Dynamic Duo is a special one-night collaboration featuring Chef Ed Aloise and Chef & winemaker Maria Sinskey, pairing seasonal cooking with a four-bottle Robert Sinskey lineup: Pinot Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir Carneros, and Libration.
The menu moves from warm cheese puffs (gougères) to a bright winter citrus salad with fennel and toasted pine nuts, then finishes with duck confit served alongside trattoria potatoes, haricots verts, tarragon butter, and a touch of spiced honey—each course designed to shine with every pour.
Gougère (Cheese Puffs)
Yield: 40 gougere
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 6 ounces unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon KOSHER salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups finely grated Comte or Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, optional
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary, optional
- 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon cold water to brush tops
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Bring the water, butter and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour.
3. Return the pan to medium high heat and stir until batter pulls away from the side of the pan. Scrape into the bowl of a standing mixer. Turn the mixer on and allow the paddle to cool the dough slightly for about a minute.
4. On low speed, add the eggs one by one. After each egg is added increase the speed to medium and beat until the egg is incorporated. The eggs may also be beaten in by hand. Beat well after all eggs have been added. Add the cheese and herbs. Beat until well incorporated.
5. Place the batter in a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (#6). Pipe quarter sized rounds of dough onto the parchment 1 inch apart. You can also use a spoon to scoop the batter into the pan. Freeze for 2 hours or overnight. This will give the gougere more “puff”.
6. Straight from the freezer, brush the tops lightly with egg wash. And place directly in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake until puffed and golden. Serve warm.
Wine Pairing: Robert Sinskey Vineyards Blanc is an unoaked, refreshing 100% Pinot Blanc with hints of green melon and apple, lemon peel , and wildflower honey.
Winter Citrus Salad with Fennel and Toasted Pine Nuts
Serves 2 to 4
Citrus Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup blood orange juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced shallots
- Pinch sugar
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ – ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
1. Place the citrus juices and vinegar in a small bowl. Add the shallots and then season to taste with sugar, salt and pepper. The mixture should be sweet and tangy. Let sit for 10 minutes then whisk in the olive oil to taste. The vinaigrette should be tangy and sweet but not oily.
Pickled Red Onions
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients:
- 1 medium red onion, sliced into very thin wedges
- 2 tablespooons kosher salt
- 1 cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 14 whole black peppercorns
Instructions:
1. Place the sliced onions in a non-reactive bowl. Glass or ceramic works best.
2. Bring the remaining ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour the pickling brine over the onions. Cool them to room temperature.
3. Pack the onions with their liquid into Mason jars, seal tightly and store in the refrigerator. The pickled onions are best when used within the month they are made.
Winter Citrus Salad
Salad Ingredients:
- 2 blood oranges, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced in ½ inch thick pieces
- 1 Cara Cara Orange, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut in ½ inch pieces
- ¼ cup pickled red onions, Recipe Follows
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 cup mixed chicories – radicchio, endive, escarole, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup thinly sliced fennel
- Citrus Vinaigrette
Instructions:
1. Place the chicories on the bottom of a large platter. Sprinkle the sliced fennel over the top.
2. Place the citrus pieces on top the chicories and fennel and with the pickled onions arranged on top.
3. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and then sprinkle the pine nuts over the top.
Wine Pairing: Robert Sinskey Vineyards Abraxas – a crisp, fruity unoaked wine with hints of citrus and white flowers
Duck Confit
Ingredients:
- 4 Duck legs and thighs; ( chicken can be easily substituted )
- 1/ 2 cup of confit spices *
- Olive oil
Confit Spices
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of Kosher Salt
- 1/2 cup of ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground clove
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Instructions:
1. Pat the duck or chicken legs and thighs dry, then generously season both sides with the confit mixture and place in a baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place whatever you can use to press the water out of the duck skin. (Tomato sauce cans work perfectly. ) Let the legs sit in the refrigerator overnight, pressed.
2. Next Day: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Remove the weights and plastic wrap from the duck or chicken and let it come to room temperature. Do not remove any spice from the legs.
3. Cover the legs completely with olive oil (no need to use extra virgin). Cover the pan with foil and put it in the oven, then cook for three hours or until the leg is almost separated from the thigh. Place the legs on a draining rack or paper towels and let cool.
*Do not strain the oil and store it in a cool spot.
4: To Serve: In a preheated pan, add two tablespoons of the confit oil, then add the legs, skin-side down, and cook for 2 minutes.
Tratoria Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs red bliss potatoes washed
- 1/2 cup of capers, drained
- 1/2 cup of oil-cured black olives, pitted
- I lemon, zested and juiced
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/ 2 cup of chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions:
1. Dice the potatoes into small triangles (cut the potatoes in half, then half again, and dice) and blanch in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes. (This is not to cook the potatoes but to soften them so the seasoning permeates the flesh.)
2. Season generously with salt, pepper, and olive oil, then roast in a 375-degree oven for thirty-five minutes or until they begin to brown.
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven and toss in the capers, olives, parsley, and lemon, adding more olive oil if necessary.
Haricot Vert & Tarragon Butter
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of haircut vert or green beans, stems removed
- 1 pound of unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons of chopped tarragon
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Wax paper or parchment paper
Instructions:
1. Soften the butter and mix in the tarragon, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. (A food processor on low or a spoon and a bowl)
2. Spread the softened butter mixture along the bottom of the square paper, then fold the bottom over to the top. Using a ruler or a straight edge, scrape the butter to the bottom of the square, then roll to form a tube. Place the tube in the refrigerator to firm up.
3. Blanch the green beans in salted water for two minutes, then place them on paper towels to dry.
4. To serve, place a tablespoon of butter in a preheated pan and coat the green beans.
Spiced Honey
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of honey
- 3 Thai chilies cut in half (jalapeño peppers can be used)
Instructions:
1. Place the honey and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
2. Cook for 10 minutes and then let it cool in the pan, then remove the peppers
Wine Pairing: Robert Sinskey Vineyards Pinot Noir Carneros — elegant and vibrant, with rose petal aromatics, cranberry and Bing cherry fruit, subtle spice and earth, and a long, lively finish.
