Dear Seafoodies
It was with the very greatest of pleasure that, at the weekend, I was joined at home by a group of dear friends, fellow seafoodies and fans of a good wine paired with a good plate. The formula was simple: I tell you what's on the menu, I give you a link to the recipes, I describe the main flavours and ingredients, you bring the candidate wines. They brought their daughters, but also an imaginative selection of bottles, and I'm pleased to say that in and amongst the chaos that befell my home, there was largely an accord on what went with what. I care to share.
First up, I can confirm that Tempura Oysters, served as an hors d'œuvre, are accompanied admirably by warmed Sawanotsuru sake, a very reasonably-priced example, and a pleasingly unusual way to start a meal.
Geographically speaking, the Albariño, a Palacio de Fefiñanes 2018, was the obvious suspect to partner the Almejas a la Marinera. It ran into some competition with the Manzanilla but the eventual vote was a unanimous one: Galician shellfish, Galician wine. The acidity was apt for the sweet, slightly tomatoey and clam flavours and the punch of paprika and parsley.
The Hidalgo Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana in fact won its place in the company of the Crab and Chorizo Croquetas and I thought it was an inspired choice. Crab has a very occupying, near-and-present flavour and when performing in a double-act with smoky, spicy chorizo there's something of a challenge to be met. This sherry is dry which allows it the opportunity to find a food-friend, rather than live in the solitary conwinement of an aperitif. But it also has sufficient presence on the palate to share space with a pretty pokey platemate. This was a no-brainer. And although I haven't tried it, I am confident it would get friendly with Cockles and Broad Beans.
Although I was quite determined to pair my Seafood Salad invention with a Portuguese white, the Douro I bought was not up to the task - far too little assertiveness. Instead, a slightly left-field contribution from a 2018 Notorious Pink Grenache rosé (available from Elliston & Southwick Fine Wines) was well-appreciated. Very pale in colour, with just the right quantity of sweetness to partner the salinity of the seafood and not cower in the company of the coriander, a flavour which I find to have an inclination toward soapiness and one that challenges even the most confident of wine-pairers. I made this particular incarnation with octopus (to cater for a musselphobe), but octopus and mussels have similar enough flavour characteristics that I would be confident this wine would happily accompany a mussel-version of the dish.
Last up was the intrigue that Cod in a Turmeric Tomato Sauce is. The challenge, in my mind, was going to be the whole cumin seeds, and this challenge was ably met by the Tuscan Gaja Ca'Marcanda Promis 2016 (also available from Elliston & Southwick Fine Wines). Despite being a Syrah with its capacity for intensity, this red was light enough to accompany a fish dish and balance the bitter tendency of the turmeric. Bearing in mind the sourness of the yoghurt in the recipe, this was a very successful pairing.
