Pescatarian/Vegetarian Pairings with aged Bordeaux

Odd request, I know, but this is something I’m struggling to figure out. I have a friend who restricts their diet in this manner (generally avoids carbs, as well), and I would like to introduce them to aged Bordeaux (min. 20 yo). I would prefer it to be accompanied by food.

I know this may be a “forced” pairing — it certainly feels that way to me — but I’m confident the collective wisdom here can think of many good options.

So, what say you? What pescatarian or vegetarian dishes would you pair with aged red wine from Bordeaux?

Loads.

Anything with mushrooms (stuffed and baked, risotto, pastas), roast marrow or corguettes (we slice them almost through at close intervals and rub or sauce the layers), Meaty fish with either of the above, dishes with wild rice, a whole host of cheese based dishes, sprouts.

Literally dozens of options.

Yes, mushroom dishes, and wintery root vegetable type dishes, immediately come to mind.

Heavier, darker fish like swordfish should work well, particularly in more of a wintery type preparation.

Think earthy, savory, comforting types of flavors.

Bordeaux is quite versatile.

Great calls.

Mushrooms and cheese give us fabulous leeway!

Pizza combos with those and other accoutrements, as well.

I forgot to take pics, but we made a crust/oil/saffron risotto/mozarella pizza last week that left people clamoring for more. matched it with 2012 Paul Hobbs and 2008 Spottswoode.

Another (same crust and oil) was sauteed mushrooms, “butter” green olives, and scattered pan seared potato slices.

Agee with Russell. Think of the fat from dairy (butter, cream, cheese) or vegetable oil (olive, sesame) as the stand-in for animal fat in the traditional European pairing.

Umami found in mushrooms, eggplant, artichoke, fish brine corresponds in broad terms to that in bone marrow and other animal sources.

No need to go all cheesy with your mains. That being said the after dinner cheese course is great with older Bordeaux.
Monkfish is great with Bordeaux. Grilled, it is very savory. Mushroom tarts are standard as well.

I’m pescetarian. It doesn’t have to be a forced pairing at all.

Personally, I would definitely avoid any seafood (other than maybe a bit of fish sauce if appropriate). People suggesting it don’t get the strong flavor clash from such things that I do, but I promise many people do. Even swordfish would not be a good pairing for me.

Mushroom based dishes are some of the most obvious, and among the best, options. Grilled, sauteed, whatever. I do a vegetarian version of Coq Au Vin where I use tempeh instead of chicken, soy sauce, and extra butter. Something along those lines (red wine reduction with mushrooms) would work extremely well.

I would avoid eggplant because it’s very bitter, and that bitterness, even for those who like it, would tend to reduce the impression of fruit in the wine, which is bad for aged Bordeaux.

Almost anything that has a good base of well cooked onions and garlic will have a nice savory component that helps with the pairing. If they are okay with some carbs, a lentil dish could be a great choice. Something with lentils and root vegetables and that onion/garlic base could be great. I would’t do Indian flavors, but most lentil dishes with a more European flavor palette (herbs de Provence and maybe some lemon juice and salt, for example) would be great with aged Bordeaux.

If you aren’t used to cooking vegetarian food, and you want to do the cooking, I would suggest finding a good recipe. It isn’t always intuitive for people who are used to making meat based dishes. There’s a lot more that has to happen to develop flavor in many cases.

I also have a couple of possibly more simple ideas. Most sorts of creamy, cheesy, or buttery pasta dishes would work well. There are so many options there. I wouldn’t go full on red sauce, but something that includes some tomatoes is good. Also, a vegetarian pizza is often a great pairing if you avoid artichoke, pesto, and hot pepper. A simple Margherita would work great, as would many other pizzas.

I agree on being careful about fish. I think if the fish is made with a red wine sauce that might work – but I usually find fish with Bdx blends to be a bit off.

You said no carbs, but if that is negotiable, I recently made a mushroom tart with a potato crust that was really great. I test made it last week in anticipation for friends coming over this Friday who are not doing gluten, dairy, or sugar – and are pescatarian.

But if carbs are out – i.e. no pasta, no lentil, no potato – then I would do a nice sauteed mushroom – and perhaps some of the grilled vegetables some mention – and of course root vegetables (a savory sweet potato might work?)

Good luck – let us know what you decide and how the pairing goes.

Crabgrass.

Thanks for the great answers thus far, everybody! To address a couple things:

  1. carbs are not completely out of the picture, but I greatly appreciate the ideas that don’t rely on them.
  2. I typically do not cook vegetarian, so I appreciate the suggestion to consult a recipe.

So far am leaning towards the mushroom ideas (I know they love mushrooms). And the lentil and wild rice ideas are piquing my interest, as well.

Please keep the suggestions coming! I’ll save the ones I don’t use immediately for later occasions. Quite frankly, it would probably be in my own best interests to substitute more fish and vegetables for meat in my own diet.

This is a fun thread, thank you for starting it.

I think pasta would give you a lot of options.

Homemade pizza is also versatile.

Seared Tuna (very easy to make). If you use a soy based dipping sauce I don’t think the umami and tannin should clash with each other much if the wines are aged.

Veggie Shepard’s Pie?

Fun thread! Whatever you come up with let us know how it goes.

Clear it’s a matter of personal preference. I rarely eat beef or meat other than poultry. would almost always have fish with Bordeaux, especially aged Bordeaux, and know other serious collectors (much more serious than I) who primarily drink very mature Bordeaux and almost always pair it with fish.

As pointed out above, some fish like salmon, ahi, swordfish hold up a little better than lighter ones, but grouper, snapper also work.

Have you asked them? What do they eat with big cal cabs?

Last night we had spaghetti squash – that would be squash that, when cooked, has a flesh that looks and behaves like spaghetti – with a fairly traditional tomato sauce and mushrooms, and we accompanied it with a 1990 Cos Labory that went perfectly. If you’re on the lookout for a way to eat vegetarian and cut carbs, without feeling like you’re missing out on texture/flavor, this works pretty darned well.

Spaghetti squash is a good idea. We also sometimes make Zucchini noodles – which are then sauteed in ghee. You can put any sort of sauce on them, including of course mushroom.

Had a smoked cod once, and it was as good with old bdx as any meat…

Vegetarian cassoulet. Restrict your bean-infusing fats to dairy, think about alternative ways to replace some of the other meat-based qualities (lots and lots of garlic, smoked salt, elevated-umami ingredients like soy, judicious fish sauce, etc.), and definitely include sturdy mushrooms alongside equally sturdy root vegetables. Go heavy (but not overboard) on the thyme and rosemary. If you have the ability to smoke any of the ingredients before assembling them for baking, do so. Or at least add smoky components; a vegetarian stock based on grilled corn and grilled leeks would be an excellent way to start.

I’ve actually tried this with mature Bordeaux, and it worked very well. The primary drawback is that vegetarian cassoulet is pretty much the opposite of visually appealing, so you’ll want something else on the plate.

Dang, this is killer!

Put me down as adding votes for noodle-izing squash and zucchini as well as spaghetti squash!

Pizza pizza pizza!

I know it’s from the other place but a bean cassoulet work’s spectacularly well.

I almost never eat meat and I drink a lot of aged Bordeaux; with grilled aubergines/peppers, ratatouille, quorn or other vegan meat replacements cooked in standard meat based dishes, portabello mushroom burgers, warm halloumi salads, general non-spicy Lebanese food… endless choices basically…

This sounds delicious – any recipes that we can use as a guide?

The one other vegetarian umami ingredient that no one has mentioned is Ume plum vinegar. Really lovely – and a good substitute for fish sauce if serving a strict vegetarian. But fish sauce is of course excellent.