My first attempt at a wine sauce

This evening I took the brave, bold step to make a wine reduction sauce. The intended meat it was to top? A beautiful piece of lamb chops picked up from a nearby Trader Joe's. Honestly, I am not sure why I (1) picked up lamb (I've never cooked it before); and (2) why I decided I wanted to create a wine sauce I have no idea. I am not a brave chef, so I suppose I was inspired!

I got the initial inspiration from a recipe included in a newsletter from Spring Mountain Vineyard - a beautiful vineyard I went to on the first day of my honeymoon a few years ago. I am not sure if it was the ambiance of being on the honeymoon, or if the wine was really that good, but either way if I receive a recommendation from the folks at Spring Mountain, I sit up and listen. Although I tend not to feature really expensive bottles of wine on this blog, their 2005 Elivette is one of THE. BEST. WINES. I've ever had!! If not the best wine, period (it is in a tie with a small label Grand Cru from Bordeaux I visited while in grad school).

Our bottle of 2005 Elivette graciously gifted to us as a honeymoon treat. We drank it while on a hike!

At any rate, here was the lamb recipe they included in their newsletter:

Rack of Lamb with Cabernet Sauce

Serves 8
Prep Time: 60 minutes

Three 8-bone racks of lamb (1 1/2 pounds each),
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 garlic clove
1 thyme sprig
1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Season the lamb racks all over with coarse salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet; both skillets should be ovenproof. Add 2 of the lamb racks to the large skillet and 1 rack to the medium skillet, meaty side down. Sear the racks over moderately high heat until well browned, about 4 minutes. Turn the racks and brown the other side, about 3 minutes longer.

2. Transfer the skillets to the oven and roast the lamb for 15 to 20 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 120°or rare and 125° for medium rare. Transfer the racks to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, set the medium skillet over high heat. Add 1/2 cup of the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Pour the wine into the large skillet and add the garlic and thyme. Set the large skillet over high heat, add the remaining 1/2 cup of wine and boil until reduced by one-third, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and discard the garlic and thyme sprig. Whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time. Season with salt and pepper and strain the sauce into a warmed gravy boat.

4. To serve, cut the lamb into chops and arrange 3 chops on each dinner plate. Pass the Cabernet sauce at the table along with a little coarse salt for sprinkling on the lamb.

I made a few changes - namely I used whatever cut of lamb I had, not the full chops as suggested. And it turned out wonderfully! The wine I used to cook with had been sitting on our countertop -  a victim of not drinking enough wine before leaving for Thanksgiving. The wine was a bottle from our nearby Safeway and a favorite go-to wine of my parents: Quail Oak Cabernet Sauvignon. Anyways since it had been open for probably ten days, it was definitely not drinkable. But it made for a wonderful sauce!!  I cannot imagine how tasty it would have been if I had used a nice Cabernet- but isn't the point of cooking with wine is to not use the best stuff? It was my first time doing the whole reduction thing, and I think it worked - and it was rather easy. I had to put the liquid back on the burner at the end as I didn't think it looked thick enough, and there was a little more liquid-y than I thought it ought to be. 

I paired the lamb with wine sauce with roasted green beans with almonds, and baked squash. The whole meal was very delectable, filling, yet light. We are still sipping our wine we chose to pair - EOD Cellars 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon. I found this wine in a wine club I belong to with my local wine shop. The owner, Tackitt Family Vineyards, donates a portion of all proceeds of their EOD labels to the Wounded Warrior foundation.  Pretty cool!  The wine has a very grape-y bouquet that mellows out a bit as the bottle is opened. Right now writing this, it has a velvety, smooth, and rich quality to it. And it tasted amazing with the lamb. 

All in all, not bad for a Monday night exploration. Enjoy!