Kerner – An Amazingly Aromatic White from Sudtirol

by chefbikeski Posted on March 4, 2012
Abbazia di Novacella
Abbazia di Novacella (from their web site)

My explorations of the many wines found along the routes we cycle (learn more about our Bike the Wine Road tours) continue to uncover many wonderful wines that amazingly remain relatively unknown outside the region. My latest discovery: Kerner. The Kerner grape is a white originally developed in Germany, It was bred in 1929 by August Herold by crossing the red grape Trollinger, which is known in Italy as Schiava or Vernatsch, with the white grape Riesling. The name Kerner was chosen as a tribute to a poet and physician, Justinus Kener, who wrote songs and poetry on wine.

Kerner is most commonly cultivated in Germany, but was introduced into Sudtirol in the early 1970s, and awarded DOC status in 1993.  Kerner exhibits considerable resistance to colder weather, so is ideal for the cooler climate of Sudtirol, and thrives in the higher elevations of Valle Isarco and Val Venosta. The wines made from this varietal are wonderfully rich in flavor, with bright floral aromas and a full, fruity palate.

Abbazia di Novacella Kerner - wines from Italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine bike tours italy
Abbazia di Novacella Kerner

I recently tasted the 2010 Kerner from Abbazia di Novacella winery in Alto Adige. Interestingly enough, I ran into it twice this past weekend, once on the wine list at Rialto in Cambridge, MA, and then the very next day at Sel de la Terre, in Boston. The Abbazia di Novacella is located in Varna, just north of Bressanone in the northern-most wine growing region in Italy, where the mineral-rich soils, elevation and the cool climate combine to create white wines with intense aromas and flavors as well as fruity, mouth-watering acidity. A long drawn-out ripening period lasting well into the autumn is crucial. The most widely-grown grape varieties in their vineyards around Varna are whites: Sylvaner, Kerner, Gewürztraminer and Veltliner.

Abbazia di Novacella also owns vineyards to the south, in the warmer central region of Alto Adige. Here, they grow their red varietals, including the full-bodied, savory Lagrein, as well as Vernatsch/Schiava, Pinot Nero and the sweet Moscato Rosa.

The Abbazia di Novacella (Abbey of Novecella) is still today a working Augustinian monastery as well as a winery. Established in the 12th century, it has been a prominent religious and cultural center through the centuries. It has also been producing wines for over 850 years, and today combines a respect for the regional wine making traditions with state-of-the-art technology to produce some of the most highly-regarded wines in Alto Adige.

The 2010 Abbazia di Novacella Kerner is 100 percent Kerner. It is a pale, straw yellow in color with hints of gold and green. Intensely aromatic, with notes of grapefruit, peach, and tropical mango, and mountain flowers. It is full-bodied with green apple and white stone fruit flavors, its sumptuousness balanced with good acidity and citrus. It is a perfect match for summer pasta salads and shellfish, as well as spicy dishes. Its full flavor would hold up even against grilled white meats, fish and poultry.

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Gnocchi di Polenta – Yet another variation from Northeastern Italy

by chefbikeski Posted on February 21, 2012
Gnocchi di Polenta - recipes from Italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine bike tours italy
Gnocchi di Polenta

I held another cooking class on gnocchi this weekend; this one for the Eastern Ski Writers Association who were meeting here at Sugarloaf. Once again, someone asks “Are all gnocchi made from potatoes?” The easier question to answer is “What can’t you make gnocchi from?” From potatoes, to variations with squash or pumpkin, to Trentino’s canderli made with stale bread; you can make ‘gnudi’ with ricotta cheese, or gnocchi based on grains such as semolina- see a great recipe here in Ken Rivard and Jody Adams food blog thegarumfactory. Other grains such as buckwheat are used, or the a French influenced version made with choux paste. We discover many variations on our Italiaoutdoors travels in Northeastern Italy, and I have a few more variations still left to try on my own.

Corn fields along bike route - Italiaoutdoors italy bike tours
Cycling beside corn fields in the Veneto

This initially was going to be my opportunity to try the semolina gnocchi from Ken and Jody, but I was frustrated in my attempts to purchase semolina flour. Several visits to grocery stores left me empty handed; I can only find semolina ‘mixed’ in with other flours, not in its pure form. But I did have on hand polenta, and you can make a quite similar version with corn meal, gnocchi di polenta, which is common in the region of Trentino. I have covered the history of polenta in several other posts, the most recent on a sweet polenta based shortcake, Polenta Torta.

Polenta crust - recipes from Italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine cycle tours italy
Polenta crust on bottom of pan

To make ‘traditional’ polenta, you need a copper pot, a wood fire, and a large wooden spoon for stirring, called a canarola. Fill the pot with water, four parts water for every one part polenta, and add salt. When the water is boiling, slowly add the corn meal, whisking as you do so.  Cook over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent lumps, until the polenta forms a crust which begins to peel away from the pot. This will take between 45 minutes to an hour or more. Don’t short change the cooking, it won’t develop the full flavor until then, tasting a bit ‘undercooked’. The crust goes to the hard working cook who has spent the last hour stirring; this is the best part!

Gnocchi di Polenta

Serves 6-8

10 cups water
Kosher salt
2 1/2 cups coarse polenta
4-5 tomatoes
1 cup grated Grana cheese

Place the water in a large pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Salt the water. Add the polenta in a thin stream, whisking as you do so in order to prevent lumps from forming. Reduce the heat to low, and cook until a crust forms on the bottom and sides of the pot, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. If the polenta becomes too thick before the cooking time is up, add a bit more water.

Pour the polenta onto a clean countertop and spread it out to about 1 inch thick. Allow to cool.

Cutting polenta - recipes from Italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine cycling holidays italy
Cutting polenta into circles

Using a glass or round cutter, cut the polenta into circles. Place the circles in a 13×9 glass baking dish, stacking them if you wish. Top with the sliced tomatoes, then sprinkle with the grated cheese. Brown under a preheated broiler and serve.

I’ve served these as individual ‘gnocchi’ as a side. I also cut them into 1/2 inch circles, topped with a cherry tomato slice and some grated cheese, and serve as an antipasti.

You can top these any way you wish – sauteed mushrooms, sopressata, or simply with butter and cheese.

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Stinco di Agnello Brasato – Braised Lamb Shanks (sounds better in English…)

by chefbikeski Posted on February 13, 2012
Stinco di Agnello Brasato - recipes from Italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine
Stinco di Agnello with Spaetzle

My last post on spaetzle made a very simple preparation of this rustic noodle. To dress it up a bit and make a delicious Sunday dinner, I wanted a hearty meat dish with lots of sauce to enjoy with the spaetzle. My favorite way of creating such a dish, meat with lots of sauce, is a braise. In Italy, a very common braised dish is shanks (veal, for Osso Buco, for example) cooked in wine, tomatoes, and broth. In Trentino-Alto Adige you can enjoy it with spaetzle, in Milan, your Osso Buco would come with risotto, in the Veneto we enjoy it with a soft polenta.

Braising does take a while, but not a lot of hands-on time. I can write, ride my bike trainer, read a book, figure out how to make spaetzle, anything to while away the couple of hours of cook time. The same basic technique works for all types of meat: beef, pork, lamb, even chicken, turkey and rabbit. The cook time will vary a bit for each type of meat, you can play with all sorts of options for the braising liquids, from broth, to wine, cider, milk, beer, as well as the “aromatics”, or vegetables to add. Often, my choices are dictated by what I have on hand, rather than a trip to the grocery store. Right now, lamb is what I have on hand.

Pork shank dinner in Mantova - recipe from Italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine
Pork shank in Mantova, Italy

I had just purchased my second full lamb from a fellow ski instructor at Sugarloaf. Bill Trussell runs French Hill Farm, where he raises lambs throughout the year, breeding and birthing them himself. These are true lambs, not mutton or sheep; a leg will only feed about 3 people, and I can fit the entire animal in the freezer section of my refrigerator with room to spare. The meat is mild and quite delicious. The first time I made lamb burgers for the family the boys LOVED them, and they have become the burger of choice in our household.

French Hill Farm raises Coopworth lambs, a breed from New Zealand known for its mild meat and lustrous wool. Billy feeds them oats, some corn, and hay. In New Zealand,  they are often feed a salt supplement that Billy avoids, as he believes it gives the lamb meat a more ‘gamey’ flavor. This lamb was definitely not at all gamey. I get several pounds of ground lamb, chops, ribs, legs, and four lamb shanks. The shanks are perfect meat for a braised dish.

Lamb shanks from French Hill Farm - recipes from Italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine
Lamb shanks from French Hill Farm

The shank is the lower part of the leg, from the knee down. The meaty part is up toward the knee joint, and as you move down towards the ankle, the meat basically disappears. These are the most used muscles on the animal, and so are the toughest, making this cut not a good candidate for grilling or sauteing. But perfect for the slow-cooking involved in braising. The tough connective tissue dissolves slowly, mixes with the braising liquids and creates a wonderful, luxurious sauce with no effort on the part of the cook.

 

Stinco di Agnello Brasato (Braised Lamb Shanks)

Serves 4

4 lamb shanks
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 turnips, peeled cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef or chicken stock
1 tomato, chopped, or 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Lay the lamb shanks out on a sheet pan and season generously with salt and pepper.

Searing shanks - recipes from Italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine
Searing shanks

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the shanks to the pan and brown well on all sides. Allow space between the shanks, searing them in batches if they are too large to fit nicely in the pot. You want them to sear, not steam. When nice and brown, remove from pan and set aside.

Add the turnips and carrots, and cook until beginning to soften and turn brown. Season with salt while browning.

Add the red wine, bring to a boil and reduce by about half.

Place the lamb shanks back in the pot on top of the vegetables. Add the stock and tomatoes or tomato paste, stirring the paste a bit to break it up and mix it in with the broth. The shanks should be covered about half way with the liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.

Lamb shanks on top of browned vegetables - recipes from Italiaoutdoorsfoodandwine
Lamb shanks on top of browned vegetables

Cover the braise with a piece of parchment paper, then with an additional cover of aluminum foil. Push this down so it lies on top of the braise. Cover with the pot lid. Allow to simmer over very low heat until the lamb is very well done, and falling off of the bone, about 2 – 3 hours, depending on the size of the shanks. Alternatively, you can transfer the braise to a preheated 325° oven and cook there, rather than on the stove top. Just make sure your pot is oven-proof (no plastic handles.)

Remove the shanks from the braising liquid and defat. If you make this a day ahead, this becomes easy as the fat will rise to the top and harden.

Serve with spaetzle, soft polenta, or risotto, accompanied by a Lagrein from Trentino-Alto Adige or a Valpolicella from the Veneto, and enjoy as if your were in Italy!

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Spaetzle – Classic Rustic Noodles from Sudtirol, Italy

by chefbikeski Posted on February 7, 2012
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Spaetzle

Spaetzle, or spätzle, is a rustic pasta most commonly associate with Germany, but is quite prevalent in the Sudtirol region of Italy. This is one food that is truly regional in Italy – I never see it on our cycling holidays in the Veneto, but when we are on our Dolomites ski tours an hour north in Trentino-Alto Adige, it is quite common. I enjoyed a wonderful dish of this, topped simply with the local sausage luganeghe at Hopfen & Co. in Bolzano. Since then, it has been on my (long) list of dishes to try at home. I finally got around to it.

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Spaetzle maker

It is a fairly simple recipe, consisting of eggs, flour, salt, and milk or water. Centuries ago, this pasta was shaped by hand or with a spoon, scraping it off of a wooden cutting board directly into boiling water. The shape resembled small birds, giving rise to the name spätzle, which translates to “little sparrow”. Since then, several devices have been invented to form the dough, all ways of ‘extruding’ this noodle, and all reminding me of the plastic press that we used long ago for Playdough. Some look like flat graters with a box on top which holds the dough and slides along the holes, other resemble food mills or a strainer. If you don’t have one of these spaetzle makers, you could use a colander or flat grater, and push the dough through the holes with a metal spoon. Remember, this is rustic cooking, so don’t get too concerned about the shape! I managed to borrow a spaetzle maker from a friend’s mother who has been making this for years.

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Pressing spaetzle dough into pot

There are several versions of spaetzle you may find in your travels. Leberspätzle has had the dough enriched with minced pork liver; common in Sudtirol is Spinatspatzeln, spätzle that has spinach added to the dough. You may find it in soup, served with lentils, or served as a side dish to meats with sauces.

Spaetzle

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs
3/8 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Combine the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Alternating, gradually add the eggs and the milk to the flour. The dough should be the consistency of a brownie batter. Too thick, and it will be extremely difficult to force through the holes of your colander or spaetzle maker. Too thin, and it will not keep its shape after extrusion, the noodles will all stick together as they fall into the boiling water. You may have to play a bit with the dough to get the right consistency.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove. Season with salt. Using a spaetzle maker, or colander or grater, press the about 1/4 of the dough through the holes directly into the boiling water. The noodles will rise to the top when cooked, skim them off with a slotted spoon and transfer to a sheet pan. Continue until all the noodles have been cooked.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the spaetzle noodles, stir to coat with the butter. Season with parsley, salt and pepper. Serve.

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Ferrari Brut – Metodo Classico Sparkling Wine from Trento

by chefbikeski Posted on February 4, 2012
Vineyards Near Trento - Italiaoutdoors cycle holidays
Vineyards Near Trento

Located in the hills right outside of Trento in the Valle d’Adige is a very unique DOC, the TRENTODOC. The signature wine of this DOC are white and rose sparkling wines, produced by the classic Champagne method (Metodo Classico), in which the secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle. Northeastern Italy is home to the well-known sparkling wine Prosecco, these sparklers from TRENTODOC are very different from the proseccos, and are well-worth searching out and taking some time to appreciate their unique position in the wine regions of the area. We usually toast the start of our Italy bike tours with a glass of prosecco, but on our upcoming Bike the Wine Roads of Trentino-Alto Adige, we will likely begin with a sparkling wine from TRENTODOC.

In the early 1900s, a Trento resident by the name of Giulio Ferrari decided to bring the French champagne making tradition to this area, after spending a few years learning the craft in the Champagne region of France, at Epernay. He felt his homeland was uniquely suited to the cultivation of these grapes, lying at a lower latitude than the Champagne region, but with the terraced vineyards at a higher elevation. So he planted the traditional champagne grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Blanc, and then began production of sparkling wines following the traditional champagne methods, referred to as Metodo Classico in Italian.

Piazza del Duomo, Trento - Italiaoutdoors bike tours italy
Piazza del Duomo, Trento

Today, the DOC regulations on these cultivation of these grapes are fairly restrictive. The boundaries of the region are strictly set in Trentino, chemicals are practically banned, the yield per hectare strictly controlled, and irrigation is restricted to only in times of emergency. The exact proportions of grapes are not specified, but the varieties are limited to the four just mentioned. The secondary fermentation must occur in the bottle, followed by a long maturation in which the wine experiences prolonged contact with the lees (residual yeast). This maturation period is 15 months for non-vintage wines, 24 months for vintage, and 36 for riserva. After maturation, a labor intensive procedure begins in which the bottle is slowly rotated and tipped down over a period of many days to move  the sediment down to the mouth (riddling or remauge), then a small amount of wine in the neck, which contains the lees, is frozen and removed (disgorgement).

There are currently more than twenty-five vineyards producing Trento DOC, with over 70 labels under production. All producers market their sparkling wines under the TRENTODOC name. Cavit is the largest, and best known cooperative in the province with some 65% of production. Their Pinot Grigio is widely exported but produced under a different DOC designation.

Ferrari Brut - Italiaoutdoors cycle trips italy
Ferrari Brut

These TRENTODOC sparkling wines are available in two styles: Bianco (Millesimato and Riserva) and Rosé. They both exhibit persistent and intense perlage, with a dense and creamy foam. These are extremely elegant wines, with a wide range of aromas from fruity to yeasty, reflecting the aging on the lees. They pair well with a variety of dishes from seafood to white meats to pasta. The traditional pairing is with grainy, mature cheeses and antipasti. The rose matches well with seafood soups, fish, and roast poultry.

I tasted the Ferrari Brut recently, a wonderful sparkling wine. Made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes that are grown in vineyards in the Val di Cembra and Valle dei Laghi communes in Trento, all with either south-eastern or south-western exposure. After hand harvesting in September, the grapes are gently pressed and first fermented in tanks. A secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle with selected yeasts. The resulting wine is matured for at least 24 months on the lees.

This wine is straw yellow in color, with persistent and intense bubbles and creamy foam.  It has a refreshing aroma of crisp apples and flowers, with a note of yeast. A well balanced and elegant wine, with a finish of ripe fruit and yeast. It is a beautiful aperitif, and pairs well with seafood.

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