More Spicy Recipes

Sesame-Crusted Oysters with Spicy Dipping Sauce

Recipe by Linda Kistner • Abacela, Roseburg

“To me, oysters have always been the ultimate romantic food and paired with this spicy dipping sauce they really turn the heat up. Abacela Albariño, a clean and crisp white wine with great citrus, pear and honey notes, is always a great pairing with this briny, hot, spicy dish.” —Linda Kistner, Abacela tasting room manager

OYSTERS

12 small to medium Silver Point raw oysters (preshucked or in the shell)

2 tablespoons flour

1 egg, beaten

2 cups Panko

1⁄4 cup white sesame seeds

1⁄4 cup black sesame seeds

* salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup canola or vegetable oil

DIPPING SAUCE

2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

1½ tablespoons hot chili garlic sauce

1 teaspoon Thai Fish Sauce

¼ cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon Mirin wine (Japanese sweet cooking wine)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 scallion, finely chopped (green part only)

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare the sauce: Combine first six ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Let stand for at least a half hour for all flavors to marry. Garnish with diced scallion. 2. To prepare the oysters: In a large sauté pan or fryer, heat vegetable or canola oil to about 360°F. If the oysters are in the shell, you will need to shuck them. Combine the panko crumbs with the sesame seeds. Dust the oysters in the flour, then in egg, then in the panko and sesame seed mixture. Place carefully, one at a time, in the hot oil. Fry the oysters until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with spicy dipping sauce. Serves two as an entrée, four as an appetizer.

WINE SUGGESTION

2008 Abacela Estate-Grown Albariño

Pink & Spicy Goat Cheese Appetizer

Recipe submitted by Vikki Wetle of Amity Vineyards

“This recipe was given to me by the folks from Alsea Acre Goat Cheese farms. It is so simple to prepare, but tasty and really pretty on a plate. Hot and spicy food is wonderful paired with sweeter wines; the sweetness keeps the heat of the spices from completely overwhelming your taste buds.” —Vikki Wetle, Amity Vineyards co-owner

INGREDIENTS

½         cup fromage blanc cheese (more if desired)

¼         cup Big Dan’s Original Sweet Chili Sauce (more if desired)

DIRECTIONS

1. Unmold cheese onto a plate and drizzle the chili sauce over the top. Serve with pita chips or a baguette.

WINE SUGGESTION

Amity Vineyards Riesling or Gewürztraminer

Orange-Chipotle Pan-Seared Scallops with Peperonata

Recipe by Tom Feller - Artisanal Wine Cellars, Newberg

“My wife, Patricia, loves scallops, and I make a point of making them every Valentine’s Day. This is our favorite scallop dish. The orange flavors work well with the heat of the chipotles. The red, yellow and orange peppers make a pretty, tasty plate. This dish may appear a bit involved but it can be broken up by making the peppers and the clarified butter ahead of time.” —Tom Feller, Artisanal Wine Cellars owner/winemaker

INGREDIENTS

6 large sea scallops (3 per person)

1 cup kosher salt

2 tablespoons clarified butter

4 Valencia oranges (organic if possible)

* zest of 1 orange

2 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

2 tablespoons orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)

* cilantro, finely chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 each red, yellow and orange bell peppers

2 piquillo peppers, from a jar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot, grated

2 tablespoons tomato paste

 ½ cup chicken stock

¼ teaspoon chili powder

½ cup white wine (Artisanal Wine Cellars Dovetail White)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the bell peppers lengthwise and remove stems and seeds. Coat the peppers with oil and salt and pepper. Arrange the peppers cut side down on the baking sheet. Roast the peppers until the skin is blistered, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel them. Paper towels work well to help peel. Tear the pepper in strips (about ¾-inch wide). Tear the piquillo in the same way. The peppers may be done in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to make the scallops. 3. I like to brine my sea scallops, which helps to season them all the way through. Make a simple brine of 1 cup kosher salt dissolved in 1 cup of hot water. Then add 5 cups of ice water. Once the ice is mostly melted, add the scallops. Brine the scallops for 10 minutes (no longer or the scallops may become too salty). Drain the scallops and dry on paper towels. Refrigerate until ready to sear. You can skip the brine if desired, but it does help. 4. I like to use clarified butter to sear the scallops; with regular butter, the solids in the butter burn well before you get enough heat to properly caramelize the scallops. To make clarified butter, cut two sticks (1/2 pound) of butter into pieces and heat in a small saucepan on low heat until melted. Skim off the foamy layer that will rise to the top and discard. The resulting clear, yellow liquid is the clarified butter; pour this into a container, leaving behind the white, milky solids. Clarified butter keeps for months in the freezer. So let any leftover butter cool, then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for later use. 5. To prepare the dish, add the olive oil to a wide saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the grated shallot until it just starts to turn golden—be careful not to let it burn. Add the tomato paste and cook until very dark. Next, add the chicken stock and chili powder and blend with the tomato paste mixture. Lastly, add the peppers and simmer over medium heat until they are tender and the flavors are melded. Add broth if the peppers start to dry out. Season with salt to taste. 6. While the peppers are cooking, clean one orange and zest, using a micro-plane. Then juice all the oranges, straining the juice to remove seeds and pulp.  7. Cook the orange juice over medium heat until reduced by half—it should be close to thin syrup, about 10 minutes. Add the chipotle, orange liqueur and orange zest. Reduce heat to low, and simmer sauce until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Strain the sauce to remove the zest and chipotle pieces. Return the strained sauce to the pan and add the 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter.  Salt to taste. Keep warm until ready to plate the scallops. 8. Sprinkle the scallops on both sides lightly with salt. Heat the clarified butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat until the butter ripples and just begins to smoke. (Do not use a non-stick pan if possible; a stainless steel pan is best to achieve that nice caramelized crust on the scallops.) Add the scallops to the pan, making sure they do not touch one another. Sear without moving for 3 to 3 ½ minutes. Then turn and sear the other side. Transfer to a plate. 9. Reduce the heat to medium and deglaze the scallop pan with the white wine. Reduce the wine by half, then strain the reduction and add to the peperonata (pepper mixture). 10. Plate the peppers. Add three scallops on each plate and drizzle the orange-chipotle sauce over the scallops. Finish with the cilantro.

WINE SUGGESTION

2008 Artisanal Wine Cellars Dovetail White (50% Viognier and Roussanne blend with just a touch of residual sugar)

Barbecued Oysters

Recipe by Terry Brandborg • Brandborg Vineyard & Winery, Elkton

“I lived in West Marin, Calif. for many years and enjoyed the barbecued oysters of Tomales Bay at Nick's and Tony's with a pitcher of Anchor Steam. I stole the recipe from them as it appears in the “Vintners Kitchen.” I began preparing these treats for The San Andreas Malts, the San Francisco-based homebrew club of which I was a founding member. That first party in my backyard in Fairfax 1979 has grown to be the largest homebrew get-together on the West Coast, now held at a park in Pacifica and attended by hundreds with thousands of oysters barbecued. (Of interest, our beer club lobbied then-California Senator Cranston to amend the laws regarding beer brewed on premise be allowed for sale to the public, which opened the door to brew pubs.)” —Terry Brandborg, Brandborg Vineyard & Winery founder/winemaker

INGREDIENTS

* shucked oysters on the half shell

* butter

1 cup ketchup

* juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish (hot)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Tabasco

4 grinds black pepper

4 grinds salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Place shucked oysters on hot, covered grill and put a dab of melted butter on each, which will cause to flame up; cover grill until they begin to sizzle, about 2 to 3 minutes. Lift lid and put about 1 tablespoon of the sauce on each; cover again and cook for about another 2 to 3 minutes. Platter and serve. Suggestion servings: For an appetizer, cook 6 oysters per person; for a main course, cook 12 or more per person.

WINE SUGGESTION

2008 Brandborg Vineyard & Winery Pinot Gris

Moroccan Couscous

Recipe by Dominique Máhe • WillaKenzie Estate, Yamhill

“This is my own version of a Moroccan couscous. I like it because it uses a crock pot, so it takes 15 minutes to prepare in the morning and when you come home, you have a nice, warm dinner waiting for you. There is nothing like that smell when you open the door; it really opens your appetite. Our 2006 WillaKenzie Estate Emery Vineyard Pinot Noir is a great match because the body of the wine goes with the richness of the food (it is a sort of stew after all), but also the lusciousness of the blackberry and cassis flavors of the wine balances the spiciness of the dish and those flavors go well with the raisins.” —Dominique Máhe, WillaKenzie Estate assistant winemaker

Ingredients

4 chicken drumsticks

4 lamb chops

2 zucchinis, cut into ½-inch dices)

2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch dices

1 turnip, cut into ½-inch dices

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

3 cups of chicken stock

4 ounces tomato paste

* paprika

* cumin

1 cup of chick peas, canned

1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped roughly

4 mergez (spicy north-African sausages), hot Italian sausages will work, too

* harissa (North African spicy paste); find at high-end grocery stores or can be made fresh; recipes can be found on the Internet.

* couscous

* raisins

DIRECTIONS

1. Brown the chicken in a frying pan with a bit of olive oil. 2. In a Crock-Pot, add: chicken, lamb, zucchinis, carrots, turnip, onion, garlic, chicken stock mixed with the tomato paste (you might need to add more stock and/or water to make sure that the ingredients are at least partially covered), and paprika and cumin (to your taste). Cook at low temperature for 9 to 10 hours. 3. Half an hour before the Crock-Pot is done, add the chick peas, half the cilantro and check the seasoning. Add salt/pepper or more spice according to your taste. 4. When you are about ready to serve: Grill the mergez. Should take about 5 minutes; allow more time if you are using a bigger type of sausage—I like to cut those in two, so they get a bit crisper. 5. Prepare the couscous according to box. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add a small handful of dry raisins. 6. On individual plates, place: the couscous on one side, the stew (from the crock-pot) on the other side, and place the mergez on top. On the table, bring the rest of the cilantro and the harissa for people to adjust to their preferred level of spiciness. Bring in the belly dancers and you are set! 

WINE SUGGESTION

2006 WillaKenzie Estate Emery Vineyard Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Asian Barbecued Pork with Sweet Tart Sauce

Recipe by Patrick Spencer • Willamette Valley Vineyards, Turner

“This spicy, honey-sweet and citrus-tart pork roast is best served with rice. It can be served either warm or cold. The meat is so tender that you can make superb pulled pork sandwiches by pulling it apart with a fork.” —Patrick Spencer, WVV Oregon brand manager

INGREDIENTS

2½–3 pounds rib-end pork roast, off the bone

3 tablespoons soy sauce

¼ cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

1  tablespoons Sambal Oelek (fresh-ground chile paste)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

* salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

* rice (enough for 6 servings)

* lime wedges, for garnish

* green onions, chopped, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Place pork in a large baking dish and set aside. Combine soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, five-spice powder, Sambal Oelek, vegetable oil and salt and pepper in a medium bowl, and pour over pork, making sure it is well coated. Marinate pork overnight or for at least 6 hours, refrigerated. 2. Preheat oven to 300°F. 3. Place pork in a covered baking dish along with marinade and ½ cup water. Cover and bake for 3 to 3½ hours, turning every hour and basting until pork is fork-tender. Remove from oven and let pork cool in juices. If you can refrigerate overnight, it is much easier to remove the fat. 4. Remove pork from juices and skim fat from sauce. Add balsamic vinegar to baking dish and bring sauce to a boil over high heat. Boil for 7 to 10 minutes or until juices have reduced and thickened slightly. 5. Thinly slice pork, coat with sauce, pour over rice and scatter with green onions. Serve with lime wedges. Yields 6 servings.

WINE SUGGESTION

2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Riesling