The Monster Island Theater Wine Recipes

Olives Baked in Red Wine

Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine olives, wine, fennel seeds, sliced garlic and olive oil in small baking dish. Bake uncovered until olives are heated through, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve olives warm.

Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com

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Danish Onion-Champagne Soup

1. Sauté the onions in butter until they begin to turn golden. Add the cups of boiling water, salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne and nutmeg. Add also the bay leaves. Stir well and bring the water to another boil. Reduce the heat to low-med. and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
2. Add the entire bottle of champagne and bring the soup to yet another boil. Then add the cheese and take care to mix it well in the boiling soup.
3. Beat the egg yolks together with the port wine and add the egg-wine mixture to the soup. Stir well. Turn off the heat and let the soup rest, covered, for 10 minutes. (The soup must not boil again after the egg-wine mixture has been added.)
4. Place 1 slice of fried bread in the center of each bowl and ladle the soup on top of it. Serve hot.

Recipe courtesy of Twelve Months of Monastery Soups, by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette.

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Borleves (Hungarian Wine Soup)

Pour 3 cups of the wine and the water into a saucepan with the sugar, cloves, and cinnamon and bring to a boil. While the soup is heating, beat the egg yolks with the remaining wine until creamy. When the soup is at a boil, dip a cup of it, little by little, into the egg yolk mixture, beating constantly so the egg yolks don't curdle. Incorporate another cup of the hot liquid into the eggs, then beat the eggs into the remaining soup. Stir constantly while reheating and let the soup thicken a bit, then strain. Ladle into small elegant bowls, and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Soup of the Evening.

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Salmon in Red Wine with Apricots

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375°F. Pat the salmon dry on towels. Dust in flour, shaking off the excess. Heat the oil in a 12-inch oven-proof skillet or roasting pan over medium heat on the stove. Add the salmon and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and discard oil. Add the wine and stock to the skillet and bring to a boil. Replace salmon in the skillet, add the apricots and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place, uncovered, in the oven. Cook 7 minutes. When done, transfer skillet to the stove top and remove the fish to a carving board. Cook the liquid in the roasting pan over high heat, stirring, until it thickens slightly. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Cut the salmon into 1/2-inch slices, arrange on a serving platter and spoon over the sauce.

Recipe courtesy of RecipeSource.

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Wine-Braised Lamb Shanks with Herbes de Provence

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy wide pot over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic; sauté until leeks soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer leek mixture to small bowl.

Sprinkle lamb shanks with salt and pepper; dust with flour to coat. Heat remaining 4 tablespoons oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add lamb and cook until brown, turning occasionally, about 12 minutes. Add leek mixture, wine, tomatoes with puree, mushrooms, herbes de Provence, and carrots. Stir to coat lamb with vegetable mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until lamb is very tender, turning twice, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer until sauce reduces slightly, about 10 minutes longer. Spoon off fat from pan juices. Season lamb to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm, covered, over low heat before serving.)

Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Market tip: Not all supermarkets have lamb shanks on hand, so call ahead in case you need to order them.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com

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Red Wine and Mushroom Risotto

*available at specialty foods shops and some supermarkets
**available at Italian markets and specialty foods shops

In a small bowl soak porcini in boiling water 30 minutes. Pour soaking liquid through a fine sieve lined with a dampened paper towel or coffee filter into a bowl and reserve. Wash porcini under cold water to remove any grit and pat dry. Chop porcini fine.

Chop fine 1/4 pound cremini or white mushrooms (about 1 1/2 cups) and reserve. Depending on size, halve and/or quarter remaining 1 1/4 pounds cremini or white mushrooms and in a large heavy skillet cook in 4 tablespoons butter with salt and pepper to taste over moderate heat, stirring, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and reserve mushrooms in skillet. (They will be reheated just before serving.)

In a large saucepan heat broth and keep at a bare simmer.

In a 5- to 6-quart heavy saucepan cook pancetta over moderate heat, stirring, 5 minutes. Add reserved finely chopped cremini or white mushrooms, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, onion, rosemary, sage, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until onion is softened. Stir in rice and cook, stirring, until coated well with fat, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup wine and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Add remaining cup wine and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed.

Add 1 cup simmering broth and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Continue cooking and adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, 20 to 25 minutes.

Note: About halfway through cooking, add reserved porcini soaking liquid and chopped porcini, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed, and continue cooking and adding broth in same manner.

During last few minutes of cooking, reheat reserved cremini or white mushrooms in skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until hot, and stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Stir grated Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste into risotto.

Serve risotto immediately, topped with cremini or white mushrooms and garnished with Parmesan curls and rosemary.

Serves 6.

Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com

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Turnips in Wine Sauce

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the turnip slices for 2 minutes. Drain.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute, then gradually whisk in the vegetable broth. Stir in the sherry, then add the turnips. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook over medium-low heat until the turnips are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Grind on a dusting of white pepper and transfer the turnips with their sauce to a serving dish. Garnish with the minced parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Variation: Rutabaga may be substituted for the turnips. Peel and dice a one-pound rutabaga, then parboil for 15 minutes. Drain and proceed as directed above.

Recipe courtesy of The Winter Vegetarian, by Darra Goldstein.

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Sicilian "Drowned" Broccoli

Cut stalks from broccoli. Peel stalks, cut into 3-inch segments and thinly slice lengthwise. Separate broccoli crowns into florets. Heat olive oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add broccoli stalks and florets, sliced onions and chopped fresh parsley and sauté until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Mix in cheese, chopped olives and anchovy fillets. Stir mixture 2 minutes. Add dry red wine and stir mixture to blend well. Reduce heat to low, cover Dutch oven and simmer 45 minutes.

Uncover Dutch oven and cook broccoli until very tender and wine evaporates, about 15 minutes longer. Season broccoli to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 6.

Recipe courtesy of Epicurious.com

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Ginger Zabaglione with Poached Peaches

Divide half the zabaglione among six dessert plates. Place a peach in the center of each plate, and spoon the remaining zabaglione over the peaches. Sprinkle with the chopped ginger and the orange zest, and garnish each plate with a sprig of mint.

6 Portions

Ginger Zabaglione

1. Combine the egg yolks, sugar, and ginger in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well, until pale yellow.
2. Add the Marsala in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Transfer the mixture to a double boiler, and cook over boiling water, whisking constantly, until the zabaglione is frothy and has doubled in volume. It should easily coat the back of a spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the zabaglione to cool to room temperature.

3 cups

Note: For a lighter version, gently fold 1/2 C whipped cream into the cooled mixture.

Poached Peaches

1. Carefully peel the peaches with a vegetable peeler or a small, sharp knife.
2. Fill a medium-size heavy saucepan with the wine, water, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
3. Gently place the peaches in the liquid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peaches and set them aside to cool. Discard the liquid.

6 portions.

Recipe courtesy of The New Basics Cookbook, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.

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