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From a Chef's Perspective

From a Chef’s Perspective: Fresh Hampton & Lieb Cellars Wine Dinner

June 15, 2015

One of the greatest things about working in the Long Island wine region are the opportunities that arise to connect and work with local restaurants. If you are a food and wine enthusiast and haven’t already considered attending a wine dinner, you should. The menu is usually curated to suit the wines being presented, and oftentimes there are ingredients and preparations that are not found on the regular menu. The curation of a special menu combined with the presence of a winery representative is a chance to expand your culinary education and broaden your palette from the usual. Don’t let the sticker shock deter you from trying out the experience at least once as you’re likely to leave feeling that you’ve gotten well more than your money’s worth.

Last week we (myself and our brand ambassador, Madison Fender) collaborated with the rustic New American restaurant Fresh Hampton located in Bridgehampton on the South Fork. Despite being located in a “-hampton”, this restaurant is more relaxed (yet still progressive and very hip) in comparison to its more polished, upscale neighbors. The interior is rustic and cabin-like with beautiful wood rafters and soft yet industrial lighting. They have found a way to nail down the raw-but-welcoming look that is trending with modern hospitality spaces. The menu is elegant and sophisticated enough for a date or celebration, but the atmosphere won’t judge you if you wear shorts. We like that.

Upon arrival to the wine dinner, guests were greeted with a glass of our 2010 Blanc de Blancs (100% Pinot Blanc, traditional method sparkling wine, Extra-Brut style) and a passed hors d’oeuvre of grilled Peconic Bay Oysters with a dollop of chive beurre blanc and Paddlefish caviar. Let’s talk about beurre blanc for a second. It’s kind of old-school but it is one of my favorite sauces because it is so simple but so, so, opulent and delicious. It’s essentially butter that has been thickened into a creamy sauce with a vinegar or wine reduction (thank you, food chemistry magic) and is often boosted with shallots or in this case, chives. Combined with the salinity and minerality of the local oysters and paired with our bone-dry bubbly…this was a seriously great way to start the night. I may have taken more than my fair share of both. The party lingered in the garden patio for an hour listening to music until we were ushered inside for dinner.

Next up was a Montauk Dayboat Scallop with brown butter and lemon-thyme. Sauteed on the side was Lamb’s Quarter (which, contrary to what the name sounds like is a green! Here’s the wiki!) and a three bean medley with dried tomato. The sweet scallops and slight bitterness of the greens paired perfectly with our 2012 Reserve Pinot Blanc (100% Pinot Blanc, dry) and was a nice follow up to the previous bubbly version. The lemon-thyme was a neat addition, since it is not an herb one finds often. Now is a good time to mention that they have an extensive garden which I had browsed during oyster hour. They are growing a LOT out there, and the chef clearly has an interest in unusual herbs and hybrids. Very cool.

The Pinot Blanc was finished quickly and followed up with our 2010 Reserve Chardonnay. This Chardonnay is partially oaked and reminiscent of some Old World chardonnays from France. (Just, don’t tell anyone we said that.) I find that this is the oaked Chardonnay that turns people around on their firm conceptions on oaked white wines- but that’s a conversation for another time. The course paired with this wine was a Pan-seared Black Sea Bass with Lemon Verbena Vinaigrette (hello again, unusual herbs!) and steamed local asparagus and bamboo shoots. The bright and aromatic lemon verbena carried the chardonnay so well, and the overall lightness of the dish never overtook the presence of the wine. If you ever see lemon verbena in a store you should break a few leaves and breathe it in…it’s wild how convincing the lemon scent can be.

Time for rosé! The perfect interlude from light fish dishes and onto duck! A salad of Mesclun Greens and Snap Peas topped with Duck Confit and Shiitake Mushrooms was served with a dressing of Ver Jus (unfermented wine-grape juice) and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Remember when I wrote about rosé and it’s versatility? Well shiitake mushrooms being practically the ambassador for umami flavor, went hand-unhand with the 2013 Bridge Lane Rosé which was served from the tap! That’s right, Fresh Hampton has our rosé on tap. Safe to say they’re having a happy summer so far.

The last of the savory courses was more duck, which Madison and I had no complaints about since we are both duck enthusiasts. (Understatement.) The duck was cooked to a perfect medium-rare and served with a Raspberry and Merlot Wine reduction over Snap Peas and steamed Asian greens. Our 2013 Reserve Merlot was paired with this course and married very well with the wine reduction sauce and once again, the lightness of the dish allowed the Merlot and its fruit notes to shine. Think dried plums, violets, and some smokey leather. This Merlot is quite sexy if you ask me, and calls for the sanguine qualities of rare to medium-rare meats or seared tuna if you’re not into that sort of thing.

Dessert rolled out with chef Todd Jacobs in tow, all smiles and looking quite happy to break away from the kitchen for a moment. A Strawberry Tartlet with Honey Vanilla Custard Cream was paired with our 2013 Reserve Dessert Wine (comprised of Pinot Blanc, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc). Chef Jacobs had picked the strawberries that day, and the Honey Custard Cream was a great echo of the honey and floral notes in our dessert wine. The meal ended on a high note as guests placed their napkins on the table and slowly sipped the final drops of wine.

It is always a pleasure to sit at a communal table and share in something so special and convivial as a wine dinner. For those of you who are weary of sharing a table with strangers, it is important to remember that you are all there for the same purpose which is to enjoy a delicious meal. It’s hard not to enjoy oneself in the presence of great food and wine- take a chance and as we say around here, “treat yo self”.

Executive Chef Todd Jacobs

Fresh Hampton is located at 203 Bridgehampton Sag Harbor Turnpike.
www.freshhamptons.com

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