Everyone knows that a cheap bottle of red is the classiest way to get drunk, but we asked three of the city’s top chefs to put that wine to a more novel use. Here’s what they came up with.
Craig Harding from Campagnolo suggests… SEARED STRIPED BASS
1. Heat a pan until it begins to smoke and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Season a 5-ounce striped bass with kosher salt and place skin-side down in the pan.
2. After a minute, flip and add 1 sprig each of thyme and rosemary, then baste the fish with 1 tablespoon of butter. Transfer to oven and cook for five minutes.
3. Heat another pan until it begins to smoke, add 1 tablespoon of oil, then toss in 8 ounces of chanterelle (or other wild) mushrooms, quartered. Sauté for two minutes. Add 1 sprig each of rosemary and thyme, chopped.
4. Deglaze the pan with a half-cup of red wine and 1 cup of dark chicken or veal stock. Reduce by three quarters. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and gently whisk.
5. Add the mushrooms to a shallow bowl and place the fish on top.
Alexandra Feswick from the Brockton General suggests… LENTIL AND SAUSAGE STEW
1. On a baking tray lined with parchment paper, bake 4 sausages (chicken, beef, pork—your call) at 400°F for 9 to 11 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, then cut into 1.5-inch chunks.
2. Boil 1 cup of lentils until they are soft but still hold their shape (15 to 20 min.). Strain and set aside to cook on a sheet pan or plate.
3. While lentils and sausage are cooking, dice 1 medium onion, 1 medium carrot and 2 stalks of celery. In a pan, sauté 6 strips of bacon (cut into 1-inch pieces) with the vegetables until they’re soft and browned and the bacon is crispy. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, salt and pepper, and cook for two minutes.
4. Add cooked lentils and sausage chunks to the pan and toss together. Add a half-cup of wine, then reduce the heat. Cook for five minutes or until wine has thickened and nearly evaporated. Remove from heat, mix in 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, and finish with salt and pepper, if necessary.
5. Serve with greens, and mustard for the sausage.
Chris McDonald from Cava suggests… POACHED PEARS
1. In a saucepan, empty out the bottle of wine and add 1½ cups of simple syrup. Toss in a half-inch piece each of orange peel and lemon peel, as well as 2 cloves and a 2-inch cinnamon piece. Bring to a simmer.
2. Take 8 ripe but firm pears, peeled, halved, and cored. Add the pear halves and simmer until they pierce easily with a knife (about 20 min.). Transfer the pears to a bowl to cool slightly.
3. Reduce the remaining liquid by half, then cool. In a large stainless-steel bowl, place 1 cup of the liquid and add 8 large egg yolks. Whisk this mixture vigorously over a pot of boiling water until it triples in volume (about five minutes).
4. To serve, place one warm pear half on each plate and drizzle with the warm sabayon.
