CHEF JOHN ASH

John Ash: Cooking One on One:
Private Lessons in Simple, Contemporary Food
from a Master Teacher

"Teaching has come to be the thing I love most in life..." Chef John Ash

A favorite recipe which reflects global flavors that go with our Sauvignon Republic sauvignon blancs. To learn more about Sauvignon Republic wines visit www.SauvignonRepublic.com.

This is a pretty straightforward salad that is dependent on a few special ingredients to make it great. First is to use good mushrooms. Wild and cultivated exotic mushrooms have become much more readily available in recent years. Use the best selection that you can find. A supplier that I have worked with for many years in Northern California is Gourmet Mushroom (707) 823-1743 or www.mycopia.com who will ship a beautiful basket of exotics anywhere in the U.S. The second essential in this recipe is the corn oil. It's a very pure expeller extracted oil from corn that uses no solvent or preservatives and is absolutely delicious because it tastes and smells like corn (what a concept!). You can find it at health and natural food stores. It's not the usual oil found in supermarkets but a very special one made by a manufacturer that I'm especially fond of: Spectrum Naturals. Contact them at (800) 995-2705 or www.spectrumorganic.com.

Wild Mushroom Salad with a Corn Mustard Dressing

Serves 6

• 3 tablespoons clarified butter or olive oil
  
• 1-1/2 pounds wild mushrooms such as oyster, chantrelle, alba or best available
  
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• 8 cups loosely packed mixed young savory greens such as arugula, cress, mizuna, tat soi
  
• Honey Lemon Vinaigrette (Recipe follows)
  
• Corn Mustard Dressing (Recipe follows)
  
• Garnish: Fresh dill sprigs, fried capers, shaved parmesan or dry jack cheese

Heat the clarified butter in a large sauté pan and sauté the mushrooms until barely tender and still holding their shape. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, set aside and keep warm.

Lightly toss the greens with some of the honey lemon vinaigrette and arrange attractively on plates with the mushrooms. Spoon the corn mustard dressing around and garnish with the dill sprigs, fried capers and cheese. Serve immediately.

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

Makes 1+ cups

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
  
• 6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
  
• 2 tablespoons fragrant honey
  
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk all ingredients together. Store covered and refrigerated up to 5 days.

Corn Mustard Dressing

Makes about 1 cup

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
  
• 2 teaspoons poached or roasted garlic
  
• 1/4 cup double strength, unsalted chicken or vegetable broth
  
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (or to taste)
  
• 1/2 cup or so Spectrum Naturals unrefined corn oil
  
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Add shallots, garlic and stock to a blender and blend until smooth. Add mustard and slowly pour oil in with motor running until dressing is smooth and thickened. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Store covered in refrigerator up to 3 days.

Cookbooks Authored by Chef John Ash
Winner of the Julia Child "Cookbook of the Year" from the IACP One of California's foremost chefs, in association with Fetzer Vineyards, celebrates the bounty of the garden and the vine with a collection of more than 300 recipes that pay magnificent tribute to fresh and healthy high-flavor food--plus a a helpful--and fun--approach to testing and evaluating wines. Color photos.	Winner of the 2005 James Beard Foundation Award John Ash: Cooking One-on-One: Private Lessons in Simple, Contemporary Food from a Master Teacher	American Game Cooking: A Contemporary Guide to Preparing Farm-Raised Game Birds and Meats Game farms have made exotic fowl and meats widely available to the non-hunter, and this is an excellent resource for those who want to cook on the wild side. From boar-based borscht to roast lacquered duck with muscat-tamarind sauce, the recipes contained herein are delicious.

"It's the process of cooking that's so much fun — the bonus is that you get something at the end to eat." Chef John Ash

Recipes which reflect global flavors that go with sauvignon blancs (a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France) wines:

• Thai Style Tomato Soup with Shrimp and Cellophane Noodles
  
  
• Wild Mushroom Salad with a Corn Mustard Dressing
  
  
• More Recipes

(Chef John Ash)