Wedding Bells

We all know about June and weddings.

But the “wedding” being held tomorrow at the Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City has a novel twist.

It’s a celebration of the “perfect pair”: seafood and Sauvignon Blanc.    

Oyster Bar spokesman Sandy Ingber talked by phone with Robert Whitley and me today during the “Gourmet Club” radio show on The San Diego Union-Tribune’s SignOnRadio site. Ingber explained that the restaurant came up with the idea of a June “wedding” to explore the many delicious pairings of seafood and the different styles of Sauvignon Blanc.

Tomorrow’s  “reception” is open to the public and consists of a three-course prix fixe dinner with a flight of three wines. The cost is $49.95.

Among the delectable food offerings are pan-seared Maine dayboat scallops with uni beurre blanc atop wonton skins; chilled Hama-Hama oysters with cucumber crème fraiche; and Yukon River salmon done with goat cheese, fines herbes and asparagus.

(Yukon River salmon, considered by the experts to be one of the two or three tastiest in the world, makes its official debut tomorrow, too. The season will last only about two weeks.)

Partnering the menu will be four Sauvignon Blancs from Sauvignon Republic, a company founded by four well-known wine-makers/chefs who love the way Sauvignon Blanc “expresses the terroir,” in other words how every SB tastes a little different based on where the grapes were grown.

There’s a 2007 Marlborough from New Zealand, rather more complex than the others, with lovely pineapple and citrus notes and a touch of minerality.

There’s a 2007 Stellenbosch from South Africa which is said to have a hint of passion fruit on the palate and be able stand up to chile-spiked foods.

The dinner’s 2007 Potter Valley from Mendocino is a young, light wine with nice citrus zest and a touch of tropical fruit. It’s good with fish tacos, ceviche and cioppino, and Pacific Rim cuisines.

And, the 2007 Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc is “like adding a squirt of lemon to the dish and what food wouldn’t be enhanced by that?” That’s the opinion of pioneer CA wine country chef John Ash, who is one of the founders of the winery.

We can’t all rush out to the historic Oyster Bar which has been doing business on the lower level of the famous rail terminal since 1913. But we can all rush out and buy Yukon River salmon and a bottle of SB and have a big party without having to pay an organist, preacher or florist.

Here’s a recipe from John Ash to get the party started. His cookbooks  are among the most treasured on my bookshelf.

DUNGENESS CRAB IN WINE AND VERMOUTH                
Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as an appetizer

This simple dish celebrates one of the real treasures of the Northern California, Oregon and Washington coasts—Dungeness crab! I think its the best but unfortunately its not generally available outside these areas. You can substitute King crab, fresh mussels, clams and shrimp.  Serve with a big stack of napkins and lots of crusty French bread.

1 large (3 - 4 lb.) cooked, fresh Dungeness crab
1/4 lb. unsalted butter
2/3 cup vermouth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 cups clear fish or chicken stock
3 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or a combination of parsley and chives
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Clean, crack and separate crab into sections and set aside.

Place remaining ingredients, except parsley and pepper, together in a sauce pan and simmer covered for 5 minutes or so. Add crab, parsley and pepper and warm crab through.

Divide into large bowls with the broth and serve immediately.

Comments

[nancy kollisch]

Hi Maureen great blog. Where can you get cooked dungeness craab in San diego? Costco? Thanks Nancy

[Maureen]

Dungeness crab is almost always sold pre-cooked. I usually buy it at Point Loma Seafood, where they crack it into pieces and wrap it in white butcher paper that you can put straight on the table if you want to eat it Chesapeake Bay-style! The Fish Market in Del Mar and The Fishery in PB are other good bets. I haven't seen it at Costco, though I bet they have it during their "road shows" when they bring certain items in for customers to taste.