With fall weather here, and outdoor dining staying for the foreseeable future, this new fall recipe below from Fia Santa Monica and Executive Chef Brendan Collins is a juxtaposition between California and the Italian coast, and a reflection of the fresh flavors of the season.
As inspiration behind the dish, Executive Chef Brendan Collins said, “It’s a dish of autumnal flavors. Sweet, salty and smoky, to get you dreaming of wood fires and holiday cheers.”
For a great wine pairing, Kaitlyn Harrah,Wine Director of Fia Santa Monica says, “I would pair a 2018 Vöcal Gruner Veltliner from Alfaro Vineyard with the Pear Burrata. This wine almost mimics the flavor profiles of the dish. The aromatics jump out of the glass with Braeburn Apples, white peach, and candied ginger. On the palate the wine embraces the savory bitter elements of Gruner Veltliner and shows more pear, honeysuckle, and yogurt. The umami quality of this wine makes it one of my favorite pairing options,” says Harrah.
Create your own secret garden dining either in your backyard, or at a park, and give it a try.
Honey Poached Pears, Burrata, Speck, and Oatcakes
*Courtesy of Fia Santa Monica and Executive Chef Brendan Collins*
1/2 cup honey
4 cups dry vermouth
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Bartlett pears
½ cup granulated sugar
12 slices speck or prosciutto
1/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped
4 x 4oz burrata balls
4 ea oat cakes or your favorite fruit and nut bread toasted peppery greens such as arugula or watercress for garnish extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and ground black pepper
For poaching the pears
Combine honey, sugar, vermouth and vanilla in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pears that have been peeled cut in half and seed removed and simmer until tender, about 10/20 minutes depending on the initial ripeness of the pear.
Allow to cool in the poaching liquid, they will stay very happy in the liquid, refrigerated for 2 to 3 weeks.
Oatcakes
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1/4 cup buttermilk
½ cup dried currants and chopped hazelnuts.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter 2 heavy large baking sheets. Place oats in a large bowl. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into the same bowl. Using fingertips, rub in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add currants, nuts and buttermilk; stir until dough forms. Transfer dough to a floured surface. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Arrange on prepared sheets, spacing apart. Gather scraps, reroll and cut out additional rounds.
Bake oat cakes until the edges are pale golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to racks and cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks; cool completely. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.)
To finish
Place oat cakes in the center of a bowl, and place the burrata on top, if you choose you can brulee the flat side of the pear with some sugar and a blow torch, arrange the sliced speck around the cheese, place the pear on top sprinkle with hazelnuts and garnish with the greens drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Photo cred: Fia Santa Monica
