Smoked Trout Mousse with "Dolores" Apple and Fennel Salad on California Endive

Contributor: Wally Joe, Wally Joe's Restaurant, Memphis, TN; courtesy of Cakebread Cellars' American Harvest Workshop

Cakebread Cellars sponsors The American Harvest Workshop, a non-profit, educational effort to increase the appreciation of wine and viticulture and the nutritional and aesthetic qualities of American farm producers. Developed as a working forum in which sommeliers, chefs and food producers could interact with key members of the media and business world, the American Harvest Workshop focuses on developing programs to promote and improve the quality, availability and marketability of American wine and food. Held annually during the harvest, this program provides participants with an opportunity to involve themselves in the excitement of the grape harvest and wine making process, as well as the opportunity to meet Northern California food producers. California Vegetable Specialties is a long-time participant in the Workshop, and California Endive is often on the winery menu. Wally Joe, Chef/Owner of KC's Restaurant and Wally Joe's Restaurant, was a participant in the 2004 American Harvest Workshop and developed this elegant hors d'oeuvres recipe. Chef Wally Joe began his culinary education as a child growing up in KC's, the award-winning restaurant owned by his family, who emigrated from Hong Kong to the Mississippi Delta town of Cleveland, MS. Chef Joe's cuisine reflects his Asian heritage and hints of the American South. A pioneer of the Southern culinary revolution, Chef Joe created his eclectic, modern American cuisine for his signature restaurant, Wally Joe's in Memphis, Tennessee. In November of 1994, Wally Joe became the first chef from the state of Mississippi to be invited to cook at the James Beard House. Wally has been featured in Food Arts, Southern Living, Esquire, Indulge, USA Today and Chef Magazine of Great Britain. He is one of 20 chefs featured in the Discover Channel series, "Great Chefs of the South." He has appeared on "CBS Sunday Morning" and NBC's "Today Show," and now shares his culinary expertise on Turner South's original series,"Off the Menu."

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Chef's Notes

This impressive starter requires little time and few ingredients. For the workshop dinner, Chef Wally Joe used (and prefers) applewood-smoked trout. The fresh chives and tangy salad and crunch of the endive complement the crisp style of Cakebread Cellars 2000 Sauvignon Blanc.

Trout Mousse Ingredients

• 1 filet (4 ounces) smoked trout
• 1 tablespoon crème fraîche
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon minced chives
• 2 turns of fresh cracked black pepper

Trout Mousse Instructions

1. Flake apart trout filet, being careful to remove any bones.
2. In a food processor, purée all of the ingredients until smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Transfer the pureed mixture - now a mousse - to a ceramic bowl and set aside.

"Dolores" Salad Ingredients

• 1/2 Granny Smith apple
• 1/4 bulb of fennel, plus fronds
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon honey

"Dolores" Salad Instructions

1. Julienne the apple and the fennel bulb.
2. Mince1 teaspoon fennel fronds.
3. In a small bowl, toss apple and fennel with cider vinegar and honey and reserve.

Assembly Instructions

1. Trim 1 small head California Endive and separate into leaves. (Note: there should be 12 to 16 leaves. If the leaves are longer than 3 inches, trim to 3 inches.)
2. Use two small spoons to form quenelles* of mousse (or use a small scoop).
3. Place each quenelle in the middle of an endive spear.
4. Spread a spoonful of salad on each individual plate and top with two or three mousse-filled pieces of endive.
5. Garnish each plate with a sprig of fennel frond. Serves 6 to 8.

   * "Quenelle" is a French culinary term for a small, football-shaped dumpling, usually made with forcemeat of fish or poultry. When making quenelles, make sure that the mousse is well chilled. Dip a wet spoon into chilled mousse, bring up a rounded gob, and shape the top neatly by inverting the bowl of a second wet spoon over the top. Take top spoon off and gently nudge the quenelle off the bottom spoon.

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