HALL Merlot Perfectly Paired with Lamb Loin

On a visit to Genoa, Chef Jane Coxwell was captivated by the displays of incredibly fresh produce and bright green herbs available in an amazing food market in the heart of town. It was when the earthy scent of wild mushrooms tickled her nose that she began to imagine what other market ingredients she could use to build a flavorful, well-balanced dish centered around the aromatic champignons. “This recipe was the answer,” she explains. “Like all of my recipes, the Wild Mushrooms and Macadamia Stuffed Lamb Loin relies on my using the freshest and finest ingredients. My use of baby bok choy may strike other cooks as an odd vegetable choice, but it goes surprisingly well with lamb because it is so sweet and because it has such a lovely crunch that contrasts exceptionally well with the tender meat.”
When asked to suggest a wine to go with the lamb loin, Hall Winery’s winemaker, Richard Batchelor chose the Hall 2004 Merlot Napa Valley to be used both as an ingredient and as the perfect quaff to accompany the finished dish. “Our 2004 Merlot offers bright fruit aromas of raspberry and cherry with notes of brown spices,” he says. “On the palate, the diner should expect generous briar fruit and black cherry with hints of mocha and vanilla that round out the subtle tannins and lead to a long, lingering finish. The flavors match wonderfully with the earthiness of the mushrooms and the richness of the lamb. All in all, it is a brilliant balance of flavors and textures.”
“This recipe offers a special benefit for the busy chef,” remarks Chef Jane. “The portion of the recipe dealing with the preparation of the lamb can be carried out up to 12 hours prior to roasting and the meat may be refrigerated until it is time to place it in the oven.”

Wild Mushroom and Macadamia Stuffed Lamb Loin atop an Herbed Pearl Couscous and Flash Fried Bok Choy with a HALL Merlot Reduction

Wild Mushroom and Macadamia Stuffed Lamb Loin
• 4 loins of lamb, approximately 1-1/2 lbs each, trimmed
• 1 pound mixed wild mushrooms; sliced or torn
(depending on what’s in store and what you like);
shiitake, portobello, enoki, oyster, chanterelles
• 2 handfuls of macadamia nuts – toasted and lightly crushed
(a good way to do this is to wrap them up in a kitchen towel
and bash them with a pan)
• 2 sprigs of thyme – leaves removed and chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 lemon
• 3 Tbsp butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1) Heat a large sauce pan over medium-low heat.
2) Sweat shallots and thyme in butter until shallots are translucent.
3) Add mushrooms and cook over a low heat till soft.
4) Add macadamia nuts.
5) Add a squeeze of lemon and season with
freshly ground black pepper and salt.
6) Remove pan from heat.
7) Season one side of each lamb loin. Tie the loins up crosswise with kitchen twine with the seasoned sides facing each other. Knots should be about an inch and a half apart.
8) As an option: You can prepare the lamb as above up to 12 hours prior to roasting. Place a sprig of fresh rosemary and a sprig of fresh thyme under the twine so that it gives the meat a lovely herby flavor and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.
9) Put one Tbsp of oil in a frying pan and heat it till almost smoking.
Place the loins in the pan and brown on all sides.
10) Transfer the lamb to a roasting pan and place in a preheated oven (400 F) for 13-15 minutes until medium rare.
11) After removing the lamb from the oven, allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Herbed Pearl Couscous
• 3 cups pearl couscous
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed/minced
• 3 shallots finely chopped
• 4-1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, basil, dill

1) Sweat down butter, garlic and shallots in large sauce pan over a medium to low heat until soft.
2) Add couscous and vegetable stock
3) Bring to the boil and then reduce heat to very low and cover. The couscous will absorb all the liquid and take about 10 minutes to cook
4) Remove from heat. Add herbs, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Flash Fried Bok Choy
• 9 bunches of bok choy
• 2-3 Tbsp almond oil (or any other nut oil)

1) Trim the ends of the washed bok choy so that the leaves separate
2) Heat a wok or frying pan until very hot. Add half of the oil and half of the bok choy. Stir fry until bok choy is slightly wilted and has gained some color but is still a bit crunchy. (Don’t worry about charring it a little.) Remove batch from pan and repeat with second half of ingredients.

HALL Napa Valley Merlot Reduction
• 1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 celery rib, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 large potato, roughly cubed
• 1 star anise
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 bottle HALL Napa Valley Merlot
• Splash of whipping cream

1) Sweat onion, garlic, carrots and celery down in a saucepan over a medium to low heat. Add the potato once the other vegetables have softened. Stir potato around for about one minute to help release the starch from the potato into the mixture.
2) Stir in the wine and the star anise. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon — almost the consistency of heavy cream.
3) Strain the sauce through a sieve into a clean saucepan.
Stir in a splash of cream and season with black pepper and salt.

To Serve
Remove twine from lamb loins and slice crosswise. Spoon couscous onto plates. Rest slices of lamb atop the couscous. Drizzle with reduction sauce. Arrange bok choy alongside.

Enjoy with HALL Napa Valley Merlot.