Erin's Irish Beef Stew Accompanied by Hunter Hill Zinfandel

The Fishy Chips

Loyalty and betrayal quickly become conflicts in The Fishy Chips, set in the Silicon Valley of California where many of the titans of the computer world have research and development operations and manufacturing facilities. Educators, under the control of Chinese agents are using students from the Mission Community College’s Semiconductor Manufacturing Program to obtain a top-secret computer chip being manufactured by Intel for use in the United States Military's anti--ballistic missile system. Rick has to reconcile his loyalty to his students with loyalty to his country as he works with his friend from the FBI to recover the stolen component.      Also telling the story is George Yuan, a nineteen-year-old alienated Chinese-American. Through the help of a beautiful female spy, George discovers his love and loyalty to China. He agrees to help steal the computer chip. In the process of recovering the stolen computer chip, the FBI captures the members of the spying ring, and two others are murdered. From Chapter 12       I'm not used to having a late lunch, but it was pleasant eating in the cafeteria with its glass walls facing Mission Boulevard. The room was nearly empty except for one woman, sitting in the sunlight in the far corner, an attractive young, blond who, I concluded, must be Amy. There was a sandwich bar and another counter at which you could order the day’s entrées, usually hotdogs, and hamburgers. Today, the special was from Ireland, a beef stew with stout served with colcannon. This was a dish that Erin had made for us many times in the past. The presentation was superb and the carrots, the chunks of beef and the pearl onions were easily distinguishable. Next to the stew was the colcannon--mashed potatoes with chopped kale. This dish would be absolutely perfect with a glass of Hunter Hill Zinfandel, but since I was in a school, I served myself iced tea and went to the salad bar to pile tomatoes, kidney beans and garlic croutons on a serving of lettuce before going to join the woman I hoped would become a source of solid information. Hunter Hill Vineyard And  Winery                                                                     The Hunter Hill vineyard and winery is located in Soquel on the old Manildi farm that in the late 1800s raised apples, stone fruits, and grapes. Wine was made for home consumption. Christine, a granddaughter of the Manildis married Vann Slatter and they returned to the farm to raise their own children. In 1992, Christine and Vann decided to replace the old apple trees with Merlot grapes and they started to experiment with making wine. By 1998 the winery moved from the basement of the house to a new facility and Hunter Hill was bonded. The six-acre property now produces ten to eighteen tons of Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah grapes each year. They produce about 2400 cases of wine per year.      Hunter Hill was named after the Slatter’s Chesapeake Bay retriever, Hunter, who died over five years ago. Her muzzle still graces the Hunter Hill label and business cards.      The family also is in the construction business, having owned Santa Cruz-based Slatter Construction since 1985. They were responsible for rebuilding much of downtown Santa Cruz after the earthquake in 1989.

Erin's Beef Stew Accompanied by Hunter Hill Zinfandel                           When Rick saw these two dishes in the college cafeteria, he knew that the chef must be Irish.  Sure enough, it was just as good as Erin’s rendition of these two Irish classics. When served at home Rick likes the Hunter Hill Zinfandel which provides a spicy contrast to the heavy flavor of the broth.  Some people like to serve this stew with Colcannon, Rick likes it with noodles.

Serves 6

2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons of butter
4 teaspoons all purpose flour
1 clove garlic, crushed4 large carrots, peeled, sliced
2 cups pearl onions2 tablespoons of tomato paste3/4 cup canned beef broth
1 can of stout or dark ale

Beef, onions, garlic and carrots

Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper and coat it with the flour.  Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over high heat.  Add the beef and sauté until it is brown on all sides about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low.  Add garlic, carrots, and onions to skillet and cook for one minute. Add broth, tomato paste and stout. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 to 3 hours until beef and carrots are tender, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare noodles as per the directions on the package.  Pour the beef stew over the noodles and serve.