Salmon and Chenin Blanc. A Delicious Pairing.
With the start of a new decade, most of us wine lovers want to enjoy a heathier lifestyle while maintaining our wine consumption. The Bottle Shop would like to showcase a healthier recipe as well as a wine pairing to help keep us on track and still enjoy the things we all love. AKA wine!
The team at Plume Ridge Bottle Shop believes that the combination food and wine should be an experience to be enjoyed with family, friends and loved ones. We are hoping that deciding to be a little healthier won’t stop us from enjoying a glass of wine with a delicious balanced meal. One way to stay on the lighter side is to incorporate fresh ingredients such as seafood; hence, the team was inspired to pair salmon with the Bottle Shop’s Chenin Blanc.
The Chenin Blanc that we are recommending is grown at Dashe Cellars located in Urban Wine Country in Oakland, CA. This specific Chenin Blanc is grown in Heringer Vineyard which resides in the Clarksburg, AVA (American Viticultural Area). This unusual vineyard spot in the Sacramento River Delta benefits from cool breezes, the rocky farmland and soil from the San Joaquin River. The winemaking family at Dashe has long been a fan of the Chenin Blancs from the French Loire Valley and set out to make their own variation. The Dashe family has been creating wine for 4 generations using the traditional and “natural” winemaking techniques, including small-lot fermentation, the use of indigenous yeasts, and little to no filtration.
The reason for this pairing is because of the layers of flavor complexity which are present in both the wine and the recipe. In keeping with the use of the natural wine making style, this Dashe “Les Enfants Terribles” Clarksburg Chenin Blanc uses a concrete egg for fermentation. This 500-gallon egg shaped concrete fermentation vessel helps highlight and enhance the nuances of the minerality of the Chenin Blanc grape. The hints of honey, grapefruit, apricot, baking spices and gingery pepper will make your taste buds very happy! The secondary notes of toasted nuts and overlaying dried apple flavor, pair perfectly with the pan roasted salmon and kale salad with sliced apples. Please, enjoy a complementary tasting experience! The of acidity of the wine cuts the fattiness of the fish and leaves you savoring each bite and sip. Try this recipe with our delicious Chenin Blanc from California.
Pan- Seared Salmon with Kale and Apple Salad
Ingredients
Four 5-ounce center-cut salmon fillets (about 1-inch thick)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
1 bunch kale, ribs removed, leaves very thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
1/4 cup dates
1 Honeycrisp apple
1/4 cup finely grated pecorino
3 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds
Freshly ground black pepper
4 whole wheat dinner rolls
- Bring the salmon to room temperature 10 minutes before cooking.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the kale, toss to coat and let stand 10 minutes.
- While the kale stands, cut the dates into thin slivers and the apple into matchsticks. Add the dates, apples, cheese and almonds to the kale. Season with pepper, toss well and set aside.
- Sprinkle the salmon all over with 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Raise the heat to medium-high. Place the salmon, skin-side up in the pan. Cook until golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn the fish over with a spatula, and cook until it feels firm to the touch, about 3 minutes more.
- Divide the salmon, salad and rolls evenly among four plates.
Recipe Courtesy of FOOD NETWORK KITCHEN
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/pan-seared-salmon-with-kale-and-apple-salad-recipe-3361718