The producers of Sauternes are a back-slapping and genial lot. When asked what they eat with their wine they may laugh and say, "oysters" or even "spicy Indian." Recently at Mallard Cottage we discovered an affiliation between Château Guiraud and pasta by dialing in on a few bridge ingredients. For this dish, we are doing an iteration with street corn. Opt for racier vintages like 2011 and 2015 for savory Sauterne pairings or turn to nearby Barsac for something more lithe (Château Daisy Daëne). With all of that said, the spirit of these masters cries out for tweaked take-out and food trucks instead of foie gras. The secret is to utilize contrasting ingredients (salt) and high impact techniques (smoking and confit) and steer away from excessive natural sugar, so as to not make it cloying. Sauternes is, after all, hedonistic, if not lighthearted.
Street Corn and Squash Linguine
Recipe by Chef David Woods
4 to 6 Servings
5 heads garlic, whole
3 cups heavy ream
2 white onions, roughly chopped
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 bay leaf
¼ cup + 2 tbsp white wine
4 ears corn
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded diced
Roasted garlic oil*
12 oz fresh linguine
1 tbsp butter
1 shallot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Blue cheese**, crumbled, for garnish
Toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), for garnish
Watercress, or other sprouts, for garnish
Directions: Add heads garlic, cream, white onions, peppercorns, bay leaf, and 1/4 cup white wine to a pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 3 hours. Strain. Pull pack corn husks and remove silk. Add corn to a brine solution (water, salt, sugar, spices) for 3 hours. Tie husks, using kitchen twine, to corn. Add corn to a smoker set at 200 F for 2.5 hours. Remove from smoker and cut corn kernels off the cobs. While corn is smoking, toss squash in roasted garlic olive oil. Place in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat and sweat until par-cooked. Set aside. When the corn has finished smoking, cook linguine for 2 minutes in heavily salted water. Drain, reserving some of the liquid. While linguine is cooking add butter to sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add shallots and minced garlic and sauté, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn kernels and squash. Deglaze with remaining white wine. Add linguine and garlic cream. Add a splash of reserve pasta water, a dab of butter, and season with salt and pepper.
* Preheat oven to 250°F. Place 1 lb garlic cloves (peeled) and ½ liter olive oil in a baking dish. Make sure garlic is covered in oil. Bake until garlic is soft and squish. Strain to remove garlic. Pass oil through a coffee filter. Let cool completely before using.
** Chef David recommends Bleu D'Élizabeth from Fromagerie du Prebytère in Quebec
