Gloria Ferrer Glorious Bites Appetizer Challenge

TICKET INFORMATION COMING SOON

The chart below provides both straightforward pairing suggestions as well as ingredients such as herbs, spices and vegetables that act as bridges between the food and sparkling wine.

Grilled Oysters with Toasted Prosciutto Quinoa Crumbs
Wine Pairing: Sonoma Brut
Courtesy of Chef Brooke Williamson

Ingredients:

16 whole live oysters
¼ lb thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped into small bits
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 lemon, juice and zest
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cracked black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely minced parsley

Instructions:

Quinoa

Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
When hot, add the olive oil and the butter.
Add the prosciutto and sauté until crisp.
Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the lemon juice, zest, chili pepper flakes, quinoa, salt, pepper and parsley.
Cook over low heat until quinoa is slightly browned and has crunchy bites throughout.

Oysters

Note: If you can find large, fat oysters, you can place the oysters directly on the grill grates. If the oysters are too small for the grates of your grill, place them on a bed of rock salt or rice in a small pan -- and then place the entire pan inside the grill or under a broiler. This steadies the oysters and prevents them from wobbling.

Place the oysters, cup side up on a very hot, preheated grill, cover and cook for 1 minute. The oysters should now be slightly open. Quickly remove the oysters. Hold an oyster with an oven mitt and use a shucking knife to pry open the oyster. It should easily open. Spoon your quinoa “bread crumbs” into each oyster and return oysters to the grill. Cover and grill 4-5 minutes.
Serve while still hot so that the quinoa crumbs don’t get soggy in your oyster liquid.

Makes 16 oysters

Fried Lobster & Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms With Sweet Thai Chili Dipping Sauce
Courtesy of Donna Wolfe

Ingredients:

1 C all-purpose flour
1 C + 1 Tbsp club soda
3/4 Tsp kosher salt
1/2 Tsp sugar
1/3 C mild goat cheese
1 Tsp fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped
1 Tsp lemon zest, plus 1/2 Tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp green onion, finely chopped
1/8 Tsp cayenne
1/8 Tsp dry mustard
3 1/2 Oz lobster meat, cooked and finely chopped
Sea salt and pepper
12 Zucchini blossoms (plus extras as backup)
Grapeseed oil, for frying
Dark green leaves for garnish

Sauce:

1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
1/2 Tsp fresh basil, chopped
1 Tsp soy sauce
1/2 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp finely ground black pepper
1/8 Tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tsp garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 Tsp ginger root, peeled and finely minced

Instructions:

Rinse the zucchini blossoms and place on paper towels to dry. Remove the pistils.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, water, salt and sugar until smooth. Set aside.
Whisk together the ingredients for the Sweet Thai Chili Dipping Sauce and set aside.
In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, tarragon, lemon zest, green onion, cayenne, and dry mustard. Mix until smooth. Fold in the lobster. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Use a pastry bag to fill each blossom with 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons filling. Close the blossoms and flatten at the tips to seal.
In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350-degrees F. Dip the stuffed zucchini blossoms in the batter and allow any excess batter to drip off. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Allow the cooked blossoms to drain on paper towels. Season with sea salt.
Place on a platter on the dark green leaves with a ramekin of the dipping sauce.

Makes 4 appetizer servings

Thank you for your interest in the Gloria Ferrer Glorious Bites Challenge. Our inaugural 2015 competition garnered hundreds of delicious appetizer recipes from across the country!

After two Regional Semi-Final Cook-Offs in New York and San Francisco, followed by the National Finals at Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards in Sonoma, Donna Wolfe's Fried Lobster & Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms With Sweet Thai Chili Dipping Sauce dish was crowned the Grand-Prize Winner!

If you have a signature recipe for the perfect bite to pair with Gloria Ferrer's Sonoma Brut, please check back in the Spring of 2016 for details on how to enter next year's competition.

For inspiration, please explore the Glorious Bites Challenge website to download the top recipes, read more about our head judge, Brooke Williamson, and view pictures from this year's events.

Cheers!

REGIONAL SEMI-FINALS

New York, New York
ICE Culinary Institute
Saturday, September 12, 2015
5:00PM-8:00PM

San Francisco, California
Williams-Sonoma Cooking School
Saturday, September 19, 2015
5:00PM-8:00PM

NATIONAL FINALS

Sonoma, California
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards
Saturday, October 10, 2015
11:00AM-2:00PM

Sonoma Brut conveys all the characteristics of an exceptional sparkling wine - scores of minuscule bubbles, aromatic complexity, and most importantly, elegance. It pairs perfectly with an infinite number of flavor combinations and textures, from salty and smoky to rich and spicy.

Pair with:
Caviar
Smoked salmon
Cheeses
Fish and shellfish
Asian dishes of all kinds
Sausages - especially poultry, pork and Polish
Tangy, fruity condiments
Salty foods
Deep-fried foods/Potato chips
Popcorn

The chart below provides both straightforward pairing suggestions as well as ingredients such as herbs, spices and vegetables that act as bridges between the food and sparkling wine.

Brooke Williamson’s entire life has always been about food. Ever since she can remember, Williamson wanted to become a chef or a restaurateur. A native of Los Angeles, Williamson began her culinary career at a young age as a teacher’s assistant at the Epicurean Institute of Los Angeles. After working with some of the country's top chefs, her dream has finally been realized in the form of successful ventures such as Amuse Café, Beechwood, and projects with chef-husband Nick Roberts, Hudson House in Redondo Beach, The Tripel & 4-in-1 concept Playa Provisions in Playa Del Rey.

Williamson recently placed first runner-up on Top Chef Season 10 in Seattle, which has catapulted her to “Celebrity Chef” status. Brooke also starred as a host and mentor on MTV’s first foodie series, House of Food, recently won her battle on the popular Esquire series, Knife Fight, and has competed on Bravo’s newest series, Top Chef Duels. Brooke has also appeared as a guest on The Talk, Watch What Happens Live, Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family and international talk show, Arise 360.

For inspiration for your own glorious bite that pairs perfectly with Sonoma Brut, please take a look at Brooke Williamson’s signature recipe for Grilled Oysters with Toasted Prosciutto Quinoa Crumbs.