Night Before White Wine Omelette Casserole

Ingredients

Loaf of French bread
6 Tbsp butter
4 oz. shredded Monterey jack cheese
4 oz. shredded Swiss cheese
5 slices of 1/4 inch thick ham
8 eggs
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Atmosphere Chardonnay
2 large whole green onions, chopped finely
1 Tbsp  ground mustard
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

Melt 6 tablespoons of butter and spread 3 Tbsp of it at the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan.

Layer 2-inch thick slices of french bread into the pan and pour the remaining 3 Tbsp melted butter on top. Sprinkle the shredded Monterey jack and swiss cheeses on top of bread slices.

Dice the ham and add on top of cheese. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, dry white wine, chopped green onions, mustard and  black pepper. Pour mixture over bread, cheese and ham in the pan. Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate at least overnight or up to 24 hours.

When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake the wine and cheese omelette for 1 hour, or until set. Remove from the oven, uncover, and spread 3/4 cup of sour cream on top and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of freshly shredded parmesan cheese.

Bake uncovered for 10 additional minutes until it is lightly browned and sizzling. Serve immediately.

Red Wine Poached Eggs Benedict

INGREDIENTS

Hollandaise Sauce
4 Egg Yolks
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
½ Unsalted Butter, melted
Pinch of Cayenne
Pinch of Salt
Poached Eggs
4 Eggs
2 bottles Red Wine (something light like a Pinot Noir)
4 slices Back Bacon
2 English Muffin

DIRECTIONS

Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume.   Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl). Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

Brown bacon in a medium skillet and keep warm.

Now for the eggs. In a medium saucepan heat wine to a high heat without boiling. Crack each egg into a small bowl. Once wine is hot enough, stir wine with a spoon, in a circle to create a whirlpool (this will give the egg the nice shape). Once you have a good swirl going, drop an egg from the bowl in to the swirl. Cook for  3 to 3 ½  minutes.

While eggs are cooking toast English Muffin. Place toasted English Muffin on plate, top each with slice of bacon. Place poached egg on bacon and top with hollandaise sauce. Serve.

Originally published in The Wine Cellar, July 2017.

Cinnamon French Toast with Peaches in a White Wine Syrup

INGREDIENTS:

Peaches and Syrup
1 Cup Castor Sugar
½ Tsp Madagascar Vanilla
1 Cup  White Wine (I used a off-dry wine with peach notes)
2 Peaches, cut into wedges

French Toast
2-3 Extra large Eggs
1 Tsp Sugar
½ Tsp Vanilla
½ Tsp Cinnamon
2-3 Tbsp Cream
4-6 Slices of thick bread
Whipping Cream for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

For the French toast, place the eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and cream into a bowl and mix well. Dip the bread slices into the egg mixture until soaked.
Heat the butter in a frying pan and cook the bread slices for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown. Set aside and keep warm.

For the peaches, place the caster sugar, vanilla and white wine into a saucepan, over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add the peach pieces to the pan and simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the peach is tender.

To serve, place the French toast onto a serving plate. Remove the peaches from the syrup with a slotted spoon and place on top of the toast, drizzled with a little of the white wine syrup and top with whipping cream. Serves 2.

Originally published in The Wine Cellar, June 2017.