Chef David Raines, the culinary cornerstone of Flora’s growing food business, officially launched The Flora Supper Club with a recent Italian Wine Dinner. The six course feast paired various wines with dishes ranging from linguine in white clam sauce and pork ribeye to duck two ways and veal Osso Buco. The ongoing plan Is to create various wine theme dinners within a personal and intimate setting. Chef has invited various local wine representatives to inform guests of featured vintages for the evening. Chef Raines, a certified sommelier, personally selects each wine to compliment the presented course and will explain to guests why the wine compliments a specific dish. All events are by reservation only and held at Dave’s Triple B which is converted to a fine dining room for the eventing.
The Flora Supper Club team has sold-out the upcoming dinner, a special Spanish Wine Dinner. Spanish cuisine is known for fresh seafood, local seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs with an emphasis on extraordinary olive oils. A third January wine dinner is presently in the works and reservations are now being taken.
Chef David Raines comes to this point in his illustrious career after a celebrated culinary tour of the world where he shared his talents in restaurants in Italy, Denmark, Australia, Germany and Japan. He has cooked for the #1 Michelin-rated Rene Redzepi’s Noma in Denmark as well as Emeril Lagasse’s Nola in New Orleans. While working in the Big Easy he was lured to the famed R’evolution restaurant in the French Quarter where has talents did not go unnoticed by owner/chefs Rick Tramonto and John Folse. So, when it was decided to open Seafood R’evolution in Ridgeland, Mississippi, Tramonto/Folse named David Raines Chef de Cuisine of their new venture. That honor did come with one condition. David agreed to bring Seafood R’evolution’s menu to life, but he would be leaving after one year to pursue his ultimate dream, to create The Flora Butcher.
“When we decided to open The Flora Butcher many thought we were crazy to open a premium butcher shop in a small rural town,” says Chef Raines. “Looking back, it was the obvious choice with numerous benefits. Flora, Mississippi was already undergoing a bit of a renaissance when we opened. I’d like to think our being here contributed to that rediscovery of what was named the #1 small town in Mississippi in 2016.”
Since its opening, The Flora Butcher, has caught the attention of local, regional and national media. Features in Mississippi Magazine, Cast Iron Cooking, Jackson Free Press, Hometown Madison, The Northside Sun, Jackson Free Press, The Clarion Ledger, WMPB Radio(NPR) and WLBT-TV News have put Chef Raines and the shop on the map. Customers have come from as far away as Illinois, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana. Restaurants in not only the Central Mississippi area, but in New Orleans, are serving Raines Wagyu.
The Chef Raines Flora empire now includes Dave’s Triple B Barbecue lunch restaurant and the elegant Raines Cellars, a fine wine and rare spirits shop with a popular tasting bar. With a butcher shop, restaurant and fine wine store the groundwork was laid for The Flora Supper Club. The November events sold out in record time. The next wine dinner will take place in January 2023. Interested parties are encouraged contact Anne Marie Smith at (601)879-7803 or email her at annemarie@makeitraines.com. They sellout fast.
If you missed the premier Flora Supper Club dinner, Chef Raines has included herewith recipes for the two of the six courses you can prepare at home. Feel free to contact Anne Marie Smith at the aforementioned number/email for the best wine pairings with both dishes.
5 pounds Fresh Littleneck Clams, in the shell 4 ounce Unsalted Butter 2 ounce Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 cup Garlic, thinly sliced 1 cup Shallots, julienned 1 tablespoon Lemongrass, finely minced 2 teaspoon Rosemary, minced 1 ½ teaspoon Thyme, minced 1 ¼ tablespoon All Purpose Flour 1 ½ cup White Wine 1 ½ tablespoon Sambal 1 cup Heavy Cream ½ tablespoon Lemon Zest 1 ounce Lemon Juice Salt and Pepper to taste
Soak the clams in water for 30 minutes to an hour to give them time to expel any grit that might be inside the shells. Then in a large pot, bring an inch of water to a boil and add the rinsed clams. Cover and allow them to steam until all the clams have opened. Discard any clams that did not open. Save the liquid in the pot and remove the clams from their shells, saving a few in the shell for presentation. Do a rough chop with the clams and combine them with the cooking liquid.
In a medium saucepot, sauté the garlic, shallot, lemongrass, rosemary and thyme using the butter and olive oil. When the garlic and shallots are tender, add the flour and stir for about 3 or four minutes. Next add the wine, sambal, clams and their liquid to the pot and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cream and bring back to a simmer. Remove it from the heat, add the lemon juice and zest and season to taste with the salt and pepper
When it’s time to eat, heat the sauce in a large nonstick pan and stir in your cooked linguini. Stir and give it a few minutes to really coat the pasta. Plate the dish with one clam, in the shell, on top. Serve with some crusty bread and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
If you don’t have access to fresh clams, they do sell canned clams ‘in juice” but the difference in flavor is notable and I would not use that shortcut personally. There are several places in the area that sell fresh clams including Fresh Market, Whole Foods and Costco. The last having more consistent availability.
6 Veal Osso Buco, tied All Purpose Flour, to coat Salt and Pepper to coat 4 ounces Beef Tallow 2 large Yellow Onions, sliced 4 ribs Celery, chopped 2 Carrots, peeled and chopped 6-8 Garlic Cloves, smashed 1 quart Tomatoes, diced 2 cups Red Wine 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste 2 large sprigs Fresh Sage 4 sprigs Fresh Thyme 1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary 4 Fresh Bay Leaves Beef Stock, to cover
Season The osso buco with salt and pepper and then roll in flour, shaking off the excess. In a braising pan, heat the tallow and sear the osso buco on all sides and set to the side. Add the vegetables to the pan and gently sauté. When the onions are translucent, add the tomatoes and red wine. Stirring often and scraping and crusty bits off the bottom of the pan, continue cooking until the liquid is almost completely cooked out. When it’s ready, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir often. Add the herbs and then put the osso buco on the vegetables so that they don’t touch the pan. Make sure that the side facing up is the larger part of the bone. The bone marrow is less likely to come out during cooking this way. Add beef stock until it just covers the meat and cover the pan.
Place in a preheated oven set to 250 degrees. Cook for about 2 hours and then check for tenderness. It should be ready to fall apart when it’s done. Set the pan off to the side to cool. When is cool enough to handle. Remove the osso buco carefully to keep them intact. Strain the braising liquid, discarding the vegetables and return to the stove in a saucepot that is large enough to hold it. Turn the heat to medium high and reduce the sauce by at least half. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
When serving, heat the osso buco in the reduced sauce and then add a ladle of the sauce over the top.
I like to serve this over a mushroom farrotto and then a green salad with a simple vinaigrette. Topping it with a gremolata, which is a simple mixture of minced parsley, garlic and lemon zest.
In Italy, people have very strong opinions as to what to serve this with. My favorite is not as traditional but the farrotto is super comforting and the green salad helps lighten up the richness of the dish.
