Spencer finds his inner foodie with a 'Plate and Pair' cooking class at Meadowood Napa Valley

SAINT HELENA, Calif. (KGO) -- Escape to the beautiful Napa Valley for exceptional wines, awe-inspiring vineyard views, and decadent cuisine at Meadowood.

In this episode, Spencer creates the perfect meals through Meadowood's Plate and Pair Culinary Experience taught by Chef Danielle Fiala and Sommelier Monica Zanotti.

Watch as Spencer prepares Meadowood's signature dishes: Warm roasted garlic hummus and charred vegetables with a white wine vinaigrette and fennel-dusted, pan seared lamb chops paired with a red wine reduction, fresh herb salsa, and bulgur pilaf.

The Plate and Pair cooking class offers a hand-on approach toward sipping and savoring with an in-depth exploration of the signature flavors within Northern California's wine country. Learn the proper techniques for preparing, cooking, and plating dishes from Meadowood's curated menu and discover mouthwatering wine pairings to complement your creations.

Go here for more information.

Address:

Meadowood Napa Valley

900 Meadowood Ln

Saint Helena, CA 94574

Recipes for the dishes prepared in this segment:

Fennel-Dusted Pan Seared Lamb Chops

Serves 3

Ingredients:

6-9 small lamb rib chops (approx. 2-3 oz each), bone in

Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper as needed

Approx. 2 tbsp freshly ground fennel seed

Vegetable oil for high-heat cooking

Directions:

Season the lamb chops on both sides with salt, pepper and fennel seed.

Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or seal in a plastic bag and refrigerate overnight (allow to warm up to room temperature before cooking).

When ready to cook, heat a cast iron skillet over high heat, then add just enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan.

Pat the lamb chops dry with a paper towel, and place into the skillet. Fit as many of the chops as you can without crowding the pan.

Cook the chops until each side is golden brown. For medium rare, cook for approximately 2 minutes per side, or until a thermometer inserted into the middle of the chop reads 142-145 degrees Fahrenheit. Note that the exact time will depend on the thickness of the chops.

As the chops are cooked, remove them from the pan and set aside, loosely covered with a light towel, until you are ready to assemble your dish.

Red Wine Reduction

Ingredients:

1 quart beef, veal or lamb stock

2 cups red wine

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1 large sprig of thyme, whole

1 tbsp cold butter

Pinch of sugar if needed for balance

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the stock in a sauce pan and simmer on medium heat until reduced by half - approximately 45 minutes.

Add the red wine, vinegar and thyme, and simmer for about another 20 minutes until further reduced to a syrupy consistency.

Remove from the heat and add the butter, stirring continuously as it melts into the sauce.

Taste the sauce and add a pinch of sugar if the tartness seems out of balance.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, and remove the thyme sprig before serving.

Fresh Herb Salsa

Ingredients:

bunch parsley, leaves and small stems only

2 scallion stalks

2-3 sprigs thyme, leaves only

2-3 sprigs marjoram or oregano, leaves only

Good quality olive oil, preferably bold-tasting

lemon

Kosher salt as needed

Directions:

Gather all the herbs together and chop them as finely as possible.

Place the chopped herbs into a small bowl, add a generous pinch of salt and completely cover them with olive oil.

Lightly squeeze the lemon and allow a few drops to drip into the bowl, avoiding the seeds.

Let salsa sit at room temperature at least 10 minutes before serving.

Bulgur Pilaf

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil

large onion, cut into small dice

1 cup bulgur

1 bay leaf

1 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Salt to taste

Directions:

Heat a medium-sized saucepan and over medium-high heat and add the oil.

When the oil is hot, add the onion and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion pieces are translucent.

Add the bulgur along with the bay leaf, and stir to coat each grain completely in the oil. Continue cooking for a few minutes to allow the onions to caramelize a bit more. Be careful not to burn them.

Add the stock along with a generous pinch of salt, and stir well. Once the liquid is well seasoned (taste as you go!), bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat so that the liquid is lightly simmering, and cover well. Set a timer for 15 minutes.

At the 15 minute mark, turn the heat off, leaving the pot covered, and set another timer for 5 minutes.

When your timer goes off, uncover the pot and fluff with a fork. Discard the bay leaf.

Serve pilaf hot or just slightly warm, bearing in mind that the grains firm up slightly as they cool.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked chickpeas (canned ok)

2 tbsp tahini

1 tsp ground cumin

Pinch chili powder or espelette pepper

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

2 tbsp roasted garlic in oil

Extra virgin olive oil for finishing

Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

If using canned chickpeas, drain well and heat them in a small pan with about 1 cup of water.

If using freshly cooked chickpeas, keep them hot with about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Place the chickpeas, along with the hot cooking liquid, tahini and spices into a food processor or blender. Puree until mostly smooth.

Add the lemon juice and roasted garlic and puree until completely smooth.

Taste the hummus. If it does not feel rich and creamy on the tongue, add about 1 more tablespoon of olive oil and pulse to incorporate.

Taste and add more salt as needed. At this point, stir in the salt manually to avoid overprocessing the hummus.

Serve warm with charred vegetables.

Leftovers may be refrigerated and enjoyed cold for up to a week.

Charred Vegetables with White Wine Vinaigrette

Serves 3

Ingredients:

1 bunch broccolini

1 head radicchio

Vegetable oil as needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Dressing:

1 tsp finely minced shallot

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

3 oz extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the diced shallot in a small mixing bowl with the vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the mustard.

While whisking, pour in the olive oil in a thin stream, until the dressing is emulsified. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Directions for charring vegetables:

Remove the tough stem ends of the broccolini. If the stalks are very different in size, cut the larger ones lengthwise to achieve roughly equal sizes.

Quickly cook the broccolini in boiling salted water for about 1 minute, until it turns bright green. Remove from the pot, plunge briefly in ice water to stop the cooking, and lay flat on a kitchen towel or paper towel to drain.

Cut the radicchio into six large wedges, leaving the core intact to hold the leaves together. Toss with vegetable oil and salt.

Heat a large saute pan or cast iron skillet over high heat, then add just enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

Place the radicchio wedges in the pan with one flat side down and cook without moving until they begin to turn dark brown around the edges. Flip with tongs and cook on all sides until it is charred all the way around and wilted in the middle.

As the wedges are cooked, remove them from the pan, place on a cutting board and remove the cores. Cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Place into a bowl and drizzle with the dressing while still hot.

Cook the blanched broccolini in the same way, adding to the bowl with the radicchio and dressing.

Taste and adjust salt as needed.

WINES:

Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc 2016

Freemark Abbey Chardonnay Napa Valley 2017

Stack House Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2015