Rotarian Wine Dinner Recipes

Prepared and served by culinary arts students at TCC Southeast, Rotarian wine dinners are a unique opportunity where paying guests experience a five-star restaurant experience complete with perfectly paired wines. Through these private events, more than $60,000 in scholarships has been raised to date. Students who have received scholarships help prepare the next dinner so scholarship contributors can meet them. Each event is themed after various countries and features native cuisine and wines: Fall 2018 was themed “Chaîne des Rôtisseurs” (Portuguese) and Spring 2018 was “Rotarian Wine Appreciation Fellowship” (French). Students from TCC’s music department provide background music, student campus ambassadors greet guests and the Hospitality Program students serve the plated courses.

Sautéed Duck Breast

Serves 4, pairs nicely with Bordeaux

Ingredients

• 4 skin-on duck breasts, 6 oz. each
• Salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Leaving skin on breast, trim away any excess skin and fat. Using a sharp knife, score skin lightly, but do not cut into the flesh.
2. Season duck with salt and pepper. Place duck in a cold pan, skin side down, over medium heat. Cook until fat is rendered and skin is nicely browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. You may need to reduce heat three-fourths of the way through cooking process.
3. Drain duck fat and reserve for future use.
4. Turn the duck over and cook until medium-rare, 4 to 5 more minutes. Remove duck and set aside; cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Orange BBQ Duck Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tsp Orange Zest
• 4 oz. Orange Juice (fresh)
• 1 oz. Port Wine Reduction
• 1 oz. Currant Jelly
• ½ oz. Lemon Juice, fresh
• ½ oz. Ginger, fresh
• Cayenne pepper
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 2 oz. Duck Stock (or Chicken)

Method

1. Blanch orange zest in hot water for 3 minutes and strain water.
2. Add zest to pan juices of duck and stock.
3. Add orange juice, port, currant jelly, lemon juice and ginger and simmer until sauce covers the back of a spoon.
4. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne.
5. Strain and hold warm until service.

Peach Ice Cream

Yields 3 ½ quarts

Ingredients

• 5 c. ripe peaches, peeled and diced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten, at room temp
• 2 ½ c. sugar
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. almond extract
• Pinch of salt
• 4 c. whole milk
• 3 c. heavy cream

Method

1. In a blender, puree 3 c. of peaches. Mash or leave diced the remaining 2 c. Divide lemon juice evenly between blended and diced peaches and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, almond extract and salt until well blended. Set aside.
3. In a large, heavy saucepan heat the milk and cream over low heat just until steaming. Temper egg mixture by adding and mixing a small amount of heated cream.
4. Pour tempered egg mixture back into heavy saucepan with remaining heated cream. Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and smooth.
5. Remove from heat and cool. Refrigerate until well chilled — two hours.
6. Once egg and cream mixture is chilled, add pureed peaches and mix well.
7. Pour mixture into 5 qt. ice cream freezer canister.
8. Process for 5 minutes. Carefully add remaining peaches to ice cream freezer canister, mixing gently with a long spoon.
9. Continue freezing according to manufacturer’s directions.
10. Let ice cream rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.