Good Morning, everyone! I am back to my normal posting schedule, thank you for your patience. :-) Anyways... when cod went on sale this week, we decided to go the Fish and Chips route.
Cocktail - Muddled Basil and Strawberry Gin Cocktail
Why do we not use gin more often??? This was fantastic! It's super easy, too. We muddled some basil and some strawberry, and then added gin, fresh lemon juice, and soda water. Simple, easy, and extremely refreshing.
Appetizer - Vidalia Onion Tart with Bacon, Honey, and Fresh Thyme
Okay, so there is a running joke with John and Jenn that I never finish my plate. I licked this plate clean. Amazing. Incredible. The onions were sweet and tender with the great smoky bacon and delicate thyme. (And let's be honest... who doesn't like pie crust???) This is a fantastic option if you're making a brunch, too!
Appetizer Wine - 2012 Cottesbrook Sauvignon Blanc
A very well balanced white with full fruity flavors and a crisp, clean finish. It has intense aromas of gooseberry and citrus with lingering acidic flavors of lemon on the tongue. Considered a "Best Value" from Wine Spectator.
Entree - Fish and Chips
The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity. I'm going to break some of this down for you. Let's start with french fries. You partially fry them, take them out, and then fry them again. Anyone who makes fries will tell you that it must be done that way! And its perfect. Ours could have come out a little more crispy, but that's a personal preference and obviously easily fixed by leaving them in a few more minutes. I'm also wondering if a sprinkle of seasoned salt before frying would have had a nice effect. The recipe states to put the fish on top of the fries in the second round of frying. This sounds odd, but it is imperative! When you put the fish in alone, it sticks to the bottom of the frying basket and then when you remove it, all the breading comes off. When you put it over the fries, that does not happen. (Wow!) Let's talk fish now. We used cod, which we cut into chunks. We made the batter as directed but used regular flour since I couldn't find rice flour. We also had to add more club soda to the batter just to make it the right consistency. So I suggest you get a bottle of club soda and just add until desired. The batter came out perfectly! It almost had a tempura-like consistency and was not overly greasy at all! If this is what fish and chips is supposed to taste like, then I'm going to have it more often! Great dish!
Entree Wine - 2011 Chateau De La Chesnaie Muscadet Sevre et Maine
How have we never had a Muscadet before??? This was great! It's pale straw in color with aromas of mineral and sea breeze. It had delicate citrus notes and was very smooth on the tongue. It also had a slight effervescence to it that was distinctive and fantastic. A great summer drinking wine!
Dessert - White Chocolate Mousse with Macerated Strawberries
Okay, so I kind of got lazy on this one. I forgot to pick up a tart shell, and I definitely was not going to make one on my own, so I did a quick switch and made this simply as a white chocolate mousse, following the above recipe. We then sliced up the strawberries and soaked them in a little cassis, and topped before serving. The mousse recipe is fantastic! Light, airy, fluffy, and so delicious! I highly recommend!
So there you have it. Another fabulous Sunday! Next week is Memorial Day weekend, so we might end up cooking on Monday night, depending on the weather, but we'll have the time to do something really exotic and fun, so stay tuned!
Next Week - Memorial Day Weekend
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