Squeeze every drop of enjoyment out of the last few summery days with a little something grilled, a little something fried and a little something bubbly. Cod tempura with a lemon beurre blanc, grilled cantaloupe, and avocado on a bed of lettuces should do the trick. And these flavors are quite fantastic with the 2001 Domaine Ste. Michelle Luxe Sparkling.
The Pairing:
Honestly, every ingredient just sings with the Luxe’s toasty, lush bubbles. The hot, crisp, rich battered fish is a delightful contrast in both temperature and texture; the unctuous avocado matches the Luxe’s lushness; the grilled cantaloupe’s smoky-sweetness is a delightful surprise; and the buttery lemon sauce not only goes well with the Luxe, but enhances the cod’s flavor and gives a refreshing, lemony lift to the entire dish.
The Luxe:
Luxe is Domaine Ste. Michelle’s premier sparkler, and rightly so. She’s got a toasty, apple and honey nose; flavors of pears, almonds & vanilla; and tight, everlasting bubbles. It’s a very food friendly wine with a great depth of flavor. Many chefs say, when in doubt, serve bubbly -- you couldn’t go wrong with this one.
The Salad:
Cod tempura - dip chunks of cod (dried well on a paper towel and lightly salted) into tempura batter (box-mix with Jean George’s addition of sherry vinegar, salt & sesame oil) and deep fry in 350° peanut oil until crisp, golden and cooked through.
Lemon beurre blanc - saute garlic and sweet walla-walla onions, deglaze with white wine and rice vinegar, reduce to a syrupy consistency, add a splash of cream, reduce it some more, and whisk in softened butter, kosher salt, white pepper, lemon juice and quite a bit of lemon zest. The zest really gives the zingy sauce a lemony sweetness.
Grilled cantaloupe is pretty straight-forward - brush slices with a little oil, salt & pepper and grill it on a hot grill. Keep the melon on the grill long enough to impart grill marks and some smoky flavor, but still maintaining it’s texture.
Avocado - peel it, slice it, put it on the plate.
Lettuce - A mixture of lettuces is great. Toss them in extra virgin olive oil, a little lemon juice, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Comments