(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
About a year ago, I took a trip to Disney world with my daughter and my mother, a fun little weekend getaway. We haven’t been to Disney’s Hollywood studios in quite a while, and one of my bucket list places to eat at that park has always been the almost spitting image high end restaurant from the Golden Age of Hollywood…the Hollywood Brown Derby.
There’s nothing like treating your family to a relaxed, indoor (and air-conditioned), delicious place to eat after walking around in the hot sun.
I was curious to take advantage of the fact that wine was being sold inside the park…enter Chappellet Winery. I had seen this wine brand and label in a few occasions at various high end restaurants but never had the opportunity to try it until this visit. My meal was complete with a glass of Chappellet Cultivation red blend. I instantly became a Chappallet fan!
(Photo courtesy of Chappallet Winery)
Fast forward almost a year later and I was not only able to learn more about this amazing winery and its impressive portfolio of varietals but I was also lucky to have established a lovely rapport with Alexa Chappellet Flagler, a key figure of the Chappellet family.
She was gracious to check out what I have been doing with Carlos’ Food & Wine and supported my efforts by giving me an opportunity to feature Chappellet Winery. Today, it’s give me pleasure in showcasing their Signature Cabernet Sauvignon.
(Photo courtesy of Chappellet Winery)
I asked Alexa to reveal a little more about this enrapturing wine and vintage. She responded,
“Due to a few years of drought conditions on Pritchard Hill, our 2021 Chappellet Signature Cabernet was a low yield vintage for us. This wine will delight your taste buds as it bursts with concentrated fruit flavors and shows the incredible balance of our wines.”
She couldn’t be more right! A wine that truly resonates with each sip and will leave you yearning for a repeat.
Let‘s get cooking!
Menu: Cast Iron pan-seared NY Strip steak with cherry sauce, roasted carrots and potatoes.
Wine pairing: 2021 Chappellet Winery Signature Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, California)
Serves 2
Ingredients
Steak:
2 (10-12 oz) New York strip steaks (ribeyes or filet mignon would also work well here)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon canola or grapeseed oil (use an oil with a high smoking point)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, smashed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Sauce:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 cups fresh cherries, stemmed and pitted
½ cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste
Carrots:
2 lbs of rainbow carrots
1 tablespoons of extra Virgin olive oil
Sea salt & fresh cracked pepper
Potatoes:
1 1/2 lbs of Yellow baby Dutch potatoes, peeled, diced.
3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt & cracked pepper (to taste)
Directions
Steak:
Take the steaks out of the fridge 30 minutes before you are ready to cook. You want them to be close to room temperature so that they cook evenly.
Season both sides of the steaks liberally with the salt and pepper.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the oil to the pan. Once pan is hot, add the steaks to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, developing a deep brown crust on both sides of the steak.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and and add in the butter, garlic cloves, and thyme. Once the butter is melted, carefully tilt the pan so all the butter pools in one spot (use a thick kitchen towel or oven mitt to touch the handle of your very hot pan). Spoon the hot butter over the steaks constantly, like you are basting them, for 1 minute.
At this point, you can use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the steaks. Insert it into the thickest part of one of the steaks and once it reads 130°F, the steaks will be perfectly medium rare (they will continue to cook slightly from carry-over heat while they rest).
Remove the steaks from the pan and set on a cutting board or plate. Cover with tin foil and allow them to rest while you make the cherry sauce.
Sauce:
Use the same pan for the cherry sauce as you did for cooking the steaks. Do not discard any of the butter or fat from the pan. Discard the thyme sprigs. Keep the garlic cloves in the pan.
Add the butter and shallot and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until the shallots begin to soften.
Add in the chopped thyme and the cherries. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Once the cherries begin to soften and release their juices, add in the wine, balsamic vinegar, honey, and mustard. Stir to combine and make sure that you scrape up any browned bits from the steaks off the bottom of the pan.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. The wine will reduce and the cherries will burst and be super soft and juicy.
Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Carrots:
In a bowl, season carrots with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Add olive oil, coating all carrots.
Place carrots in a single later on an oven proof baking sheet or dish. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Potatoes:
Pre-hear oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix potatoes, olive oil, garlic and season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
Heat up cast iron skillet on stove top on medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon ox olive oil. Once oil is hot, quickly sauté potato mixture for 2 minutes. Remove from stove and finish roasting in oven for approximately 15-20 minutes (or until fully cooked) in same cast iron pan.
Carefully remove pan from oven and set aside.
Serve it up!
This deliciously rustic dish looks great when served directly from the cast iron pans.
Slice the steaks and return them back to the pan with the cherry sauce. Gently stir and serve from pan.
On the same cast iron where the potatoes are, place the roasted carrots on the pan, nestled next to the potatoes.
Bon Appetit! Enjoy!
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
About the wine…
2021 Chappellet Winery Signature Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, California)
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo by Carlos Sarmiento)
The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon has been Chappellet’s foundation wine for more
than three decades.
It is a benchmark for the long-lived hillside wines of the Napa Valley; full of structure and aging potential, yet seductively forward in its
concentrated varietal character.
The dry, rocky soils of Pritchard Hill produce
small, intensely flavorful grapes. Crop thinning allows for full, even ripening and elevates flavor complexity.
Tasting notes:
Luxuriously dark and concentrated, this wine displays aromas of cassis, black cherry and boysenberry, as well as notes of fresh herbs and French oak-inspired hints of vanilla, cardamom and clove.
On the palate it is beautifully full-bodied with supple, polished tannins and alluring layers of dark berries and spice, with notions of dark chocolate, espresso, sage and anise emerging on the long, dramatic finish.
Grapes:
79% Cabernet Sauvignon
8% Petit Verdot
7% Malbec
6% Merlot
Food pairing:
Hearty grilled or roasted meats with fruit sauces, roasted vegetables, stews, pasta with mushrooms and salmon dishes.
Accolades:
95 points Wine Enthusiast
For more information, visit:
&
Instagram:
@chappellet_winery
Special thanks:
A big, special thanks to Alexa Chappallet Flagler for this wonderful partnership and collaboration. Thank you Alexa for the opportunity and for your incredible support. Looking forward to many more!
Decorative wine drip collar by Drips to Sips
(Special discount promo code: CFW15)
(Photo courtesy of Chappellet Winery)
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