A Trio of Tastes For Summer
Wine & Food 06/25/12
Written By Sharon Fenchak
Whether grilling, chilling, or thrilling, the tastes of summer are a perfect match for our Biltmore Century wines. Century White, Red, and Rosé are specially crafted to be food-friendly, and they’re exceptionally easy to sip on their own, as well.
Each Century wine is a carefully selected blend of different grapes that enhance the common qualities the varietals share. The results speak for themselves and the Century collection is one of our most popular offerings.
Century White
Our Century White is composed of an aromatic and fruit-forward blend of Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Muscat Canelli grapes. The result is a delightful white wine with intense floral notes and a semi-sweet flavor. Enjoy by the glass or with lighter desserts and spicy Asian food. In fact, we can’t think of a better way to savor summer than pairing Century White with this recipe for Coconut Crusted Shrimp.
Century Red
Hearty and elegant, Century Red is a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, and Zinfandel. It’s a truly approachable red wine that helps bring your favorite flavors to life! To make the most of your seasonal outdoor grilling opportunities, pair up our phenomenally food-friendly Century Red with the simple elegance of our Grilled Marinated Flank Steak.
Century Rosé
Somewhere between Red and White Century, our Century Rosé is crafted in a drier style than most rosés and is a bit heartier, as well. Created from a rosé blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, you’ll want to enjoy it as a companion to heartier white meats such as roast turkey and pork tenderloin. Century Rosé is also the perfect addition to brunches and picnics, and you’ll love it with our recipe for Grilled Summer Pizzetas.
Coconut-Crusted Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa
Coconut-Crusted Shrimp
Ingredients:
• ½ pound medium tail-on shrimp
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 cups shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Method:
Combine coconut milk, ginger and garlic. Add shrimp and marinate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Remove shrimp from coconut milk mixture and immediately place into shredded coconut until fully coated. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat add butter and oil, shallow fry shrimp until coconut is golden brown and shrimp is fully cooked. Serve with salsa.
Serves 4.
Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients:
• ½ fresh pineapple, diced small
• ½ red onion, diced small
• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• Salt & pepper
Method:
Peel pineapple by cutting off all rind and rough spots on flesh. Cut into quarters, remove core and dice small. Small dice red onion and toss with pineapple. In a small bowl, combine vinegars and honey and add to pineapple mixture. Add cilantro, then salt and pepper to taste.
Winemaker’s Suggested Pairing:
Serve with Century White
Grilled Marinated Flank Steak with Mango-Black Bean Salsa
Flank Steak
Ingredients:
• 1–1½ pounds flank steak
• 4 cups prepared marinade (your choice)
• 1⁄3 cup meat rub (see recipe)
• 4 cups mango-black bean salsa (see recipe)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Method:
Place flank steak in 1-gallon freezer bag or shallow container. Pour marinade over steak, making sure steak is completely submerged. Cover and marinate steak for 12 hours.
Prepare grill. (Flame should be low, but grill should be extremely hot.) Scrape grates with a grill brush to make sure they are clean and free of any debris. Season the grates by rubbing them quickly with a cloth dampened with vegetable oil. Remove flank steak from the marinade and place on a paper towels. Blot meat with more paper towels to dry up any surface moisture. Cover both sides of steak with meat rub and rub it in.
Place steak on the hottest part of the grill. Leave the steak alone until it is ready to turn over (approximately 3–4 minutes). Turn steak over and move to an area of the grill with less heat. Cook flank steak until it reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees when read with an instant-read thermometer. Remove flank steak from grill and place on a chopping board. Allow the steak to rest for 12 minutes. Slice the flank steak into thin slices. Place the salsa on a serving platter and arrange the steak slices in a fan pattern on top of salsa.
Serves 4–6
Tips
• “Seasoning” a grill grate means to apply a small coat of oil to avoid sticking. Moving the meat soon after it has been placed on the grill will result in sticking even if the grates have been seasoned, so be sure to leave the grilled product alone until it is ready to be turned.
• Other cuts of beef such as ribeye, strip loin, or tenderloin will work just as well with this recipe.
Meat Rub
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped and mashed to a paste with
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¾ teaspoon sugar
• 3½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Method:
In a small bowl, stir together chili powder, garlic paste, cumin, and sugar. Stir in Worcestershire sauce to make a paste. Yield: approximately 1⁄3 cup.
Mango & Black Bean Salsa
Ingredients:
• 2 cups black beans, cooked
• 1 mango, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• ½ medium green bell pepper, diced
• ½ medium yellow bell pepper, diced
• ½ medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & diced
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon cumin, ground
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Method:
Mix all ingredients and serve with chips or as an accompaniment to fish, chicken, or beef. Yield: 4 cups.
Winemaker’s Suggested Pairing:
Serve with Century Red
Grilled Summer Pizzetas
Pizzeta Dough
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup salad oil
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
• 2–3 cloves minced garlic
Method:
In a mixing bowl with a dough hook attachment, combine sugar, flour, salt, olive oil, salad oil, and garlic. Add the yeast and turn the mixer on slow speed. Slowly add the water starting with ½ cup, then continue to add remaining water a little at a time until fully incorporated and dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Continue to mix on low-to-medium speed for 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with a clean dry towel and allow to rise for 8–10 minutes or until it expands to twice the volume. Punch down the dough and allow to rise again until it expands again to twice the volume. Punch down and divide the dough into 4–5 equal pieces.
Turn grill to high and allow 10–15 minutes for it to heat. Lay one portion of the dough on a flat, lightly oiled pan. (Use the back side of a large pie pan or baking sheet). Press the dough down and gently form into a circle. Once the dough is formed turn your pan upside down so the dough sits flat on your grill and allow 1–2 minutes for the dough to set up before removing the pan. Flip the dough over and mark the other side.
Cocktail Reception Toppings
Ingredients:
• 8–10 slices smoked salmon
• 2 tablespoons trout caviar
• 2 teaspoons chopped dill
• ¼ cup cream cheese
Method:
In a bowl soften the cream cheese and add freshly chopped dill. Spread cream cheese on the pizzetta and top with smoked salmon and trout caviar.
Dinner Toppings
Ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons goat cheese
• 1 package smoked duck breast
• ¼ cup Kalamata olives
• 4–5 slices heirloom tomato
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5–6 basil leaves
• 6–8 arugula leaves
• Crushed black pepper
Method:
Place Kalamata olives and olive oil in a blender; blend until a smooth puree forms. Slice the smoked duck, tomatoes, and watermelon into bite-size pieces. Spread the olive puree on the pizzetta; add duck, tomato, and watermelon and crumble the goat cheese on top. If desired, heat in the oven for 3–4 minutes and top with fresh basil and arugula. Brush with olive oil and finish with cracked pepper.
Makes 4–5 pizzetas.
Winemaker’s Suggested Pairing:
Serve with Century Rosé