“In this series I’ll share which B.C. wine pairs best with select recipes from the best chefs in B.C.”
Plan the perfect Valentine’s day dinner at home. The key ingredients? Nothing says romance like a bottle of Martin’s Lane Pinot Noir paired with a mushroom risotto.
“Mushroom Risotto is a classic Italian recipe, not overly complicated, but requires attentiveness. The best way to start is by pouring yourself a glass of Pinot Noir.”
– Chef Lauretta Coccaro
Risotto ai Funghi
La Bussola Restaurant
Chef Lauretta Coccaro, Sous Chef Edoardo Garlasche
RISOTTO
80gr Arborio rice
40gr mixed dry mushrooms
25gr Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1 tbsp butter
10gr white onion, finely diced
15gr red wine
extra virgin olive oil
VEGETABLE STOCK
(optional you can buy vegetable broth)
1 onion
1 celery
1 carrot
3 litres of water
BROTH (skip if you purchased vegetable broth)
Wash all of your vegetables very carefully, after dice each vegetable, accuracy in size is not important but roughly around 1inch pieces. When dicing the carrot leave the skin on as it will add more flavour to your broth. Put the onions and the vegetables in a large stock pot, add your cold water and bring to a boil, once boiling reduce to simmer and let cook for around 1 hour so that all the flavours from the vegetables will get absorbed. Drain the stock from the vegetables once complete and set aside to use during the cooking process. This is a great time to really enjoy the flavours of Martin’s Lane Pinot Noir.
RISOTTO
Mushrooms, if you are using dried mushrooms put your dried mushrooms in a bowl and add some hot stock to the bowl. We are doing this to soften the mushrooms, letting them absorb the broth slowly as we begin to cook our risotto.
Risotto is a classic Italian recipe that is not overly complicated however requires attentiveness. In a sauce pan add 2 tablespoons roughly of olive oil, add your finely chopped white onion and let cook until transparent. Once transparent, we add our Arborio rice. Stir in the rice and let it get toasted, once toasted we add our white wine and mix, let the wine evaporate and we then slowly add 1 cup of our broth. Slowly stir the rice and add more broth as needed, do not add too much at one time or the rice will taste boiled. Continue stirring and adding broth when needed (roughly 18 minutes for “al dente” and 20 minutes if you prefer your rice cooked more), taste the rice throughout this process to get it to your preferred style.
When the risotto is almost ready we add the mushrooms in and we also add in a little of the broth left that was soaking in the mushrooms as this will add more flavour. When the water is almost evaporated and the risotto is fully ready we turn the heat off the stove and add our butter and Parmigiano Reggiano and we mix until it is all melted into the risotto and the dish has a creamy texture. As the butter and Parmigiano contain salt, taste your dish prior to serving and salt to your liking.
Once plated, drizzle a little of the olive oil over top and add some of the grated Parmigiano.
Buon Appetito!
Suggested BC wine pairing:
Martin’s Lane Naramata Ranch Pinot Noir
“The Naramata Ranch Pinot Noir sings with bold red fruit. The complex, earthy notes and luxurious texture wonderfully complement the hearty richness and comfort of the creamy risotto. Its one of my favourite comfort foods to enjoy with Pinot Noir”
– Shane Munn, Winemaker
PLACE
Wild. Elusive. Welcome to the northern part of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, one of the most breathtaking places on our planet to grow grapes. Ancient volcanic and glacial soils settle amongst precipitous hillsides. The area is blessed with warm days, cool nights and the lowest rainfall and humidity of any wine-producing region. Our unique latitude and altitude conspire to yield a dramatic viticultural landscape which produce intense and balanced fruit. This is winemaking on the edge.
WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY
I like to wander the three tiny estate vineyards every morning to get to know and check on the individual blocs. Kurt and I will often do this together. I take a micro view of the vineyard and think about wines right down to the single block or vine. I consider my winemaking approach gentle and guiding. We use gravity alone, and five simple movements in our 6-level winery. Our wines are tended, harvested and crafted by hand. We don’t interfere. We don’t use a single pump. We believe this brings out elegant and complex expressions of Pinot Noir and Riesling.
“I see my challenge as harvesting the amazing light, and allowing each bottle to represent pure nature”
– Shane Munn, Winemaker
Kelowna Restaurants, Italian Fine Dining. Family run business since 1974.
In 1990 Lauretta Coccaro, Franco’s wife, took over and became head chef and co-owner of La Bussola.
Lauretta not only continued the tradition of La Bussola’s signature dishes but also brought new and innovative items to the menu by expanding the boundaries of a traditional Italian dining experience to include more local culinary treasures. In 2004 La Bussola made the move from Leon Avenue to its current location on Ellis Street.
And in 2006 upon graduating from the University of Alberta Franco and Lauretta’s son Luigi Coccaro became an integral part of La Bussola.
Continuing in his fathers and mothers footsteps while at the same time completing his diploma in wine and spirits, certified sommelier exam and bachelors of management. One will usually find the family together at the restaurant. Their expertise and passion for food and wine allows them to offer guests a truly unique and wonderful culinary experience in an elegant yet comfortable setting.
In 2015 Francesco Coccaro was inducted in the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame.
For more information and to order Martin’s Lane wines, use this link to our previous article on MyVanCity.ca.
