This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Whole Foods Market in conjunction with their #MadeinFrance event.
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You can read more about the Curated List of Wines and Cheeses for the #MadeinFrance event. You will notice that this wine, Domaine de la Fruitière Muscadet, is one of the ones they are officially sharing. Devon and Cathy will be pairing it with the P'tit Basque during the Facebook Live event. Don't forget that's coming up next Thursday, October 5th. So, if you're available, hop on and follow the hashtag - #MadeinFrance - between 2:30pm and 3:00pm Pacific time.
In any case, I tasted the P'tit Basque with some salted watermelon jelly...
and poured the Château D'Esclans, Whispering Angel Rosé.
The Caves D’Esclans Whispering Angel Cotes de Provence
Rosé starts with a delicate aroma full of fruit with a hint of spice. Tasting the wine revealed a fruit-forward, flavorful burst of summer that lingers on the end with a nice crispness. Rosés are typically made from red grapes and minimal contact with the skins that results in a pale red
hute. Interestingly this wine is made with of 14% Rolle, the local name for
Vermentino, which is a white wine grape. So, the resulting wine is almost somewhere between a white wine and a rosé. It reminds me of another favorite Rosé that's local to me - Bonny Doon's Vin Gris de Cigare Rosé.
But, let's begin with this: my pairing today doesn't involve any French cheese. It doesn't even involve any French food. But it is Mediterranean-inspired and it did pair remarkably well with the Muscadet. Let's start with the wine.
In the Glass
Muscadet Sèvre & Maine sur Lie Domaine de la Fruitière is a sunny, shiny light gold color. Made entirely of
Most people know that Muscadet and oysters are an incredibly match. They go together like, well... they go together like whatever your favorite pairs are. Chocolate and hazelnut. Leia and Han. Lobster and butter. You get the drift.
I'll admit: I have a love-hate relationship with oysters. I
love them. Loved them. But, after one too many raw oysters in New Orleans when we
were there for a SCUBA convention many, many moons ago, I developed a
sensitivity to them. Yes, I may have had over a dozen raw oysters on my own.
Maybe. In any case, I was miserable - stomach cramping and all - for an entire
day. And, ever since, it's a fifty-fifty chance that I'll have the same
reaction. I've eaten half a dozen fresh oysters from Morro Bay that didn't
affect me at all; then I've eaten just one from Tomales Bay that sent me to bed
in tears. There's no rhyme or reason to it. So, I usually steer clear.
But I enjoy Muscadet with its light body and mineral edges and it pairs gracefully with seafood. So, I decided to pour it, this week, with a marinated octopus salad. We love octopus as you can tell from my Grilled Octopus and Potato Salad, Soy and Sake-Braised Whole Octopus, and Marinated Grilled Octopus. This is a simple preparation and I make it whenever I come across baby octopus.
Baby Octopus Salad
- 1 pound cleaned baby octopuses, thawed if frozen
- 1 fresh California bay leaf
- 1/3 C olive oil
- 2 T fresh lemon juice
- 1 t sea salt
- 1/2 t black pepper
- 1 T fresh oregano, chopped
- organic lettuce leaves for serving, washed and dried
- Optional: caviar limes for garnish (click to read an intro to caviar limes)
Procedure
Rinse octopuses under cold water and place in a heavy pot. Cover with water by 2
inches and bring to a boil with bay leaf. Reduce
heat and simmer, covered, until octopuses are tender, approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Drain in a colander and discard
cooking liquid and bay leaf. Let cool.
Whisk together oil, lemon juice, sea salt, pepper, and
oregano. Toss octopuses with dressing and marinate at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for at least 30 minutes. Serve on lettuce leaves with finger limes, if using.
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*Disclosure: I received compensation for recipe development and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.
Hah....I served up my Sur Lie with a Pumpkin and Fish Stew. It was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI always love octopus so this looks sooooo good to me!
ReplyDelete