Toast with wine and bubbly, but cook with it, too
Being a part of two different champagne and wine clubs is a lot of fun. There are always new varieties to try, and I always have a no-fail host gift on hand. But as much as I love toasting family and friends with a glass in hand, I also love cooking with wine and bubbly.
You can poach fish in leftover champagne and make a red wine reduction for steak with that last bit of Pinot Noir. For this menu, I took inspiration from wine for each course. The star of the show is salmon Wellington. For those who get bored with the same old grilled or baked salmon, this recipe will impress anyone and everyone — and it’s not that difficult to make.
First of all, anything arriving to your plate in puff pastry is sure to wow. But the best things are on the inside. Over the salmon is a creamed spinach mixture with Parmesan cheese, garlic and shallots. It will make your kitchen smell heavenly. You place this over the salmon and then fold the puff pasty over it like a burrito.
While these are baking in the oven, you’ll have more than enough time to prepare the dishes for the rest of the meal and get a little cleaning done.
As much as the salmon Wellington could be a meal in itself, it needs just a little something to round things out. Sautéed mushrooms in a white wine sauce is an elegant yet simple side. They also would be great on top of chicken or steak.
For a post-dinner treat, I love the idea of an adult slushie. This version features frozen peaches, white wine and St. Germain. You can substitute different fruits and wine (frosé anyone?). Some combinations to consider: strawberries and rosé, raspberries and Pinot Noir or mangos with Sauvignon Blanc.
The best thing of all about cooking with wine? Why drinking some while you cook, of course! Alysha Witwicki is a retail copywriter and food writer living in Whitefish Bay. Contact her at alyshawitwicki @hotmail.com.