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Cuisinouveau winners
BY KONRAD EJBICH
Beaujolais Nouveau is a risky ingredient in the hands of an amateur chef. In fact, cooking with wine can be tricky at any time. Wine is used au naturelle to marinate, tenderize and even preserve certain foods. If it is to be included in a finished dish, it should almost always be cooked and reduced, or it may give an acidic or alcoholic taste to the food.
Crisp white wines are often used to poach fish and seafoods, to liven up light sauces and gravies and as the acid component in mild salad dressings.
Red wines generally have more fruit flavour, but a tannic red can also exhibit bitterness if concentrated too much by reduction. Used well, a decent red gives body, texture and richness to a dish. But caution is the key word when cooking with red because it will make certain light-coloured foods turn a sickly blue-gray.
Beaujolais Nouveau is "bi." It has high acidity and zero bitterness like white wine but also has the fuller, richer flavours of a red. It's fruitier than either, with a strong strawberry-raspberry component and a fresh, jammy, ripe banana character. It, too, will turn some foods an ugly blue-gray.
In other words, I didn't call my annual recipe contest the Cuisinouveau Challenge for nothing. This is the seventh year I've asked readers to prepare recipes using one of the new wines as a key ingredient.
Judges gave preference to submissions in which the wine played a starring role rather than a bit part. Professionals were asked to submit original recipes for each of three categories -- appetizer, main course and dessert -- creating a complete menu. Weekend Wonders had to submit one original recipe from any category.
J.P. Challet, executive chef at The Courtyard Café in the new Windsor Arms Hotel, joined me in the judging.
The Grand Prize for Cuisinouveau 1999 in the Professional category goes to Paul Mesbur, chef/owner of Cinnabar Culinary Delights.
Paul's menu showed a thorough understanding of his ingredients, which were presented with simplicity and care.
It opened with Rillettes of Wild Arctic Hare with Chateau des Charmes Gamay Nouveau and Foie Gras. This was followed by Roasted Turbot Fillets with Potato Crust, Braised Leeks and Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages Nouveau sauce.
To top it off, Paul proposed a Fresh Mission Fig Tart With a Compote of Mission Fig and JeanJean Syrah Primeur. Co-judge J.P. called the combination "quite good" and especially praised the winner's choice of sauce, prepared with nouveau and fish stock, for the main course.
Paul wins a mixed case of 1999 Nouveau and Novello wines along with dinner for two at The Courtyard Café; a set of glorious Marquis Vintage Collection stemware from Waterford-Wedgewood Canada Inc.; a Beaujolais kit, including an apron, T-shirt, silver tastevin and corkscrew; and a one-year subscription to Wine Access magazine and copies of Tony Aspler's new books, Vintage Canada and, with co-author Kathleen Sloan, The Wine Lover's Cookbook.
As a three-time contest winner, Paul now becomes a charter member in the Cuisinouveau Hall of Fame; our very own, "Iron Chef-Beaujolais." That means he's out of the running next November.
The grand prize winner in the Weekend Wonder category is Elizabeth Graner for her Seafood au Pelee Island Gamay Nouveau. Elizabeth wins a mixed case of 1999 Nouveau and Novello wines, dinner for two at Far Niente; Marquis Vintage Collection stemware from Waterford-Wedgewood Canada Inc.; a Beaujolais kit; copies of Vintage Canada and The Wine Lover's Cookbook; and a one-year subscription to Wine Access magazine.
Semi-grand prizes go to Richard Gauthier for his Novello-Braised Veal Shanks With Mushrooms, Christine Homonylo for her versatile Canadian Nouveau Wine Jelly and Shawna Robertson for her scrumptious Canard Nouveau.
Each collects a selection of the 1999 Nouveau, Novello and Primeur wines; Marquis Vintage Collection stemware from Waterford-Wedgewood Canada Inc.; copies of Vintage Canada and The Wine Lover's Cookbook; and a one-year subscription to Wine Access magazine.
Konradulations to all the winners and many thanks to those who entered.
http://www.eye.net/eye/issue/issue_12.09.99/foodanddrink/drinks.html
