Languedoc-Roussillon’s White Wines - TonghamTaster’s French Wine Tasting Course – week 13

The 12 month on-line course to help you learn about French wines - Top tips on how to get value when buying them - Reasonably priced up-to-date recommendations of what to buy and try in the UK - Bringing you the best of Tongham Village Hall wine tastings.

INTRODUCTION
This week, after 3 weeks of discovering the red wines of Languedoc-Roussillon, we discover their other wines – the whites, the sparkling wines and the fortified wines.

A White Coteaux du Languedoc

LOCALITY
White wines are found all over Languedoc-Roussillon, the sparkling wines are just from around Limoux south of Carcassonne and the fortified wines mainly come from the Roussillon area

VARIETALS
Sparkling – The sparkling wines of Limoux are made from Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Mauzac plus sometimes some Pinot Noir.
Dry White – The dry white wines may contain Clairette, Roussanne, Marsanne, Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc, Viognier, Chardonnay, Picpoul de Pinet and other grape varieties.
Sweet White Vin Doux Naturels – These tend to be made with the various Muscat grapes.
Red Vin Doux Naturels – These tend to made of the various Grenache grape varietals,

THE WINES
Limoux claims to have been making sparkling wines since the sixteenth century and this is well before Champagne produced its first sparkling wine. The area around the town actually produces 3 different sparkling wines – in descending order of preference – Cremant de Limoux, Blanquette de Limoux and Blanquette Methode Ancestrale. The dull Mauzac grape can make up too much of the latter blends. The Cremant de Limoux can be the equal of any other Cremant wines in France.

Still and Sparkling wines from Limoux

Limoux also produces a dry white wine which is based around oaked Chardonnay and these can be quite a pleasant and cheaper alternative to Burgundy.

You will find light dry white wines made in the generic Languedoc appellations – AOC Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc. In my view most are fairly unexciting unless you are on holiday in the area and they are accompanying the local seafood.

Fortified sweet white Muscat wines come from Frontignan, Mireval, Lunel, Rivesaltes and St Jean de Minervois. They are made in great quantity by a number of cooperatives. I have to say that I prefer Beaumes de Venise from the Rhone valley. Again, worth trying if in the area with an appropriate desert.

In the Rousillon area you will find the vin doux naturels of Banyuls and Maury. These can make pleasant aperitif wines or the red ones make a great desert wine to pair with chocolate.

THE TASTE
The Muscat grape produces quite grapey wines.
The red vins doux naturels are quite raisiny.

TOP TIPS
• If you like oaked Chardonnay look out for a good Limoux still white. Last time I was in Boulogne Auchan I managed to pick up a Toque et Clochers wine from the Sieur d’Arques cooperative – rather nice and not too over oaked.
• Cremant de Limoux can sometimes be a pleasant value sparkling wine – again buy in France to get a good deal.
• For Chocoholics look out for a good bottle of Red Maury – easier to find in France than the UK.

HOMEWORK
For your homework this week you need to buy and try a white, sparkling or fortified Languedoc-Roussillon wine. As usual I have found it easier to find good ones at Waitrose:

Waitrose - Cuvee Royale Brut NV Cremant de Limoux - about £10.
Waitrose - Domaine de Felines Picpoul de Pinet 2009 Languedoc - about £8
Waitrose - Domaine Pouderoux Vendange Tardive 2005 Maury - about £11 for 50cl

Seafood lunch in Sete with Muscat and dry white wine

FOOD PAIRINGS
The whites go well with seafood.
The sparkling wines make a good aperitif and can also pair soft cheeses.
The Vins Doux Naturels reds are great wines for chocolate deserts or strong hard cheeses.
The Muscats make a good accompaniment to an otherwise healthy fruit salad.

COMING SOON
Next week we move on to the wines of the South West of France. If you missed the early weeks of this course, it is not too late to catch up. Just click on the Frech Wine Course link at the top of this page.

Other Languedoc Rouisillon Reds - TonghamTaster's French Wine Tasting Course week 12

The 12 month on-line course to help you learn about French wines - Top tips on how to get value when buying them - Reasonably priced up-to-date recommendations of what to buy and try in the UK - Bringing you the best of Tongham Village Hall wine tastings.

INTRODUCTION
Having covered the AOCs of Languedoc, Coteaux du Languedoc, Faugeres, St Chinian, Minervois, Corbieres and Fitou, what do we have left in terms of red wines from the Languedoc-Rousillon area? One might be tempted to say "Not-a-lot!"    However, we shouldn't miss out the undervalued Cotes du Rousillon or the unusual red wines from around Carcassonne.

Vineyards with Carcassonne in the distance

LOCALITY
The Cotes du Rousillon is on the Mediterranean coast on the border with Spain. In many ways it has more in common with Spain than France or even the Languedoc.  Perpignan is the best known town in the area.
Carcassonne is a beautiful well known tourist town at the edge of the Languedoc bordering on the South West of France.

VARIETALS
The Rousillon wines are dominated by the Carignan grape but may also contain Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre and Llandoner Pelut.
The red wines around Carcassonne reflect their position of being between the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.   Thus they contain the Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec but also the Mediterranean varietals of Syrah, Genache etc.  The AOCs of Cabardes and Malepere are unique in France for being allowed this unusual mix. The only difference is the Malepere does not permit Carignan.
  

THE WINES
In Rousillon the AOCs range upwards from the Cotes du Rousillon wines, through the better Cotes du Rousillon Villages wines, through those Cotes du Rousillon wines that include the village name on the bottle, such as Tautavel, through to the wines of Collioure. This latter Mediterranean town has an appellation all of its own.

The Carcassonne wines are those of Cabardes and Malepere (formerly Cotes de la Malepere).  The wines of Malepere tend towards the Bordeaux varietals whilst those of Cabardes tend slightly towards the Languedoc. 

THE TASTE
All of the wines this week tend to be quite rustically robust wines.   The Rousillon wines will have black and red berry fruits and perhaps some liquorice.

From Tesco

The taste of the Carcassonne wines will depend on whether the Bordeaux or Languedoc varietals dominate or if it is a real mix.  I think they are well worth a try as they have a unique taste for a French wine.

TOP TIPS
• The Cotes du Rousillon Village wines represent good value for money
• Cabardes is worth trying for its unusual blend and surprisingly is quite available in the UK even though it is not particularly well known in France.

HOMEWORK
For your homework this week you need to buy and try any of this week's more unusual wines. Remember that you will only learn about wines by tasting them.

Tesco - Bastide de Garille Cabardes 2009 - about £10 but currently discounted.
or Majestic - Château de Pennautier 'Terroirs d'Altitude' 2008 Cabardès - about £10 but less if you buy 2.
or Waitrose - Collioure Tramontane 2008 Roussillon, about £14
or look out for a reasonably priced Cotes du Rousilon.


Cassoulet Restaurant & Recipe in Carcassonne


FOOD PAIRINGS
The Rousilon reds go well with grilled red meat and also can match mature English cheeses like

cheddar

Why not try the Cabardes with a Cassoulet ?

COMING SOON
Next week we move on to the white wines of the Languedoc-Rousillon area, including the sparkling whites of Limoux.  We will also touch on the fortified wines of the area.  If you missed the early weeks of this course, it is not too late to catch up. Just click on the French Wine Course link at the top of this page.

Languedoc’s Famous Five Reds - TonghamTaster’s French Wine Tasting Course – week 11

The 12 month on-line course to help you learn about French wines - Top tips on how to get value when buying them - Reasonably priced up-to-date recommendations of what to buy and try in the UK - Bringing you the best of Tongham Village Hall wine tastings.

INTRODUCTION
When talking about Languedoc’s famous five, I am talking here about five of its most famous appellations. However, I could equally be talking about the five famous grape varieties that go into the making of these great wines.

Roquebrun near Saint Chinian

LOCALITY
If we split Languedoc into East and West then two of these wines, Saint Chinian and Faugeres come from the east, inland from Beziers, whilst the rest come from the west of the Languedoc. These three western AOCs, Corbieres, Fitou and Minervois are closer to Narbonne.

VARIETALS
The famous five grapes that make up these wines are the older traditional grapes from the region, Carignan and Cinsault, plus the newer Rhone Valley grapes Syrah, Grenache and Mouvedre that have been added to increase the quality. All of the wines are blends of two or more varietals.
The Syrah tends to colour the wines purple, is quite tannic and often adds a peppery taste.
The Mouvedre darkens the wines, is also tannic and can add some interesting non-fruity aromas.
The Grenache adds a sweetness and fruitiness to the wine and can make the wine a beautiful red colour.
The Carignan can be dull but can also be quite distinctive and attractive if grown correctly. It often adds astringency to the wine.
The Cinsault can add a lightness, fruitiness and softness to the wine.

THE WINES
Running from North east to South West the wines are:

Faugeres – Consistent wines often with a characteristic spicy softness. Rather a cross between the Rhone wines and the more traditional Languedoc wines due to its position in the eastern hills.
Saint-Chinian – Beautiful mountainous area that grows lovely, good value red wines. It can be quite minerally as well as spicy and fruity. There are two good sub-appellations in Belou and Roquebrun and both of these have good co-operatives.
Minervois – Reds that have more elegant liveliness than some of the over smooth and sweet reds found in the Languedoc. I particularly like those from the sub-appellation Minervois La Liviniere.
Corbieres – A huge area that produces wines of varying quality but occasionally fantastic. Often these wines are very full bodied and less fruity than most and tend to be more dominated by the Carignan varietal.
Fitou – Another area dominated by Carignan and with its Southern position produces some dark powerful wines. Much wine is from the very good Mont Tauch cooperative.

THE TASTE
The red tend to be full bodied and often quite alcoholic. You will get the usual berry flavours along with a variety of non-fruit flavours as well. The tastes are changing over the years as the proportions of the different varieties change and there is the increasing move over to the Rhone varietals and less use of Carignan and Cinsault.

TOP TIPS
• The red wines of Saint Chinian in particular are good value and improving.

HOMEWORK
For your homework this week you need to buy and try any of the famous five Languedoc AOCs.. Waitrose has a nice selection. Remember that you will only learn about wines by tasting them.

Waitrose - Chateau de Caraguilhes Corbieres 2009 - about £8
or, Majestic - Les Douzes Mont Tauch Fitou 2008 - about £8
or, Waitrose - Domaine Marie Faugeres 2009  - about £8
or, Waitrose - Gerard Bertrand Minervois 2007 - about £7
or, Waitrose - Domaine Combes 2009 Saint Chinian - about £7 
or, Marks and Spencers - Domaine Des Garennes 2006 Minervois La Liviniere - about £11

FOOD PAIRINGS
These reds go wells with grilled meat, pates and duck.

COMING SOON
Next week we move on to the remaining reds of the area, including the Cotes du Roussillon and the unusual wines of Cabardes. If you missed the early weeks of this course, it is not too late to catch up. Just click on the French Wine Course link at the top of this page.

A Game of Spot the Imposter



Languedoc Crest on a bottle

 Our March event and sixth Tongham Tasters’ wine tasting evening was hosted by Steve and had Languedoc wines as it theme. However, he let us know at the beginning of the evening that one of the wines was an imposter and we had to try and spot it. This was going to be fun!

As well as Steve S, we had seven other intrepid tasters willing to play the game. Food was top notch and included some interesting saucisson sourced from Borough market, cheese, breadsticks and the usual palate cleansing celery and carrot sticks.

In order of preference after voting by the team, here are Steve’s wines and our views on them. Scores are in the order: John E, John S, Jane, Clive, Steve S and Sheila.

Definitely from the Languedoc!

1. Vinalba Cuvee Couture 2009, Argentian Red – Majestic £8.99
Incredibly with some very nice Languedoc wines in the line-up, the imposter won! Of our team trying to spot the imposter only Sheila managed it – well done! This was four of our team’s top wine of the evening and another two had it in their top three. It had a violet and liquorice bouquet and was both smooth and astringent. Some of the team found it a little too sweet. Scores were 12.5, 15, 19, 16, 17, 13. The wine is a blend of Malbec and Touriga Nacional. Not a bad little number from Argentina – quite a few would dance a tango with this wine.

2. Domaine Les Yeuses 2008 Syrah les Epices, Vins de Pays D’Oc – Majestic £6.99
For one of our team (John E) this was the top wine of the evening and another six had it in their top three. After the results were announced there was some sentiment that this wine should have won. It is one of Steve S’s regular favourite wines. Another slightly sweet wine the spiciness really came out. Some thought it was a Merlot imposter (woops – John E) but once you knew, it was obviously a nice Syrah (Shiraz) red wine. Clive found the bouquet reminiscent of his grandfather’s smoky slippers – it should be emphasized that this was his grandfather on his father’s side! Scores were 14.5, 15.5, 20, 15, 16.5, 12. At the price, a very nice wine.

3. Domaine Sainte Rose La Garrigue 2009 – Majestic £5.99

As usual, the lowest priced wine of the evening faired quite well. Two of the team had it as their favourite and another four in their top three. Scents of plum, tobacco, liquorice and chocolate it worked well in the top of your mouth but less well elsewhere. John E got this down as a red Grenache blend. Scores were 14, 15, 16, 14, 14.5, 10. At the price, this Grenache, Syrah, Mouvedre blend is worth considering.

4. Roche Lacour Cremant de Limoux Brut 2007 – Laithwaites £10.99
Sparkling wines tend to do well in our evenings and this methode tradionelle Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc blend was quite pleasant. Jane though it was a Prosecco imposter but actually this is a Languedoc sparkler and it got better as you tasted it. Bubbly lover Sheila had it as her favourite wine and two more had it in their top three. Scores were 12.5, 13, 10, 14, 13, 13. A nice change to taste something from Laithwaites.

Jane translating Le Guide Hachette for Clive

5. Paul Mas Estate Carignan Vielle Vignes Savignac Vineyard 2009 – Majestic £8.99

John E impressed by getting the grape variety on this one and one person had it as the runner up wine of the evening. Only one other had it in their top three. Perhaps it needed to breathe some more, because it got better as time went on. Scores were 11.5, 15, 16, 15, 14, 10. Quite good scores for a red wine at number five!

6. Rocs Blancs AOC Languedoc Picpoul de Pinet 2009 – Majestic £6.99
Some found this too much like grape juice and Steve W had a bouquet of floor polish which I think he found attractive. Steve S found it too simple which I think is why it scored so lowly. John E found some redeeming features and thought it had been served slightly too cold and actually showed some life in it. The scores for this typical Languedoc white wine were 10, 11, 11, 11, 9, 7. This would be enjoyable with some Bouzigues oysters sitting outside in the Languedoc listening to the Cicadas – but it didn’t work well in Tongham!

Artistic shot of the evening's debris!

Overall a very good consistent bunch of wines and we had great fun playing “Spot the Imposter”. The change to Friday night seemed to work well for many and conversation on many subjects flowed as well as the wine. We’ll have to consider more Friday dates going forward. Well done Steve.

Next month we venture into Hampshire to taste wines at John S’s place in Farnborough. Date is April . Do join us. Click on Wine Circle at the top of the page for more details.  Where else can you have this much entertainment for just £10.

Languedoc Generic Reds - TonghamTaster’s French Wine Tasting Course – week 10

Vineyards near Beziers

The 12 month on-line course to help you learn about French wines - Top tips on how to get value when buying them - Reasonably priced up-to-date recommendations of what to buy and try in the UK - Bringing you the best of Tongham Village Hall wine tastings.

INTRODUCTION
For March we will study the Languedoc-Roussillon wine area of Southern France, which is one of the oldest, largest and best value wine regions in the world. This week we cover the large generic red appellations of the Languedoc, before going on to some of the more specific appellations over the next three weeks. Later in the year we will cover some of the exciting Vins de Pays from the region.

LOCALITY
The Coteaux du Languedoc is a very large wine area on the Mediterranean stretching from around the city of Montpelier south west to Narbonne and inwards from the coast to the mountains. Since 2007 there has been an even larger generic appellation in the area – the AOC Languedoc that covers the area all the way from Nimes in the east to the Spanish border and thus now covers Roussillon as well. The old Coteaux du Languedoc AOC will continue to be used until 2012. Many well known AOCs like St Chinian, Faugeres, Fitou, Minervois and Corbieres fall in this area but we will cover them separately next week.

VARIETALS
About 80% of the wine produced in this area is red with the balance split roughly equally between white and rose.
For the red and rose wines the main grapes are Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre with Carignan and Cinsault permitted in smaller quantities. All wines must be a blend of at least two grape varieties. The exact percentagse vary between the different appellations.

THE WINES
I remember first really appreciating the Coteaux du Languedoc wines as recently as 2003 when I bought a case of Chateau Rieutort Clos des Charmes 2000 which was a really beautiful wine. Like many of the wines of the region it was Grenache based (80%) but blended with 3 other varietals.

We have already mentioned the two main appellations – the old Coteaux du Languedoc and the newer AOC Languedoc which we will see increasingly on our wine shelves. These are wines of varying quantity but there are some gems amongst them and in most cases represent good value for money.

Jane tasting in La Clape

However, there are some sub-appellations that need to be mentioned such as La Clape and Pic Saint Loup amongst others. These are often better quality and so look out for these names on the label.

Another thing about Languedoc wines - there is no specified bottle shape, so you may see them in both Bordeaux and Rhone shaped bottles.

THE TASTE


A favourite of mine



The red wines tend to be full bodied and often quite alcoholic. You will get the usual berry flavours along with a variety of non-fruit flavours as well. In such a large appellation you will het a variety of quality and tastes.

TOP TIPS
• The wines of the Coteaux du Languedoc often represent great value for money.
 • There are some well known high quality large producers such as Gerard Bertrand that you will often see in the supermarkets and are worth trying.

• Also look out for the wines of JeanJean who are two women who produce wines in the Languedoc - again these are good value for money wines.

HOMEWORK
For your homework this week you need to buy and try any Coteaux du Languedoc or AOC Languedoc red and you may wish to try one of my recommendations below. Remember that you will only learn about wines by tasting them.
Waitrose - Chateau l'Hospitalet Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape Gerard Bertrand 2008 - About £11
or Waitrose – Chateau Callage 2008 Coteaux du Languedoc – About £8 but £6 this week.
Or Majestic – La Vielle Capitelle 2009 AOC Languedoc – About £8 but £5 if you buy 2 or more.
Or Marks and Spencers - Chateau du Parc 2008 Coteaux du Languedoc – about £7.50.

FOOD PAIRINGS
The Languedoc reds are great BBQ wines and go well with grilled red meats and sausages.

COMING SOON
Next week we move on to the reds of St Chinian, Faugeres, Fitou, Minervois and Corbieres.

If you missed the early weeks of this course, it is not too late to catch up. Just click on the French Wine Course link at the top of this page.

If it’s Friday it must be the Languedoc!

You are invited to our March 2011 Tongham Tasters wine evening, which, unusually this month, is on a Friday. The date to put in your diaries is March 11th at 8.00pm.

This month, Steve S is hosting the event and choosing the wines. Most of us know that Steve is a big fan of the Languedoc and so no surprise that the theme of this month’s evening is the wines of the Languedoc.

As usual we will be blind tasting 6 wines, enjoying a little food and of course thoroughly enjoying each others company. Cost of the evening is shared by all who come along and is limited to a very reasonable £10 per head – cash on the night.

Participation is limited to 14 as it is being held in one of our homes and we only have one bottle of each wine. As we normally only get nine regulars along to our events there is room for a few additional people to come along and join in the fun. We welcome any new faces and if you want to join us, give Tongham Taster organiser John a call on 07717 876743 or email tonghamtaster@gmail.com.

Vines in the Languedoc

The venue will be in Tongham which is close to Farnham, Aldershot, Seale, Ash and Runfold in Surrey, UK.. Address will be supplied on booking your place. Hope we get to clink glasses with you on the 11th.  If all is stilll not clear click on Wine Circle at the top of this blog for our FAQs.

If keen on the wines of the Languedoc do tune in to this blog for information and recommendations relating to this region each week during March.

February Wine of the Month

As expected wine of the month for February goes to one of the wonderful reds we had at the Tongham Tapas Fiesta – The Camins del Priorat 2008. This wine by Alvaro Palacious, one of the best and most well known wine makers in Priorat, was a great hit at our February Spanish wine tasting. It has great power and lovely flavours and I think very good value at around £15. The primary grape is Carignan, known locally as Carinena or Salmso which is not normally a great grape but does well when there are low yields such as in Priorat. The wine also contains Grenacha, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. You can buy this wine in-line at Berry Brothers and Rudd and Waitrose.

My favourite wine of the month but not currently available in the UK was an absolutely stunning Sancerre white. The 2007 La Cote des Monts Damnes Sancerre by Henri Bourgeois was zesty and wonderfully minerally. It had life and really sung to me! It had citrus but none of the less desirable flavours one gets in some Sauvignon Blanc. Worth looking out for this wine if in the region – I purchased mine in Sancerre back in 2008 and wish I had some more. You can find various years available in various countries on Wine Searcher if you look.

A third wine of note was a really nice non vintage champagne we had as an aperitif when visiting Tom Aikens restaurant in Chelsea. I had never had an Henriot Champagne before and really loved it; will probably do a report on this restaurant visit and the wines we had in a future blog. Suffice for now to say that it was an evening of total excess.

Coincidence of the month was having a Chilean Gewurtztraminer two nights in a row after never had one in my life before. Both were very pleasant but the star was the Aresti Estate 2006 Old Vines Gwurtztraminer – it paired some Thai food very well. I think I may have bought this at Waitrose because of a Jancis Robinson recommendation as I also did with the Priorat – well done Jancis!

Talking of Jancis Robinson, do get involved in her Wine Relief this month, which is part of Red Nose Day. We may be organising something – watch this space.

A Dab Hand at cooking……..Dab!

I thoroughly approve of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Big Fish Fight and have been waiting for some of our less popular fish to start appearing in our supermarkets as a result of the campaign. This weekend I found some dab in Tescos and thought we need to reward Tescos for putting this on their counter and bought four of them.

When I got home I went on Hugh’s site and quickly found out how to cook dab. Hugh’s recipe is basically a fish finger sandwich using dab. Very nice but not what I was looking for. So here on this blog are some further ideas that I tried successfully but using the same method for cooking the dab. I have also come up with some wine pairings that worked well. However, first we must prepare the fish – use on the day of purchase as dab is best fresh.

Filleting a Dab and making a fish stock
I was surprised how easy it was to fillet dab having never filleted a flat fish before, although I do remember filleting a load of sprats one evening which are even smaller. One essential item of equipment is a good fish filleting knife – visit your local kitchen shop or go on-line. I also found a good strong pair of kitchen scissors helpful.

Step 1 – remove the head and tail and fins. I used the scissors for this.

Step 2 – With the dark side of the fish upwards, cut along the length of the backbone to the bone. Then remove your first fillet by starting at the backbone and gradually lifting the flesh off the bone by sliding the knife flat against the ad end at bone. I found it easier to start slight towards the head end. Repeat for the other fillet on this side and then turn over and repeat for the white skinned side of the fish. You should end up with four small fillets for each dab. Leave the skin on as it will crisp up nicely.
Step 3 – Reserve the bones, head etc for the stock.
Step 4 – Season some plain flour with salt and pepper and dust each fillet with the seasoned flour. Put in the fridge until ready to use.
Step 5 – Add the reserve bones and head to a small saucepan and add a small onion or shallot a chopped carrot and some celery. Fill the saucepan with water and add a few sprigs of herbs like thyme. Bring to a simmer and continue slowly simmering for twenty minutes but no longer. Reserve for use in a risotto or use to make a sauce.

Recipe 1 - Dab and Caper Salad
This is a healthy starter. Allow 1 dab per person and about 30 grams of small salad leave.

Step 1 – Make a salad dressing using some olive oil, whole grain mustard and lemon juice. Chop a few capers into this and add some seasoning.
Step 2 – Wash the salad leaves and drain and arrange on a plate.
Step 3 – In a frying pan, bring some sunflower oil up to a reasonable heat. Put each fillet in skin side down and cook for a maximum of two minutes until the skin is crispy. Quickly turn over and then after 30 seconds remove from the plan and pat dry on kitchen paper.
Step 4 – Dress the salad and then place the fish on top and serve.

Recipe 2 – Dab, Pea and Lemon Risotto
This is a main course that makes good use of the fish stock we have just made.

Step 1 – Chop a shallot and stalk of celery and lightly fry in some olive oil to soften without colouring. Then add the Arborio rice and cook for a few minutes.
Step 2 – Gradually stir in the stock and stir in the normal way you would make a risotto.
Step 3 – Towards the end of the cooking, add in the peas and the juice of one lemon and some lemon zest and seasoning. At the very end add some butter and let rest while you cook the fish.
Step 4 – Cook the dab as in the previous recipe.
Step 5 – Serve the risotto with the fish on top.

Wine Pairings
With the salad we had a Montagny which is a reasonably priced Burgundy Chardonnay white. Ours was a nice acidic wine that matched well with the fish and the salad dressing.
With the risotto we had a lovely Henri Bourgeois Sancerre.