With the new year just around the corner, here are a few fun recipes to inspire your holiday meal.
Ingredients
* 3 cups sliced Honeycrisp apples
* 1/2 cup Apple Schnapps - available in store
* 1/4 cup Savannah Bee Co. honey - available in store*
* 3 whole cloves
* 2 whole cinnamon sticks
* 2 slices peeled fresh ginger
* 1 large orange - quartered
* 2 tbsp sugar
* 1 750ml bottle Dalton Canaan Red Wine - available in store* 3 cups sliced Honeycrisp apples
* 1/2 cup Apple Schnapps - available in store
* 1/4 cup Savannah Bee Co. honey - available in store*
* 3 whole cloves
* 2 whole cinnamon sticks
* 2 slices peeled fresh ginger
* 1 large orange - quartered
* 2 tbsp sugar
* 1/4 cup club soda
In a large pitcher combine all ingredients excluding club soda and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve over ice and top each glass with a splash of club soda.
*Savannah Bee Co. honey
Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 tablespoons Savannah Bee Co. kosher honey - available in store*
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
* 3 cloves garlic - crushed
* 2 onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
* 1 cup Peppadews - available in store*
* skewers
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 tablespoons Savannah Bee Co. kosher honey - available in store*
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
* 3 cloves garlic - crushed
* 2 onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
* 1 cup Peppadews - available in store*
* skewers
In a large bowl combine oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Set aside a small amount to brush over the kabobs while grilling. Add chicken, garlic, onions and Peppadews to the marinade and let set overnight.
Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables and discard marinade. Thread chicken, onions, and Peppadews alternately onto the skewers.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12-15 minutes on high heat. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.
Wine recommendations: Serve with Barkan Classic Chardonnay or Dalton Canaan White.
Ingredients for the brisket
* 3 tablespoons olive or canola oil
* Beef brisket, about 5 pounds, trimmed of excess fat, patted dry
* 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
* 2 leeks, washed well and coarsely chopped (include both white and pale green parts)
* 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
* 2 large carrots, scraped and coarsely chopped
* 1 celery stalk celery with leaves, coarsely chopped
* 2 cups pomegranate juice
* 2 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
* 3 fresh thyme sprigs or 2 teaspoons dried leaves
* 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
* 2 bay leaves
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for the Confit
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 large onions (about 2 1/2 pounds), very thinly sliced
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup chicken broth
* 1/2 cup Altoona Hills Merlot - available in store
Prepare the brisket: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy-bottomed roasting pan, using two burners, if necessary, or in a wide 6-quart Dutch oven or flameproof casserole. Add the brisket, and brown well on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a platter and set aside.
Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat remaining in the pan, and add the onions and leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat, until the vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, and celery and continue cooking until the onions are golden, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring and scraping the pan to prevent scorching or sticking.
Add 1 cup of the pomegranate juice and bring the mixture to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until the liquid is reduced by about half. Add the remaining 1 cup juice, chicken broth, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves and bring the mixture to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Lightly salt and pepper the brisket on both sides, and add it to the pan, fat side up, spooning the vegetables all over the meat. Cover the pan tightly (use heavy-duty foil if you don't have a lid for the pan), and braise the brisket in the oven, basting every half hour, until the meat is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees if the braising liquid begins to bubble rapidly.
About an hour or so before you are ready to serve the brisket, make the confit: In a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet, warm the oil. Add the onions, season lightly with salt and pepper, and toss to coat with the oil. Cook, tightly covered, over the lowest heat, stirring occasionally so the mixture does not burn, for 1 hour, or until the onions are very soft and pale gold in color. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, the broth, and wine.
Raise the heat and boil the mixture, uncovered, stirring, until all the liquid is evaporated and the onions turn golden. Taste and adjust the seasoning (it may take quite a bit of salt), and turn off the heat. Cover the mixture and keep it warm. Stir in the pomegranate seeds just before serving.
The brisket tastes best if it is allowed to rest, reabsorbing the juices lost during braising, and it's easiest to defat the gravy if you prepare the meat ahead and refrigerate it until the fat solidifies.
The gravy can be prepared by skimming the fat in the traditional way, if you prefer. If you go that route, though, do let the meat rest in the pan sauce for at least an hour.
Cool the brisket in the pan sauce, cover well with foil, and refrigerate until the fat congeals. Scrape off all solid fat. Remove the brisket from the pan and slice thinly across the grain.
Prepare the gravy: Bring the braising mixture to room temperature, then strain it, reserving the vegetables. Skim and discard as much fat as possible from the liquid. Puree the reserved vegetables and 1 cup of the defatted braising liquid in a food processor or a blender. Transfer the pureed mixture and the remaining braising liquid to a skillet and reduce the gravy over high heat to the desired consistency. Taste for seasoning. Rewarm the brisket in the gravy until heated through
Spread the onion confit over a serving platter and arrange the sliced brisket on top. Ladle the hot gravy over the meat and serve immediately.
Recipe from http://blog.nola.com/judywalker/2008/09/brisket_braised_in_pomegranate.html
Wine recommendations: Serve with Altoona Hills Merlot or Baron Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon.
