Back in November 2015, I wrote about our 2013 Amber Chardonnay for the first time. I introduced the style of “orange” wine to you. In modern Georgia, along the southern slopes of the Caucasus Mountain range, archaeology finds have confirmed that wine making existed as early as 6,000 B.C. The word wine is thought to have originated from the Georgian word “Ghvino”. Georgia is to be considered where wine originated in the world. Georgia borders the Black Sea, Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

There have been different methods of aging wine; steel containers, Oak barrels, qvevri and a few other not as common methods.  Qvevri are clay pots that are buried underground for wine to age.  The clay pots are lined inside with beeswax or melted fat. Good quality qvevri can last more than a hundred years without affecting the flavor of the wine.

The one thing I love every week, is doing research for my articles. This week I am reading about a Georgian food and a particular dish called Khinkali. The first time I had it, we bought them frozen to try something different. A local company makes frozen food that we love, so we thought we would experiment, and the rest is history. They’re absolutely delicious.   It’s a dumpling that is stuffed generally with meat and then boiled. Every region has its little variation to it. As I was reading other things populate and then you start reading about that and then of course I get sidetracked, which I do all the time. But I absolutely enjoy spending an afternoon reading about topics that I absolutely adore.

As I was searching, I found a restaurant in the DC area that focuses on Georgian style wines. Their offerings for wines are so amazing, that I can’t wait to go visit my family, just to go try this restaurant. They offer over 60 styles of Georgian wine, that’s modern and fermented in the qvevri.  Alone, they have over 20 styles of orange wines.

I wanted to pair the 2017 Amber Chardonnay with something sweet and yummy, so I thought maybe a chocolate khinkali stuffed with dried apricots and ricotta. Think of it like a sweet ravioli shaped in a different package. Being home more, I have been wanting to make something with my “Onyx” cocoa. This rich cocoa will make the darkest chocolate desserts you’ve ever seen. I think this will be perfect. It sounds like a lot of steps, but the result is fabulous!

Ingredients

The Pasta Dough:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 3 large eggs

Directions for pasta

1. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend.
2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and place the eggs in the well.
3. Using a fork, whisk slowly to combine the eggs into the flour until completely mixed.
4. Transfer the dough to a work surface and, using the palm of your hand, lightly knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. If the dough is sticky, add a little flour on the kneading surface.
6. When the dough is done, (The dough is ready if, when you make an imprint in it with the tip of your finger, and the dough bounces back.) shape into a flat disk and tightly wrap in plastic film.
7. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
8. Separate the pasta dough into 4 pieces. If you have a pasta machine, one at a time, roll out each piece from the widest to the thinnest setting. Keep the remaining dough covered to prevent it from drying out.
9. To make the ravioli, dust a work surface with flour. Place one pasta sheet on the work surface.
10. Cut the ravioli into 5” circle by using a cookie cutter.
11. Place a teaspoon of filling on the dough. * see below for ingredients for filling.
12. Brush the pasta dough with water, fold the dough over, and press to seal using a fork. Be careful not to trap air inside the ravioli (or they will burst during cooking).
13. Set the finished ravioli on a baking sheet lined with parchment and dust with flour, to prevent sticking. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should get at least 24 ravioli.
14. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

 

 

Ingredients

The filling:

• 6 oz ricotta
• Zest of one lemon
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg

Directions for filling

Mix and set aside until ready to make the ravioli. *Step 11

Directions for marmalade sauce

 

Directions for ravioli

15. To cook the ravioli, bring the water to a boil in a large pot and boil.
16. Add the ravioli to the pot and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.
17. Serve with a dusting of powder sugar and triple citrus marmalade sauce.