NORTHERN THAI FOOD AND A ROUSSILLON MUSCAT

This month in July the French #winophiles are exploring the white wines of Roussillon. Lynn Gowdy of Savor the Harvest is hosting us; do read her very informative primer on all things white wine and Roussillon at the link above.

https://www.touteleurope.eu/

Before Languedoc-Roussillon, there was Languedoc and there was Roussillon in Sud-Ouest - southwest - France, and then they merged with the larger Occitanie administrative region in 2016. As is the case with every ancient land, a few kilometres travelled make you feel like you're in another country! It's no different in France... for example, in the wine world Languedoc-Roussillon are lumped together implying that they are similar. In reality, they're two distinct regions - culturally, culinarily, linguistically, geologically, and even in wine styles. While wines from the Languedoc are fairly easy to find, those from Roussillon can be challenging to find. But they are delightful and worth seeking out if you like food-friendly wines with minerality, salinity, floral notes, and a rich mouthfeel.

We decided to pair our wine selection with Northern Thai food from one of our favourite Bay Area restaurants, Monkey Thai.

THE WINERY + THE WINE

Clos de l'Origine is a small 10 hectare (~25 acres) domaine focused on organic farming with biodynamic practices since its creation in 2004, and now agriculture biologique (AB) certified since 2009. The winery has chosen to remain in the Vin de France classification to allow greater creative freedom. Winery operations are in a rather unassuming facility (see my Google Maps screenshot to the right) in Maury, Pyrénées Orientales (formerly Roussillon). The grapes are grown in several different terroirs throughout the region, ranging from 15 m to 400 m above sea level. According to vignerons and owners Marc and Caroline Barriot, the wines are made with the idea of vinifying "as close as possible to the expression of the terroir".

It is truly a labour of love - the soil is worked mostly by hand, harvests are 100% by hand, and the other work like weeding, tying the vines, etc. is also done manually. At the winery vinification is done with indigenous yeasts of each terroir, with no added yeasts or enzymes. As Marc Barriot says, "Our goal is not to obtain perfect and boring wines. Our choice is based on vinification with little sulfur, depending on the vintage, so as to respect the integrity of the grapes to obtain finesse and purity of the fruit, giving free rein to nature as to the tastes of our wines." 

2018 CLOS DE L'ORIGINE "LE TROUBLE FAIT"

http://www.clotdelorigine.fr/index.html

100% Muscat Alexandria (muscat)
Price: $25, ABV: 12%

Vinification: direct pressed whole bunch Muscat grapes (no destemming), indigenous yeasts, skin contact with Muscat and Syrah for 3 weeks, no fining or filtration

Soil: clay, limestone, shale, 15 m above sea level

Colour: cloudy, yellow with a lashing of orange

Nose + Palate: Dried white flowers, juicy fruit, saline minerality, astringent but balanced, with just the right kind of medium length finish.

Pairing: We had this with northern Thai food which is savoury, not intensely spicy, features banana leaves used to wrap meats, uses sticky rice rather than Jasmine rice, and has a discernible absence of coconut milk. Quite different from the richly spiced, coconut milk "curries" sweetened with palm sugar that are ubiquitous in southern Thai cuisine and Thai restaurants outside Thailand. Northern Thai cuisine is fragrant and savoury, with layers of flavours, and brought out the best in Le Trouble Fait, an equally savoury wine with a rich mouthfeel to match the food.

Want to know more? Read below to find out what the other #winophiles are saying about their wine choices and food pairings! And do join us on Twitter to chat about the white wines of Roussillon with the hashtag #winophiles on 18 July at 8 AM PST.

• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm pairs American Bay Scallops with French Roussillon Blanc
• Cindy at Grape Experiences shares A Perfect Al Fresco Lunch in Roussillon: Domaine d’Aussières Chardonnay 2018 and Creamy Crab Quiche
• Jeff from Food Wine Click! presents Banyuls Pet-Nat with Treats à La Buvette
• Allison and Chris from ADVineTURES discuss Domaine Lafage Cuvée Centenaire: The Essence of Rousillon
• Melanie at Wining With Mel tells us about her Adventures in Roussillon White Wines
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass explains A Roussillon Blanc Turns My Thoughts Toward Chicken
• Gwendolyn at Wine Predator give us M. Chapoutier’s Cotes du Roussillon Blanc Paired with Halibut Baked in Lemon Butter
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles talks about Snow Capped Pyrenees to the Mediterranean Sea – Exploring the Stunning and Diverse Roussillon Wine Region
• Cathie from Side Hustle Wino shares Why You Will Love the White Wines of Roussillon
• Lauren at The Swirling Dervish tells us about Biodynamics and the Butterfly Effect: A Labor of Love in Roussillon
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla offers A Summer Pairing: Salade Niçoise + Bila-Haut Côtes du Roussillon Blanc 2017
• Susannah from Avvinare pours Muscat de Rivesaltes – A Marvel from Roussillon
• Katrina from Corkscrew Concierge hosts An Exploration of Roussillon White Wines
• Terri at Our Good Life writes about Summer Love and White Wines from Roussillon
• Payal at Keep the Peas whips up Northern Thai Food and a Roussillon Muscat
• Nicole at Somm's Table is having Fun with Ramen & Saint-Roch Cotes du Roussillon Vieilles Vignes Blanc
• And host Lynn of Savor the Harvest encourages us to Put These Rousillon White Wines On Your Buy List

A RIFF ON ROBERTA'S PIZZA DOUGH + A SAUCE

I've been making pizza from scratch for a number of years and I've never found a dough recipe that wowed me. But I recently I came across Roberta's Pizza Dough recipe on the New York Times website and decided to give it a go based on the comments. I agree with everyone who raved about it, I love it too, and I suspect this is my new go-to dough recipe. However, I did a few things differently than the NYT recipe and loved the results so decided to write it up here in case I forget what I did. I hope you try it!

The sauce is a classic pizza sauce of crushed, reduced tomatoes and a bit of garlic. It's the way I've made sauce ever since I'd casually dabbled in cooking as a teenager, so I really couldn't tell you where I found the recipe - probably one of my mum's Italian cookbooks. But I can tell you that it is perfect in its simplicity and really lets the tomatoes come through.

Notes:

• If you haven't got 00 flour, use all-purpose
• You can use the dough after a 4 hour rise but it will be lighter and more flavourful with the longer rise. I highly recommend it!
• I let the dough rise in the stand mixer bowl but if you don't have room in the fridge, transfer to another bowl
• I use a stand mixer now but I've mixed plenty of doughs by hand, it's just fine
• Use a good quality low-moisture whole milk mozzarella (Trader Joe's has one)
• Don't overload the pizza with toppings

A RIFF ON ROBERTA'S PIZZA DOUGH + A SAUCE

makes: 2 12 in. pizzas, plenty of sauce

DOUGH

- 2 g (3/4 tsp) active dry yeast

- 200 g (~3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) warm water

- 155 g (~1 cup) 00 flour

- 155 g (~1 cup) all-purpose flour

- 8 g (1 tsp) salt

- 4 g (1 tsp) olive oil

- 200 g (~4 oz) sliced whole milk low-moisture mozzarella

- pepperoni/salami/prosciutto/other light toppings (optional) 

- fresh basil for final garnish (optional)

SAUCE

- 28 oz. tin whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano or other good quality ones)

- 2-3 cloves peeled garlic

METHOD

1. SAUCE: blend the garlic and whole peeled tomatoes + whatever liquid is in the tin. Cook in a slow cooker on High for 3-4 hrs, or on stovetop at medium heat for 1 hr. Use right away or store in the fridge for up to 3 days, then freeze if not using.
2. DOUGH: Proof the yeast in warm water (barely warm, not hot or the yeast cells will die): add the yeast to the water and give it a quick stir, let it sit for a few minutes while you prep the flour mix.
3. Mix the flours and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or any large bowl if making by hand). Add the proofed yeast mixture and oil to the flour, mix at lowest speed.
4. Knead for 3 min. at medium speed, let it rest for 15 min., knead for 3-4 min. to form a smooth dough. Remove the dough ball and give it a light coating of olive oil. Put it in a bowl that fits in your fridge, cover with a towel, let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hrs. After 2 hours outside, put the dough in the fridge and let it rise for 8 - 24 hrs.
5. Remove the dough from the fridge 1-2 hrs before you want to make the pizza. At the same time, put your pizza stone or cast iron pan into the oven and preheat the oven to the highest heat.
6. After the oven has stayed at the highest temperature for 1-2 hrs, make the pizza: Divide the dough into two equal-ish parts. Shape each into a pizza, top with sauce (see recipe below), cheese, and toppings. Put the pizzas in the oven, together or one by one, set the timer for 6 min.
7. After 6 min. broil on high for 1-2 min. Remove and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve!