Pretty in Pink: Raclette de Savoie Polenta, Salmon, & Le Cocagne Gris Rosé #Winophiles #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with the June #Winophiles event.

Wine samples were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.

This month, Martin of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog is hosting us as we explore French wine and cheese pairings. You can read his invitation here. But, thematically, it was pretty wide open. French wine plus French cheese. That's it.

You know me - caseophile here! So, I was in, immediately. And to sweeten the deal, some of the group is sponsored by VinConnexion this month; we received sample wines from Chateau de Sales in Pomerol and Cave du Vendômois in the Loire Valley. Here's the line-up...

• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla offers us Pretty in Pink: Raclette de Savoie Polenta, Salmon, & Le Cocagne Gris Rosé.
• Lynn of Savor the Harvest brings us Cheese and Loire Wine Pairing with Les Vignerons du Vendômois.
• Pinny over at Chinese Food And Wine Pairings bids Je t’aime to a Bordeaux, a Loire Valley Rosé and an assortment of French Cheese.
• Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles gives us A Loire Rosé, a Bordeaux from Pommerol and…..Cheese.
• Wendy of A Day In The Life On A Farm shares Life’s Simple Pleasures; Onion Cheese Soup and a Glass of Rosé.
• Jane of Always Ravenous shares Summer Inspired French Cheese and Wine Pairings.
• David  of Cooking  Chat offer tips for Picking Cheese to Serve with French Wine.
• Jeff of FoodWineClick! says Do as the French: Serve The Cheese After the Meal.
• Liz of What’s In That Bottle? says Smile and C’est Fromage.
• Susannah of Avvinare brings us Vin Jaune and Comte-A Perfect Combination.
• Cathie of Side Hustle Wino  presents Wine and Cheese, the Heart and Soul of France.
• Gwendolyn, the Wine Predator, asks Did Someone Say French Wine and Gourmet Grilled Cheese?
• Penny of Adventures of a Carry-on pairs Alsace Riesling and Goat Cheese, A Match Made in Heaven.
• Linda of My Full Wine Glass suggests we Try White Bordeaux and Goat Cheese Appetizer When Relaxing Outdoors.
• Deanna of Asian Test Kitchen delivers 3 Must Try French Cheese & Alcohol Pairings.
• Cindy of Grape Experiences serves up Wines from Alsace and Cheeses for Pairing.
• Payal of Keep the Peas shares French #Wine(ophiles) and Cheese.
• Host Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog is pairing French Grilled Cheese and Drappier Rose de Saignee Champagne.

We’ll be chatting about French Wine and Cheese on Saturday, June 11th at 8a PT/11a ET.  We love visitors and this promises to be a yummy chat.  Just follow the #winophiles hashtag on Twitter to join the conversation! À votre santé! 

In My Glass

I opted to shine the spotlight on the bottle of  2018 Le Cocagne Gris Rosé 2018* that I received from the Les Vignerons du Vendômois, Cave Coopérative du Vendômois.

This wine was made from a single varietal of which I had never ever heard: Pineau d’Aunis. So, I started reading.

Pineau d'Aunis is a dark-skinned grape varietal whose story dates back to the Medieval times. And, despite enjoying popularity with both the English and French royals, it's now increasingly rare. Though it can be used to produce a distinctive, interesting red, it is primarily used to make Rosés in the area.

The Pineau d'Aunis lends Rosé  a pale pink-hued wine. It's bright and lively with a fresh acidity. but red fruit flavors - think currants - mellow the wine with a softer finish.

In My Bowl

The first thing I did when I received the wines for this event was take a field trip to my local cheese shop. I told the cheesemonger about the wines and he set about trying to pair them for me. Then I told them it needed to be French cheese, not just any cheese, and he said, "Challenge accepted!" Thanks, Kyle.

I ended up with six different cheeses for the pairings. The one in the center isn't from France, but it's called 'Camilla.' I really couldn't pass it up. In addition to the name, I was intrigued by the cheese itself. From Caseificio La Via Lattea, Camilla is a raw goat's milk cheese whose thin rind is coated with dried chamomile. The flowers imparts a subtle flavor that doesn't overpower the tanginess of the goats' milk.

I will have another post about the Chateau de Sales in Pomerol with cheese pairings but this post will be about the Le Cocagne Gris Rosé that I paired with Raclette de Savoie Polenta and Poached Salmon. I wanted something pink - salmon! - to go with my pink wine.

Ingredients

Polenta

• 2 C polenta
• 6 C warm water
• 2 T olive oil
• freshly ground sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 C cheese (I used shredded Raclette de Savoie)
• splash of olive oil

Olive Oil-Poached Salmon

• salmon fillets (serving sizes vary, but for a main dish I usually go with 1/3 of a pound per person)
• olive oil as needed
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper

Serving

• compound butter (I had some with dulse, a red seaweed)
• freshly ground salt, as needed
• freshly ground pepper, as needed

Procedure

Polenta

Butter a baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Then spoon everything into the baking dish. Bake for an hour, but stir it every twenty minutes. When it's finished, add 1 C shredded cheese and a splash of olive oil. Stir that together until the cheese is completely incorporated.

Olive Oil-Poached Salmon

Select a large enough pot that the salmon fillets can sit flat without touching each other.

Pour olive oil into the pot so that it’s about ½” deep. Add garlic and rosemay. Bring the olive oil to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Lower the salmon fillets – skin-side down – into the warm oil. Poach for 10 to 12 minutes. Flip the fillets and poach for another 5 to 6 minutes. If using immediately, serve warm.

Serving
Spoon the polenta out onto a bowl and top it with a little bit more salt and pepper to taste. Remember: whatever you don't eat for dinner, spoon into a clean, buttered pan. It can be sliced and lightly pan-fried in the morning to go under eggs. Che squisito!

Place the poached salmon on top of the polenta and add a pat of compound butter on the top. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, as needed.

Until next time...the French Winophiles will be focusing on the Loire, specifically the Anjou-Saumur. I'm hosting. So stay tuned for my invitation. Cheers!

*Disclosure: I received sample wines for recipe development, pairing, and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.