Cooking with Riesling Wine

Filed in archive Food and Wine on March 8, 2007

As you probably already know, Riesling is a sweet wine, so it tastes great with foods that may have a lot of seasoning going on, such as Asian food. But, cooking with it? I hadn't thought of that until I watched a show last night on FoodTV, one of their 'challenge' shows. So, I took a look through their recipes and found a number of yummy sounding recipes which incorporate Riesling.

Here's one from Bobby Flay's Food Nation show:

Spiny Lobster with Santa Barbara Chanterelles and Lemon Pancetta Riesling Sauce Recipe courtesy El Encanto Hotel
Show: FoodNation With Bobby Flay
Episode: Santa Barbara

2 spiny lobsters
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 ounces sliced pancetta
8 ounces sliced chanterelles
2 teaspoons finely diced shallots
1/2 cup Riesling
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup cream
1 teaspoon butter
Lemon juice, to taste
1 teaspoon chopped parsley leaves
Serving suggestion: braised greens

In a large pot of boiling water, blanch lobsters for 2 minutes, then shock in ice water. Once the lobster is chilled, remove the tail from the head and split the tail in half. Remove the meat and discard the shell. Season the lobster meat with the salt and pepper and set aside.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook pancetta in olive oil. Once the pancetta begins to brown, add the seasoned lobster meat. Sear the lobster on all sides, then reduce heat and cook until the lobster is slightly underdone, about 2 to 4 minutes.

Remove the lobster from the pan and add the chanterelles. Saute the chanterelles lightly, then add the shallots. Deglaze with the Riesling and reduce to 2 tablespoons, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and reduce to about 1/4 cup. Add the cream and bring to a boil, then finish with the butter, lemon juice to taste, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, place braised greens (if using) in the center of each plate. Place 2 lobster tail halves on top and dress the plate with the sauce. Serve with braised greens, if desired.