Thomas Wenger - Profile and Recipes

Steak Doneness Guide: Rare vs Medium Rare vs Well Done

Thomas Wenger — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 13:14:17 +0000

Roasting large joints of meat to the correct doneness can be fairly difficult at times and once the roast is over done, there is no turning back.

The difficulty starts with differences in doneness system. While in classical French cooking (and most European countries) there are only four degrees of doneness (“blue”, “saignant”, “à point” and “bien cuit”), in the rest of the world, and certainly in English-speaking countries, we generally use five degrees of doneness (rare, medium rare, medium, medium well and well done).

Some even order the meat by percentages e.g. from 25% for rare, to 70%, 80% and obviously 100% for well done. Whatever method one prefers, the easiest solution to avoid disappointment is to use a meat thermometer.

This scientific approach is much better than poking a meat fork into the meat and trying to judge the cooking temperature by the color of the juices that seep out.

Using a thermometer might be consider an old fashion method, but it certainly works well, especially when you’ve gained a bit of experience.

The thermometer can be left inside the joint/roast while it is roasting. But this is not always advisable, especially when roasting meat on a BBQ grill, or basting with liquid or marinade.
Stick the needle into the meat so that the point reaches the middle of the thickest point of the roast. Depending on the type of thermometer used, ensure that you allow time for the needle to come up to the final reading.
All joints should be well rested after roasting. Place it in a warm place (below 60°C or 140°F) and leave for 10–20 minutes depending on the size of the roast. This will help to equally distribute the juices throughout the meat and even out the doneness, rather then very bloody on the inside and grey around the edge.
As the meat will “heat through” during the resting period, calculate approximately 10% additional cooking time during the resting period.

As a general guide, follow these temperatures to determine how well the meat is cooked:

Very Rare: 45°C (113°F) – the blood will be cold
Rare: 50°C (122°F) – deep red to purple, “bloody”
Medium Rare: 55°C (131°F) – dark red
Medium: 60°C (140°F) – pale red
Medium Well: 65°C (150°F) – light red to pink, almost clear
Well Done: 71°C (160°F) – clear, no blood visible

Note:

All needle thermometers need to be checked every so often to ensure they are working correctly. Dip the needle into boiling water – the thermometer should now read 100°C or 212°F. Then dip it into ice water – the temperature reading should now be 0°C or 32°F.

The post Steak Doneness Guide: Rare vs Medium Rare vs Well Done appeared first on Chef's Pencil.

Sugar Cane Shrimp

Thomas Wenger — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:19:41 +0000

There are a number of different sugar cane shrimp recipes throughout Vietnam, Southern China and Thailand.

This particular sugar cane shrimp recipe calls for a cuttlefish and shrimp mousse that is breaded and deep-fried. Other sugar cane shrimp recipes are made solely with shrimps or prawns, with the addition of crab meat in the mousse or even spiced with chili, basil and coconut milk, crusted in desiccated coconut flakes.

They are also not always breaded and fried but are also available steamed or steamed and then grilled. Whatever your preference might be, sugar cane shrimp will always be a winner whenever you serve it.

Enjoy!

Sugar Cane Shrimp

Course Appetizer

Cuisine International

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Author Thomas Wenger

Ingredients

300 grams shrimp meat
30 grams cuttlefish meat
1 egg whites
40 grams granulated sugar
sea salt flakes
freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon potato starch
1 egg whites
Japanese breadcrumbs
sugar cane sticks
vegetable oil
200 ml Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

How to prepare the shrimps and cuttlefish mousse:

Clean and wash the shrimps and cuttlefish, then cut into small cubes.
Pat dry on a paper towel.
In a food processor, blend the shrimp and cuttlefish until smooth and then add the remaining ingredients and adjust the seasoning.

How to prepare the sugar cane shrimp:

Cut a 10 cm (4 inch) piece of sugar cane. Clean off the outer hard shell with a sharp chopper or Chinese cleaver. Cut into the size of a thick French fry, approximate 1.2 cm or 1/4 inch thick.
Oil your palm with a little vegetable oil and form an oval quenelle of about 40 g (about 1 ½ oz) shrimp and cuttlefish mixture. Put the sugar cane stick into the middle and smooth the mixture over it.
Place on parchment paper in the fridge to cool. Dip in the beaten egg white and crumb with the bread crumbs.
Preheat the wok, add the cooking oil over high heat, put in the sugar cane prawns, deep fried till golden brown and cooked.

Notes

The post Sugar Cane Shrimp appeared first on Chef's Pencil.

Nuoc Cham: Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

Thomas Wenger — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 09:11:24 +0000

Nuoc Cham (Nước chấm) is a hot and sweet Vietnamese dipping sauce that’s great for any type of barbecue or grilled fish.

Many recipes for nuoc cham call for the garlic and chili to be crushed in a mortar, but sliced garlic and chili works well too.

The more the chilies are crushed, the hotter the sauce will be. This recipe leaves the bird’s eye chilies whole, no crushing, which spices up the finished dip to a perfect medium to low heat.

The fruity sweet n’ sour dip is great for grilled fish on any barbecue. Enjoy!

Nuoc Cham: Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

Course Sauce and Dips

Cuisine Vietnamese

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Chilling Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings cups

Author Thomas Wenger

Ingredients

50 millilitres Thai fish sauce
130 grams granulated sugar
2 cloves of garlic sliced
15 grams carrot julienne
10 grams spring onions shredded
100 millilitres white distilled vinegar
10 grams red birds chili
1 lime

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Bring the sugar and vinegar to a boil and ensure all the sugar dissolves completely.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the chili, garlic, lime zest, carrot and fish sauce.
Leave to cool and refrigerate for at least ½ hour.
Add the shredded spring onions and lime juice just before serving.

Notes

The post Nuoc Cham: Vietnamese Dipping Sauce appeared first on Chef's Pencil.

Orange and Beet Smoothie

Thomas Wenger — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 08:53:29 +0000

Beetroot, in my view, is a much underrated vegetable. With the exception of Scandinavian and Eastern European countries, where beetroot is a staple, much of the rest of the world uses it rather sparingly.

This beautiful root is full of nutrition and antioxidants and has been used for years in the belief is helps prevent and treat cancer.

It’s a great source of potassium, dietary fiber, and phosphorous. Its flavor can be a little earthy and musky, but cooked beets have a real sweetness to them.

Blend this with a couple of ice cubes, good quality honey, and freshly squeezed orange juice (at this stage you may want to add some yellow or red bell pepper juice as an variation) and with all that goodness, I think this is one great tasting healthy breakfast juice.

Enjoy!

Orange and Beet Smoothie

Course Drinks

Cuisine International

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Author Thomas Wenger

Ingredients

90 grams beet root cooked, peeled
250 millilitres orange juice
1 lemon juice only
5-6 ice cubes
15 grams honey
1 mint sprig
orange slice

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Cook the beetroot, in its skin, in plain water until very soft. Drain and leave to cool. Peel the beetroot while still warm. Ensure that you wear gloves for this to avoid the purple flesh staining your hands a deep red.
Chill the beetroot well.
In a blender, combine the ice, honey, and lemon juice and blend well to a smooth pulp.
Turn on the blender to high speed and incorporate the orange juice. Adjust the lemon and honey to taste and serve well chilled.

Notes

The post Orange and Beet Smoothie appeared first on Chef's Pencil.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

Thomas Wenger — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 17:19:22 +0000

There must be as many ranch dressing recipes as there are chefs, culinary enthusiasts and hobby cooks.

I started using this ranch dressing recipe since a number of years and recently I had some inquiries for it, so here it is, for all to share. Enjoy!

Ranch Dressing

Course Sauce

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Chilling Time 1

Total Time 1 5

Author Thomas Wenger

Ingredients

150 grams mayonnaise
150 grams sour cream
160 millilitres buttermilk
1 teaspoon taragon
1 teaspoon oregano
1-2 gram black pepper from the mill
3 millilitres Worcestershire sauce
1-2 dash tabasco sauce
sea salt
8 grams garlic
12 grams onions

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

In a bowl, whisk all ingredients together.
Chill in a refrigerator for at least 1 hour, in order for the flavor of the dried herbs to hydrate and evolve their flavor.

Notes

The post Homemade Ranch Dressing appeared first on Chef's Pencil.

Cured Salmon Recipe

Thomas Wenger — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 10:18:28 +0000

This cured salmon recipe is a staple in many kitchens and really an old way of preserving freshly caught salmon.

How to Cure Salmon

It is all based on the marriage of salt and sugar, which will cure the salmon or any other fish for that matter, and therefore preserve it. In general you can not go wrong when applying a 2:1 ratio salt over sugar when curing any fish.

The time of the curing process, although is quite essential, and depends very much on the thickness of the fish fillet to be cured.

Smoked salmon, especially from farmed salmon, is often quite fatty, but curing the salmon fillet removes a lot of the fatty structures in the meat and the resulting cured salmon is leaner, easier to cut and a delight to eat.

Enjoy this easy cured salmon recipe!

Cured Salmon

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Scandinavian

Prep Time 5

Marinating time 1 12

Total Time 1 12 5

Servings servings

Author Thomas Wenger

Ingredients

1 kilogram salmon fillet
50 grams granulated sugar
100 grams sea salt
10 grams black peppercorns
1 bunch dill
2 lemons

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

In a bowl, mix the sugar, salt, dill and lemon zest.
Lay the salmon fillet into a deep dish (it will loose water and therefore you want to ensure that the fish is in a deep dish and can hold the resulting brine).
Sprinkle with the lemon juice and then pack tightly with the sugar-salt mixture.
Place in the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 36 hours.
Remove the fish from the brine and wash thoroughly. At this stage the cured salmon is ready for serving but can easily be wrapped in plastic foil and kept in the refrigerator for a up to 5 days.

Notes

There are some interesting flavors that can be added to the curing process. You must ensure however, that the 2:1 ratio of salt and sugar will not be altered.

Vodka or Aquavit can be added to the brine – very “Nordic” chic; Szechuan pepper or fresh or pickled ginger or sake for Asian taste nuances; double the amount of dill, juniper berries and allspice for Scandinavian authenticity and more.

The post Cured Salmon Recipe appeared first on Chef's Pencil.

Cured Venison Appetizer with Feta-Green Olive Salad

Thomas Wenger — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:06:33 +0000

Cured venison or other cured game meat is considered a specialty throughout winter in many European countries. In order to preserve the meat gained during the short hunting season drying, curing and salting are popular methods.

This dish combines the cured venison meat (air dried in this case) with a mild feta cheese and olive salad and makes a delicate appetizer for any day during the cold winter.

Enjoy!

Cured Venison Appetizer with Feta-Green Olive Salad

Course Appetizer

Cuisine International

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Author Thomas Wenger

Ingredients

160 grams air-dried venison meat
210 grams feta cheese
60 grams virgin olive oil
90 grams green olives
40 grams red onions
1 clove garlic
1/2 lemon
freshly ground pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Combine the feta cheese, olives, garlic, herbs and red onions in a bowl and marinate with the virgin olive oil and the lemon juice. Season to taste with the freshly ground pepper.
Arrange the finely sliced air-dried venison meat around the plate and dress the Feta-olive salad into the middle.
Season the venison meat with a few turns of freshly ground pepper.

Notes

The post Cured Venison Appetizer with Feta-Green Olive Salad appeared first on Chef's Pencil.

Temperatures for Serving Red, White, and Rosé Wines

Thomas Wenger — Mon, 08 May 2023 12:29:13 +0000

Serving wine at the correct temperature is about as important for pleasure of drinking it as correct storage and handling. Wine served too cold cannot develop its full bouquet, but will also “cover up” some minor imperfections. Wine served too warm makes the taste of the alcohol to over power the flavor and bouquet of the wine.

Wine served too warm makes the taste of the alcohol to over power the flavor and bouquet of the wine.

Of course, the temperature wine is served at is often down to a person’s preference, but there are a few general guidelines that should be followed to ensure the wine is enjoyed at it’s best.

Keep in mind that the instruction “serve at room temperature” refers to the cellar temperature rather than that in your regular living room. Also, it is safer to serve wine just a little cooler, as it warms up very quickly in the glass.

It is important to bring the wine to the correct temperature gently. Generally, place a bottle of white wine in the refrigerator, where it will cool approximately 2°C (4°F) every 10 minutes. Rapid chilling in an ice bucket can shock the wine and if left too long, will cool it close to 0°C (30°F).

Bringing red wines to temperature is much the same. It is best to leave the bottle to warm naturally to room temperature. Placing it in the sun or next to a heater will negatively affect its flavor.

A wine thermometer is handy as it helps to easily check the temperature, and they usually come with a useful chart.

Below is a guide to the correct temperatures for different kinds of wine:

6-8°C (43-46°F) Sparkling wine and Champagne. Most varieties of sweet dessert wines including Sauterne, Ice wine and “Spaetlese” wines.
7-10°C (45-54°F) White wines of various grape varieties such as Chenin Blancs, Tokaji, light Chardonnays, Rieslings, white Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blancs.
10-12°C (50-54°F) Rosé wine, white Burgundy wines, light red wines such as Beaujolais and light European red wines from Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Light Sherry.
14-16°C (57-61°F) Matured red wines of various grape varieties such as Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Zinfandel. Bordeaux, red Burgundy, Rhone valley and most Italian and Spanish wines. Fortified wines such as Port, dark Sherry, Marsala, Vermouth, Madeira and Muscat.
16-18°C (61-65°F) Very matured Grand Crus wines.

Related: Food and Wine Pairing Tips from Chef
Related: How to Decant Wine
Related: How to Pair Wine and Cheese
Related: Best Red Romanian Wines

The post Temperatures for Serving Red, White, and Rosé Wines appeared first on Chef's Pencil.

Why and How to Truss a Chicken

Thomas Wenger — Mon, 08 May 2023 12:09:12 +0000

There are quite a few reasons why you might want to truss chickens ahead of roasting it, if not just because it has always been done that way and sometimes you just shouldn’t question your culinary fore fathers. Some things just shouldn’t be changed just to save time.

So why truss chicken? Firstly, they just look better. There’s nothing worse than a bird with the legs and wings spread akimbo in the roasting pan when it comes out of the oven.

Secondly, if you are using a rotisserie or spit over a BBQ, the snuggly fitted legs and wings of a well trussed chicken will ensure even cooking.

Thirdly, tightly trussing the legs helps to lock in the flavors of the herbs placed inside, allowing the flavors to develop from the inside throughout the chicken. And by sealing the neck the juices and flavors are held within the bird.

Now that we’ve covered the why, let’s turn to how to truss a chicken with this chicken trussing guide:

Season the inside of the carcass and stuff with herbs of your choice.
Place chicken on a chopping board with the neck towards you, and push both legs inwards underneath the breast of the chicken.
Chop off the chicken wings at the first joint and bend the wings inwards underneath the chicken.
Cut off the neck bone, leaving a little stump and enough skin to wrap round it.
Take a length of string and holding both ends in your hands, slide it about 1/3 of the way underneath the chicken’s back/legs.
Bring the ends up over the legs, swap the ends in your hands so they cross over, and loop the string around underneath the ends of the legs. Pull the string tight and the legs will seal the whole in the carcass.
Tightening the string further will flip the bird onto its breast.
Keeping the string tight, run one end of the string around the lower side of the chicken and over the wing up to the neck.
Cover the neck with the remaining skin and run the sting around it and to the other side of the chicken.
Keeping the string tight, bring both ends together over the wing. Ensure that the string tightly secures both wings, the neck bone, and the legs.
Twist the string twice, pull tight, and secure with a knot.
Cut off the excess string.

Before you go check out these delicious chicken recipes:

The post Why and How to Truss a Chicken appeared first on Chef's Pencil.

Food & Wine Pairing Tips from a Chef

Thomas Wenger — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 07:13:43 +0000

Food and wine matching can be very intimidating. But it is essentially a matter of individual taste, so rule number one is: if it tastes good and balanced to you, it is a good choice.

Before you choose the wine to go with a dish, ask yourself what the character of the dish is: full flavored, creamy, mild, lean, spicy fatty, or acidic?

The stronger tasting the cheese, the more full bodied and flavored the wine should be to balance the two flavors.

A few ground rules on pairing food & wine

Match flavorful dishes with full bodied wines and creamy mild dishes with mild, mellow wines. Fatty and fried dishes are best with crisp, lightly acidic wines or wines with a good amount of tannins. Acidic dishes can only be matched with acidity.

Spicy dishes are best matched with mildly sweet wine, and when in doubt remember that regional dishes are always best served with the wines from the same region.

For example, Italian food pairs well with Italian wines. “You can dig a little deeper on this though“, says Michele Gargiulo, certified Sommelier and Wine and Beverage Director of the Fearless Restaurant Group. “A nice fresh Italian seafood dish will pair well with a wine grown close to the beach. The salinity in the air will make its way into the wine, layering it with some minerality that will pair well with the food.”

On the other hand, Spanish or Portuguese seafood dishes pair well with local wines such as Albariño or Alvarinho, according to Ami Gangemella, a wine marketing consultant. “With a maritime climate and influence from the Atlantic Ocean, these vibrant acidic white wines pair well with local seafood cuisine.”

With the above in mind, here are some more guidelines on pairing food & wine.

Rich, Creamy Dishes

Rich dishes include those with creamy sauces, fish, seafood, pasta in cream sauce, veal pork and poultry dishes and chilled or warm cream soups. Generally speaking cream sauces do not match well with acidic wines.

For these dishes choose a rich, full bodied and heavily-oaken Chardonnay, young Merlot, Beaujolais, Gamay or Pinot Noir.

Acidic, Vinegar-based Dishes

Vinegar marinated or vinaigrette-based appetizers and salads or dishes containing tomato sauce or lemon juice need an equally acidic wine to stand up to it.

The acidity in these dishes can not be balanced by mild or full bodied wines. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris or Grigio and other dry white wines suit best.

Light Flavored Dishes with Light-bodied Wines

Balancing the flavors is key here. The wine should not overpower the strongest flavored element of the dish.

John from Vino Clarity explains: “take a baked snapper, which is a light dish, and pair it with a Pinot Grigio or Soave, two lighter bodied wines. However, if you take that same snapper and pour yourself a glass of Chianti Classico, a medium-bodied red wine from Tuscany, the wine will overpower the fish and any flavor it might have.

“But if you cover your snapper in a hearty tomato sauce, a glass of Chianti Classico would be a great choice because the sauce has a stronger flavor than the snapper and would pair better with a fuller bodied wine. You are not pairing the wine with the fish anymore, you are rather pairing it with a hearty sauce, which needs a bolder full-bodied wine.“

Strong, Bold Flavors

These include dishes such as roasted lamb, grilled spice-rubbed or marinated steaks, braised beef, various lamb dishes, game specialties, heavily herbed and mushroom dishes as well as dried and cured beef charcuterie.

These dishes are best paired with full bodied red wines such as Syrah, Barolo, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel.

However, all these well-trusted food & wine pairings can go out the window if there is a sauce involved, according to John, the founder of Vino Clarity. Cabernet Sauvignon and steak is a good pairing with most
sauces, except a hot and spicy one. Cabernet is high in alcohol, which makes it a little hot in the mouth, but the heat of the spice would make the wine extremely hot (and rather unpleasant) and conversely, the higher alcohol of the wine would make the spicy sauce feel even hotter in the mouth.

Exotic and Ethnic Cuisines

Chinese, Thai, Indian, Malay and Mexican cuisines often use fragrant and hot spices, which makes the choice of wine fairly difficult.

Often these dishes are well balanced in spiciness and sweetness. They are best matched with slightly sweet wine such as Gewürztraminer, Riesling and/or dry fruity new world white wines.

“Spicy foods pair best with wines that have low to no tannins and a touch of residual sugar“, says Allie Albanese, a certified sommelier and founder of Parched Around the World. “Tannic wines (i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo) can actually amplify the heat in a dish and make the alcohol in the wine feel more pronounced, while a wine with a touch of sugar can both reduce the effect of the dish’s spiciness and balance the flavors of the food and wine.

“One of my favorite sweet-with-heat pairings is an off-dry Riesling with spicy Thai food.“

Pairing Cheese & Wine

Matching wine and cheese is a science all by itself, and a lot of cheeses are too high in fat content and too strong to be paired with fine, matured red wines.

The stronger tasting the cheese, the more full bodied and flavored the wine should be to balance the two flavors. Soft and semi-soft cheese is best paired with dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chablis, unoaked Chardonnay or light red wines such as Gamay, Pinot Noir and or Beaujolais.

Strong, ripe, pungent cheeses can be matched with full bodied white Bordeaux wines, and Spanish and Italian white wines. And as stated earlier, try to pair foods and wines from the same region: Italian cheeses with Italian wines and French cheeses with French wine.

Hard and extra hard cheese such as aged cheddars, Parmesan, Manchego, Gruyere, Comte and similar can be matched with full bodied red wines such as Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel. The wine, however, should not be too refined and mature.

Blue cheeses are best paired with either mildly sweet Gewürztraminer or botrytized wines such as Spätlese wines, Sauternes, and Tokay, for example, or fortified wines such as Port, Madeira, Sherry, and Marsala.

Wine Pairing with Sweets and Desserts

When it comes to dessert choices, the wine served can be anything from Gewürztraminer, sparkling wine or Champagne to late harvest Rieslings, Sauternes and fortified wines such as Port, Sherry, Madeira or Marsala.

You can often find these pairings in alcohol gift boxes such as a bottle of sparkling Moscato matched with chocolate and truffles, or a light and refreshing sparkling rosé matched with a fine box of strawberry cream chocolate.

However, as in the case of savory dishes, the proper dessert and wine pairing boils down to the type of dessert you’re enjoying. A long-aged sweet wine such as Vinsanto from Tuscany will pair well with chocolate and nut-based desserts, while fruit-based desserts pair better with a Riesling.

Related: Wine Serving Temperature
Related: How to Decant Wine

The post Food & Wine Pairing Tips from a Chef appeared first on Chef's Pencil.

How to Decant Wine

Thomas Wenger — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 13:27:50 +0000

Let’s start with the why first: why decant wine to begin with?

Decanting wines is primarily done for two purposes. Firstly, to pour off any sediment that may have formed at the bottom of a cellar-stored bottle. Secondly, to aerate (breathe) younger wines by allowing it to take in oxygen. This will help the wine to develop its full flavor potential.

Serving wine in a nice crystal (or glass) carafe is also an upgraded presentation on your dinner table. However, it is important that the bottle of the wine is presented next to the carafe so that your guests can find out about the wine’s grape variety, age and origin.

Timing the decanting is important. In general, younger wines and robust wines can be decanted and allowed to breath up to 6 hours ahead of serving, while older and vintage wines are decanted only a short time before serving.

How to decant old wine

Old wines that have been stored and aged in a cellar properly often contain sediment due to the aging process. Decanting means pouring the wine into a decanter (carafe) and leaving the sediment in the bottle.

The bottle should be taken out of the familiar horizontal position (cellar position) and stood up for an hour. The sediment will then settle at the bottom of the bottle.
Very carefully open the wine, as shaking the bottle will disturb the sediment that has settled at the bottom.
Due to the color of the bottle (mostly green glass), it is advisable to work with the neck of the bottle in front of a small light or a candle. This will help you to see the sediment as it reaches the neck.
Hold the bottle below the neck and bring it to a 140-degree angle to the carafe. Start at approximately 120 degrees and while the bottle empties, increase the angle, letting the wine flow ever so gently into the carafe.
This process might take several minutes and should not be rushed. Towards the last part of the bottle, watch carefully for the sediment and stop pouring when any appears in the neck of the bottle.
Let the wine rest for a while before serving as the motion of decanting may have “unsettled” the wine.
Brass and silver decanting cradles are available, which certainly make sense for the serious wine lover. The bottle is horizontally suspended in a cradle with a cranking system ensuring a perfectly smooth tilting action and as little disturbance to the wine as possible.

How to decant (aerate) younger wines

Young, but full-bodied, robust wines often benefit from being aerated or decanted. The aim here is that the wine comes into contact with as much oxygen as possible, and this in turn will help to develop the wine’s aroma and bouquet.

Contrary to older wines, it is quite alright if the wine splashes around as it is being poured into the decanter or carafe. In general, a wide bodied decanter is better suited for aerating wines, as once inside the decanter, the wine has a bigger surface exposed to the air and can therefore better develop its flavor and aromas.

While the wine breathes, it will settle and calm after being awakened as it was poured from the bottle.

Enjoy!

Related: 10 Best Hungarian Sweet Wines
Related: Food and Wine Pairing Tips from Chef
Related: How to Pair Wine and Cheese
Related: Best Red Romanian Wines

The post How to Decant Wine appeared first on Chef's Pencil.

Tapenade

Thomas Wenger — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:23:12 +0000

I like olives in any shape and variety. For me, tapenade is the best dish you can prepare with olives.

This Mediterranean dip gives you the full, earthy, rich and fruity taste of olives with the added capers, garlic and anchovies, in a smooth spread. There are two main varieties of tapenade.

The first is a basic spread as per the recipe below and the other with tuna and cognac added. Both tapenade varieties are very good but I feel that the recipe below without the tuna and the cognac is much more versatile, especially when thetTapenade is used as an accompaniment to fish or seafood.

Please ensure that you use the best quality virgin olive oil and Kalamata olives for the tapenade. The better the quality of the olives and olive oil, the better taste of the final product. tapenade can be done way ahead and kept well chilled in a refrigerator for up to a week.

Enjoy this classic tapenade recipe!

Tapenade

Course Sauce and Dips

Cuisine French

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Author Thomas Wenger

Ingredients

150 grams black olives best quality, pitted
20 grams garlic
50 grams capers washed and drained
50 grams anchovy fillets drained, washed, and dried
10 grams Dijon mustard
100 milliliters olive oil virgin, best quality
pepper from the mill
sea salt flakes if needed

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

In a food processor chop the anchovy fillets, garlic, black olives and capers until to a pulp. Add the Dijon mustard and approx 2 soup spoons of the virgin olive oil to a fairly smooth paste.
On very low speed, gradually add the remaining virgin olive oil slowly to a smooth homogeneous coarse puree.
Season with pepper from the mill and sea salt if needed As an alternative, use a mortar and crush the ingredients to a pulp for a more “country style” coarse Tapenade.

Notes

The post Tapenade appeared first on Chef's Pencil.