This post is about celebrating Michigan wines and wineries and a recipe you can make using one of Michigan’s finest products.
Michigan is home to 101 wineries producing more than 1.3 million gallons of wine annually. My great state is the fourth-largest grape producing state in the nation. The wine industry in Michigan contributes more than 300 million annually to the Michigan economy. I have to admit I make a decent contribution to that amount. My favorites are Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon and I do enjoy Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris wines.
Back in mid Spring, 2013 my two sisters and I participated in the Southeast Michigan Pioneer Wine Trail. It was a 2 day weekend visiting 9 different wineries and 1 brewery, enjoying delicious appetizers specifically paired with each wineries’ great wine. Yes, I was the designated driver as any hostess should be, only a sip for me but enough to taste the various wines.
Chateau Aeronautique was one of the wineries on the tour and probably our favorite. The vinter, Lorenzo Lizarralde, has a special gazebo-shaped tasting room with a crystal chandelier over the bar stocked with excellent wines, a beautiful home with an attached hangar for his own private airplane and a grass runway. There is even a small plane inside the banquet room – first class without a doubt! Gene was a pilot (for fun) and used to be part owner of a small plane and then one sister’s husband is a pilot for Southwest. These two guys would love this kind of arrangement; not to mention a niece and nephew who fly as well! My niece even writes for a flying publication.
After I tasted and received a recipe for this appetizer I had to buy a bottle of Cabernet Franc 2010 to make this dish. It has a powerful nose, bold cherry plate and high alcohol finish, very smooth, wonderful to drink and excellent in this lamb lettuce wrap. This is one of the vinters more expensive wines but it is fun to get a good bottle every now and then. You can substitute any Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot or a blend of the two.
Chateau Aeronautique Lamb Lettuce Wraps
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 4 tbsp. red onion, minced
- 1 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. ground cumin seed
- 1 tbsp. ground coriander seed
- pinch or two of red chili powder
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 lb. ground lamb
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 cup Chateau Aeronautique 2010 Cabernet Franc
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice
- 2 tbsp. sumac (my ground sumac has a small amount of salt in it because during processing it facilitates grinding due to the moisture in the berries, so I left the salt above out – see my comment below)
- 1 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped (fresh mint is a must as it really adds some nice fresh flavor)
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 head lettuce or bibb lettuce ( I always use bibb as it is more flexible, tender and easier to work with)
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet and add the next six ingredients; cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until the lamb is browned and no longer pink. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has reduced by half. To finish stir in the cooked rice, sumac, mint and parsley. Make the garlic sauce below if desired.
Garlic Lemon Sauce (optional):
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1 cup olive oil
In a food processor combine garlic, lemon and olive oil; process until creamy and set aside. I was not fond of this sauce and I will not use it the next time. I really do not think it contributed that much to the flavor. Maybe the next time I make it I will come up with a different sauce, just not use any or “tweak” it a little.
To assemble the wraps fill each lettuce leaf with 3 to 4 tbsp. of the lamb mixture and drizzle with a little garlic sauce if desired. This recipe is one of the most wonderfully flavored dishes I have ever had – oh and the kitchen smelled so good too.
Comment:
Sumac is a relatively new spice for me but not as a plant. When we lived out in the country we had sumac everywhere and it seemed to multiply quite easily but it was a different variety. Ours was probably poisonous as the birds never ate the berries. Staghorn Sumac can reach tree size and forms thickets. In winter , the bare, widely forking, stout, hairy twigs resemble deer antlers in velvet, hence the name. Even though it is related to poison ivy this type is not poisonous. It has a pretty deep red hue and lends this color to anything it touches. It has a tart, berry, and lemony flavor and will add a little zing to your dishes.
I used my beautiful Fall lettuce to make these again…
Got it linked up for you, Juju. Just need to add you to the board on my blog. But I can’t do that on the IPad (still in bed now, and I only bring my IPad to bed) so I’ll take care of it in a minute. Meanwhile, this recipe is fantastic! I don’t think I’ve ever had anything like it. Sounds so exotic and completely irresistible. I have to try this. I’m assuming I can substitute beef for the lamb?
Thanks so much once again Angie – you not only have a fabulous, fun blog but you help me with my computer problems. What did I do wrong? Sure, you can substitute beef – the seasonings have so much flavor I do not think it would matter 🙂
No problem, Juju. I’m very happy you join us again, with another gourmet recipe. I think you may have copy pasted the URL of the photo, and not the URL of the post. The first time around, when you got a message telling you the file was too large, you probably copy pasted the URL of the blog. You’ll get the hang of it. In the meantime, just let me know if you have any problem. 🙂
These look and sound absolutely amazing… A must try for sure. Wonderful post.. 🙂
Thanks – they taste better than what I remember at the winery. A lot going on in this recipe but very good 🙂
I have never tried Sumac before but looks like I need to try it soon! thanks for your recipe! 🙂
You are welcome – it is a new spice for me too, or at least I do not recall using it before. 🙂
I can almost taste the flavors of your wraps! They look great! 🙂
Thanks very much – the lettuce wraps are very good 🙂
Thanks for sharing so much information about wine in Michigan. I have learnt so much. We have a lot of sumac here…it grows everywhere in my neighbourhood. I’ve never used it as a spice though…I should try. I have just eaten my left over bolognese sauce on toast. I made it with lots of red wine…tasted really good. This recipe of yours is great. I would serve mine on tortillas and just shave it as a complete meal. I’m gonna try this. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Liz – Michigan is not only the Great Lakes State but we have so much more to offer. Pay us a visit – you will not be disappointed 🙂
Be careful about the sumac – it has to be staghorn sumac, otherwise it could be poisonous. We did not have the staghorn variety. Sumac has to be processed to get the moisture out. If I was hungry I would definitely serve it in tortillas too!
Ha ha I’ve heard Michigan being advertised on radio, almost every single day…it sounds like heaven on earth. We share a common border with you. One day (I’ve always said that, I shall visit your state) If I were to use sumac I would only buy the processed one but we do have the staghorn sumac here in Ontario in plenty. I pass it on my way to my local food store. This recipe of yours is great for lunch, wrapped in a tortilla. I have saved it. Thanks and have a wonderful day!
That is funny – you will get so tired of hearing about us on the radio that you will have to come and see for yourself 🙂
Wow – this blog post generated an email from this winery letting me know about the upcoming Valentine weekend and the tasty treats they have paired with their wines. The amazing internet and now I am on their mailing list – fun! I highly recommend this winery if you are ever visiting our Great Lakes state. I know I will go back 🙂
Both the wine and lamb wraps look delicious. I had no idea Michigan had so many wineries!
Thanks – the lakes surrounding Michigan are a great environment for growing grapes 🙂 The wine is special and so are the wraps – of course you can use beef or even turkey.
Lovely post and recipe. And so glad you mention preparing your own sumac. I thought I was alone, and was beginning to wonder if I was up a tree. It is a truly delicious and versatile spice.
Thanks so much – it is good to see someone else interested in what nature can provide. I had so many resources available and such a big garden and kids and company all of the time it was hard to try everything I wanted to. A good older book (1990) “Edible Wild Plants: A North American Guide” lists a number of different plants and what you can do with them. My main problem was in correctly identifying some of them. You never want to eat anything poisonous and not all parts of a plant are edible. There is some good info on Staghorn Sumac 🙂