Wine & Cooking

Welcome to a global culinary adventure where we embark on a culinary exploration that brings together the wines of Greece – PDO Nemea and PGI Peloponnese – with a range of mouth-watering recipes from China, the US, Canada and Brazil. From the bold flavors of Chinese cuisine to the comforts of America, this food and wine pairing guide promises to awaken your senses and elevate your dining experiences.

Recipes from CHINA

Welcome to a culinary adventure that starts in China and reaches the heart of Greece! In this article, we will discover recipes from the rich Chinese cuisine, accompanied by fine wines PDO Nemea and PGI Peloponnese. Blending the aromatic dishes of Chinese cuisine with the authenticity and variety of Greek wines, this trip will welcome you to a new dimension of gustatory delights. So indulge yourself in the world of harmonies of flavors and enjoy the richness of international cuisine, accompanied by the high quality Greek flavors offered by our wines.

PREPARATION

1. Combine honey, soy sauce, sugar and ½ teaspoon five-spice powder in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.

2. In a large saucepan, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, remove giblets and neck from duck cavity and discard (or reserve for another use). Cut off excess fat from cavity and neck area, then cut off tail. (This helps balance the duck vertically over the beer can.)

3. Using your fingers, carefully separate the skin from the breast meat through the bottom of the breasts and work your fingers upward to separate the skin from the meat (be careful not to tear skin). Next, separate the skin from the backbone through the neck and working your way down until you reach the legs. (Scissors are helpful, but be careful to avoid piercing the skin.) Transfer duck to a rack set in the sink.

4. Using a ladle or measuring cup, pour half of the boiling water evenly over top of the duck. Flip duck and pour the remaining water evenly all over second side. Tilt duck to drain all water from the cavity, then pat dry with paper towels.

5. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ teaspoon five-spice powder with 1 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the glaze. Rub the mixture inside the cavity. Stand duck vertically by inserting beer can into cavity and place in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet.

6. Using a pastry brush, brush the remaining glaze all over the duck and sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Place duck in the refrigerator, uncovered, until the skin feels dry and leathery, 24 hours.

7. Heat oven to 450 degrees with rack in bottom third of oven. Remove duck from refrigerator, and add 1½ cups water to the pan. Wrap wing tips and tips of drumsticks with foil to prevent burning, then loosely tent duck with foil. Roast for 15 minutes. Decrease temperature to 350 degrees and roast, tented with foil, until skin is mahogany and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes more, adding more water to the pan if needed.

8. Leaving duck on the can, transfer duck vertically to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the crispy skin from the back and legs of the duck, and slice into strips.

9. Carefully remove duck from the beer can and return to cutting board. Carve off the breasts and legs; thinly slice the breasts and shred dark meat.

10. Carefully strain pan juices into a small bowl and pour off all the fat. In another small bowl, whisk together the hoisin, sesame oil and up to ¼ cup of the pan juices to form sauce

11. To serve, spread 1 tablespoon prepared sauce on each tortilla. Top each with some scallions, cucumbers, duck meat and crispy skin. Roll up and enjoy warm.

Tip

The glaze can be made a day ahead and stored at room temperature.

For Serving

• 8 Chinese wheat wrappers, or 8-inch store-bought flour tortillas, warmed
• 4scallions, cut into 3-inch pieces and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 2Kirby or Persian cucumbers, cut into 3-inch-long matchsticks

PREPARATION

1. Put 4 cups of rice in the rice cooker, in a ratio of 1 to 1 with water, after first rinsing the rice well. We leave it for about 18 minutes.

2. Toast the Szechuan peppercorns in a wok, then pound them in a mortar.

3. Cut the tofu into cubes and boil it in salted water for 1-2 minutes.

4. Chop the dried and fresh peppers and fry them together with the grapeseed oil in our wok. We leave aside.

5. Saute the minced meat and after it gets a little color, add the chopped ginger and garlic. Add the spicy bean paste and slowly the broth with the tofu. Add half the mixture with the oil from the peppers and the crushed Szechuan. Then, add the tofu and dissolve the cornflour with a little water.

6. Add the cornflour and sesame oil and cook with gentle movements, so that the tofu does not break.

7. Serve with rice in a bowl and garnish with chopped onion.

Recipes from CANADA

Welcome to a culinary adventure that starts in Canada and reaches the heart of Greece! In this article, we will discover recipes from the hitherto little studied but excellent Canadian cuisine, accompanied by fine wines PDO Nemea and PGI Peloponnese. Combining the blend of modern cooking techniques and individual Canadian ingredients with the authenticity and variety of Greek wines, this journey will welcome you to a new dimension of gustatory delights. So indulge yourself in the world of harmonies of flavors and enjoy the richness of international cuisine, accompanied by the high quality Greek flavors offered by our wines.

PREPARATION

1. To make the marinade, in a small bowl mix together salt, pink salt, black pepper, coriander, sugar, bay leaf and cloves. Cover the entire brisket with the marinade and place in a very large resealable plastic bag. Place in the coldest part of the refrigerator and leave for 4 days, turning the brisket over twice a day.

2. Remove the brisket from the bag and rinse as much as possible with cold water. Place the brisket in a large pot and fill with water and let soak for 2 hours, replacing the water every 30 minutes. Remove from water and pat dry with paper towels.

3. To make the smoking marinade, mix together black pepper, coriander, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, mustard, celery seeds and crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Cover the entire brisket with the marinade.

4. Preheat smoker or grill to 225°F, adding pieces of smoked wood when up to temperature. When the wood ignites and produces smoke, place the brisket in, fat side up, and smoke until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the brisket registers 165 degrees (about 6 hours).

5. Transfer the brisket to a large roasting pan. Place the pan on the stove and fill with 1 inch of water. Bring water to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, cover pan with foil, and steam brisket until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat registers 180 degrees (1 to 2 hours, adding more hot water when required).

6. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and let it cool slightly. Cut into slices and serve, preferably on rye bread with mustard.

PREPARATION

1. In a bowl, dissolve the cornflour with the water. In a deep saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until our mixture takes on a nice golden-brown color.

2. Add the broth and wait for it to boil. Finally, add HALF of the cornflour mixture to thicken our sauce, stirring constantly. If we want it thicker, we add more in small quantities. Remove from the heat.

3. Fry the potatoes until golden brown.

4. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Salt them (optional). Pour over our hot sauce in the amount that satisfies us (the potatoes must absorb it well, it must cover them). Add the pieces of cheese and finish with freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Recipes from USA

Welcome to a culinary adventure that starts in the United States of America and reaches the heart of Greece! In this article, we will discover recipes from deep, rich American cuisine, accompanied by fine wines PDO Nemea and PGI Peloponnese. Blending the complex flavors of American recipes with the authenticity and variety of Greek wines, this journey will welcome you to a new dimension of gustatory delights. So indulge yourself in the world of harmonies of flavors and enjoy the richness of international cuisine, accompanied by the high quality Greek flavors offered by our wines.

PREPARATION

For the potatoes:

• After peeling the potatoes, place them in a pot of water.
• Boil for about 7-10 minutes or until a knife can easily be inserted halfway through. (we don’t want it to boil completely and become soft.
• Grate the potato and place a paper towel on top to absorb excess moisture.
• Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix.
• We make cylindrical potato shapes weighing about 15-20g. (see recipe video) For the cheddar sauce:
• Place a saucepan over medium heat and pour in the butter.
• When it melts, add the flour with the spices and mix with a wire.
• Let the flour cook for about 5 minutes and gradually add the milk and cream. Each time we add, we mix.
• Once the milk and cream are finished, add the cheddar and mix.
• As soon as it sets, remove from the fire!
• In case we want to use it and it has cooled, we put it in the microwave oven or in a saucepan with a little milk on a low heat until it melts again.

For the caramelized onions:

• Put the onions, butter, salt and water in a pan over medium heat.
• Bake on medium heat until the onions turn brown.
• Every time the water runs out if they have not reached the desired color, add the same amount again.

For the tater tots:

• We start by heating a pot full of oil. We want the temperature to reach 175C and it is quite an important stage if we want to achieve the perfect texture!
• Then we gradually place the tater tots (the potatoes we made into a cylinder) and bake for about 3 minutes or until they turn golden.
• Remove from the pot and place on kitchen paper to absorb excess fat.
• Until then, we can simultaneously cook the sausages in a pan for about 10 minutes.
• As soon as everything is ready, put it in a bowl!! Tater tots, cheddar sauce, caramelized onions, sausage!!!!

PREPARATION

For the marinade

1. Put the garlic, ginger, coriander, 1 tbsp. sesame, thyme, salt, pepper, paprika, 3 tbsp. olive oil and beat well until the ingredients are homogenized and become a paste.

2. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

For the ribs

1. Put the ribs on a cutting board and separate them with a knife. We can ask our butcher to do this process.

2. Put them in the bowl with the marinade and mix them so that their entire surface is covered.

3. Add the bbq sauce, the coca cola and mix.

4. Cover with transparent film and leave in the refrigerator for 6-24 hours.

5. Preheat the oven to 180° C in the air.

6. Remove from the fridge and spread them on a tray.

7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours.

For the sauce

1. Put a non-stick pan on the fire.

2. Add the remaining marinade, 2 tbsp. honey and boil for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens.

3. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Remove the pan from the oven and raise the temperature to 200°C.

5. Put the ribs in the sauce and place them on a grill.

6. Brush the rest of the marinade on top with a brush and bake them for 15-20 minutes.

7. Remove and serve with fresh coriander and sesame leaves.

Recipes from BRAZIL

Welcome to a culinary adventure that starts in bright Brazil and reaches the heart of Greece! In this article, we will discover recipes from the special and exotic Brazilian cuisine, accompanied by fine wines PDO Nemea and PGI Peloponnese. Mixing a true dance of flavors of Brazilian recipes with the authenticity and variety of Greek wines, this trip will welcome you to a new dimension of gustatory delights. So indulge yourself in the world of harmonies of flavors and enjoy the richness of international cuisine, accompanied by the high quality Greek flavors offered by our wines.

PREPARATION

1. The day before, put the ear and feet in a container and cover them with cold water. Change the water 4 times a day.

2. In another container, put the Beef Jerky and Cortezina with cold water to remove the excess salt. Change the water 4 times a day.

3. On the day we will cook, put the beans in a container and cover them with water for 1 hour.

4. Drain the ear, pork leg, dried meat and cortezina and place in a pot covered with cold water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, counting from the beginning of pressure. Remove from heat, wait for all the steam to escape and open. Drain and set aside.

5. In the same pot, heat the oil and brown the onion. Add the sausages, neframia and saute for another 3 minutes. Add the drained beans, preserved pre-cooked meats and orange.

6. Add the stock cubes and the boiling water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, counting from the beginning of pressure.

7. Remove from heat, wait for all the steam to escape and open. Remove the orange and put it back on the heat. Cook over low heat, partially covered (without pressure), for another 30 minutes or until the stock has thickened and the ingredients are cooked.

8. Transfer to a plate and serve.

PREPARATION

1. A note on the tomatoes: if a jar of chili tomatoes isn’t readily available, here’s what I did on the advice of a friend, add 2-4 drops of Tabasco (depending on how hot you like it) to diced tomatoes.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the onion in it.

3. When the onion softens, add the garlic and peppers and stir for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes and shrimps. As soon as they change color, add the coriander.

5. Then add the coconut milk and the sriracha sauce. Once it boils, add lime juice, season with salt and pepper.

6. Serve hot!

Gallery

Become Part of Our Story