Good chow

[Florida Jim]

With bruschetta with a topping of diced heirloom tomatoes, EVOO and garlic:

2002 Giacosa, Arneis:

Fresh, medium weight with integrated flavors of white fruit and a very light resinous character, nice cut, medium finish. Delicious as aperitif and perfect with the dish. At peak.

With shrimp with mustard remoulade:

2000 J. P. Droin, Chablis Vaudesir:

Expansive nose of white grapes, flowers, almond skin, mineral, spice and white fruit, amazing complexity and very alluring; medium body and quite elegant on the palate despite excellent concentration and almost painful intensity, flavors follow the nose with the fruit and mineral notes emphasized, perfect balance; long, complex finish with a touch of grilled nuts as accent.

Superb with the dish (more than able to cut the remoulade) and also excellent with the following course. Will last.

Vaudesir is my favorite Chablis. It faces south, as does Clos but it has steeper slopes and better drainage. To me it is always elegant and somewhat floral with a distinct spice note and, often, a nutty scent and flavor. Where Clos is rich and full flavored, Vaudesir has more cut and is more focused. Both cru are capable of long aging and are certainly wonderful examples of Chablis, but it is the grace and intensity of Vaudesir that always captures me. Wonderful wines . . .

With sautéed yellow-tail snapper on a bed of lobster mushrooms and fresh anchovies with a side of sambal (an Indonesian pineapple and sweet chili relish):

1996 Dom. du Mas Blanc, Collioure Les Junquets:

Developed aromas of cherries, earth, spice and a slight tar edge, some bottle bouquet; medium weight and light on the palate with flavors that follow the nose with good complexity and concentration, round in the mouth and nicely balanced; medium finish. Exceptional with the dish. This wine is at or very near peak.

Best, Jim

[RobInAustin]

Damn nice dinner Jim.

And every wine is a favorite of mine too. Thanks for the TNs.

A small idea I just played with myself this weekend. Next time for the Yellowtail, try "oil poaching". I did it with Swordfish, but it will work really well with tuna and yellowtail too.

Got the idea from New York times.

Take a ziplock freezer bag or boil in bag (MUST be water tight seal) put in the fish. season with salt and pepper to taste. Now here you can get creative. I put in a small sprig rosemary, juice of half a lemon, and one thin sliced clove of garlic (but feel free to use whatever flavors you like) then, pour in about 1/4 cup of oil, just enough to pretty much cover the fish. I used olive oil, for a mediterranean flavor, but any oil will work. press out remaining air and seal bag tight.

Place in barely simmering water, NOT a boil...leave there for about 20 minutes, take out of the water and leave the hot bag to sit and steep for another ten min or so...

AMAZING flavor and perfectly cooked and moist.

[Marco_Polo]

Hi Jim,

Just to say I always enjoy your tasting notes and appreciate the way you try and place them in the context of food which to me is how wine ought to be enjoyed. Wines notes from wines tasted out of context can sometimes be pretty meaningless (even though that's what I myself do with regular tastings - but I always afterwards try and retaste over food). Like your choice of wines, too: I love Arneis and haven't tasted Collioure in ages, but the name alone brings back fond memories of travel and food (and anchois de Collioure especially).

Rob, the fish-in-the-bag-filled-with-aromatics-flavours-and-oil sounds a fascinating cooking method. Afterwards, once the fish has cooked and steeped, do you serve with the oil as an aromatic sauce, or is that too greasy? Perhaps just a tablespoon or so sharpened with a squeeze of lemon?

Marc

Edited September 20, 2004 by Marco_Polo (log)

[RobInAustin]

I have not done that yet, made a sauce from the oil. Im sure it would work great, and I will try that next time. For me the flavor of the fish was so exceptional, I did not want to "overkill" anything on my first try. The whole dish I was playing with was a modern riff on Salad Nicoise, as a low cholesterol (doc's orders) dinner entree. The rest of the plate was field greens and roasted cherry tomatos in simple vinaigrette, fingerling potatos tossed in olive oil and sea salt and roasted, fresh steamed asparagus with a squeeze of lemon. Oh, and the wine I paired it with was Berger Gruener-Weldtliner from Austria. worked very well.

Rob, the fish-in-the-bag-filled-with-aromatics-flavours-and-oil sounds a fascinating cooking method. Afterwards, once the fish has cooked and steeped, do you serve with the oil as an aromatic sauce, or is that too greasy? Perhaps just a tablespoon or so sharpened with a squeeze of lemon?

Marc

←

Edited September 20, 2004 by RobInAustin (log)

[Florida Jim]

Rob,

Your oil poach technique sounds fascinating.

Do you suppose you could get a similar result by doing the whole thing in aluminum foil and then putting it in the oven? I ask because I have reservations about cooking in plastic.

Best, Jim

[RobInAustin]

Jim,

I don't think that might work. Part of the key to this technique is that the bag has no air left in it, so the fish and flavors literally steep together. Not sure that you could make the foil pouch seal that tight. I was a little sceptical myself at first (which is why I tried it out on myself alone on a Friday night when I was just cooking for me) about the plastic.

It imparted no flavor at all, if that is your concern. As for melting, that is the reason why the water is kept at a bare simmer.

Rob,

Your oil poach technique sounds fascinating.

Do you suppose you could get a similar result by doing the whole thing in aluminum foil and then putting it in the oven? I ask because I have reservations about cooking in plastic.

Best, Jim

←

Edited September 20, 2004 by RobInAustin (log)

[Florida Jim]

It imparted no flavor at all, if that is your concern. As for melting, that is the reason why the water is kept at a bare simmer.

Neither.

My concern is that it is a petroleum based product and I am heating it.

Since petroleum, in raw form, is toxic, I am concerned about the effects of heating a derritive product in the company of something I will eat. I am no chemist nor am I especially confident of any analysis of the process which might be, in any way, influenced by the industry.

But its good to see your still here and writing and everything . . .

Best, Jim

[RobInAustin]

Well, I was using the freezer bags designed to go from freezer to microwave. I assume that, given the slavering lawyers clamoring for some sort of class action lawsuit, the "baggie" company designed a plastic that won't out-gas toxins at cooking temps.... but then, the effects may linger, ojn2kc oig nzz/ep0 o0rfrww..e axdgo0e]]

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Just kidding.

cheers,

Rob