I belong to a wine club, Laithwaite’s Wines. The recipe given came about because of them. In my last order, I received a Pinot Noir (Purple Owl Pinot Noir 2017). This pinot has everything I like about this grape. It has a ripe berry aroma, and a taste of fresh raspberry, with a hint of cinnamon that lingers in a long, silky finish. A perfect Pinot Noir. More intriguing was the food pairing recommendation: rosemary-citrus salmon with asparagus. Normally, the pairing for salmon is full-bodied whites, such as a White Burgundy, or Voignier, White Rioja, or even an oak-aged Chardonnay.  In my experience there are some red wines that go well with fish such a lightly chilled Barbera, Valpolicella, or Beaujolais.   But a red Pinot Noir?

I decided to give it a try. Well, the salmon matched perfectly  with the wine. Now, if you don’t have access to the Purple Owl Pinot Noir, any good pinot will do, preferably from California.  But one from the Burgundy region, or Argentina, Chile, and even South Africa will do just as well. So, defy convention, have a red wine with fish for a change. And the recipe itself ain’t that bad.

ROSEMARY-CITRUS SALMON AND ASPARAGUS

Ingredients:

1 to-2 pounds fish fillets, whole or 4 individual fillets
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons melted butter
3-4 fresh rosemary sprigs (about 3 tablespoons), chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried
Bunch (about 1 pound) green asparagus

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2.  Rinse fillet (or fillets) under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Place fillet on a large sheet of aluminum foil.
  3. In a small cup, combine lemon juice and butter. Pour and rub over fillets. Then sprinkle  with chopped rosemary. Place in oven and cook 15-20 minutes depending on size of fish. When it flakes easily with a fork, it’s done.
  4.  Meanwhile, rinse the asparagus and pat dry. Trim the ends of the asparagus. If the spears are thick,  trim them lightly with a vegetable peeler. Place asparagus in a the top part of a steamer pan, and steam for 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness, or until tender. If you do not have a steamer, you can use a steamer basket inside a large pot.
  5.  Serve the salmon fillet (or fillets) garnished with the asparagus.
    Yield: 4 servings.