Thanks to chef, Laurentia lunch in wintry wine country a taste treat | Janet Podolak

A cold-and-snowy January day drew two of us for lunch at Laurentia Winery in Madison to sample Executive Chef Wiliam Davis’ new menu.

I’d first known Davis from Loretta Paganini’s International Culinary Arts and Sciences Institute in Chester Township, where the Culinary Institute of America graduate worked and taught other would-be chefs before accepting the chef position at Laurentia. It’s one of the few places open for lunch and early dinner on Mondays, when many restaurants are closed.

Davis, who lives in Willowick, enjoys the challenge of crafting dishes that are ideal with Laurentia’s wines. A specific wine pairing is recommended for each dish on the menu, which changes every week or so.

He’s resourced and created an unusual mix of ingredients that include the duck pastrami we each ordered on the salads we’d chosen for our lunch.

The small plates that dominate the Laurentia menu for those who come in summer are accompanied now by a trio of large plates, a handful of flatbreads, an artisanal cheese or charcuterie board and a couple of salads.

Today he shares with readers the recipe for his Veal Chili, which is being served this week. In winter, there’s always a delicious hot soup or similar warming dish.

The vineyards are quiet in winter, beautifully barren and frosted with snow on the day of our visit. Laurentia is not one of the wineries that makes ice wine, so the snow was pristine and untracked.

The Veal Chili was bubbling away on the kitchen’s stove top when I stepped up to say hello to Davis in the open kitchen.

Others chose to sit by the roaring fire in the restaurant’s main area, while my friend Lynn and I, warmly dressed for the weather, asked to sit on the porch. Its large windows — covered with plexiglass this time of year — afford great views of the vineyard.

We considered sharing a Baked Goat Cheese, served warm with orange marmalade and mulled wine granola, but neither of us have big appetites. That was also the reason I passed on the Baked Lobster with Brie Risotto Cake, also on the small plates menu. The Elk Sausage over white bean salad with bacon and a mustard vinaigrette also sounded appealing.

After seeing that sliced duck pastrami was offered with both salads, our choices became clear. I ordered the Fireside Salad of mixed greens, dried figs, toasted pecans and goat cheese with an aged balsamic vinaigrette. My friend chose the Wintry Mix of arugula and lettuce, shaved fennel, mandarin oranges, honey roasted almond, toma cheese and a cherry white wine vinaigrette.

Neither of us was disappointed, and, after filling up on duck pastrami, I took half my salad home.

Dressed salads aren’t known for traveling well, but I’ve discovered that heating it in a saute pan for the next day’s lunch nicely keeps a salad’s flavor, if not its texture.

The Estate Unoaked Chardonnay was the wine suggested for the salads, but we chose the Estate Rose and didn’t regret our decision.

Those with larger appetites could choose among dishes that include Goat Cheese & Beet Ravioli, SousVide Pork Loin, Braised Boneless Beef Short Ribs and Mussel Bowl served over pasta.

They sounded delicious, but we also passed on the Warm Brown Butter Cake and Donut Duo dessert choices to head out for the Winter Warmer Wine Trail, which continues the rest of January (see bit.ly/winterwarmertrail-nh).

Instead, our dessert was a chocolate chip fudge brownie served at South River Vineyard along with two tastes of its wine.

Laurentia Winery

Where: 4599 S. Madison Road (Route 528), Madison.

Winter hours: noon to 8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday; noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays, when the kitchen closes at 5 p.m.

Info: 440-296-9175; laurentiawinery.com.

Recipe

Veal Chili

Makes 3 quarts

Ingredients

2 pounds ground veal

1 onion, small diced

1 red pepper, small diced

2 stalks celery, small diced

10 cloves minced garlic

32 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 8-ounce can tomato paste

2 16-ounce cans white beans

2 Tablespoons cumin

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon coriander

2 Tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons pepper

10 drops tabasco (depending on how spicy you like your chili)

8 ounce aged block of cheddar, sliced

Oil for cooking

Instructions

In a 1-gallon pot, sweat onions, garlic, celery and peppers for 1 minute with all of the seasonings.

Add the veal, stirring.

Continue to cook, making sure you break up the veal into bite-sized pieces.

Once the veal is almost fully cooked, add the diced tomatoes, beans and tomato paste.

Stir until completely mixed through.

Bring to a light boil, and drop to a low simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Check seasonings, adjust to your taste and finish with tabasco.

Ladle into bowl and garnish with aged Cheddar slices.

— Courtesy of Laurentia Winery Executive Chef Wiliam Davis