This wine and food pairing blog was inspired by my husband, Ron. Almost every night, as we prepare dinner, he will look across the kitchen and ask, “What are we drinking tonight, honey?” As he knows, I like to complement even the simplest of meals with the appropriate wine. The blog intends to inspire others to purposefully pair wine with food by sharing examples of meals we have made, the wine we drank, and the story behind it. It will hopefully be an insightful, informative, and entertaining journey through my love for food and wine pairing. Tonight, it’s Fish Cakes. Beaune Appetite. |
Fish Cakes?
I was on the train from Boston on my way back to Gloucester after a busy day in the city that included some uncomfortable dental work. Partway through the one-hour journey, I realized I’d need to come up with something for dinner. But then I thought maybe Ron would be willing to cook tonight, so I sent him a quick text suggesting he prepare one of our favorite dishes, fish cakes. They are pretty easy and fast to make, and Ron has an excellent recipe. Ron responded quickly with a “That sounds great.”
I arrived home about thirty minutes later and needed a nap. When I awoke, I discovered that Ron had already gone to the fish market for fresh fish (Gloucester is a seaport) and the grocery store for the rest of the ingredients. I found him busily preparing the fish cakes in the kitchen.
Chef Ron Goes to Work in the Kitchen
It’s a straightforward recipe with codfish as the base; you add scallions, garlic, mayonnaise, some basil, lemon juice, and a small amount of breadcrumbs into a food processor. A few pulses and you shape the mixture into three inch round cakes, coat them with a few panko breadcrumbs, and pan fry them in a small amount of oil. I am gluten free, so Ron uses good quality gluten-free panko crumbs for our cakes. To accompany the cakes, you make a yummy sauce, like an aioli made with basil, garlic, lemon juice, and some mayonnaise.
The Result and Wine Pairing
Being lightly pan-fried, the fish cakes come out light and airy, with crisp edges. I wanted a wine to enhance and heighten the fresh fish and subtle herbaceous flavors. A white wine made the most sense, and it needed to have bright, crisp, citrus, and tropical fruit flavors that would complement the crunchy and tangy sauce topped fish cakes. I chose a 2021 bottle of Marsannay white burgundy from negotiant wine producer Louis Jadot.
Marsannay is in the most northern part of the Cote d’Or wine region of France, a region that you’ll discover over time I’m quite fond of. The wine is made with 100% Chardonnay grapes, all grown in the appellation of Marsannay so that it can be labeled with the name of its origin only. This wine is made in an unoaked style, providing classic acidity and freshness with hints of lemon, pear, apple, and melon. It paired beautifully with the fish cakes, a green salad, and a few sweet potato French fries on the side.