I have been working with Lucky Foods for several years, shooting their family, their product, and even a few recipes. This was the first time they had me out to their production and packing warehouse to document more of their team...
Union Co. Life Hacks: How to Shuck an Oyster
This year I was tasked with putting some serious effort into the Union Wine Co. FIELD NOTES This is a part of their site that tells employee stories, showcases recipes and cocktails as well as a few cool How To’s…
This is one of those posts. Check them all out in the above link.
Union Co. Life Hacks: How to Shuck an Oyster
Lets be honest. There is almost nothing that accompanies a crisp glass of Underwood Bubbles better that some ice cold, freshly shucked oysters. And being situated in the Pacific Northwest, we have year round access to some of the best oysters in the world! Its always a treat to order oysters at a restaurant, but they make an elegant and unexpected appetizer when entertaining at home. Many people don’t consider this an option because they have never been taught the proper (and amazingly simple) technique to shuck at home.
Well, have no fear. Union Wine Co. is here to teach you the step by step of how to expertly open and clean our favorite bivalve like a seasoned pro.
All you will need is a shucker and a thick kitchen towel. For beginners we recommend the more blunt point versions with hilt guards (pictured in the center.) Once you have mastered these, you can move up to the thinner, sharper pointed shuckers. Also, we recommend starting with Netarts Oysters. They are local, delicious, very user friendly and always available at the Woodstock Fish Market where, incidentally, you can also find your favorite bottles of Union Wine.
STEP ONE:
Procure a thick kitchen towel, fold longways 3 times and then roll up one side as pictured below. This will keep the oyster secure and prevent any slippage.
STEP TWO:
Turn the oyster belly up. Secure the flat, rounded part of the oyster under the edge of the towel, hold firmly and gently find the small hole or “hinge" at the back of the oyster. The key word here is Gently…. (and we can’t stress this enough- opening oysters is not an act of strength or force but of gentle control…) So, very gently insert the tip of your shucker into the hinge. You may need to feel around until you get the hang of it, but trust us, it’s there.
STEP THREE:
Once you have the point securely in the hinge, just twist the shucker slightly back and forth until the top shell releases. As you peel back the top shell, use the shucker to separate the oyster from the muscle attaching it to the shell. Remove the top shell and set aside.
STEP FOUR:
Without spilling the “liquor” (the delicious briny liquid inside the oyster) gently slide the shucker underneath the oyster to separate it from the muscle attaching it to the bottom of the shell. Wipe away any grit that may be on the edge of the shell. At this point, place the oyster on a bed of rock salt or crushed ice, and repeat the steps until all oysters are shucked and ready to be enjoyed.
Grab a can or bottle of Union Bubbles and Bon Appétit!
Special thanks to shucker extraordinaire Quincy Sanders, whom you can find most days shucking dozens of Oysters at Canard and his lovely girlfriend Avery Stark, who is one of the many talented front of the house folks at the brand new Portland hot spot, Bullard.
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Text and Photography by David L. Reamer.
Chefs at Home Series: BUNK’S Nick Wood
This year I was tasked with putting some serious effort into the Union Wine Co. FIELD NOTES This is a part of their site that tells employee stories, showcases recipes and cocktails as well as a few cool How To’s…
This is one of those posts. Check them all out in the above link.
Chefs at Home Series: BUNK’S Nick Wood
Since such a large part of the Pacific Northwest culture revolves around food, we decided to start up a series here on Field Notes that features local chefs that love to drink Union wines and cook with Union wines. For this post, we reached out to one of the founders of the Portland institution Bunk Sandwiches, Nick Wood.
Nick was raised in Cincinnati, but really cut his teeth in New Orleans, cooking for several fine dining restaurants, (including Brennans and Martinique Bistro) before relocating to Portland. Because of this, on his days off, Nick loves to return to the cuisine he feels most comfortable with, Creole. When I asked Nick to come up with a recipe using the Union Pinot Noir, he immediately suggested Marchand de Vin, a Creole take on a classic French Sauce, literally meaning “Wine Merchant.” I had never even heard of this sauce but apparently it is a mainstay of all the best restaurants around New Orleans.
It’s a pretty simple recipe and one that is guaranteed to knock the socks off anyone lucky enough to indulge. Make sure to enjoy with some crusty French bread and plenty of Union Pinot Noir!
Marchand de Vin Sauce
(the best sauce you’ve never heard of)
** Serves 4 people **
Ingredients:
3 garlic cloves
3 shallots
4 green onions (tops reserved)
8 large cremini mushrooms
1/2 lb tasso or smoked ham
1 1/2 lb steak, such as bavette or tri-tip
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Dice first 5 ingredients, setting green onion tops aside for garnish.
Place beef stock in a small pot and reduce by half, keep warm.
Heat up the large pot again, (leaving any steak bits in the bottom), add 2 Tbs of butter and 2 Tbs of oil to the pot and sauté top five ingredients on medium heat for 7 minutes, stirring frequently so as not to burn. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Without lowering heat, slowly add the can of Union Pinot Noir and bring to a simmer, continuing to stir, for 5 minutes.
Add warmed beef stock gradually with a ladle, and let liquid reduce by half, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Turn off heat and add 2 Tbs of butter and a generous splash of the Tabasco and Worcestershire Sauces to taste.
Slice your steak, arrange on a serving platter, and cover generously with sauce. Garnish with green onion and Bon Appétit!
And special thanks to Nick for spending his day off hanging out and sharing his culinary prowess.
Perfect Pairings
This year I was tasked with putting some serious effort into the Union Wine Co. FIELD NOTES This is a part of their site that tells employee stories, showcases recipes and cocktails as well as a few cool How To’s…
This is one of those posts. Check them all out in the above link.
Perfect Pairings
Here at Union, we love to support and collaborate with other fellow artisans in our community.
Our favorite cheesemonger, Steve Jones, of Cheese Bar and Chizu, has been honing his skills for 15 years and just release his very first book:
CHEESE BEER WINE CIDER, which is a field guide to pairing specific cheeses with their appropriate 'adult beverage' counterparts. We thought this would be a great opportunity to have Steve formally taste our main three canned wines, the Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Rosé, and choose a cheese pairing that he thought would go well with each.
That way, if you are going to be doing some entertaining in the next few weeks…. or if you just want to have an indulgent spring picnic, you will know the best cheese to accompany your favorite cans. So without further ado….
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PINOT NOIR paired with SUMMER COMTÉ.
Comté is a cow's milk cheese from France’s Massif du Jura region. It has a very earthy taste (think mushrooms cooked in brown butter) but also has a slight sweetness which pairs quite well with our Pinot Noir. There are various styles of Comté, but this one gets its name from the season it is produced, when the cows are dining on the lush and verdant summer grasses.
ROSÉ paired with 1605 MANCHEGO
This very popular aged Spanish sheep's milk cheese comes from the windmill-dotted La Mancha plateau immortalized in Don Quixote. (The producing farm, 1605, actually takes its name from the year the book was first published!) Much like the terroir of its origin, Manchego is dry, pale and very sheepy. As it ages, the cheese’s nuttiness and buttery qualities increase, making it absolutely delicious, and a perfect pairing to our Rosé.
PINOT GRIS paired with JACQUIN BUCHERON.
Bucheron is from what is called the Bloomy-Rind Family. A French goat's milk cheese, it has its origins in the Loire Valley which is accepted as the home of chèvre. The Jacquin Family has been making cheese in the Loire Valley for four generations. Bucheron, from the French word for “log”, has two distinct parts: a gooey section that has started to break down just below the rind, and a more traditional dryer, white chèvre filling the center. The contrast between the salty cream of the buttery ring and the lemony, goaty center make not only for a complex flavor, but a great pairing for the Pinot Gris.
Co-written by Steve Jones and Adam Lindsley (with photographs by your humble narrator, David L. Reamer….) you can order a copy of
CHEESE BEER WINE CIDER at Powells Online or keep an eye out for copies at your local bookstore or wine shop.
And big thanks again to Steve Jones for taking the time to share his knowledge and palette for this little culinary experience. A good time was had by all!
Photography & Text by David L. Reamer. (@dlreamer)
Trotter & Ham Hock Croquettes
A year or so ago, I was introduced to an amazing cookbook called Rustica: A Return to Spanish Home Cooking by Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish. (Photographs by Alan Benson.)
There were a ton of great recipes, but this one croquette recipe caught my eye and stuck with me. I knew it was going to be a bigger cooking project than i had embarked on in years, and it took a while to get my courage up. But holy cow, it was worth it.
I "mostly followed the recipe, but took a few liberties. Here's my play by play....
STEP ONE:
Put this stuff in a pot and boil it for about 3 hours.
STEP TWO:
Pick all the meat and soft fat from the hock and the trotters (a giant sticky fingered ordeal.)
STEP THREE:
Finely chop all the meat and mix in chopped white onion, capers, parsley and a little of the cooking liquid.
STEP FOUR:
Roll the mix into a tight tube with Saran Wrap and put int he fridge overnight.
STEP FIVE:
Unwrap the log. Slice a few rounds.
STEP SIX:
Flour, egg, and Panko breadcrumb the rounds. Fry until golden brown.
Serve with a classic garlic aioli, chimichurri sauce and a 7 minute egg laid just that day by LaToya.
Pour yourself a glass of ice cold Aquivit. Bon Appetit.
revisiting Little Bird Bistro
Recently I headed back down to Little Bird Bistro to document their full menu overhaul. Here are some of my favorites. If its been a while, go check out all the new stuff they are whipping up!
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