Spicing Up Monday Night Fish

For our usual Monday night fish dinner, Big N and I decided to spice things up. We were inspired by the great find Big N picked up at Whole Foods: 2007 William Fevre Champs Royaux Chablis. This viscous citrusy gem, made from 100% Chardonnay, had notes of pear, green apple, and plenty of minerality, with pomelo, grass, asian pear, and meyer lemon on the palate. The wine was crying out for spicy food and I was happy to oblige.

Big N grilled up salmon filets brushed with dijon, lemon, and red pepper sauce, and added some spicy pasilla peppers stuffed with parmesan to the mix, while I cooked up some okra with indian spices on the stovetop. For the okra I started with maui sweet onions, a bit of garlic, and olive oil and cooked until the onions were soft. Then I added my spices, including mustard seeds (my new favorite after all), cumin, curry powder, fleur de sel, pepper, tandoori spice, and a bit of coriander, then added the okra for a few minutes and cooked until just browned. Next I added some water to create a thick sauce and to steam the okra until it softened. When the okra was nearly ready I added diced roma tomatoes and a bit more seasoning, including red pepper flakes to kick up the spiciness a bit.

To cut some of the spiciness we grilled up asian pears. I think we got a little carried away, because by the middle of the meal both Big N and I were sucking in air to cool our mouths off. Thankfully the wine stood up to the spiciness, so we just drank some more. Not a bad tradeoff. We're definitely heading back to our Whole Foods to buy a few more bottles of the Chablis. The acidity in the wine means we can lay it down and enjoy it over the next few years. Another great start to the week.