BoomerGirl Diary

I love California. Every couple of years my husband, Frank, and I make a pilgrimage west in search of great food and wine. In May we visited Napa, Sonoma and the Paso Robles wine country on the central coast. It goes without saying, Napa and Sonoma are fabulous places to visit with many well-known wineries, but my heart lies with the wine country of Paso Robles. If you know me, it's easy to understand. I'm a Francophile with an on-going love affair with Provence and the wines of the Rhone region of France. Paso Robles grows Rhone grapes, among other varieties, with which they make world-class wines.

Our favorite place to stay is Cambria, the coastal town at the end of a spectacular 96-mile drive south from Big Sur. Just as we do in Provence, we located a vacation rental house in the area. The house is situated a few blocks from the Pacific ocean and near a ranch preserve where we take our daily walks over the ocean bluffs. In May, the wild flowers are in bloom and the colorful ice plant covers the bluffs edge. Many species of birds, including quail, pelicans, cormorants, loons and seagulls can be seen on the preserve and on the outcropping rocks in the ocean below. Playful weasels and rabbits frolic along the trails and share this lovely paradise with happy hikers and dog walkers.

There are many excellent wineries in the wine country of Paso Robles--too many to mention--but on this trip two new wineries got my attention. One is the state-of-the-art winery, Denner Vineyards, owned by Ron and Marilyn Denner. Their son, and winemaker, Brian Denner employs the latest technology to produce fabulous wines. Their flagship wine is a bold, lush red blend called "The Ditch Digger," apparently named for the fact that the Denners once owned and operated numerous Ditch Witch equipment dealerships. Denner Vineyards also has an excellent Syrah, Zinfandel, and Viognier in their impressive line up. Drop in for a taste and you’ll likely run into Ron, who will greet you warmly and visit with you about this cutting-edge winery.

My other new favorite is a winery called Calcareous, a name that refers to the surrounding limestone hills. Just a few miles outside the city of Paso Robles, a climb up to an elevation of 1,550 feet will lead you to the Calcareous tasting room that sits on the summit of these rugged and beautiful hills. The winery's dramatic location overlooks the vineyards with gorgeous views in every direction. Daniel Shaw, son of the well-known Australian winemaker Philip Shaw, recently became the winemaker for Calcareous Vineyard. In the tasting room, you'll meet Paul Lopez and Bob Duffy, who will be happy to give you a tour, pour wines for you to taste, and share their enthusiasm for this fantastic up-and-coming winery. Frank and I were instantly smitten with "Twisted Sisters," a traditional blend of Bordeaux varietals, "Tre Violet," a blend of three Rhone varietals and several tasty white Rhone wines.

As in all good wine growing areas, you'll find good food to match the wines of Paso Robles. We generally opt for seafood since we live in the Midwest, and the central coast offers a variety of fresh catches from the Pacific that we can only dream about in Kansas. My new favorite seafood is abalone. After a tour of The Abalone Farm, located between Cambria and Cayucos, I was inspired to purchase some abalone steaks and, thanks to having a rental house, I was able to prepare them myself. This delicious marine mollusk has a rich flavor and tastes something like a combination of scallops and lobster with the texture of tender veal.

If you want to wow your guests at your next dinner party, serve abalone! If you cannot find fresh abalone in your area, contact The Abalone farm at www.abalonefarm.com and they will happily ship some to you overnight.

I hope you'll try this recipe for Abalone Steaks with Apricot Beurre Blanc. To serve with this delicacy, I'd recommend a Viognier, a wine known for it's complex floral aromas and exotic flavors of tropical fruits, ripe peaches and vanilla beans, finishing with a rich and creamy mouth feel. The 2005 Viognier from either Calcareous or Denner Vineyards makes an excellent pairing.

Abalone Steaks with Apricot Beurre Blanc

2 cups unsalted butter, clarified

Apricot Beurre Blanc:

1 cup dry white wine

½ cup apricot jam

4 to 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cubed

2 egg whites

1 to 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)

1 pound tenderized abalone steaks (16 1-ounce steaks)

fresh parsley sprigs for garnish

To make clarified butter, dice the unsalted butter and place it in a 4-cup glass measure. Melt the butter in the microwave at 50% for 1 to 2 minutes, or until completely melted. Do not stir. Let the butter stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes, or until the butter separates and the milk solids sink to the bottom of the cup. Using a small spoon, skim the foam off the top and discard. Slowly pour the clarified butter (the clear golden liquid) into a clean container and discard the accumulated milk solids.

Apricot Beurre Blanc: Combine the white wine and apricot jam in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced to a thick glaze, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in 4 tablespoons of the cubed butter, a few cubes at a time, until incorporated. Taste, and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter if desired. Keep the sauce warm over a pan of warm water (heat turned off).

Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl and beat with a wire whisk until slightly foamy. Place the Panko breadcrumbs on a plate. Pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. Dip the abalone steaks in the egg whites, then coat both sides with the breadcrumbs. Pour enough clarified butter (approx. 3 to 4 tablespoons) into the pre-heated skillet to cover the bottom. Place a few of the steaks in the skillet (do not crowd) and cook them for 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side, until lightly browned. (Do not over cook or the abalone will become tough.) Transfer the cooked abalone to a warm platter. Using paper towels, wipe the hot skillet clean between batches.

Arrange the abalone steaks on plates decorated with abalone shells. Drizzle the Apricot Beurre Blanc over the abalone. Garnish with parsley sprigs. Makes 4 main courses, or 8 first courses.