Summer BBQ Edition
Swing into Summer with the
Finest Port Wines of California!
Peter Ficklin, third generation winemaker at California’s renowned Ficklin
Vineyards, has continued his family’s port wine making tradition using
four traditional Portuguese grape varieties grown on the Ficklin Estate:
Tinta Madeira, Touriga, Tinta Cao and Souzao. Over the long Central Valley
summers, these four varieties ripen to their full complexity, and each
contributes a unique array of aromas and flavors to Ficklin’s port wines.
Tinta Madeira: Offering exuberant berry flavors and a slightly
spicy quality, this grape is the dominant variety in most of Ficklin’s
ports, including the Ten-Year-Old Tawny Port and 1988 Vintage Port.
Souzao: Very aromatic with a rich, beautiful color, Souzao was
the centerpiece of Ficklin’s 1983 Vintage Port and is an important component
of a number of other port blends.
Tinta Cao: Slow to ripen, this grape gradually develops a silky
texture with many soft flavors. Its delicate accents are found in many
of Ficklin’s port blends.
Touriga: Robust, with full, deep flavors and a distinctive aroma,
Touriga is most prominently featured in Ficklin’s 1951 and 1988 Vintages.
Summer finds the Ficklin family enjoying their favorite warm-weather
drinks. Non-Vintage Tinta Port is a primary ingredient in these familiar
summer recipes, each with new striking flavors in drinks such as sangrias,
wine collins and sevillas. The Ficklins invite you to try these fun and
refreshing port cocktails the next time you’re looking to beat the heat.
Summer entertaining will never be the same!
PORTUGUESE ICED TEA
1 oz. rye or bourbon whiskey
1 oz. dry sherry
1 oz. FICKLIN Tinta Port
1/2 tsp. sugar
4-6 oz. iced tea
Lemon peel (optional)
Stir all ingredients, except iced tea and garnish, with ice; strain and
mix with iced tea, serve in a chilled cocktail glass. Add a twist of lemon
peel if you wish.
COOL FRUIT SEVILLA
1 oz. light rum
5 oz. FICKLIN Tinta Port
1 egg
1 tsp. powdered sugar
Freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup strawberries or raspberries
Mix all ingredients, except nutmeg. Pour into chilled cocktail glass with
a pinch of nutmeg. Garnish with a whole strawberry on edge of glass.
SUMMER SANGRIA
1/2 bottle (1-1/2 cups) FICKLIN Tinta Port
1 lemon or lime, thinly sliced
1 orange, thinly sliced
1-1/2 oz. triple sec
1-1/2 oz. brandy (optional)
12-oz. bottle club soda
Sugar to taste
Pre-chill all ingredients, except club soda and sugar, and mix in a punch
bowl with a block of ice. Add club soda just before serving and stir gently.
Squeeze juice from additional lemons, limes or oranges and add to punch
if you want more citrus flavor. Add sugar to taste. Garnish with orange
or lemon slice.
DR. DAVID’S BBQ SAUCE
First Place, Madera County Fair, 1998, BBQ sauce
(Dr. David Rich, Rich & Row General Dentistry)
6 strips of bacon, fried crisp and diced
2 Tbsp. bacon drippings
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, minced
2 Tbsp. red cider vinegar
1 cup FICKLIN Tinta Port
2 cups catsup
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup molasses
2 Tbsp. ground hot red chili
2 Tbsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. cumin
Pinch of celery salt and allspice
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 tsp. liquid smoke
Cook bacon until crisp. Save 2 tablespoons of drippings. Sauté
onions and garlic until transparent. Add everything else, bring to a boil
then simmer for 1 hour. Cool until you are ready to use.
DR. DAVID’S BEST BBQ RIBS
Use a medium fire to cook the ribs: Sear the ribs about 5-10 minutes
per side. Remove the ribs, raise the rack or lower the fire and cover the
grill with a sheet of heavy duty foil. Poke the foil with a knife to make
ventilation holes.
Coat the ribs with BBQ sauce, laying one side of ribs on top of the
other on the foil. Cover with another sheet of foil, sealing all of the
edges. Sit back for about 15-20 minutes, then re-coat the ribs with the
sauce. Do this 3 or 4 times until the ribs are done. Watch closely that
the ribs don't stick to the foil.
If you use a gas grill, the ribs on the bottom will stick unless you're
careful. The longer they cook the better they are. They should be done
to perfection in about an hour. Let the ribs set for 10 minutes before
carving.
BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH SHALLOTS and MUSHROOMS IN PORT WINE SAUCE
Active Work Time: 2O minutes * Total Preparation Time: 2 hours
Serve with the gratin or, if you prefer, polenta, mashed potatoes, rice or noodles. The shanks can be refrigerated, covered, 1 to 3 days or frozen up to 1 month. Let meat come room temperature before re-heating.
6 small lamb shanks, about 7 pounds total, trimmed of visible fat
Salt, pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound brown mushrooms, stemmed, halved or quartered if large
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
10 large cloves garlic, peeled, split
6 large shallots, peeled, split
3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup FICKLIN Vineyards Port
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or I teaspoon dried
2 bay leaves
• Season shanks with salt and pepper to taste.
• Heat olive oil in roasting pan just large enough to hold shanks in single layer over medium-high heat. Add shanks and sear on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to platter.
• Add brown and shiitake mushrooms, garlic and shallots to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add stock, Port, rosemary and bay leaves. Bring to boil, scraping any bits sticking to pan. Add shanks. Cover with tight-fitting lid or foil.
• Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes, then turn shanks. Continue baking until meat is tender and just starting to loosen from bone, 45 to 75 minutes. Set pan on counter until meat is cool enough to handle.
• De-fat cooking juices by pouring into fat separator and skimming top layer or by pouring juices into bowl and freezing until fat solidifies. Pour some of sauce over shanks and arrange mushrooms on and around meat.
6 servings. Each serving: 573 calories, 568 mg sodium, 100 mg cholesterol, 16 grams fat, 39 grams carbohydrates, 58 grams protein, 4.95 grams fiber.
VINTNER'S BEANS
1 pound Navy Beans
1/2 pound salt pork, diced
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1-1/2 cups FICKLIN Tinta Port
1 cup strong coffee
Soak beans in cold water overnight. Drain and place in bean pot or heavy
casserole with salt pork, onion, bay leaf, mustard, salt, sugar and 1 cup
of FICKLIN Tinta Port. Add enough water to cover beans and bake in 275
degree oven for 4 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more water, if
necessary. Pour in remaining 1/2 cup FICKLIN Tinta Port and coffee. Bake
another 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Serves 4 to 6 as a main course.
SAUTEED HALIBUT WITH BEURRE ROUGE
Active work time: 20 minutes
Total preparation time: 3 hours
We like to serve this with sautéed Brussels Sprouts and bacon lardons (bacon that has been cut in sticks).
¼ cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup chopped shallots
6 white button mushrooms, finely chopped
3½ cups of red wine
2½ cups of FICKLIN TINTA PORT
6 (4 to 6 ounce) halibut fillets
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons oil for sautéing
1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, cut into 12 chunks
Freshly ground pepper
Combine carrot, shallots, mushrooms and wine in saucepan over low heat until steaming hot but not bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce for 1 hour, then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pan. Return to heat and reduce until wine measures about ½ cup, 1½ to 2 hours. Be careful in later stages to keep heat turned very low to avoid scorching. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pan and set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
Remove halibut from refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking. Season halibut liberally with salt a few minutes before cooking. In a hot pan over high heat, sauté halibut in oil until one side is golden brown. Lower heat to medium, turn halibut and continue cooking 1 more minute. Transfer to a baking sheet tray and bake at 225 degrees just until fish begins to flake, 5 to 10 minutes.
Reheat sauce reduction over medium heat and add butter, 1 chunk at a time, whisking continuously until all butter is emulsified into reduction. Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper. Divide sauce among 6 plates, top with halibut and serve.
6 servings. Each serving: 672 calories; 567 mg. Sodium; 139 mg. Cholesterol; 52 grams fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams protein; 0.35 gram fiber.
* * *
Tell us about your port creations!
Email or call Ficklin Vineyards at 559/674-4598
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