Sandy Claws Loves the New Chardonnay!

 

 

This unfiltered Chard is a rich honey color with a marzipan, slightly diesel, papaya and persimmon nose.  The front palate shows sweet fruit with citrus and honey with a tart, food friendly mid palate.  With a citrus and cantaloupe finish, drink now and serve with scallops and lemon sauce or hold through 2018.

  

(Note: Only 8 cases of this wine were produced and for quality control purposes 2 bottles have been consumed!  Taste the 21st & 22nd of December as we may not be tasting this wine much longer) 

 

 

Pairs great with:

 

 

 

Pan-seared Sea Scallops with Lemon Cream, Saut�ed Asparagus and Garlic Mashed Potatoes   

 

Cooking Time: 1 hr 15 min.

Step 1:  Make the Lemon Cream

Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Using your vegetable peeler, remove half the lemon's peel in long strips (avoid peeling the bitter white pith).  Squeeze 1 tablespoon of juice from the lemon and set aside.  Combine the Chardonnay, diced shallot, crushed garlic and lemon peel in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.  Boil for about 8 minutes (give or take) until the sauce has reduced to about a � cup. Add the half & half and continue to boil until the sauce has reduced to about � cup, about 8 to 10 minutes more.  Strain the sauce into a liquid measuring cup using a fine strainer; discard the solids.  Whisk in the reserved lemon juice, salt & pepper and set aside until ready to reheat.

Step 2: Prep your Asparagus

Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

HINT: start the potatoes while your asparagus water is boiling.

Step 3: Get your Garlic Mashed Potatoes going!

Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Peel and dice the potatoes so that all pieces are about the same size.  Place in a medium saucepan, add the salt, cover the potatoes with cool water and cover the pan with a lid. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to maintain a rolling boil.  Cook for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart when pierced with a fork.  Drain the potatoes once they are done cooking, keep them in the same pan and cover until you are ready to mash them.

While the potatoes are boiling

Step 4: Time to Sear the Sea Scallops

Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 400�F.  Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and arrange on a large plate.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the scallops.  Heat 1 Tbs butter and 1 Tbs olive oil in a large stainless-steel skillet over high heat.  Depending on the size of your skillet, you may have to brown the scallops in two batches.

1 to 1 � minutes

Step 5: Mash the potatoes

Mash the potatoes using a potato masher or an electric immersion blender.  Add � cups of the warm half & half and garlic mixture and grate some Parmesan cheese right into the pan, no need to grate ahead of time.  If the potatoes need more moisture, add the remaining � cup of warm half & half.  Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.  Continue mixing and mashing until the potatoes are smooth. You can turn the heat on low under the pan to keep your mashed potatoes warm.

Hint: Reheat the Lemon Cream in the same saucepan that contained the half & half and garlic, or keep it in the measuring cup and heat it for 30 seconds in the microwave.

Step 6: Finish the Scallops

Pop the scallops into the heated oven and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Step 7: Saut� the Asparagus

Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the diced shallots and saut� for about 30 seconds, then add the asparagus, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.  Remember that adding salting the Asparagus makes it wine friendly! Saut� the asparagus spears for just a few minutes, making sure that the butter and shallots coat the spears evenly.  Reduce the heat to low, just to keep the spears warm, and cover.

Step 8: Plate your masterpiece and enjoy!