Creamiest mashed potatoes ever, with Giuseppe Quintarelli

Why is Dan the gour-MAN-d?

Because he...

1. Chopped the herbs from his garden with a professionally sharpened knife.



2. Sautéed garlic in olive oil.
3. Minced boiled potatoes in a potato ricer.
4. Combined with the sautéed garlic.
5. Added 3 table spoons of butta.
6. Added a spoonful of secret concentrated chicken stock.
7. Frothed milk in a cappuccino machine and added to the mash.
8. Mashed into a fluffy heaven.


9. Grilled rib-eye medium-rare, seasoned only with salt-n-peppa, on a mesquite grill. Set aside to rest.



10. Made a secret red wine / beef demi-glace.
11. Sautéed fava beans from his garden, and shitake.
12. Made a salad with broccoli raab greens from his garden as well.
13. Sliced the steak, seasoned/garnished with the chopped herbs.
14. Popped a bottle of Giuseppe Quinterelli Primofiore 2005.


15. Plated and served.



Giuseppe Quintarelli, of course, is the man in Valpolicella, Veneto. His Amarone della Valpolicella sell for stratospheric prices and are the best in the world (Dal Forno is another top producer). The Primofiore (or "First Flower") we had with the rib-eye was his entry-level red made from the first pressings of Corvina, with a small addition of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It was not a great wine - it was a real good good good wine. Real wine. Table wine. No pretense. The wine that's there for you with every sip. The wine that has your back. The wine you want to marry, not date. Just pure fruit, balanced by cooling herbs and veggies, reminding of Chinon but with zingy Italian acidity. It was just a perfect match with the steak, the veggies, the sauce! This "value" wine was rated 87pts by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 85pts by Wine Spectator - huh! (need I say more about what I think about their ratings?!).

For reference, here are the importer notes on this producer:
If Huet is the Rolls Royce of Vouvray, then Quintarelli is the Chateau Margaux of Valpolicella. The small winery (a mere 40,000 bottles are produced annually from 35 acres of estate vines and bought-in grapes) dates back to 1924, and has been run by Giuseppe Quintarelli since the mid-1950s. Giuseppe, who works with his nephew, Marco Trevini Bellini, does nothing by halves, aging his wine up to seven years or more in large Slavonian oak casks. Among the wines made are: Rosso Primo Fiore, a fresh, first-press Valpolicella from Corvina, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vines; Rosso Ca‘del Merlo, a majestic, single-vineyard, ripasso Valpolicella; Valpolicella Classico Superiore, a rich, elegant, ripasso Valpolicella with a bit less heft than the Ca’ del Merlo; Amarone, a huge, powerhouse wine with tremendous aging ability; and Cabernet (mostly Franc) Alzero, a big, rich, complex wine produced, via the Amarone method, from old vines. “The fundamental problem in wine today,” says Giuseppe Quintarelli, “is that too many producers ‘hurry’ to make their wines: they hurry the fruit in the vineyard and they hurry the vinification and rush to bottle. They rush to sell their product without allowing it the proper time to age. Patience – this is the most important attribute in winemaking. Patience in growing, patience in selection, and patience in vinification.”


Friggin' delicious!

Comments

enochchoi said…
She's a keeper! "The wine that has your back. The wine you want to marry, not date"
what a beautiful plate!! great job with the potatoes, you dont see ricers very often anymore
Iron Chevsky said…
Chef Dennis, thanks!
Check this related post as well: http://www.chevsky.com/2009/07/chablis-butter-and-acid.html
Do Bianchi said…
@Iron Chevsky I know you know how much I love Quintarelli and now is such a good time to check out the wines: I've been seeing INCREDIBLE values (particularly in Chicago and Texas)... I love this post most of all because I appreciate how you served and posted about this wine in the context of food — where it belongs... when you put these wines in an ivory tower and drink them like they were cocktails, you only enjoy half of what the wine has to give... great post... keep it coming... blog on...
Iron Chevsky said…
Jeremy, thank you! Your blog always inspires me. Regarding Quintarelli deals, be more specific - inquiring minds want to know!
Dan Raveneau said…
Amazing writeup, I am humbled! Of course the company is the most vital ingredient! If only I had more Quintarelli, ahhhhh…

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