Thyme Out

Last weekend, I attended a grilling demonstration at the 8100 Mountainside Bar and Grill in the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek, CO.  Pascal and Reese, the Executive Chef and Chef de Cuisine for the restaurant, prepared this sauce. Béarnaise is one of my favorite sauces, and this one did not disappoint.

They will be holding 3 more grilling exhibitions throughout the summer (July 25th, August 8th, and August 15th). If you are in the Vail Valley, stop by the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek and sample some delectable morsels with expertly chosen pairings while picking up great culinary tips in an idyllic setting. The demonstration starts at 4:30 on the patio.

Ingredients

• 2 egg yolks
• 6 oz clarified butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried organic tarragon
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons minced shallots
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine tarragon, shallots, white wine, and red wine vinegar in a pot and reduce.
2. Whisk egg yolks in a stainless steel bowl over low heat until egg yolks start to cook and become frothy.
3. Add one tablespoon of the wine reduction.
4. When mixture is incorporated, slowly drizzle in warm clarified butter.
5. Season with salt and pepper.

Last weekend, I attended a grilling demonstration at the 8100 Mountainside Bar and Grill in the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek, CO. Pascal and Reese, the Executive Chef and Chef de Cuisine for the restaurant, prepared this sauce to serve with grilled halibut. What a nice complement to fish.

They will be holding 3 more grilling exhibitions throughout the summer (July 25th, August 8th, and August 15th). If you are in the Vail Valley, stop by and sample some delectable morsels with expertly chosen pairings while picking up great culinary tips in an idyllic setting. The demonstration starts at 4:30 on the patio.

Ingredients

1. 1 shallot, minced
2. 1 cup white wine
3. 1 cup white wine vinegar
4. 1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)
5. salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Sweat shallots in 1 Tablespoon of butter over medium heat in a saute pan.
2. Add wine and vinegar and reduce until almost dry.
3. While mixture is reducing, cut remaining butter into small cubes.
4. Slowly add butter (2 to 3 pieces at a time) while constantly moving the pan until all is incorporated.

Last weekend, I attended a grilling demonstration at the 8100 Mountainside Bar and Grill in the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek, CO. Pascal and Reese, the Executive Chef and Chef de Cuisine for the restaurant, prepared this sauce to serve with grilled salmon.

They will be holding 3 more grilling exhibitions throughout the summer (July 25th, August 8th, and August 15th). If you are in the Vail Valley, stop by and sample some delectable morsels with expertly chosen pairings while picking up great culinary tips in an idyllic setting. The demonstration starts at 4:30 on the patio.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup capers
• 10 cornishons (small dill pickles)
• 3 teaspoons dried organic parsley
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 diced red onion
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Dice all the ingredients
2. Combine in bowl and mix well

The early evening breeze tempers the heat from the afternoon sun. The light shifts from bright to golden, and the mountainside glows greener than I ever remember—a reward for enduring all those days of pounding rain.

This spectacular mountain-scape serves as a backdrop for Pascal and Reese, our chefs for the evening – here to share their grilling secrets. Everything Pascal says is charming. His French accent and animated style entertain the eclectic group gathered on the patio.  Reese, the notable Chef de Cuisine, plays a perfect straight man to Pascal’s humor. Reese raises an eyebrow to one of Pascal’s comments and the guests respond with a giggle.

While we listen raptly to Pascal describe how to repair a “broken” Bernaise sauce, a local wine distributor circles among us pouring tasting glasses of excellent pairings for the trout and halibut that Reese is preparing.  [I failed to get the names of the wines, but I will update you as soon as I find out what they were]. As the glasses are filled and refilled we become more animated, begin chatting with one another and asking about seasonings and grilling techniques.

I am here to present our freshly ground organic spices and to learn how Pascal and Reese use them to create their marvelous meals. We have a small gift of spices for each of the guests and they respond enthusiastically; pleased to know they can order them on line;  amazed at the vibrancy of their flavors and aromas.

In one short class, we grilled halibut and prepared trout en papillote, Bernaise sauce, beurre blanc sauce, gribiche sauce, and my favorite, watermelon salsa. What a charming and educational evening.

Good news, there are more classes to come. Pascal and Reese are hosting three more grilling nights throughout the summer. So, if you are in Beaver Creek on July 25th, August 8th, or August 22nd, stop by the 8100 Mountainside Bar and Grill in the Park Hyatt and enjoy the fruits of Pascal’s and Reese’s labor. The demonstration starts at 4:30. Be sure to come early to grab a seat under an umbrella near the grill. Sample their delectable morsels and sip expertly chosen wine pairings, while picking up great culinary tips in an idyllic setting.

A few weeks ago, I stopped in the Little Raven Vinyards Wine Shop to pick up a bottle of wine for a friends birthday dinner.  It was my first visit, but definitely will not be my last. The unpretentious wisdom of their in-house sommelier makes exploring their diverse collection of undiscovered wines fun and educational. If your a local, give them a visit at 1590 Little Raven, near commons park. If you aren’t local, you can still share their wisdom by signing up for “The Grape Vine”, their weekly e-newsletter. It’s filled with great recipes and information on wine and food pairings. The recipe below was in this weeks newsletter—just in “thyme” for Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients

• peel and juice of 1 medium orange
• peel and juice of 1/2 medium lemon
• 3 cups ruby port*
• 1 package (12 ounces) fresh cranberries, washed
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 1 ounce fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon organic ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon organic ground cinnamon (or apple pie spice blend)
• 2 Tablespoons orange liqueur

Directions

1. Julienne the orange lemon peels. In a small saucepan, heat the juices and 1/2 cup of the port. Over medium-high heat, cook the peels until tender, about 10 minutes. Reserve.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, onion, 2 cups of the port, ginger, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Over medium-high heat, cook until the relish thickens, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup port, the orange liqueur, and the reserved orange and lemon peel mixture. Cool. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate, covered until needed. This will keep up to one week, so it can be prepared ahead of time.

Recipe adapted from Wolfgang Puck’s Adventure in the Kitchen (New York: Random House), 1991.