fishing for white burg to go with quenelles de poisson

Served with a white wine/cream/fish stock/lemon/saffron sauce.

Thinking something that has saline elements which brings chablis to mind, but not sure if it would stand up to the cream sauce.

I guess anything that would go with a strong fish profile.

Meurseult is what comes to mind initially.

Here’s a report from Taillevent: Les 110 de Taillevent, Paris - food and wine matching nirvana | Matching Food & Wine

If Chablis doesn’t fit the bill…imo…no other Burgundy would.

Interstingly, quenelles traditionally has a sauce Nantua…which is fishy, too.

Love quenelles de brochet…wish they were easy to make.

FWIW, a new place opened in Philadelphia last winter…a branch of a revered BYOB, Bibou. The new place, Cheri, is not byob, but…and featured “quenelles de brochet” as a main course. Of course, I ordered it. Though it was pretty good, I ended up quite hungry after the meal, as it was a very puny portion, especially for a main course, and came with nothing filling, if anything at all. We’ve had no desire to return to the restaurant as a result. Interestingly, I guess, we had a Dauvissat Les Clos from '99 with it, I think.

I think the classic pairing is actually Condrieu.

Thanks guys, I will taste a few suggestions and bring two. The nantua is out, kosher requirements. Not mine, but it’s about impossible to sneak in the shellfish.

So the dish was a smashing success. We had Sole for the quenelles and I grabbed a whole fresh rock cod (local) to make stock. Poached with the stock (then baked in oven) and then made a sauce reduction using some white burg (starting with shallots of course), poaching liquid, cream, dressed with lemon juice and zest. I made a vinaigrette from homemade garlic and chive infused olive oil with champagne vinegar, to drizzle on the finish. Finished with fine chives and parsley.

We had a 95 Batard Montrachet and a 2003 Beaucastel. Both were exceptional pairings. The Beaucastel soaked up all the elements of the dish and really melted into the profile, even adding some notes to the dish. A perfect pairing. For me the Batard was the star but that is subjective, it provided the acid laden finish that left me with a palate of fish and lemon that was exactly what I was looking for. So while the Beaucastel was more versatile and coupled well, the Batard was solid throughout but hit a major high note on the finish where not only did it strip the wine, but it stripped the sauce, and let the food shine. Really good.

This wasn’t even my dish, but my contribution was making the stock and the sauce. My dish of mushroom soup was simply epic, as was the Dujac.

2003 Beaucastel Blanc I presume? Their VV Roussanne would be interesting with that dish as well.

And, whose Batard?

The dish sounds like fish/lemon/cream…which…sounds very nice and very versatile with lots of wines. Cream and sole…go with everything…

thanks for the follow up report. So many times…people don’t.

Correct, Blanc VV. It showed very well, particularly with a nice beam of acid through the finish, but wild enough to capture all the elements in the dish. In fact, the reason I added the garlic and chive oil was to challenge the Beaucastel. It prevailed.

I will have to check on the Batard, donated by a generous benefactor.

Awesome! (I did not assume that you had the VV, but it is an impressive food wine.)

I’ve always found Meursault and similar styled Cali wines to go well with gefilte fish.

Which brand, Jay?

I think it matters. Home-made “requires” something else, though.

Brand? The wine or the Gefilte fish? I would never eat a “brand” of gefilte fish. Out of a jar? That’s disgusting. A shanda if I ever heard one. My mother is 92 years old and still makes it from scratch for major holidays. I first noticed about 12 years ago that it went very well with Les Tenebres, the first of Abe Schoener’s chardonnays. Since then I have had it with assorted Meursault and Chablis. I do not think it pairs well with more fruit driven chardonnay, like Aubert from California. I have never had it with Ceritas but I think that would work well. I will try it this Passover.

Disgusting…well…Jay…I’ll have to say (shanda or not) I prefer the jarred to homemade. I’ve had too many little bones in my life from homemade to trust them. So…when I can, I’m a jarred man. Never thought of a wine match with it, though.

FWIW, I have the same issue with whitefish salad…which is why I try to make my own (with home-kippered salmon mixed in, like Russ’) …but those bones in homemade gefilte fish really creep me out…and have since I was a kid. It’s perhaps the only thing I preferred to buy that I can make myself…except good rye bread, maybe. Lox, pastrami…kippered salmon…burgers/ground meat…all from scratch here…but…gefilte fish…a “poissonal” issue, I guess.

Obviously poorly made gefilte fish. My mother used to grind it herself but since she’s now 92, she has the fish monger grind it. I do not recall ever having a bone in it. I did it myself once and used a KitchenAid grinder attachment. No bones.

Almost everyone’s version had bones in them. The fish used…carp? is almost impossible to debone…

using other fish, I guess …is more reliably boneless…but less authentic…that’s why I prefer the latter.

Maybe I just had bad luck…but…the makers were at least 6-7 different folks…so…

And, some people can just swallow those bones…like swordeaters…and Linda Lovelace.

you need to use a gefilter.

good one…seriously…

I like doing my own gefilte fishing…personally…sea to stomach. Better than farm to table even.