Then, Sunday morning, Sirkka called to see if we wanted to come for dinner. I mentioned that we maybe sorta had plans with G&A, and thus was a little party organized. Gerard brought some beautiful black bass, and an amazing panzanella of spelt bread, roasted beets, pomegranate, mushrooms, butternut squash, and arugula. Sirkka picked and made greens with bonito and leeks. I had pressure-cooked black radishes with dashi to bring, and since the bass was not by itself going to be enough fish for eight I cut a hunk off the half-cured salmon. Once we were close to eating, I broiled it with pine needles. The bass also got broiled, with a nice marinade.
Some pics of the feast:
The radishes in dashi
The salmon, pre-broil...
...and post-broil
The bass
I love meals like this. Everything was delicious, and harmonized beautifully with everything else. The wines were good; I brought a Cava Avinyó to begin with some bubbles, then a 2006 Jacky Blot Vouvray "Les Carburoches" to help us cook (I must say that while it's good, it's a little tight, and has nothing on his Clos de la Bretonnière, which is rotund and delicious) and last, to eat with, a 2000 Giuseppe Cortese Barbaresco "Rabajà" which really started to get going around the last glass, since I forgot to decant it. The other bottles of this that I still have will make for some tasty treats down the road. Sirkka made a just-sweet pumpkin custard with pie spices and dried cranberries for dessert.
6 comments:
Do you just make this stuff up? Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Yum.
Like the pine needles idea especially. Might try them with lamb.
Okay... I think I want your life.
Period.
Hey, this is really nice. I love stretching a dinner to get more folks to the table. Pine needles are a nice touch (try them in custard some time for ice cream) - we have a Jeffrey pine out here that has orange creamsicle-scented needles.
CC: Crazy make-em-ups are how we do.
Zoomie: They're nice and subtle; anything that likes rosemary would like them.
Jen: Would you like to start by paying my mortgage?
Poubelle Blanche: Send me some pine needles and I'll send you some... uh... chutney? Lardo? Something.
Ooh! I just hafta comment again because the captcha is "bucked".
Sure, it's a deal. I'll score some primo Jeffrey pine to trade for some lardo (much cheaper to chip). It'll be the legalest thing I've ever sent to the east coast.
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