For our first edition, Ziggy and I wanted to bring on 2008 with Sonoma County Duck, Honey, Syrah and Bubbles! We are so lucky to live in California where everything grows. It allows us to live with a low carbon foot print (in terms of food transportation) and to play with a food product that is hours out of the ground. When food is fresher, it tastes more alive and when it is picked ripe, as opposed to early for travel, it explodes with its flavor. Wherever you are, focus on your neighbor and your local economy and come out to see us so we can show you what we are all about! Duskie has included recipes below you can make at home in case you cannot make it to ZAZU RESTAURANT + FARM. The recipes are set up in such a way that you can do most of the work a day ahead so you can actually enjoy the party! For the duck, you could also prepare it as a simple roasted duck sprinkled with the 5 spice if you don't want to make the confit. Lucky for us, huckleberries grow wild in bushes along the coastal streams and rivers of Mendocino (they should be available frozen from a specialty store or you could substitute cranberries with a little bit more sugar). Come for a hike and a gathering! Now, wine.....California has so many diverse wine growing areas. We call these appellations – specific wine growing area's that have unique soils and climates. Northern, Central and Southern California have fantastic wineries and grow an amazing array of different varietals (grape types). Like our recipes featured, our wines also come from Sonoma County. Specifically the Russian River and Green Valley appellations. Here's the scoop on the food producers and wineries we're talking about for the New Year.
Cheers! Duskie and Ziggy
-PURVEYORS-
LIBERTY DUCKS ...
Jim Reichardt is one of Sonoma County's most beloved producers. He is a fourth generation duck farmer. He raises Pekin duck to 9 weeks, as opposed to 6 for most commercial producers. This is what makes his duck larger, meatier, and more flavorful. Sonoma County's temperate climate allows him to raise ducks year-round, on straw litter, in an open environment. His ducks are antibiotic and hormone free and are fed a diet of corn and other grains. For more information head to www.libertyducks.com
BEARFOOT HONEY...
Cheryl Loraditch is our neighbor at zazu restaurant + farm. She is a third generation beekeeper devoted to producing raw honey that is chemical free. Raw honey is honey purely made by bees in the hive without adding heat and without filtering (practices that are commonly used with commercial honey). Raw honey is healthier, full of valuable enzymes, and simply tastes better. Their name reflects their guiding philosophy of leave nothing but footsteps, that is to walk softly on this earth.
Imported honey costs around 80 cents a pound, a price a local producer cannot even break even on. Cheryl’s honeys are between $6 - $20 per pound and worth every bit of it. 65% of the honey consumed in our country is imported. These are produced with pesticides and antibiotics. 50 years ago, we exported 65%. The loss of bees in our country is of great concern to me. 80% of our food depends on pollination by bees.
The Sonoma County climate allows for a honey flow that never stops. The diversity of agriculture in Sonoma County produces rock star honey. Cheryl and her family move their bees around to help our local farmers pollinate their crops. Whatever they pollinate produces a distinct flavor in the honey. And they really are different! In their under construction tasting room, I got to sample about 16 honeys, including lavender, blackberry, chestnut, spring wildflower, and apple blossom. I was amazed. The flavors are absolutely distinct. For more information, call 707.570.2899 or visit www.bearfoothoney.com.
DAVIS FAMILY VINEYARDS...
Davis Family Vineyards is located on a ridge top in the center of California's renowned Russian River Valley appellation. They have Zinfandel vines that were planted in 1896 and young hillside plantings of Pinot Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay. Guy Davis makes only small lots of wine and literally handcrafts each and every one. His careful attention to his vineyards allows him to truly create each wine vintage by vintage in the vineyard. His winery tasting room showcases his wines, olive oil, artisan brandy and the Russian River it sits next to. It is the perfect place to visit-I highly recommend a stop here. They are right next to the river, have great wines, a fun picnic spot and bocce ball to boot! http://davisfamilyvineyards.com/
IRON HORSE VINEYARDS...
Iron Horse Vineyards is smack dab in the middle of the Green Valley appellation. Green Valley is a unique wine growing region within Sonoma County's Russian River area. The Sterling family has been creating incredible wines at Iron Horse as long as I can remember. While known for their outstanding sparkling wines (which have been served in the White House numerous times) their still wines are fantastic. The view from their tasting room allows you to soak in not only incredible views of the vineyards but the beauty of its terror. And, well, it leaves you feeling bubbly......... http://ironhorsevineyards.com
A Recipe with Wine Pairing:
DUCK, DUCK, HUCKLEBERRY
serves 6
6 duck ***, scored
1 tablespoon Chinese 5 spice
celery root gratin, recipe below
greens of your choice (chard, kale, escarole, spinach) sautéed with minced shallots
6 duck leg confit, recipe below
huckleberry gastrique, recipe below
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Rub the skin of the breasts with the 5 spice and sprinkle both sides of the *** generously with salt and pepper. In a large oven proof, sauté pan on low medium heat, sear the skin side first until golden and rendered, about 5 minutes. Flip and brown the other side and cook to medium rare (or desired temperature). Let rest a few minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, warm the confit leg, gratin, and sauté your green. To plate, place the gratin in the center, top with greens, lean leg against gratin, slice the *** and fan out next to leg & gratin. Top with gastrique. Sit down with a glass of amazing Davis Family Vineyards Syrah from Sonoma County's Russian River Valley and savor!
for the CONFIT...
1/3 cup kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground juniper berries
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon picked + chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf, crumbled
6 duck legs
8 cups duck fat
In a small bowl, combine salt + spices. Generously sprinkle over the legs + let sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 275. Pat the duck legs dry. In a large sauté pan, on medium high heat, sear the legs skin side down until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking dish + add duck fat to cover. Braise the legs in their own fat until they start to pull away from the bone, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Cool in the fat. This can be made up to a few weeks in advance.
for the CELERY ROOT GRATIN...
4 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8th inch thick
2 celery root, peeled and sliced 1/8th inch thick
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400. Spray a square baking dish w/ nonstick spray. Place a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle about 1/4 cup of the cream and sprinkle about1/4 cup of the parmesan over the potatoes. Repeat the process with a layer of celery root (salt / pepper / cream / cheese). Repeat the process with a layer of potatoes. Repeat the process with a layer of celery root. Repeat the process with a layer of potatoes (top with salt / pepper / cream / cheese) Bake for 45 minutes 1 hour uncovered until the potatoes are cooked through and the top is browned. This can be made a day ahead.
for the HUCKLEBERRY GASTRIQUE ...
3/4 cup red wine
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup huckleberries
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a non-reactive sauce pot on medium high heat, simmer the wine & sugar until thickened to a syrup, about 10 minutes. Add the huckleberries + vanilla. Season to taste w/ salt and pepper. This can be made a few weeks in advance.
2005 DAVIS FAMILY VINEYARDS, SYRAH, GUYZER BLOCK, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Davis Family Vineyards has the distinction of hand crafting each wine they make. Guy's thumbprint is on everything......and this is why their wines are so amazing. Guy Davis planted the Chave Clone Syrah in this vineyard in 1996 and he follows the Cote Rotie tradition of fermenting the Syrah with about 2% Viognier grapes. The results are outstanding. Alluring aroma's of blackberries, black raspberry and spice send you to flavors of white pepper laced blackberries, black tea, chocolate covered blueberries, spice and everything nice! The black fruit and spice components from this wine make it a perfect pairing with Duskie's Duck Duck Huckleberry.
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PISTACHIO + ORANGE FLOWER WATER BAKLAVA / HONEY GELATO
for the BAKLAVA...
1 pound unsalted butter, melted + clarified
1 pound shelled pistachios
3 cups sugar, divided
1 pkg phyllo dough, defrosted
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons orange flower water
Preheat the oven to 350. In a food processor, chop the nuts with 1 cup of the sugar. In a rectangular baking dish, lay out the first sheet of phyllo and brush with clarified butter. Place your next sheet on top and brush with butter. Repeat until you have 15 sheets brushed with butter. Spread the nut/sugar mixture on top. Lay another piece of phyllo on top and brush with butter. Repeat this process until you have used up all your phyllo sheets. Cut a diagonal diamond pattern to your desired size. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pot combine the remaining 2 cups of sugar with 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer until thickened like syrup (reduced to about 3/4), about 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and orange flower water. Pour your warm simple syrup over top of the pastry when it comes out of the oven.
for the HONEY GELATO...
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups half and half
12 yolks
4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup honey
To make the gelato, in a medium sauce pan on medium high heat, melt the sugar in the half and half. In a medium bowl, whisk the half and half into the yolks. Return the mixture to the sauce pan on low heat, stirring constantly. When the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon remove from heat and strain into an ice bath. Add the cream. In another small pan on low heat, heat the honey just until liquid enough to pour into the cream mixture and combine. Once completely chilled, run through your ice cream machine according to its directions.
~WINE PAIRING~
IRON HORSE VINEYARDS, “JOY!” SPARKLING WINE, SONOMA COUNTY-GREEN VALLEY
JOY! is a new Sparkling Cuvée from Iron Horse, produced only in magnums and aged 10 to 15 years on the yeast in the bottle. It is a gorgeous combination of elegance, refinement and power. Joy! is "non-vintage" or "multi-vintage" in the sense of representing a range of years. Production is very limited. Scents of toast, apple, citrus and honey bring you to succulent flavors of apples, white fig, young pear, citrus and brioche. Absolutely fabu! This is a magical match when enjoyed with the baklava and gelato. The JOY! magnum makes for the perfect New Years celebration.