Wine Advocate Weekend Pairings: Summer Seafood

Food lovers, rejoice: we’ve got a series here at Wine Journal happening every Friday, where we bring forth a sample menu replete with recipes from chefs around the world provided by our friends at the MICHELIN Guide, all to be paired with wines by Wine Advocate reviewers. 

The hot summer sun calls for seafood. At the newly-opened Oxomoco in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, chef Justin Bazdarich showcases his study of regional Mexican cuisine with dishes like skewered swordfish achiote with black beans, pickled onions and habañero salsa from the Yucatán; Ensenada-style tostadas; and Oaxacan tlayuda with lardo, refried beans, salsa de pipicha and “house string cheese.” Also on the menu is the popular fluke appetizer served with avocado basil salsa, pea greens, toasted amaranth and lime leaf (pictured below)—perfect for those blazing summer days. 

https://robert-parker-content-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/media/image/2018/07/20/76e7731cba6b4ce587fe473525dae0ff_oxomoco_fluke_credit_evan_sung_inLINE.jpg
Photo by Evan Sung.

“This recipe has lots of spice: kaffir lime, basil, green peas, cilantro. The Ott Gruner Veltliner is light and crisp, allowing the flavor of the fish to shine through, while echoing the spicy components of the dish,” suggests Erin Brooks. 

Bouillabaisse (pictured in the banner image above), traditionally from port city of Marseille in Provence, is a simple fisherman’s stew, typically using whatever local fish is on-hand.

Emma Bengtsson, executive chef of two-Michelin-starred Aquavit in New York City, brings a level of decadence to her version by way of butter-poaching seafood. New to the technique? Chef recommends poaching the seafood in a preheated oven set at precisely 176˚F, and using regular plastic wrap for good heat control. 

“There are lots of whites that might work—and I do think white is best here—but let's try something a little different,” says Mark Squires, reviewer for Portugal, Port, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, much of Eastern Europe and Eastern USA. “I’d recommend a Rebula (aka, Ribolla) from Slovenia. They have both the body and structure to hold up to food. An affordable and recently reviewed selection is the 2015 Ferdinand • Rebula / Ribolla Gialla.”

Hero image courtesy of Aquavit.

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