Salmon Confit
If you’ve read any of our wine and food pairing, recipe, or cooking tips before, by this time, you’ve discovered it’s easy to create great wine and food pairings. There are no real secrets to cooking either. We try following a few simple rules to come up with what works. For example, Salmon and Pinot Noir.
First, buy the best, freshest ingredients possible. As Salmon Confit is not far from raw, it’s imperative to obtain the freshest fish you can find. If you live near a fish store, get to know them. The quality of what you cook, especially with fish, is going to have the biggest impact on what end up with for your meal.
Salmon Confit is fun and easy to prepare. But you need to plan ahead. Either cut your salmon into pieces no bigger than 6 ounces, 4 ounces is fine as well. In a container, use a cup of extra virgin olive oil. Add your favorite herbs, chili or other seasoning and place the salmon in the flavored oil. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours and remove the fish from the oil and refrigerator about an hour before cooking.
Use one of the lowest setting possible for your oven. 125 degrees is fine. Place the salmon on a cookie sheet, loosely cover with tin foil and cook for about 8-10 minutes, add salt, pepper and serve. This beautiful dish is all about texture. It’s so incredibly supple, each morsel melts in your mouth. It’s incredibly luxurious. Few dishes are easier to make.
Salmon is great because it’s versatile when it comes to wine and food pairing. Salmon pairs well with Champagne, most white wines and red wines as well. We’re fond of Chateauneuf du Pape, Cote Rotie and even mature Bordeaux. Burgundy is also a natural choice. For this pairing, we went with a lush, ripe, supple textured, fruit forward California Pinot Noir.
2008 Rochioli West Block Pinot Noir – Deep in color for a Pinot Noir, black raspberry, kirsch, earth, spice and a bit of smoke and floral notes make up the interesting perfume. Silky, ripe, red fruit and spice in a rich, full, lush style are found in abundance. Is there a more consistent, producer of California Pinot Noir than Rochioli? Drinking great today, this should continue evolving and offering pleasure for another decade or longer. 95 Pts
