Sauternes and lobster

WINE TALK
21

Food fight!

22

I learned that peas come from the ocean.

23

[wow.gif]

I bet soaking fresh peas in the ocean for a few hours would be fun to experiement with cooking them…maybe throw them in a little butter in a pan on HI for 20-30 seconds?

As for the absolute nature of beliefs…I know from time to time I can get stuck. I hope that my sharing my thoughts here does not come across as condesention or holyer than thou. Most tourists…and locals drown their lobster in butter. However, if any of you make it close to Portland, ME in the summer. Check out THE WELL at JORDAN FARM in Cape Elizabeth. It’s a BYO, cash only, restaurant that seats first come first serve…and is one of the BEST reasons to come to Portland Maine if you’re a foodie. They do a Lobster salad with fresh greens, a little balsamic, 1st press oil, and it’s just beautiful.

24

Lobster is essentially very bland and it just depends on how the lobster is prepared. I can see Sauternes pairing well given the dish.

We had lobster carpaccio at an unstructured wine dinner Saturday evening. Of the four whites on the table of: ’93 Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne, '00 Raveneau “Butteaux", ’10 Jacques Carillon PM “Les Champ Canet” and a Huet Vouvray [I don’t remember the vintage or vineyard, but it was “dry”] the Chablis easily paired the best. It also paired best with a slightly chilled ramps soup too that more than likely had the lobster shell used in creating it’s stock.

25

Ditto

26

One of the reasons that Maine lobsters (and crabs or crabmeat) taste differently in NY from how they taste in Maine is that they are different. Maine essentially has two harvests of lobster: softshell (shedders) and hardshells. I think less than 10% of the annual harvest in Maine is hardshell. Hardshell can travel; softshell cannot. Softshell (lobsters that have recently molted) don’t fill their shells, which are soft. So, they fill them with sea water to cushion their bodies. It makes for good tasting eating in Maine, but fragility for travel. (And, most lobstermen I’ve talked with say that once people eat softshells, they don’t go back; that is certainly the experience of my friends who go up there with me.)

So…most hardshells encountered elsewhere in the US are not from Maine. Likely they are from Canada. Canada has different rules…and …allow harvesting of hardshells over say 2.5 lbs. Maine prohibits harvest of lobsters over a certain length. Period.

Hardshells are less “saline”; have less water in them and , I guess…therefore, seem less “fresh” than the usual available to eat in Maine. But…that’s because they are…not because they aren’t “fresh”.

The crabs up there are a similar story, though there are no rules, as they are looked at as a nuisance by-catch.They don’t travel well because they don’t band them…there’s no market for them to treat them well…and…because, as result, they eat each other…and when you do export them…a high percentage is DOA. The local Chinatown in Philadelphia used to bring in truckloads…but…the loss ratio was too high and they stopped years ago, sadly.

27

Interesting, Ken. I’ve never thought about it that way, though I do think that the butter is a plus for added richness…and the lemon a plus for added acidity…to segue to going with wines. My wife uses neither, though we just look at it as differing prefernces, rather than one way being “gross” or due to deficient freshness or tastebuds.

Do others think of lobster as being “bland”…? I’m not sure that’s incorrect.

28

I’d call it “delicate,” not “bland.” Assuming its a good one of course.

29

I’ve never seen them as bland…but mine are almost always less than 24 hours out of the water when I get them. I think like most sea food…freshness is key. When they’re fresh, I think there’s a TON of flavor…

30

If only this were more than about 65% correct. Alas, it is not. Keep dipping that lobster, Stewy.

31

For those who are interested in two of the best lobster-in-the-rough experiences on the North Shore of MA (easy drive from Boston): The Lobster Pool out on Granite Street. Really fresh and really good. Sit on the cove at a picnic table and stare at the lobster traps. My daughter and I have been known to have lunch there, take a hike out on Halibut Point, and come back in for “dessert” (more lobster). Or out in the touristy area of Bearskin Neck is Roy Moore Lobster - walk through the kitchen on the way out to the no-frills deck, wait for the guys to haul in a new load from the water, and then wait for them to call that your lobster is ready. The best.

I grew up on lobster, and I like it with some drawn butter. I don’t add lemon, but truly, no offence if you like it that way.

I am not a Sauternes fan, in general, but I do like a nice Champagne with my lobster. But then again, I like Champagne with anything (or nothing). flirtysmile

32

“Delicate” is a much better word! Bland is overstating it because there is a sweetness as long as they are not too cold or overcooked. It really does not take much to make lobster sing. I believe texture might be a big part of their universal appeal regardless of the preparation. That said, the texture of both Sauternes and lobster can be quite similar.

Like Merrill, I prefer them with Champagne too.

33

I would say that Champagne overall is a more versatile “food wine” than is something like Sauternes. I’ve never had Sauternes with lobster and had it “improve” the lobster. I prefer brut Champagne or a dry white wine with lobster, as the contrast seems to bring out more “sweetness” in the lobster meat.

Bruce

34

I’ve never tried Sauternes with lobster. Wines that have worked for me (I’ll leave out the ones that didn’t) are
Henkell Trocken Fine Sekt

** Cuvée La Levraudière 2010
Muscadet Sèvre & Maine sur Lie
Château “La Tarcière”

Calumna 2010
Alberiño

Nessa Albariño 2008
Adegas Gran Vinum

others that should work (but I haven’t tried the combo):

** Arcan 2010
Albariño

** Castellroig
Cava Brut
Finca Sabaté i Coca

35

I think my favorite wine pairing with Lobster is Musar Blanc (lucky you if you can find the 2005).

36

i’m another who favors the lemon-butter dunking (only a few times have I had lobster fresh out of the ocean.) But I also love lemon-butter on asparagus (better than hollandaise sauce), broccoli, etc. and asparagus is not flavorless or bland. I also like snails with an herb butter sauce. I think all those foods can be enhanced with lemon and butter in the right proportion.

37

Every lobster shack/pound I’ve been to in Maine (and I’ve visited a couple dozen of them on various trips) has served steamed lobster with butter (I don’t actually know if it’s seasoned with lemon or not); so that’s about as fresh as it gets. I typically dip a little just to get some more richness in the bite. Certainly don’t find it “gross”.

One pairing that definitely does NOT work is Chardonnay with any amount of oak on it.

38

I’m looking for a good suggestion, a good aged Sauternes for this exact (lobster) pairing. Any suggestions or good leads on available bottles? I buy pretty frequently from The Chicago Wine Co and HDH, but other places too. Total price ideally below $80, and would consider 375s (1 or 2) as well.

39

You mean you don’t think white burgundy goes with Lobster?

40

The couple of times I tried this, it turned out badly. Not sure it’s the lobster itself, but if you do use butter, that appeared to be a bad match. I think the suggestions for something on the “fruitier” side, like a Riesling or Chenin Blanc would work better, but I haven’t tried those.