Recipes from Juan

You've already had the pleasure of meeting, through this blog, Juan Carlos Pagola Langer and his Undurraga Carmenere. He's been kind enough to share a couple of his recipes to pair with his excellent red wine. As it happened, I hadn't yet read his email in time to use his recipe in preparing a roast leg of lamb that we bought from the farmers market. So, next time...

The local distributor for the Carmenere assures me that we'll have this wine in time for Thanksgiving.

Thanks again to Juan and the great folks at Undurraga, and also at Masciarelli Importers.

Andean Chicken and Potato Cake

TOTAL TIME: 1 HR PLUS 1 HR CHILLING
SERVES: 6

This entertainingly garish recipe (it has a topping of black olives, sprouts and sliced avocado) is the Andean version of shepherd's pie. Here the mashed potatoes are flavored with lime juice and chiles, and the filling is shredded chicken seasoned with red onion, celery and mayonnaise. Serve it cold or at room temperature; either way, it's ridiculously good.

• 1 1/2 pounds whole chicken breast on the bone
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• Salt
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, quartered
• 1 large jalapeño, seeded and halved lengthwise
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 large celery rib, finely chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 avocado—halved lengthwise, pitted and sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick
• 6 pitted
• alamata olives, sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick
• 3 1/2 ounces farmer's cheese (1/2 cup), crumbled
• 1 cup alfalfa, radish or broccoli sprouts

Put the chicken breast in a medium saucepan of boiling water, reduce the heat to low and simmer until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken breast to a bowl and let rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water and simmer over moderately high heat until tender, about 25 minutes.

In a small saucepan, cover the yellow pepper and jalapeño with water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately high heat until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a blender. Add the lime juice and puree.

When the potatoes are done, drain in a colander, then return to the saucepan. Shake the potatoes over high heat for about 15 seconds to dry them out. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes well, then mash in the olive oil. Stir in the pepper puree and season with salt and pepper.

Discard the skin and bones from the chicken. Cut the chicken into 1/4-inch pieces and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, celery and red onion and season with salt and pepper.

Line an 8-inch springform pan with plastic wrap. Spread half of the mashed potatoes in the bottom and partway up the side of the pan. Spread the chicken salad over the potatoes. Spread the remaining potatoes over the chicken and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until lightly chilled, about 1 hour.

Carefully remove the ring from the pan and peel back the plastic wrap. Using 2 wide spatulas, transfer the cake to a serving plate. Smooth the side if necessary. Garnish the cake with the sliced avocado in a fan shape. Sprinkle the olives, cheese and sprouts over the top. Using a sharp knife, cut the cake into wedges and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The cake can be refrigerated overnight. Decorate the top just before serving cold or at room temperature.

Garlic Roasted Lamb with Oregano Pesto

7 Servings

• 2 lb Rolled boneless leg of lamb
• 1/4 c  Oregano pesto; divided
• 3  Cloves garlic; sliced
• 1/4 ts Salt
• 1/8 ts Pepper
• 1  Head garlic

Unroll roast and trim fat. Spread 1 tablespoon oregano pesto into the folds of the roast. Reroll roast and secure at 1" intervals with string. Make several 1/2" deep slits in surface of roast; stuff with garlic slices. Cut 3 additional 1/2" deep slits in surface of roast; stuff 1 tablespoon pesto into each slit. Spread remaining pesto over surface of roast and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place roast on a broiler pan and insert meat thermometer into the thickest portion of roast; set aside.

Remove the white papery skin of garlic, making sure not to peel or separate the cloves. Wrap the garlic head in aluminum foil.

Bake roast and garlic at 325° for 45 minutes. Remove garlic from oven; set aside. Bake roast an aditional 40 minutes or until thermometer registers 150° degrees (medium rare). Let roast stand 10 minutes before slicing. Separate head into cloves and serve with roast.

  Makes 7 3-ounce lamb servings.

Comments

[Richard Gagnon]

Thanks for the kudos. We welcome you posting your recipe / wine pairing suggestions here also. Don't miss the tasting on Saturday.

[Syd]

I love the inclusion of recipes in the wine blog. I'm eager to try them out paired with the wine recommendations. I would definitely enjoy more recipes along with such recommendations. All around fabulous new blog.