Executive Chef Perry Mascitti of Tulalip Resort Casino reveals his secrets for 30-minute wine sauces and relishes that are easily interchangable with your favorite meats or seafood
EVERYDAY I get to do what I love at work, which is experiment with new recipes. I admit it, it’s rare when I am willing to spend five hours at home preparing a fine sauce for dinner when I would rather spend quality time with my wife and son. These three recipes were designed with ease in mind.
Guests, friends and family frequently ask me what I like to cook at home, and my reply is, Whatever I can prepare in 30 minutes. These sauces and relishes fit into that quick one-pan method of cooking.
I always seem to have a glass or two of wine left in a bottle, so wine is the basis for these recipes. These recipes use ingredients that are found in most pantries or very easy to obtain from the store. Remember, these recipes focus on the use of easy pan sauces and can be interchanged with your favorite selection of meats or fish.
—Contributed by Executive Chef Perry Mascitti
Recipe for Sauvignon Blanc Bacon-Chili Sauce for Pouch Braised Shrimp
Serves 6
Sauce Ingredients
½ pound bacon, medium diced
1 teaspoon of paprika powder
2 cups of Sauvignon blanc
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 two-ounce can diced green chiles, mild (Anaheim or California variety)
1 cup clam juice, canned
1 cup heavy cream
½ pound butter, cut into medium sized cubes
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped (with most
stems removed)
Salt and pepper
Sauce Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large skillet, sauté bacon until crisp. Add paprika and wine and reduce by half. Add diced chiles and clam juice and reduce liquid by half. Add heavy cream and reduce until it becomes a thick sauce-like consistency. Stir in butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add half of the chopped cilantro and simmer for 1 minute. Reserve remaining half of cilantro for garnish.
Shrimp Ingredients
36 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (or other seafood such as salmon, sea bass or halibut)
6 pieces cut foil, approximately 10”x10”
Shallow baking sheet (cookie sheet)
Shrimp Method
Take one piece of foil and lay 6 shrimp side by side near the top half of the foil. Repeat for a total of 6 times. Pour 1/2 cup of hot sauce over each shrimp portion. Add equal amounts of green onion on top of all 6 portions. Fold up the foil to create a sealed pouch. Put the 6 foil pouches on a sheet pan, making sure they all fit. Place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven. (Note: if sauce is boiling hot when poured onto the shrimp, it should take very little time to cook, about 5-8 minutes).
To serve: Place one foil pouch on each plate or remove the shrimp from each pouch. Serve with your favorite rice, pasta or side dish. Garnish with cilantro.
Recipe for Pinot Gris Parmesan Sauce with Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Serves 6
Brussels Sprouts Ingredients
20 each Brussels sprouts, remove outside leaves, cut in half through the core stem
1 cup all-purpose flour, in a bowl
¾ cup olive oil
½ cup butter
½ cup vegetable oil
Method For Brussels Sprouts
In a medium size sauce pot, heat oil and butter to medium high temperature. Toss Brussels sprouts in flour and shake off excess. Carefully place cut and prepared Brussels sprouts in the hot oil and cook until the outside is browned. With a slotted spoon, remove sprouts and place on a paper towel to drain. Reserve.
Sauce Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow or white onion, medium diced
5 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced (optional)
2 cups Pinot Gris or other white wine
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup Parmesan (or Romano) cheese, shredded or grated
Salt and black pepper to taste
Method For Sauce
Pour oil into a large skillet and place on medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until soft and translucent. Add Pinot Gris or white wine of choice. Add optional red bell pepper. Reduce wine by half. Add chicken or vegetable broth and a half cup of Parmesan cheese to the reduced wine. Reduce liquid by half. Add fried Brussels sprouts to the pan sauce, and simmer for one minute. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer all to an individual plate or platter and top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Recipe for Pork Loin with a Cabernet Apple-Rosemary Relish
Serves 6
Pork Loin Ingredients
6 pork loin slices, ¾-inch thick (also works great with 6 chicken breasts)
2 cups flour
1½ tablespoons salt, table grind
1 tablespoon pepper, table grind
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Cookie sheet, lined with foil
Method For Pork Loin
Preheat oven to 375 degrees,
Place flour, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. In a large skillet add olive oil and butter and bring to medium heat.
Dredge each pork loin in the seasoned flour. Place in hot skillet and brown both sides of the pork. At this point, position pork slices on the foil covered cookie sheet and place in the preheated oven. It will take about 10 minutes to finish cooking. While the pork is in the oven, prepare the relish.
Relish Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 whole leeks, washed white part only, cut into ½-inch thick rings (substitute 1 whole sweet onion, sliced)
2 apples, Granny Smith preferred, but any variety will work; cored and cut in half, finish by cutting into approximately 1/8-inch thick slices
3 cups Cabernet Sauvignon wine
2 teaspoons brown sugar (white granulated would also work)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped and 1 whole rosemary sprig (optional garnish)
3 cups beef or chicken broth (chicken stock if using chicken breasts)
3 egg yolks, in a small bowl
Salt and black pepper to taste
Method For Relish
In the same heated pan add butter, leeks and apples. Cook on high heat for 2 minutes. Add wine, sugar and rosemary and boil until wine is reduced in half. Add beef, chicken or vegetable broth and boil again to reduce by one-third, stirring occasionally.
While the sauce is reducing, add 2 tablespoons of the pan sauce to the egg yolk that is in a separate bowl to “temper” them. Add another 2 tablespoons to the egg yolk. Mix well. Then add the yolk mixture to the pan sauce and stir fast to mix in the egg yolk and thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve: Pour or spoon sauce onto each plate and fan out the sliced pork loin on top.
Optional garnish: freshly sliced apples and crisp leek rings.