Irish Whiskey Chicken with  Carrot Turnip Mash

Thanks to Chef Janine Carney!

approx. 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup mushrooms chopped fine
cup mushrooms, chopped coarsely
4 chicken breasts, skinned
1 cup irish whiskey
(I like to use Bushmills or Jameson's)
2 tablespoons  creme fraiche / sour cream
olive oil
2 Tablespoons black pepper (I know it's a lot)
2/3 cup chicken broth
Heat olive oil with black pepper.
Pound chicken to even out the big spots.  and sear chicken either side in the peppery oil.
Remove chicken breasts and place in flat baking dish.
Pour whiskey over them, to marinate.
Add onions and finely chopped mushrooms to oil and saute until mushrooms start to reduce.  Then add remaining mushrooms, saute briefly, and add chicken broth.
Once mixture starts to simmer, pour whiskey from baking dish into the mix, and add sour cream.
Stir often until mixture begins to reduce, and pour over chicken in the baking dish.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes (until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened).

Attrezzi's Littleneck Clams Arrabiata

 Recipe by Thomas Boucher
This sauce is spicy and bold and is a great counterpoint to the sweet clams. The sauce is derived from Pasta Arrabiatta or angry pasta in Italian. Serve them with a grilled, crusty bread to soak up the wonderfully robust sauce!

36 to 40 littleneck clams, cleaned and scrubbed
one medium onion
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
½ teaspoon or more to taste, dried red pepper flakes
¼   cup white wine
4 5 cloves minced fresh garlic
1 can San Marzano Tomatoes
3 scallions, chopped
Lemon Wedges

1.       Preheat the oven to 450-500 degrees.

2.       Place the clams in a single layer in a baking dish.

3.       Scatter all the ingredients except the scallions and lemons over the clams. Roast the clams for 10 minutes; turn them and cook for about 8 minutes longer, until opened.  Discard any that are not open.

4.      To serve, place 6-8 in a bowl clams in a bowl and spoon some of the sauce over.  Garnish with scallions and parsley. Serve at once.

Serve immediately with a great local crusty bread to soak up all the broth and a cool crisp white wine like the Hendry Chardonnay.
 

Suggested Wine Pairing: Hendry, 2002 Chardonnay    The vines for this Chardonnay are located on bench lands west of the town of Napa and deliver a perfect seafood loving Chardonnay.Fermentation was sur lie in 50% new French Oak barrels to impart some oakiness,but to keep the crisp flavors of the wine prevalent. The wine was not allowed to go through malolactic fermentation so it is not the quintessential 'butter bomb' that many Napa Chardonnay's have become, making it extremely food (and seafood) friendly. This wine has great finesse and delicate fruit flavors of fig and pear, with French oak adding subtlehints of nutmeg and clove. The mouth feel is round and full and leaves a delightfully lingering lemon creme brulee finish. 
July 2004

Attrezzi's Steamed Mussels Supreme

1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
Dry vermouth to taste (approximately 1/2 cup)
4-6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped - more or less depending on taste
2 cups Fresh Vegetable broth or Chicken Stock
Freshly chopped basil, parsley and thyme. (approx 1/4 cup each)
Olive Oil and fresh ground pepper.
One 2.5 lb bag of fresh mussels from your local fishmonger.
Sauté vegetables and half of the herbs in olive oil over high heat until vegetables begin to soften and brown slightly. Stir in 2 cups of broth and add the dry vermouth to taste. You want the zing of the wine without overpowering the subtle flavors of the broth. Simmer until ready to make mussels. Don't add salt until after the mussels have been added!
Clean and debeard mussels under cold running water (Never submerge mussels in fresh water for extended periods of time) Discard all mussels with broken shells, or mussels that do not close on their own, or any that present a foul smell or look unsightly. One bad mussel can make the whole batch taste unsavory. Mussels should always should remain on bagged ice to ensure they are fully alive before being cooked.
Pour the broth into a large lobster-style pot approximately twice the volume of mussels to be cooked. Bring the broth to a hearty boil. Quickly add the mussels to the broth, cover, and boil vigorously for several minutes until all mussels are open and tender. It doesn't take long! Every minute or so check the progress of the mussels and give them a stir. Once all mussels are open, cooking is complete. Overcooked mussels are tough and unpleasant so stay alert!
Remove from heat and with a ladle or large spoon place mussels and broth into large soup bowls. Season with salt (if necessary - the mussels add sea salt of their own) and pepper, and finish with the remaining chopped fresh herbs. Make sure to spoon the cooked minced vegetables on top - they add a nice flavor and appearance. Serve immediately with a great local crusty bread to soak up all the broth and a cool crisp white wine like the Hendry Chardonnay.
 
Suggested Wine Pairing: Hendry, 2002 Chardonnay    The vines for this Chardonnay are located on bench lands west of the town of Napa and deliver a perfect seafood loving Chardonnay.Fermentation was sur lie in 50% new French Oak barrels to impart some oakiness,but to keep the crisp flavors of the wine prevalent. The wine was not allowed to go through malolactic fermentation so it is not the quintessential butter bomb that many Napa Chardonnays have become, making it extremely food (and seafood) friendly. This wine has great finesse and delicate fruit flavors of fig and pear, with French oak adding subtlehints of nutmeg and clove. The mouth feel is round and full and leaves a delightfully lingering lemon creme brulee finish. 
June 2004