Lamb Burgers with Balsamic Onions, Roasted Peppers, and Aïoli
Varietal: Cabernet Franc

Serves 4

These lamb burgers are a signature item on the menu at Café Campagne, the popular sister restaurant to Campagne, both located steps from each other in the Pike Place Market. The Market’s own Don and Joe’s Meats custom grinds the lamb shoulder that the café uses in the burgers to produce a blend that is about 80 percent lean. If you don’t live near the Market, you can ask your favorite butcher to do the same. The burgers are served at Café Campagne along with classic frites, or thinly cut French fries sprinkled with kosher salt. You’ll want to serve the burgers with a fruity, but authoritative red wine, such as Cabernet Franc. Deep ruby to purple in color, Cab Franc displays aromas and flavors of black currant, musk, pencil shavings, and spice. Lighter bodied than Cabernet Sauvignon, it forms the perfect foil for the spicy lamb.

1 1/2 pounds lean ground lamb
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 good-quality hamburger rolls, split horizontally
Balsamic Onions (recipe follows)
1 roasted red bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, cut into 1/8-inch slices (See Cook’s Hint, below)
Aïoli (recipe follows)

1. Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium-high heat, or preheat the broiler and arrange the oven rack 3 to 4 inches from the heat source.

2. Place the lamb, garlic, rosemary, pepper flakes, and black pepper in a large stainless-steel bowl, and gently mix with your hands or a large spoon. Do not overmix or the burgers will develop a sausage-like consistency and could be tough.

3. Divide the ground meat into four equal portions and form into balls, then flatten slightly.

4. Lightly oil the grill or a broiler pan with a rack. Place the patties on the grill or arrange on the broiler pan without crowding and cook 5 to 7 minutes (for medium-rare) or to desired doneness.

5. To serve, place the burgers on the buns, layer with onions and roasted pepper slices, then drizzle with Aïoli.

Balsamic Onions
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into four 3/4-inch slices
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 to 1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. In a medium skillet with an ovenproof handle, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onions without crowding. Cook 1 minute, then turn the onions and cook 1 minute more. Season onions with salt and pepper, then add enough balsamic vinegar to just reach the tops of the onions. Remove from the heat, cover the skillet with an ovenproof lid or aluminum foil, and bake 8 to 10 minutes. Turn the onions and bake another 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Be extremely careful when moving the skillet in and out of the oven, since the balsamic vinegar is very hot, emits a very strong aroma, and splashes easily.

3. Remove the onions from the oven and cool to room temperature in the vinegar. Use immediately or transfer to a nonreactive bowl, cover, and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before serving.

Aïoli
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil\

1. In a food processor or blender combine the garlic, egg, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and process about 2 minutes. Add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, adding just a few drops at a time and pulsing well after each addition, until the sauce becomes smooth and thick (emulsifies). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cook’s Hint: Roast the red pepper in one of the following four ways: (1) roast over a gas burner on high heat, turning frequently with kitchen tongs, until well charred on all sides, (2) broil under a hot broiler several inches from the heat, turning frequently, until brownish-black blisters form, (3) roast in a 400-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, turning frequently, until brownish-black blisters form (4) or char the outside of the pepper with a propane blow torch until black. Put the roasted peppers in a paper or plastic bag, close the top and let stand for 10 minutes. Remove the peppers from the bag and scrape off the skin, then cut away the seeds and ribs. Wipe away any remaining black particles with a damp cloth, then slice the peppers into 1/8-inch slices and reserve.

Recipe Courtesy of Chef Daisley Gordon of Campagne and Café Campagne as printed in the Pike Place Market Cookbook, Second Edition (Sasquatch Books, 2003)

No-Bake Seafood Lasagne
Varietal: Sangiovese

Serves 4

This lavish entrée is special enough for company, yet saves lots of prep time compared to traditional lasagne recipes because the dish is never baked. Vary the seafood selection depending on what is in season, sustainable, and appealing to your mood. Pair the dish with Sangiovese, a traditional Italian varietal that has recently found new footing in the Pacific Northwest. It’s characterized by a pale ruby color, mild fruit aromas and flavors with a bit of earthiness, medium alcohol levels, medium to high tannin levels, and high acidity. These wines are meant to be drunk young and often!

8 uncooked plain or whole-wheat lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 white or yellow onion, diced, about 3/4 cup
1/4 pound assorted wild and/or cultivated mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, oyster, porcini, or portabello, thinly sliced
1 plum tomato, cored and diced
3/4 cup homemade or store-bought marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
2 pounds Penn Cove or Mediterranean mussels, scrubbed and debearded just before cooking
1/2 pound Alaskan halibut fillet, skin and pin bones removed and discarded, rinsed, drained, patted dry, and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 pound Dungeness crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ounce Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, optional

1. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles and keep warm while preparing the rest of the dish.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onions are tender and the mushrooms release their juices. Stir in the tomato, marinara sauce, and 1 teaspoon of the fresh basil (or all of the dried basil). Stir well and cook 2 minutes.
3. Add the mussels to the tomato sauce and cook 3 minutes, then add the halibut and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the Dungeness crab and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the mussels open and the crabmeat is heated through, removing any mussels that do not open.
4. To serve, arrange 2 lasagna noodles on each individual plate so that the noodles curl over each other and are raised in spots (do not place the lasagna noodles flat on plate). Divide the sauce and seafood over the noodles. Sprinkle with pepper and the remaining 1 teaspoon minced fresh basil. If desired, using a sharp vegetable peeler, shave strips of cheese over the pasta and seafood (although Italians consider it blasphemy to mix cheese and seafood!).

Recipe reprinted from the Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook, Gift Edition (Ten Speed Press, 2005)

Pear Vinaigrette
Varietal: Pinot Blanc

Makes 1 2/3 cups

This silky, golden, sweet-tart dressing captures the simple fresh goodness of pears from the Northwest. It’s an original recipe I’ve made many times, and appears in Inside the Pike Place Market: Exploring America’s Favorite Farmers’ Market. Try it tossed with mixed greens, quartered cremini or buttton mushrooms, and a handful of toasted hazelnuts while sipping a glass of slightly chilled Pinot Blanc. Pinot Blanc is a light, crisp wine that gives Pinot Gris a run for its money and is more refreshing than Chardonnay. It’s fruity, yet not overpowering, with apple and butter flavors in the mouth and almond on the finish. Oregon’s Willamette Valley is a principal producer, with Amity, Adelsheim, and Willakenzie among the notable producers there.

1 ripe Comice or Bartlett pear, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon grated white or yellow onion (Note: To grate the onion,
rub a small piece of onion against the fine side of a grater)

1/4 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons hazelnut or walnut oil

3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

In a food processor or blender, pulse the pear, onion, honey, salt, vinegar, mustard, and Tabasco until smooth. Add the oils and pulse until the mixture thickens slightly. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Herbed Corn Bread

Varietal: Chardonnay (Oaked)

Serves 6

The all-American favorite, corn bread, is updated here with the addition of sweet corn and herbs of the season. The flavor changes depending on the type of herb you use–sage lends a mellow, earthy taste; dill gives a bracing, pine-y flavor; while thyme provides a sweet, pungent effect. But underlying the herb topnotes is that undeniable sweet, musky corn flavor, which pairs so well with an oaky Chardonnay, one that has undergone malolactic fermentation, sur-lies aging, and/or additional fermentation in oak barrels. This recipe, which appears in Inside the Pike Place Market: Exploring America’s Favorite Farmers’ Market, can also be used as the basis for a delicious corn bread stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner. Simply combine with day-old artisan bread cubes, sautéed white or yellow onions and red peppers, cooked slices of Italian sausage, plus a couple of beaten eggs to bind.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (thawed if frozen)

1 tablespoon minced fresh dill, sage, or thyme OR 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill, thyme, or oregano, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the butter in a 9-inch pie plate or 9-inch ovenproof skillet and heat in the oven 5 minutes, or until the butter melts. Do not allow the butter to burn.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until frothy, then add the buttermilk, corn, and herbs. Remove the pie plate from the oven and brush melted butter over the bottom and sides. Pour the extra butter into the egg mixture and return the pie plate to the oven. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Carefully remove the pie plate from the oven, pour in the batter and smooth the top of the dough, and immediately return to the oven.

Bake cornbread 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs. Loosen the edges of the cornbread, cut the cornbread into six wedges, and serve immediately. The bread can also be cooled completely, wrapped and kept at room temperature for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to six months.

Grilled Beef Salad with Fresh Lime Dressing
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc

Serves 4 to 6

The recipe for this refreshing main-dish salad from Typhoon! Restaurant (with multiple locations in Washington and Oregon, including one in the Pike Place Market neighborhood) will come in handy all summer long because it’s so easy to make and flavorful. Best of all for lighter dining (this is bikini season, after all!), Chef Bo Kline’s zesty lime dressing achieves its delightful “zip” without the addition of fat or oil. And although some people may consider it proper to only pair beef with red wine, in this case, thanks to the lime dressing and red and green grapes, I prefer white. An herbaceous white wine with citrus-y notes, such as Sauvignon Blanc, works well. Its natural acidity also helps to cut the fattiness of the steak. This recipe, plus another recipe from Typhoon!, appears in the Pike Place Market Cookbook, Second Edition.

1 pound aged top sirloin

1 pound mesclun salad mix, rinsed, drained, and spun dry

Fresh Lime Dressing (Recipe follows)

1/2 cup green seedless grapes, cut in half lengthwise

1/2 cup red seedless grapes, cut in half lengthwise

Preheat and oil an outdoor or stovetop grill or preheat an indoor broiler and oil the broiler pan.

Place the steak on the grill and cook the meat to desired doneness, turning once (Chef Bo suggests cooking it rare). Cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest five to 10 minutes. Slice thinly on the diagonal and arrange on one side of a decorative platter. Arrange the mesclun mix on the other side.

Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of Fresh Lime Dressing over the beef and greens. Save the remaining dressing for another use. Arrange red and green grape halves over the salad and serve immediately.

Fresh Lime Dressing

Makes about 1/2 cup

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup good-quality fish sauce (Chef Bo recommends the Golden Boy brand)

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced fresh Thai chile peppers

Mix all the ingredients in a small nonreactive bowl. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for later use.

Claybank Farm Lavender Biscuits
Varietal: Dessert Wines

Makes 36 cookies

Joie Wines & Farm Cooking School, located on the trendy Naramata Bench in the Okanagan (British Columbia) wine region, is a truly joyous combination of winery, gastronomic bed-and-breakfast inn, and destination cooking school. The brainchild of husband-and-wife team Heidi Noble and Michael Dinn, Joie opened in 2002, when the dynamic chef-and-sommelier duo chucked life in the big city (Vancouver, B.C.). Heidi created this biscuit, a.k.a. “cookie” to Americans, for her friend and neighbor, Pati Mathias of Claybank Lavender Farm. The wonderful sablé-style (butter) cookies are a beautiful way to end a meal paired with seasonal fruit, lemon curd, or homemade ice cream or sorbet. Or wine-pairing guru Michael suggests simply serving with Elephant Island’s Apricot Dessert Wine from the Naramata Bench. But beware: Heidi warns it is very important not to use too much lavender, or your cookies will taste like a bar of soap! Less is more, when cooking with lavender, she stresses. This recipe, along with a complete profile on Joie and other Okanagan wineries, will appear in my seventh book, Northwest Wining and Dining (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007).

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, preferably organic

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender, crumbled, Pink lavender or Blue
Rosea varieties recommended

Zest of one orange

Zest of half a lemon

1/2 cup turbinado sugar

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Beat together the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed about 3 minutes, or until pale and fluffy.

Beat in the egg, vanilla, orange and lemon zest, and lavender. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined, being careful not to overwork the dough.

Form the dough into a 12-inch log (2 inches in diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up the dough in the plastic wrap. Chill the dough on a baking sheet at least 4 hours, or until firm.

Ten minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spread the turbinado sugar on a cookie sheet and roll the cold log of dough until the outside is coated. Discard any remaining sugar.

With a heavy kitchen knife, cut the log into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange the slices one inch apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies turn slightly golden around the edges.

Place the baking sheets on cooling racks for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the cooling racks with a spatula and cool completely before serving.

Cook’s Hint: Turbinado sugar is a blond-colored raw sugar with a delicate molasses flavor.

Triple Blue Summer Salad
Varietal: Grenache

Serves 6

Clarissa Metzler Cross, co-owner with husband Doug of Canter-Berry Farms, suggests trying this easy-to-make layered salad during the height of local tomato season for the best flavors and textures. The name comes about because it contains blueberry vinegar, fresh blueberries, and blue cheese, and the recipe appears in the Pike Place Market Cookbook, Second Edition. Although skeptics often say it’s difficult to pair salad and wine, I beg to differ. While it can be a bit more challenging to pair than other foods, salads (at least in most modern kitchens) are not just lettuce leaves tossed with vinegar and oil. More often, they also include “bridge ingredients,” an idea originated and popularized by revered California food and wine writer John Ash. Bridge ingredients are protein- and/or fat-rich foods that marry well with wine, such as cheese, nuts, or beans. In the salad that follows, the blue cheese (a wine-friendly food) and blueberries (a common flavor component in red wines) act as the “bridge ingredients” that cross above the tomatoes and romaine to allow a sensible pairing with the wine. I’d suggest Grenache, a Rhone varietal that is often blended with Syrah. The light red grape produces a fruity wine without a lot of tannins. Its rich berry flavors will amplify the blueberry notes in the vinegar and fruit. Although not widely grown in the Northwest, Grenache is one of the unusual varietals produced at Abacela Winery in Oregon’s Rogue Valley.

3 large tomatoes, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1/2 cup crumbled good-quality blue, Gorgonzola, or Roquefort cheese

1/2 cup Canter-Berry Farms blueberry vinegar or other mild fruit-flavored fruit vinegar

6 large romaine lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

1/2 cup fresh blueberries, for garnish

Fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Freshly ground black pepper, optional

Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer in the bottom of a stainless steel or glass mixing bowl or baking dish, then sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of the cheese and a couple of tablespoons of the vinegar. Continue layering the tomatoes, cheese, and vinegar until you run out, ending with the vinegar. Let the salad rest at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. If not serving within that time, cover and refrigerate.

Fifteen to 30 minutes before you want to serve, arrange the lettuce leaves on salad plates and divide the tomatoes and cheese among the plates, drizzling with any remaining vinegar. Garnish with blueberries and mint leaves and sprinkle with black pepper, if desired.

Scandinavian Salmon
Varietal: Mélon

Serves 6 to 8

Linda and Ron Kaplan lived many an oenophile’s dream when they gave up successful careers in Iowa as a newspaperwoman and lawyer to follow the grapes to Oregon in 1994 after purchasing Panther Creek Cellars.

Scandinavian Salmon will make a lovely addition to my upcoming book, Northwest Wining and Dining (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007), although I was skeptical when Linda suggested it could be paired with Pinot Noir. But the earthiness of the dill and in the salmon (be sure to use wild fish, not farm-raised!) works well with similar notes in the wine. Pinot Gris and sparkling wine are other suggested pairings, although Mélon is a more intriguing possibility. “Mélon is a close relative of Pinot Blanc, and is also the same grape as France’s Muscadet. In the nose of this varietal you’ll often find pear, citrus, and peaches. On the palate, it’s richly textured, with flavors of pear, peach, and apricot, and just a touch of sea salt,” according to the Panther Creek Web site.

1 English cucumber rinsed, scrubbed, and patted dry

3 pounds wild salmon fillet, rinsed, drained, and patted dry

2 lemons, very thinly sliced

1 large bunch of dill, rinsed, drained, and patted dry

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. With a vegetable peeler, peel the cucumber in long strokes and save the skins. Cut the cucumber into thin rounds and reserve.

Line a large baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil, placing one sheet of foil lengthwise across the baking sheet, allowing enough excess foil on both sides to be folded across the fish. Run another sheet of foil from top to bottom, again allowing enough foil to fold over the fish. Place the salmon skin side down in the center of the foil. Cover the fish with the cucumber skins, placing the white portion of the skins toward the fish.

Cover the cucumber skins with half of the lemon slices and top with half of the dill. Bring the ends of the foil up around the top and bottom of the fish, fold neatly to seal the fish, then repeat with the other ends of foil until the fish, cucumber, lemon, and dill are completely enclosed.
Place the baking sheet on the center oven rack, and cook 50 to 55 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish and desired doneness. If you are not sure if the fish is done, open the foil carefully to allow the steam to escape and cut into the center of the salmon with the tip of a small kitchen knife. When it is done, the salmon will also begin to leach protein, which appears as milky white, creamy substance on the surface of the fish.

Once the fish is cooked to your liking, open the foil carefully to allow the steam to escape. Scrape off and discard the cucumber skins, lemon, and dill. Using a long, thin spatula, position the edge of the spatula against the fat layer between the salmon flesh and skin. Move the spatula forward through the fat layer so that the flesh comes away from the skin. Transfer the salmon to a large serving plate and discard the skin and foil.

Just before serving, season the salmon to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the reserved cucumber slices and the remaining lemon slices and dill, and serve family style.

Roast Leg of Lamb Foccacia Sandwiches
Varietal: Cabernet Franc

Serves 10 to 12

Scott Staples, chef/owner of perennially popular Restaurant Zoë in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, shared this recipe for roast lamb, which will appear in my upcoming book, Northwest Wining and Dining (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007). The lamb can be served for dinner or, as he suggests, as part of a picnic when sliced and stacked on foccacia bread along with roasted red peppers and an herbed cheese spread. As far as wine pairing goes, the chef suggests Cabernet Franc or Syrah if serving as an entrée, or a Dry Rosé if packing a picnic. Cabernet Franc is an intriguing grape, usually used for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, although also produced as a single varietal in Washington state. It is characterized by a deep purple color and fruity/brambleberry aromas and flavors.

1 6- to 8-pound whole leg of lamb, shank intact, hip bone removed, trimmed of most of the fat and silver skin, and tied

2 tablespoons kosher salt

Dijon Herb Salt Crust (Recipe follows)

Good-quality homemade or store-bought foccacia bread

1 package (5.2 ounce) Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbes Cheese

1 cup homemade or store-bought roasted red peppers

Rub the lamb with the salt and allow it to sit at room temperature for one hour.

Put the lamb in a large roasting pan and coat evenly with the Dijon crust. Cover the lamb and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.

Two hours before you want to cook the lamb, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to stand at room temperature. Ten to 15 minutes before you want to cook the lamb, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Place the lamb in the center of the oven and cook for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and check the internal temperature of the meat by testing with an instant-read thermometer. To test, insert the thermometer in two or three places at the top of the leg where it is thickest (but not touching the bone), then average the readings. Chef Staples suggests cooking the meat to an internal temperature of 130 degrees for rare meat, which can take from 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours, depending on the size of the leg and the oven. When cooking is complete, take the leg out of the oven, turn it over, and let it rest at room temperature, loosely tented with aluminum foil, for approximately 45 minutes.

Most of the crust will drip off during cooking, but scrape off any remaining crust before carving. To carve, place the leg on a cutting board or large platter, secure with a carving fork and carve thin slices from the side of the leg, slicing downward. Now turn the lamb leg on its side and slice downward along the bone. Place your knife along the bone and slice crosswise to remove the meat.

If serving as an entrée, divide the lamb among dinner plates. If serving as sandwiches, on a clean, smooth work surface, lay out a piece of plastic wrap large enough to fold over the foccacia. Cut the foccacia in half horizontally, spread the top with about 2 ounces of the cheese (use the remaining portion in another recipe or take to your picnic) and layer the bottom with the sliced lamb and the roasted peppers. Put the foccacia pieces back together, press down lightly, and place in the middle of the plastic wrap. Cut into sandwich-size pieces, wrap the focccacia in the plastic wrap, and chill in an ice chest or cooler or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dijon Herb Salt Crust

Makes about 3 cups

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh thyme

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

3 large eggs

1/2 cup homemade or store-bought unseasoned dry bread crumbs (Note: To make unseasoned dry bread crumbs, place a layer of white or whole wheat bread slices on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the bread turns light brown and dries completely. Allow the bread to cool, then place in a food processor or blender and process until it reaches the desired texture.)

1/4 cup black peppercorns, cracked (Note: To crack the peppercorns, place them in a resealable plastic bag, zip it closed, then use a meat mallet or the back of a heavy skillet to crush the peppercorns.)

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the mustard, lemon juice, salt, thyme, rosemary, and eggs. Stir in the bread crumbs and peppercorns until well blended and use immediately or cover and refrigerate.

Cook’s Hint: Chef Staples suggests using domestic lamb, as opposed to New Zealand, for its less gamey flavor. It’s important to ask your butcher to remove the hip bone, trim as much fat as possible, then tie the remaining meat and leg bone into a roast to promote even cooking. You will also need to plan ahead when you make this recipe, since the lamb needs to marinate at least overnight and requires about four hours of cooking and resting time.

Coconut-Kasu Cod
Varietal: Viognier

Serves 6

From my first taste 15 years ago, I was enchanted with Black Cod in Sake Kasu, the Japanese preparation of sablefish (also known as black cod), in which the noble fish is marinated in kasu. Kasu is the fragrant, doughy sediment left over after rice is fermented to make sake, much like the lees, or dregs, that remain after winemaking. My quick variation is a heady mixture of coconut milk (for texture), white miso (for a malty flavor similar to kasu), and sake (for mellow acidity). This is one of my original recipes, often enjoyed at our house, and will appear in my upcoming book, Northwest Wining and Dining (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007). I like to pair it with a vibrant Viognier bursting with floral aromas, fresh fruit in the mouth, and a long finish.

1/2 cup regular or light coconut milk (Note: Be sure to shake the can before opening and stir the coconut cream solids back into the coconut milk before measuring.)

1/4 cup white miso (See Cook’s Hint, below)

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons mirin (See Cook’s Hint, below)

2 tablespoons sake

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar

1 1/2 pounds sablefish (black cod) fillet, rinsed, drained, and patted dry

Shichimi Togarashi, optional (See Cook’s Hint, below)

In a small nonreactive mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, miso, rice vinegar, mirin, sake, mustard, and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves.

Pour half the marinade (about 1/2 cup) into a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag, add the sablefish, and turn several times to coat the fish completely. Let the fish marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for several hours or up to overnight. Cover the remaining marinade and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for later use.

Ten minutes before cooking, remove the fish and the reserved marinade from the refrigerator. Place the oven rack 3 to 4 inches from the heat source. Preheat the broiler. Arrange a broiler pan with a rack and oil the rack or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Arrange the sablefish skin side down on the broiler rack without crowding. Discard the resealable bag and used marinade.

With a clean pastry brush, brush the flesh side of the fish liberally with the reserved marinade. Cook 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the broiler and brush liberally with the glaze. Cook another 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the broiler and brush liberally with the glaze. Return the pan to the oven and cook 3 to 5 minutes more, or until the fish just flakes and the glaze is golden brown and bubbly.

To serve, cut the fish into six portions and divide among dinner plates. If desired, sprinkle lightly with the Japanese pepper.