Culinary Complements
Cheese Straws
Makes 4 dozen 12-inch by °-inch straw
- 1/2 pound cheese, grated (gruyere, cheddar and similar cheeses work well)
- 1 C all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 4 T unsalted butter, cut into 1 T pieces
- 1-2 T ice water, as needed
- Kosher salt (optional)
Preheat oven to 450°. Place flour and cayenne pepper in bowl of food processor. Pulse briefly. Add butter to processor and pulse to combine until mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Slowly add up to two tablespoons ice water. Stop when mixture just comes together in bowl. Mixture should still be crumbly. Quickly pulse in grated cheese. Do not overprocess. There should be distinct streaks of cheese in the mix.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or up to one day. Roll on floured surface to about 1/8-1/16th inch. Work in batches if necessary. Cut into strips of any desired width and length. (We use a pizza cutter wheel at the winery.) Place strips slightly separated on a cookie sheet (lightly oil the sheet or use parchment paper to prevent sticking). Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt, if desired.
Bake 8-10 minutes at 450°, rotating sheet halfway through, until golden brown. Let cool completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
We invite you to visit Duckhorn Vineyards for one of our educational Estate Tastings. We pair our wines with seasonal culinary creations to illustrate how beautifully Duckhorn wines pair with food and, in turn, how various flavors can influence and complement our wines. This recipe was created by our winery Chef de Cuisine to showcase the spice, smoke and caramel flavors of the Duckhorn Vineyards Estate Grown Napa Valley Merlot.
