Pair with us

Sunset, Jan, 2005

We keep our corkscrews busy at Sunset. Every new bottle of wine that comes in sparks curiosity, and many prompt tastings: Let's see what's happening with Paso Robles Zinfandels, for instance. And with our test kitchen handy, we often pair the wine with food, trying combinations almost every day as part of our recipe-developing process.

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This year we've begun putting all that eating and drinking to another good use: the Sunset Wine Club. We taste a wide range of our kitchen-tested dishes with wines from all around the West to bring you exciting, seasonal pairings--and then we give you the recipes, like the smoked salmon galette and roast chicken with mushrooms here.

Smoked Salmon and Potato Galette

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

NOTES: On its own, this tart makes a special first course for dinner. Add a green salad, and you have a great light lunch or brunch entree.

MAKES: 3 or 4 entree servings

  2 teaspoons olive oil
  1 cup rinsed, trimmed, and thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green
    parts only)
  8 ounces Yukon Gold or thin-skinned white potatoes
  1 9- by 9-in. sheet frozen puff pastry dough (half of a 17.3-oz.
    package), thawed Salt and pepper
  2 tablespoons whipping cream
  1 tablespoon drained capers
  4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon

1. Pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat; when hot, add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until limp, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and slice crosswise very thinly (1/16 in.). Lay puff pastry dough flat on a lightly floured board. Trim off corners to form a circle and, with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out slightly to make an 11-inch round. Transfer to a 12- by 15-inch baking sheet.

3. Spread leeks in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border around the edge; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange potato slices in slightly overlapping layers over leeks, sprinkling each layer lightly with salt and pepper. Fold in edges of dough over potatoes. Drizzle cream over potatoes.

4. Bake in a 375[degrees] oven, rotating sheet midway through baking time, until crust is brown and potatoes are tender when pierced, about 35 minutes (if crust is brown before potatoes are tender, cover tart loosely with foil).

5. Top tart with capers and smoked salmon slices while warm. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Per serving: 470 cal., 56% (261 cal.) from fat; 11 g protein; 29 g fat (5.3 g sat.); 41 g carbo (2.1 g fiber); 825 mg sodium; 15 mg chol.

Soy-Ginger Roast Chicken with Shiitakes

PREP AND COOK TIME: 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours, plus at least 4 hours to brine

MAKES: 6 to 8 servings

1 1/4 cups soy sauce
    1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh ginger
   10 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
    1 chicken (6 to 8 lb.)
  1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  1/4 cup cilantro sprigs, rinsed Salt and pepper
    1 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
  1/4 cup rice vinegar
  1/4 cup mirin or sake
    1 tablespoon prepared hoisin sauce
    1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    1 pound green onions, rinsed, ends trimmed
    2 pounds fresh shiitake mushrooms (2 in.)

1. In a 12-quart pan, mix 1 cup soy, brown sugar, 1/4 cup ginger, 6 cloves garlic, and 4 quarts water.

2. Rinse chicken and pierce skin all over with a fork. Lay breast down in brine; cover and chill at least 4 or up to 12 hours.

3. Discard brine and rinse chicken under cold running water, rubbing gently; pat dry. Set bird breast up on a V-shaped rack in an 11- by 17-inch pan.

4. Starting at the neck, ease your fingers under skin to loosen it over breast. Spread 1/4 cup chopped cilantro over breast. Place cilantro sprigs in body cavity; add 2 tablespoons ginger and remaining garlic. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

5. Roast in a 425[degrees] oven for 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons ginger, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro with broth, vinegar, mirin, hoisin, and sesame oil. Cut green tops off onions and chop; also chop white bottoms. Mix mushrooms, white parts of onions, and all but 1/2 cup green tops with soy mixture. Lift out with a slotted spoon and distribute around chicken; reserve soy mixture.

7. Continue to roast chicken, turning vegetables with a wide spatula after about 20 minutes, until a thermometer inserted through thickest part of breast to bone reaches 170[degrees], or 180[degrees] through thickest part of thigh at joint, 3/4 to 1 1/4 hours longer.

8. Lift bird and tilt to drain juices into pan. Set on a platter. With a slotted spoon, arrange vegetables around chicken. Let rest about 15 minutes.

9. Meanwhile, skim and discard fat from pan. Add reserved soy mixture; stir often over high heat, scraping browned bits free, until reduced to 3/4 cup, 10 to 12 minutes. Pour through a strainer into a small pitcher or bowl.

10. Sprinkle mushroom mixture with remaining 1/2 cup chopped green onion tops. Carve chicken and serve with vegetables and pan juices.