Grand River Valley Wineries Share Their Holiday Recipes For You To Add To Your Menu
It’s The Season of Gathering
Looking to add something new to your holiday menu this year? A few of our Grand River Valley wineries chimed in with some of their favorite recipes that include a few splashes of their wine like Ferrante Winery & Ristorante’s Vidal Blanc Ice Wine Bacon Jam with Chicken Sausage or Laurello Vineyards’ Braciole!
Debonné Vineyards’ Cab Franc Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
8 oz Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup Debonne Vineyards Cabernet Franc dry red wine
1/3 cup granulated sugar
8 large eggs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease bottom of a 9” springform pan. Line bottom with parchment or waxed paper. Grease paper.
Place chocolate, butter and wine in a heavy duty saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Stir in granulated sugar until smooth. Remove from heat.
Beat eggs in large mixer bowl for 5 minutes or until the volume doubles. Fold one third of beaten eggs into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining beaten eggs, one third at a time until thoroughly incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 33-35 minutes or until cake has risen. Center will still move slightly and appear underbaked. Edges should be firm and shiny. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (center will sink slightly). Cover cake. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Cake can be prepared up to 4 days in advance. To serve, remove springform pan. Invert cake on sheet of parchment paper. Peel off parchment pan liner, turn cake right-side up on serving platter. Top with ganache. Dip knife in hot water to slice. Garnish with whipped cream. Serve with dry red wine.
Merlot Dark Chocolate Ganache
9 oz Dark Melting Chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Debonne Vineyards Merlot dry red wine
Directions:
Heat cream on medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until small bubbles form. Pour over chocolate. Stir/whisk until all chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Add wine. Stir well. If a thin consistency is desired (drizzle), add additional liquid. Refrigerate until ganache is desired consistency for spreading/piping, drizzling, etc.
Ferrante’s Vidal Blanc Ice Wine Bacon Jam with Chicken Sausage
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, diced
1 lb. bacon, diced
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup brewed coffee
¼ cup Ferrante’s Vidal Blanc Ice Wine
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Directions:
In a medium size pan, heat olive oil on medium heat, add onion and cook 5-6 minutes. Add bacon and thyme, reduce heat to low. Cook for 12 minutes. Drain fat.
Return bacon mixture to a medium low heat add brown sugar, coffee and Ferrante’s Ice Wine. Cook mixture down to a thick consistency, 25-30 minutes. Stir in apple cider vinegar at the end of the cooking process.
Serve with a glass of Ferrante’s Vidal Blanc Ice Wine.
Pairs with chicken sausage, sirloin burgers, pork and the perfect addition to your charcuterie boards!
Grand River Cellars’ Cheddar-Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients:
9 slices of bacon
1 large onion, chopped
1 red or green pepper, chopped
1 package (16 oz.) cornbread stuffing mix
6 oz. sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup margarine, melted
Directions:
In large skillet over medium high heat cook bacon until crisp, drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet; set over medium high heat.
Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 minutes.
Stir in chopped pepper; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Coarsely chop bacon.
In a large bowl combine stuffing mix, cheese, parsley, jalapenos and thyme with reserved onion mixture and bacon.
Whisk broth with butter; stir into combined mixture until moistened.
Assemble stuffing and fill turkey just before roasting.
Pairs perfectly with Grand River Cellars Cabernet Franc Rose or Grand River Cellars Pinot Grigio
Laurello Vineyards’ Braciole
Ingredients:
1 Beef flank steak (1 1/2 lbs.)
4 TBS olive oil
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup Romano cheese
2 Garlic cloves
1tsp drived oregeno
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Place flank stead between saran and pound with meat tenderizer. Rub with olive oil.
In a bowl combine, breadcrumbs, parsley, cheese, garlic (chopped fine), oregano, salt and pepper.
Spoon mixture on meat and press down to help it adhere. Roll meat tightly in a roll and tie with kitchen string. With remaining oil in a pan, brown the braciola on all sides.
Place in Dutch oven pan with your favorite homemade sauce or store bought sauce.
Cover and simmer for 70-80 minutes or until meat is tender.
Slice and serve with sauce or over pasta.
Serve with Cabernet Frac Reserve.
**For vegan dressing, substitute regular mayonnaise for a plant-based mayo.
South River Winery’s Chicken Coq au Vin
Ingredients:
8 Chicken thighs bone in
1 Cup Pancetta-small diced
6 Ea Celery-large diced
6 Ea Carrots-large diced
2 Ea Onions-large diced
4 ea garlic cloves-minced
1 cup Karma South River Vineyard wine
2 cup Chicken Stock-Very strong
2 cup Veal Demiglace
1 cup Cremini mushrooms-cut in half-roasted
2 Tablespoon Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Season overnight.
Next day, sear chicken thighs on both sides until browned, remove thighs from sauce pan.
Add pancetta and render fat and brown a bit, add the veggies, and garlic and brown the veggies in sauce pan on medium heat.
Deglaze with wine, reduce by one half then add the stock and demiglace.
Bring to boil and add chicken and mushrooms, back to pot, reduce heat to medium-low and cover.
Cook for 30 minutes, remove lid and mount sauce with butter, stir, and adjust seasoning.
Reduce sauce to desired consistency.
Are you interested in joining our list? Email elyse@tourlakecounty.com to learn more about how to partner with Tour Lake County!