Wine Pairing for #TasteofThursday – @ryandavidlewis

Bartier Brothers Semillon 2013 – $22

One of the Okanagan’s more consistent and interesting wines, Bartier Brothers Semillon is always a favourite of mine. Complimentary herbal and citrus flavours, accompanied by exceptional acidity makes this wine a easy pairing with a wide range of dishes, but in this case it matches up well with the richness of a butter sauce and roasted chicken.

Ryan Lewis

Sommelier, Writer

Independent Wine, Beer and Sprits Consultant
-ISG Level 3 Diploma Certified-

Roasted Free Range Chicken, Glazed Young Vegetables, Brown Butter, Chicken Jus

Chicken jus

Ingredients:

20g canola oil

2 lbs chicken leg bones

1 leek, cut into 1” squares

1 celery stalk, cut into ½” slices

1 white onion, cut into ¼” slices

2 cloves garlic

1 cup white button mushrooms, cut into thin slices

4 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

1 cup white wine

1 cup sherry wine

8 cups non-salted chicken stock

kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Method:

Chop chicken leg bones into 1” segments.
Roast the bones at 400° F for 20 minutes.
Heat a heavy bottom stock pot on medium high heat. Add oil and roast for 5 more minutes.
Add leeks, celery, onion, garlic, button mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf. Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
Add white wine and reduce until almost dry. Add sherry and reduce again until almost dry.
Add chicken stock and reduce until 1 cup of liquid is left, skimming often.
Season with salt and pepper.
Strain, and discard the bones.

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 x 3.5 lbs free range chicken

1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1” dice

1 celery cut into 1” dice

1 white onion, cut into ½” slices

1 tbsp olive oil

kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

3 sprigs thyme

3 sprigs tarragon

1 whole leek, cut into ½” slices

½ fennel, cut into ½”slices

6 medium button mushrooms, cut into ¼” pieces

2.5 oz of unsalted butter

Method:

Heavily season inside the cavity of the chicken with kosher salt. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Set the oven to 425° F.
Mix the carrot, celery, onion (mirepoix), thyme, tarragon, leek, fennel and button mushrooms together and spread out evenly in a roasting pan.
Rub chicken skin with olive oil and truss with butcher’s twine. Season with salt and pepper.
Place chicken in the roasting pan. Pierce the skin and set a thermometer in between the breast and leg cavity. Set the thermometer to cook until the internal temperature reaches 160° F. Place in the oven. After 20 minutes, lower the temperature to 350° F.
Brush chicken with butter every 5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 145° F.
Brush chicken with jus. Glaze at least 4 times until the chicken is fully coated.
Once the internal temperature reaches 160° F, take chicken out and let sit for 20 minutes.
Remove the breast and leg from the chicken and set aside.

Vegetables

Ingredients:

6 snow peas (remove stringy bits and cut on a bias)

3 red radishes, blanched in salted water

6 medium green asparagus, peeled and blanched in salted water

6 baby thumbelina carrots, peeled and blanched in salted water

6 baby carrots, peeled and blanched in salted water

10 fava bean pods, blanched and shelled

3-4 turnips, peeled and blanched in salted water

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock

kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

lemon juice

Method:

Using a 10” sauté pan on medium-high heat:

Add chicken stock and butter.
Add all the vegetables and reduce the liquid until almost dry.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add a few drops of lemon juice to balance the seasoning.

To Plate:

Arrange the vegetables and chicken neatly on the plate.
Drizzle the jus around the chicken.
Garnish with few sprigs of sweet cicely or chervil.

Alex Chen, Executive Chef, Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
Twitter: @blvdyvr @ChefAlexChen
Instagram: @blvdyvr
Facebook: /blvdyvr /chefalexchen
Website: boulevardvancouver.com

Alex Chen’s culinary vision is an inspired recipe of family tradition and classical technique and training, combined with creative hints of international influences. From his childhood roots in Malaysia to his time in both Vancouver and California, the Pacific Rim and West Coast regions have helped form the basis for Alex’s innovative signature style, as well as his love for seafood. So, too, has his emphasis on sourcing the best fresh, local and in-season ingredients.

Alex joined Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar as Executive Chef after charting a top-10 finish representing Canada at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or culinary competition in Lyon, France in 2013. Before spending six years as the Executive Chef of the legendary Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Alex apprenticed at Vancouver’s Wedgewood Hotel, and held the roles of Senior Sous Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago and Chef de Cuisine at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto.