until well blended. Gently fold in bread crumbs, then crab meat.
4. Form mixture into 4 round or oval cakes.
5. Heat remaining butter in sauté pan over medium low heat. Cook each crab cake until golden brown on each side, approx. 3 minutes per side, turning cake gently during cooking.
6. Serve immediately with lemon or lime wedges, if desired.

Serving suggestion: Serve with cocktail sauce, “spiked” with added hot sauce or horseradish, as desired.


Crab Farfalle Puttanesca
Paired with: Wente Vineyards Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon

Yield: 4 portions

Ingredients

8 oz. Phillips Crab Meat
2 Tbsp. virgin olive oil
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. capers
¼ c. pitted and halved black olives, such as Gaeta or Kalamata
½ tsp. anchovy paste
¼ tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
8 oz. dry farfalle (bow tie) pasta, cooked al dente and drained
optional: grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced, for garnish

Preparation Instructions

1. Heat oil in large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté garlic and shallot until translucent. Do not brown. Add all remaining ingredients. Lower heat to simmer and simmer, covered 20-25 minutes.
2. Just before serving gently fold in crab meat and heat through. Toss cooked pasta in sauce and top fresh parsley and generous amounts of grated cheese, if desired.


Serving Suggestion: For a thicker sauce add 1-2 tsp. tomato paste.