During dinner service last night, John Jordan received a call from one of his colleagues at the local Salvation Army. Watch a quick video to find out what happened and why I decided to work in the Jordan kitchen on my day off.
Posts Tagged ‘food’
A Valentine’s Day recipe recommendation
by Todd on February 5, 2010
Last week, I interviewed with Tom Simoneau from our local news talk radio station, KSRO, for his Wine Minutes segment in honor of Valentine’s Day. Here’s a quick video discussing the Duck Confit recipe recommended to his listeners. The recipe, as well as a link to download it from our website, are included below. Wishing you all a Happy Valentine’s Day from the entire Jordan family.
Duck Confit
Click here to view and download our recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp Sarawak black peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp coriander
- 1 star anise
- 6 duck legs
- 3 Tbsp sea salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1½ Tbsp Demerara sugar
- 5 sprigs of marjoram
- 10 sprigs of thyme
- 3 shallots, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 5 cups duck fat
Directions:
Preheat oven to 200°.
In a small sauce pan over medium high heat, toast black peppercorns, coriander and star anise until fragrant. Set aside to cool.
In a large non-reactive bowl, combine duck legs, spices, sugar, herbs, shallots and garlic. Press mixture into duck. Tightly cover and marinate for 48 hours.
Carefully brush marinade from legs and lay them in an earthenware casserole or heavy, lidded 6 quart stock pot.
Melt duck fat and pour over duck legs to cover. Allow to cook gently until meat is easily pierced and nearly falls away from the bone, approximately 4 to 5 hours.
Remove duck and place in a storage container. Strain fat to cover completely and quickly cool over ice. Refrigerate and allow the confit to rest for a minimum of one week and up to one month.
To serve, render crisp in cast iron, or add to any risotto or cassoulet.
Serves 6
Pair with: Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon
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Chef Todd’s tip #1: the Marcona kick stand
by Todd on February 2, 2010
When conceiving ideas for menus, we work backward: We start in the garden and at the store, taking inspiration from the seasonal fruits and vegetables available. The citrus season is at its peak, so beautiful, ripe blood oranges and Meyer lemons were the cornerstone ingredients in our dessert served Thursday, a financier pastry topped with a blood-orange, Meyer-lemon and Yuzu sorbet. One of our tricks for ensuring the sorbet doesn’t slide off the cake once presented is what we call the Marcona kick stand (see TwitVid video at the bottom for my explanation).
The Marcona variety of almond, which is shorter, rounder and sweeter than most almonds, originated in Spain. We also use Marconas for gazpacho, drawing inspiration from the original recipes for this chilled Spanish soup when almonds were used instead of tomatoes. Marconas also make great bar food: they are naturally salty and delicious when sprinkled with hibiscus sea salt.
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White asparagus arrives two months early
by Todd on January 15, 2010
In the Jordan estate garden, we focus on growing heirloom varieties and other fruits and vegetables that demand meticulous care. Our white asparagus arrived two months early this year (see winter garden post), so Sous Chef Manuel Reyes rushed out to the garden on Friday to bury all the asparagus spears in the ground. White asparagus comes from the process of etiolation, which is the deprivation of light. Dirt is mounded around each emerging stalk, depriving it of sunshine. The plant cannot produce chlorophyll without light, thus there is no green color to the stalk. White asparagus is typically milder in flavor and more tender than its green counterpart.
Click here to view my Hanger Steak and Asparagus Salad recipe.
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Halloween at Jordan: Casablanca
by Laura on December 22, 2009
What started out as John’s personal Halloween party has transformed into the most talked about event in town. In October 2009, 180 of our valued trade members came to the winery to celebrate Halloween. The theme was “Casablanca” and the winery was transformed into the classic 1940s movie. Guests were treated to pass hors d’oeuvres prepared by Chef Todd, signature 1940s cocktails, hand-rolled cigars, gambling tables and swing dancing. Here’s looking at you, kid!
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