Trevor Eliason
As Executive Chef, Trevor prepares dishes with fresh, local ingredients that complement our single-vineyard wines.
Archive of Trevor Eliason
on April 17, 2013
With spring in the air we thought we would put together a fun, seasonal recipe that goes great with the 2010 Nickel & Nickel Harris Merlot. This dish really highlights the bright fruits and luxurious structure of the wine. In the kitchen, we tested this dish several times. Not because we needed to work out any recipe flaws, but because we thought it was so delicious.
Herb Roasted Organic Chicken Breast
Caramelized Root Vegetables, Dried Cherry and Tarragon Pearl Couscous
Click here for a printable version of this recipe.
Ingredients
Brine:
2 quarts cold water
¼ cup salt
cup sugar
3 thyme sprigs
1 garlic clove, shelled
1 bay leaf
10 peppercorns
10 coriander seeds
2 organic chicken breasts, bone-in
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste
Pearl Couscous Salad:
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, diced small
1 cup couscous
2 ½ cup chicken stock
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup dried tart cherries, cut in half
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
½ tablespoon Banyuls vinegar or sherry vinegar
Black Trumpet Mushrooms:
1 cup black trumpet mushrooms, washed and dried
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Caramelized Root Vegetables:
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large turnip, diced into ½-inch cubes
1 large parsnip, diced into ½-inch cubes
1 large sweet potato, diced into ½-inch cubes
1 large carrot, diced into ½-inch cubes
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
To make the brine, add a quart of water to a medium-sized pot. Add ¼ cup salt, cup sugar, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and coriander seeds to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then shut off the heat and pour the brine into a container with a tight-fitting lid. Add the remaining quart of cold water to the brine and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, add the raw chicken and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Remove the chicken from the brine and place on a paper towel-lined plate to dry. Discard the brine. Put a cast iron pan on medium heat and season chicken with salt and white pepper. Add olive oil to the pan, then add the chicken breasts skin side down. Sear for 3-5 minutes or until golden. Flip chicken over and place in a 350˚F oven for 15 minutes. Baste chicken, using a spoon to capture the juices and reapply to top of chicken. Repeat a couple of times. Bake for 5 more minutes, or until the juices run clear from the chicken. Let rest for 5 more minutes, then slice the meat off the bone and cut each breast into three equal slices from there.
While chicken is cooking, start making the couscous. In a medium sauce pot, add olive oil then shallots and sweat for 30 seconds. Add couscous and stir for another 30 seconds. Add 2 ½ cups chicken stock and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender. Allow to cool.
Sauté mushrooms in a large pan with olive oil, salt and pepper for about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
In a large sauté pan, add olive oil, and then add the diced root vegetables. Sauté on medium-high heat, stir and until caramelized, about 4 minutes. Then add 1 tablespoon of butter and set on low heat. Cook for another minute, or until tender.
To assemble, combine cooked couscous, chopped tarragon, halved dried cherries, Banyuls vinegar, black trumpet mushrooms and salt and pepper, to taste, in a medium bowl.
Place a heaping scoop of couscous salad in a strip on each warmed plate. Spoon roasted vegetables parallel to the couscous, then top with sliced chicken. Pop open a bottle of the Nickel & Nickel Harris Merlot and enjoy!
Serves 2
Click here for a printable version of this recipe.
on January 29, 2013
Sliders are favorite appetizers at any occasion and can be prepared in a multitude of ways. In the winery kitchen, we grind beef from the trim of our larger roasts and steaks. Ask your local butcher to grind you specific cuts of beef. For the buns, many grocery stores now carry slider buns, or dinner rolls work just as well.
Pair with 2009 Nickel & Nickel Kelham Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa Valley–or your favorite Nickel & Nickel Cabernet.
Beef Filet Slider with Cabbage Slaw
For a printable version, click here.
INGREDIENTS
(YIELDS 8 SLIDERS)
1 pound ground beef filet
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 slider buns or dinner rolls
Slaw:
1 head Napa cabbage, chiffonade
1 carrot, julienned
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Aioli:
1 head garlic
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup mayonnaise
Shape ground beef into eight, two-ounce patties. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and sauté on medium heat until the patties have reached desired doneness.
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrot, onion, parsley and chives. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well, then combine with the cabbage mixture. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
To create the aioli, preheat the oven to 325ºF. Take a whole head of garlic and cut off the stalk end to expose the top of the garlic cloves. Place in a baking dish, lightly coat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake in oven for 1 houruntil the garlic is very tender. Allow to cool, remove cloves from the head and place in a small bowl.
Smash the cloves with the back of a fork then mix with the mayonnaise. To assemble, slice the buns in half, place on a baking pan, and toast in a 325ºF oven for three minutes.
Spread the aioli on both sides of the bun, place cooked beef patty on bun and top with slaw. Then cap with the top bun and enjoy with a glass of Nickel & Nickel Kelham Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.
For a printable version of this recipe, click here.
on November 29, 2012
I thought I would use this blog as an opportunity to explain what a winery chef does. Not that I want to burst anyone’s bubble, but we don’t have a restaurant at the winery–though I wish we did. My job as Executive Chef is to pair food to the wonderful single-vineyard wines we produce. I take extensive notes while tasting through different wines and vintages with the winemaker, and I use that knowledge to construct locally focused, seasonal dishes that highlight particular flavors and aromas in each wine.
Every year, we add dishes to our master cookbook and then share a few of these with you throughout the year in our newsletter and on our website. Who, you ask, gets to enjoy this wonderful harmony of food and wine? All of the food for the wine club events is prepared by our in-house culinary team. Food and wine pairings, or lunch, can be arranged for private parties instead of the traditional tastings. We also support the winery with charities, promotions and sales.
I look forward to seeing you at of our wine club events (stay tuned for our 2013 event calendar), and I wish you happy holidays.
A behind-the-scenes snapshot of a video shoot I participated in this week. Look for the video–and a recipe and wine pairing–in our December newsletter!
on November 12, 2012
This creamy, autumn soup warms you from head to toe. At the winery, we roast our butternut squash in the wood-fired oven nearly to the point of burning the outside of the squash, which imparts a delectable, caramelized characteristic that pairs beautifully with Nickel & Nickel Truchard Vineyard Chardonnay. This soup makes a charming “shooter” appetizer or is perfect for a first course.
Pair with 2010 Nickel & Nickel Truchard Vineyard Chardonnay, Carneros, Napa Valley
Click here for a pdf version of this recipe.
Butternut Squash with Cinnamon Crème Fraîche
Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 quarts chicken stock
2-3 tablespoons kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice
1 bay leaf
2 cups heavy cream
1-2 tablespoons
apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup crème fraîche, with
additional for garnish
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
Method:
Preheat oven to 375˚F and cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise.
Scoop out seeds with a large spoon. Rub the squash with olive oil and
place flesh side down in a baking dish. Cover with foil and cook for 45
minutes or until very soft. Remove from oven and let cool.
Scoop out the flesh into a large soup pot. Cover with 2 quarts
of chicken stock. Add salt, pepper, ginger, Chinese five spice and
bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.
Add 2 cups of heavy cream and allow the mixture to return to a simmer
for 1 minute. Shut off heat.
Puree soup in a blender, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Fill the blender
only half way and start it on low then slowly bring it up to high speed.
Use caution as the hot mixture will expand in the blender. Once the
first batch is blended, empty the blender and blend the next batch.
Continue this process until all the soup is pureed, then pass it through
a fine-meshed sieve. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or vinegar.
For the cinnamon crème fraîche, add a third of a cup crème fraîche
to a small bowl.
Add cinnamon and whisk until well mixed. For an appetizer portion,
pour the hot soup into a small pitcher. Line up shot glasses, then pour
soup into glasses. Top with a tiny amount of the crème fraîche and
serve. For a first course, pour soup into bowls and top with a dollop
of crème fraîche.
Serves 20 appetizer portions or 10 first course portions
Click here for a pdf version of this recipe.
on July 9, 2012
A perfectly seared piece of tuna is as appealing to the eye as it is to the palate. The fish melts in your mouth, while also giving the flavor of the seared, robust outer edge. Combined with the creamy avocado mousse, the interplay between flavor and texture makes a perfect foil to the 2010 Truchard Vineyard Chardonnay.
For a printable version of this recipe, click here.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Sriracha (Thai hot sauce)
1 inch of ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, grated
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 pounds Ahi tuna, sushi grade, cut into rectangular blocks 2 inches in width
2 avocados, diced
2 teaspoons yuzu juice (Japanese citrus found in specialty stores)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 bunch red radishes
1 cup vegetable oil
1 package wonton skins, cut diagonally into 12 – 15 pieces
3 tablespoons rice or grapeseed oil
Salt and pepper
In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Sriracha, ginger, garlic and sugar. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, about two minutes. Place the tuna in a deep baking dish and cover with the soy liquid. Cover the dish and marinate in the refrigerator for two hours.
While tuna marinates, make the avocado mousse. Set up a food processor and add the flesh of the avocados, yuzu juice, salt and pepper. Purée until smooth and place into a piping bag. Refrigerate until needed.
Slice radishes as thinly as possible. Place into cold water until needed.
Place a medium-sized sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add one cup of oil and heat until hot. Add the triangular wonton skins one at a time to the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden in color, adjusting the heat as you go. Remove from oil with tongs or a slotted spoon and place on a plate covered with paper towels. Continue this process until all wontons are fried.
Remove tuna from marinade and pat dry with cloth. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Place a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add rice or grape seed oil. When oil appears to be almost smoking, add the fish to the pan. It is very important not to overcook the fish, but the pan should be very hot to achieve a beautiful sear. Sear each side for 30 seconds to a minute, using tongs to turn the fish. Remove from pan when all four sides are seared, leaving the interior of the fish raw. Chill the fish until cool to the touch, five to ten minutes, and slice very thin.
To assemble, lay fried wontons on a plate, top with a slice of tuna, then pipe a teaspoon of avocado mousse onto the tuna and garnish with a slice of radish.
Makes 12 – 15 hors d’oeuvre portions
For a printable version of this recipe, click here.
