Red Tide Red Wine And Fish Don’t Mix, Right? Wrong, Say Food Experts, Who Contend Many Reds Are The Perfect Match
Just a few years ago, people were as likely to serve red wine with fish as they would offer cheap beer with caviar.
Rules were rules, after all. And everyone knows red wine goes with meat, while whites are perfect partners for chicken and fish.
But then, in 1989, noted food expert David Rosengarten wrote “Red Wine With Fish” (Simon & Schuster). Suddenly, making the perfect food-wine match turned into a whole new ball game.
“The initial idea (behind that book) was to encourage people to be adventurous, to break the rules,” said Paul Gregutt, one of the authors of the recently updated “Northwest Wines” (Sasquatch Books).
But by throwing out the rules - or, at least, taking them less seriously - diners are faced with a mind-boggling number of combinations.
Do you drink merlot with oysters? Or sip cabernet with sole? Is pinot the perfect match for salmon?
The easy answers are no, no and yes, but it can all get mighty confusing.
“When you’re experimenting with lots of different combinations, not every one of them is going to be successful,” Gregutt said.
His advice is to begin at the fish counter.
“There are really only a few kinds of seafood on the market, so start there,” he said. “It’s easier to pick the wine once you’ve settled on the fish.”
Red win works if you choose readily available Northwest favorites such as halibut or salmon. However, delicate, white fish such as trout and sole make a better match with whites.
Another wrinkle in marrying red wine with seafood is choosing the right recipe. Rich, buttery sauces tend to accentuate the flavors of rich, buttery chardonnays. But a hearty red sauce on top of a piece of cod makes it a fine candidate for a light, fruity red.
The whole business of matching foods and wine follows the simple principle that like flavors work well together, as do contrasting tastes.
Wine derives its flavors from specific components including acid, sugar, fruit, tannins (think of unsweetened black tea) and alcohol. The flavors of foods can be broken down into basic parts, too: sweet, bitter, salty, fatty and acidic.
The idea is to identify complementary (or contrasting) flavors in your meal and beverage.
Sam Lange, the sommelier at Beverly’s in Coeur d’Alene, said the full flavors and rich texture of salmon contrasted with a fruity pinot noir from Oregon have become a classic combo.
“I’m not sure if it’s prevalent outside this region, but it has certainly become a Northwest classic,” he said.
Over the past few years, Lange has noticed that people are much more willing to experiment.
“The majority of our guests are inclined to drink whatever they like with their meal, and so many people really enjoy reds,” Lange said.
Vince Perry, owner of Williams Seafood in Spokane, started carrying reds only about a year ago. Since then, wine sales have gone swimmingly.
“They sell better than whites, believe it or not,” he said.
Perry, who is always generous with suggestions on preparing fish, said his customers gravitate toward reds because of the growing scientific evidence that moderate consumption of wines of color can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
“Of course, it doesn’t hurt that they taste great together,” he said.
Perry’s favorite red wine and seafood meals include topping a halibut fillet with pesto sauce and Swiss cheese and baking it. “Drink a nice fruity red, like the petite sirah from Guenoc, with that. It’s wonderful,” he said.
Shellfish - clams, mussels and crab - can be a tough fit with reds. Unless, Perry said, you cook them in a hearty red sauce or in a dish such as cioppino.
At Monarch Fisheries, a restaurant and market in Coeur d’Alene, owner Floyd Hutchens devotes considerable attention to food and wine combinations during his regular cooking classes.
“Matching red wine and fish is one of the up-and-coming combinations that a lot of people are experimenting with these days,” he said. “You wouldn’t believe the kind of comments I hear about how they never expected it to taste so good together.”
His recommendations are a bit broader than most, including suggestions to serve merlot or zinfandel with oilier fish such as swordfish, blue-nosed sea bass or opah, an exotic fish which he brings in from Hawaii. The heavier the fish, he reasons, the heavier the wine can be.
“When you have a rich fish, the fat will coat your tongue so a more robust red won’t overpower the flavor,” Hutchens said.
He said he would even drink a lighter cabernet with a king or sockeye salmon. “It’s not what you would think of traditionally, but so what?” Hutchens said.
Lou Anne Moxcey, with The Spokane Wine Company, echoed that sentiment.
“There’s really nothing that won’t work if you find the right flavors and the right cooking technique,” she said.
For instance, Moxcey cited Mediterranean-style recipes that call for marinating fish in red wine, chilies and onions and then grilling it.
A light, older Spanish wine - something from Faustino or Don Hugo - would be a perfect foil for that dish. “The Spanish tend to age their wines longer, which makes them more mellow,” Moxcey said.
Even with all the tips and suggestions from the pros, pairing red wine and fish might still seem impossibly outrageous. Especially when you consider that serving fish is still considered exotic at many dinner tables.
“As people begin to enjoy more seafood, to see it as a more common eating experience, we’ll probably see more frequent combinations of red wine and fish,” said John Allen, one of the owners of Vino! wine shop in Spokane.
Requests for recommendations on pairing a pinot noir or an older barbera with fish dishes are picking up, Allen said.
“The safest bet is usually to go with white, but for those who like to try new things, this is something fun to play around with,” he said.
King Estate, an Oregon winery, has compiled a mouthwatering collection of recipes from famous chefs from around the country. In the winery’s “Pinot Noir Cookbook,” dishes such as these are designed to enhance the smoky, slightly spicy fruit in the wine.
Moroccan-Style Roast Fish With Caramelized Onions and Raisins
This fragrant, exotic dish was created by Joyce Goldstein, chef-owner of Square One restaurant in San Francisco.
4 (6- to 7-ounce) fish fillets (such as sea bass, red snapper or cod)
Salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 large yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup raisins, soaked in a little orange juice until plump
2 to 3 tablespoons mild honey, to taste
Optional: a little lemon juice, if needed to balance the sweetness
1/2 cups toasted walnut pieces for garnish
Charmoula spice paste:
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron threads, steeped in 2 tablespoons water
Several drops of olive oil (enough to make a paste)
Lightly salt fish fillets and rub liberally with the spice paste. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the onions, salt lightly and saute over medium-low heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cinnamon, cumin, ginger and orange zest and cook until the onions are golden and caramelized. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the drained, plumped raisins. Add the honey, then taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper and the lemon juice, if needed. Simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the fish fillets on an oiled baking pan, cover with the caramelized onion mixture and bake until the fish is fork-tender, 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
To serve, sprinkle with toasted walnuts and accompany with couscous and sauteed spinach.
Yield: 4 servings.
Roasted Salmon With Ginger Crust and Potato Puree
Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck (of Spago fame) might be better known for his designer pizzas, but this signature salmon dish is a delicious take-off on steak and potatoes.
4 (6- to 7-ounce) salmon fillets
Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1-1/2 tablespoons crushed black peppercorns
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
Wine sauce:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 plum tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 cups dry red wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Potato puree:
2 small russet potatoes (about 4 ounces total), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Season the salmon lightly with salt, brush the top with a little of the melted butter and immediately sprinkle with the crushed pepper and chopped ginger. Drizzle the remaining butter over the top. Refrigerate, covered, until needed.
To prepare the sauce, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan until foamy. Add the shallots and garlic and saute over medium heat until shallots are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato and cook for 1 or 2 minutes longer. Pour in the wine and vinegar, turn up the heat a little and reduce until 1/2 cup liquid remains.
Pour in the chicken stock and reduce by half. Strain the sauce into a clean pan. Finish the sauce by whisking in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep the sauce warm.
While the sauce is reducing, prepare the potato puree. Place the cubed potato in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Season with salt and cook until soft, about 15 minutes.
Pour off the water and return pan to the stove. Add the cream and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the mixture has thickened and most of the cream is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat, stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Puree the potato with an electric mixer and keep warm over a pan of simmering water until you are ready to serve.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Ten minutes before serving, brush a baking sheet with olive oil and arrange the salmon on it in a single layer. Roast until medium, about 10 minutes. (The fish should be cooked on the outside, but still moist and slightly underdone on the inside.)
Divide the sauce among 4 warm dinner plates. Serve equal amounts of the potato puree into the center of the plate and place a salmon fillet on top.
Yield: 4 servings.
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