CorkPopper

There have been some good weeks in the CorkPopper Project, but this, I think I can safely say, has been one of the best. The wine – and especially the week’s “winning” wine – has been phenomenal, and tasting it took me straight back to my Spring 2008 trip through Margaret River with Pop and SM, which is one of the things I love most about wine. Like music and food, it can transport you back to a specific time and place in your life in a way that few other things can. And that’s because wine, like food, tastes and smells like a place. It’s wonderful.

When it came time to decide what to cook with the 2007 Leeuwin Estate “Siblings” Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc, then, my first instinct was, of course, to pay homage to all the great food I ate when I was in Margaret River in 2008, and there were two things that stood out in my memory – Abalone and Australian Marron (which is sort of like a small lobster and is somewhat akin to a prawn). Why these two items, you ask? Well, we went abalone diving while we were there with the fabulous Aussie cousins Pop knew through work. They were truly the most gracious hosts I’ve ever encountered – setting us up with the family’s beach house and basically planning our entire excursion through Margaret River wine country for us. And Marron seemed to be everywhere (which meant I, of course, at a ton of it). In fact, I think there’s even a Marron festival at some point in the year…. oh, how I’d love to be there for that.

I grew up eating abalone. Pop would go out and dive for his limit, and he, SM and I would pound it out on the swim step of our boat and make what we affectionately referred to as “Ab Rolls” (breaded abalone steaks rolled around ortega chiles and jack cheese and roasted or grilled in foil…. OMG… so good). Sadly, there is a moratorium on fishing for abalone Southern California these days (over-fishing and a foot disease wiped out nearly the entire population), so the only way to get it is to order farm-raised abalone steaks (which never taste quite the same as wild-caught abalone) over the Internets. It’s ridiculously expensive, however, so I think I’ll save that for another occasion.

And although I knew there was no way to find Australian Marron in the U.S., it’s easy enough to find lobster. Lobster, of course, is only slightly less expensive than farm-raised abalone, but J’s best friend, SF, is in town from Afghanistan (he’s a filmmaker and journalist, not a soldier), which makes it a sufficiently special occasion for lobster. In fact, I think it makes it a special enough occasion for an entire extravaganza of shellfish, something that I seriously doubt SF sees much of in Kabul.

Shellfish is, of course, a natural pairing with white wine, especially a Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend, which has both a crisp acidity from the Sauvignon Blanc to cut through the brininess of the shellfish and a richness from the Semillon to match the meatiness of the lobster. And while a platter of shellfish like the one I’m preparing tonight needs no sauce to masquerade its flavors, I’ve decided to create a trio of three very different dipping sauces to honor both my family’s tradition with shellfish as well as some of the very international flavors I found in the food I ate in Western Australia.

So, without further delay, here is the recipe* for this week’s CorkPopper dinner….

Roasted Shellfish Extravaganza with Dipping Sauce Trio

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons minced parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 4 large lobster tails, cut in half lengthwise
• 8 uncooked jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 8 large scallops
• 2 pounds cooked Alaska Crab legs, cut lengthwise in half
• Lemon wedges
• Fresh parsley sprigs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush a large roasting pans with olive oil. Mix about 2 tablespoons olive oil with about a tablespoon of white wine. Mix shallots, minced parsley, and lemon peel in small bowl. Arrange lobster tails, cut side up, in the roasting pan and brush with olive oil/wine mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then a bit of the shallot mixture. Roast until just opaque in center, about 15 minutes. Transfer lobster to large platter; cover with foil.

Meanwhile, combine shrimp, scallops, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon white wine, and 2 tablespoons shallot mixture in medium bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss gently to coat. Arrange in a single layer in the roasting pan. Roast until shrimp and scallops are just opaque in center, about 5 minutes for shrimp and 7 minutes for scallops. Remove and add to the platter with the lobster. Re-cover with foil.

Arrange the crab legs in the roasting pan; drizzle with remaining olive oil/wine mixture, sprinkle with remaining shallot mixture, then drizzle with 3 tablespoons water. Roast just until heated through, about 5 minutes. Arrange the crab legs on the platter with the lobster, shrimp and scallops. Pour any pan drippings over the shellfish, and garnish with lemon wedges and parsley sprigs. Serve with trio of dipping sauces: drawn butter, white wine sauce (recipe below), and cilantro-lime-chile sauce (recipe below).

White Wine Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon shallot, finely minced
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• A splash of heavy cream, room temperature
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper (white pepper, if you’ve got it)
• A few fresh basil leaves, chopped

Preparation

In a small saucepan, saute the garlic and shallot in about a tablespoon of olive oil until translucent. Add the wine and reduce until just a few tablespoons are left. Add the chicken broth and reduce by half. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the butter until melted. Add the splash of cream and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped basil.

Cilantro-Lime-Chile Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 tightly packed cup cilantro leaves, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Zest from 1 lime
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce**
• 2 large green onions, chopped
• 3 serrano chiles, seeded and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled

Preparation

Combine the coconut milk and all remaining ingredients in blender. Puree until smooth. Thin with additional coconut milk by teaspoonfuls if you want it thinner. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This sauce is best when made a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate it and then bring it to room temperature and stir before serving.

Cheers!

* This recipe was partially inspired by one I found on Epicurious, although I’ve taken some significant liberties, especially with regard to the sauces.

**Available at most Asian markets.