We've been having Italian dinners lately, and my partner was determined to make an even better version of the carbonara he had in Italy, so we decided to cook together for the first time in a while!
"CHATEAU MAROTTE BORDEAUX 2011" French Red Wine
This wine won a gold medal at the 2012 Aquitaine Bordeaux Wine Competition. It boasts a brilliant, deep ruby color, with aromas of concentrated blackcurrant, thyme, and mint. The taste is rich in fruit and full-bodied, with a medium body. The tannins are well-balanced, leading to a long, lingering finish.
Antipasto: "Caprese salad with tomatoes and mozzarella, and a ring-shaped salad of shrimp, avocado, and salmon."
This is an adapted version of the salad from last time. The avocado remains in the bottom layer, flaked trout salmon sautéed with salt, pepper, and garlic oil is added in the middle, and the top layer is garnished with shrimp that have also been seasoned and sautéed. I used Pacific white shrimp without any mislabeling (lol). Pacific white shrimp have been treated like villains in this mislabeling scandal, but they are actually very cheap and delicious. In reality, it's always better to have ingredients that are inexpensive and delicious. Even with inexpensive ingredients that are easy on the budget, a little ingenuity and cooking them deliciously is the golden rule of home cooking♪
Primo Piatto "Carbonara"
Here's the carbonara recipe my husband made for me. He couldn't find pancetta, so he used Hamamatsu bacon instead. He sautéed the bacon in olive oil over low heat until crispy. Then he added about 100cc of heavy cream, letting the bacon's flavor infuse into the cream, and added grated 5-year-aged Parmigiano Reggiano. Once it had thickened somewhat, he added some of the pasta cooking water and adjusted the saltiness to his liking to make the sauce. He prepared two egg yolks in a large bowl. When the pasta was cooked, he added it to the thickened cream and mixed it well. Finally, he added it to the bowl of beaten egg yolks, quickly tossed it around, served it in a bowl, grated Parmigiano Reggiano to taste, and a sprinkle of black pepper to finish. It's a rich and delicious carbonara that's almost foolproof. Using pancetta would give it even more richness and aroma. But this might be even better than the carbonara I had in Italy! (lol)
Secondo Piatto: "Crispy roasted chicken thighs with king oyster mushrooms and green asparagus"
For the main dish, I made my favorite chicken thighs. I lightly seasoned the chicken thighs with salt and seared them skin-side down in garlic oil. I cooked them over low to medium heat, using a weight to carefully absorb the rendered fat with a paper towel. This is an extra step, but it makes a huge difference in how crispy the surface becomes. I cooked the chicken about 80% on one side and then flipped it over and cooked it the other half way around, resulting in a tender and juicy interior and a perfectly crispy exterior. This time, I kept it simple, serving it without sauce, with Dijon mustard. I enjoyed the king oyster mushrooms and green asparagus with garlic chips. Italian dinners are perfect to enjoy with wine, but they're so delicious that I can't help but worry about the calories (lol).
