LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2019

SPRING SENSATIONS from page 58

6 Divide asparagus mash between toasts; ar- range 2 pieces each on 4 small plates. Divide bacon between; top each with an egg. Spoon hollandaise over and sprinkle each with a pinch of sesame seeds. Serves 4 WHAT TO SERVE Caves d’Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 325076 $29.95 Provence rosé wine is quite versatile and the ideal choice to accompany most menu items—including egg dishes. This example offers light berry flavours and fresh acidity that provide a great foil to the spring- inspired flavours and richness of this eggs benny. Lily Sparkling Rosé VQA LCBO 536565 $17.95 Bubbly rosé wines are a great choice to serve with brunch. This local sparkler’s fresh berry and tasty notes provide a pleasant contrast to the rich, salty nature of the hollandaise, eggs and bacon. Cabbage rolls are a lot of work. Instead, make just one rice- and pork-filled parcel and divvy it up like a cake. You lose nothing in flavour and save some precious time in return. If you have any doubts as to the freshness of your dried mint, purchase new, or use dried dill instead. 1 head Savoy cabbage 1 can (796 mL) Italian tomatoes 6 tbsp (90 mL) unsalted butter, divided 1 small onion, peeled and quartered LAZY SPRING CABBAGE ROLLS 2 tbsp (30 mL) sweet Hungarian paprika Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1¼ cups (310 mL) medium-grain rice such as Calrose 1½ cups (375 mL) water 1 medium onion, chopped 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 lbs (905 g) medium-ground pork ¼ cup (60 mL) 4% Greek yogurt, plus extra for serving 2 tbsp (30 mL) dried mint Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon 1 Carefully remove the 10 largest outer leaves of cabbage; reserve remaining cabbage for another use. Trim the tough centre stem, 3 inches (8 cm) from root end, with a pair of kitchen shears; stack cabbage leaves and cook in boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until pliable.

2 Meanwhile, purée tomatoes; strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds. Combine tomato purée with 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter, quar- tered onion and paprika in a medium pot. 3 Once cabbage is cooked, measure 1 cup (250 mL) of the cooking water and add to to- mato mixture; drain cabbage and set aside. 4 Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low and simmer 30 minutes or until the con- sistency of heavy cream; reserve. 5 Combine rice and water in a medium pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce to med­ ium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until no liquid remains. Scrape into a large bowl and cool to room temperature. 6 Heat remaining 3 tbsp (45 mL) butter in amediumskillet over mediumheat. Cook onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in gar- lic and cook 1 minute longer. Add to rice along with pork, yogurt, mint, lemon zest and 1 tbsp (15 mL) salt. Season with black pepper. Using 8 Spread one-half of the tomato sauce over bottom of a round 9-inch (23-cm) non-reactive baking dish. Line with the cabbage, being sure to completely cover bottom and leaving enough overhang to enclose filling. Fill with pork mixture and fold cabbage over to enclose. Top with remaining sauce. Cover dish with foil and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until bub- bling and hot in the centre. 9 Cut into wedges and serve with extra yogurt. Serves 8 your hands, work mixture together. 7 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). WHAT TO SERVE Henry of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Baco Noir VQA VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 461699 $24.95 This unique Ontario red offers wild berry and spice, with a rustic, earthy-woodsy edge to complement the paprika, tomato and cabbage elements. A balanced structure completes the match by providing a wonder- ful contrast to the richness of the dish. Pascual Toso Limited Edition Malbec LCBO 162610 $17.20 Rich flavourful dishes such as this call for a hearty red like this Malbec fromArgentina. The wine’s lush mouth feel and slightly earthy, soft berry and peppery herbal tones will highlight comparable flavours and textures.

SPRING BENNY Roughly mashed asparagus and good seed bread turn eggs benny into something new. Look for thickly cut double-smoked bacon at butcher shops, Eastern European shops or behind a well-stocked grocer’s deli counter. The brown butter and sesame hollandaise is a knockout spooned overtop. 1 lb (455 g) thick-cut double-smoked bacon, sliced 12 tbsp (180 mL) unsalted butter, 1½ sticks 1½ tsp (7 mL) sesame oil 3 egg yolks 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp (20 mL) lemon juice 1 tbsp (15 mL) water Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 lb (455 g) asparagus, trimmed of woody ends 1 tbsp (15 mL) white vinegar 8 eggs 4 large slices good-quality seed bread, toasted and halved 2 tsp (10 mL) toasted sesame seeds 1 Fry bacon slices in a large skillet until lightly crisped; keep warm in oven on low temperature. 2 In a medium pot with a light-coloured bot- tom, melt butter over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until butter foams then browns, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sesame oil. Measure and reserve 1 tbsp (15 mL) of mixture separately from remainder in pot. 3 In a blender, pulse to combine egg yolks, lemon juice and water. With the motor run- ning, slowly drizzle in larger quantity of hot butter mixture through hole in lid. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste; set aside. 4 Cook asparagus in salted boiling water until tender enough to mash but still bright green, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, return to warm pot and roughly mash; season with salt and pepper. Stir in reserved 1 tbsp (15 mL) of butter mix- ture. Cover and keep warm. 5 Fill a medium pot with water to a depth of 2 inches (5 cm). Stir in vinegar and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat; reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Crack the eggs one at a time into a small ramekin and slip into the water. Cook 4 minutes, in batches, for soft poached. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate.

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