You can read about how this Feast of the Twelve Fishes became an annual occurrence in my household in the post - The Feast of Twelve Fishes: La Vigilia di Natale v.2023. Long story short: it was a college boyfriend who introduced me to this Christmas Eve tradition. I kept doing the feast even though I got rid of him!
And looking back at that post from last year, I realize that I stick with some of the same dishes because we are usually coming home from a several days-long adventure for D's birthday. They are easy processes to do, even if I change up the ingredients slightly.
This year I paired all of the dishes with wines from one of my favorites, Donkey & Goat Winery out of Berkeley. I didn't do courses. I just put everything except the dessert on the table and we just passed platters, served ourselves, and enjoyed. That also meant that we tried the dishes with the different wines.
And these are the pairings that were the winners. I had actually thought the matches would be more evenly distributed, but the first still Chardonnay from the Conzelman Vineyard in the Anderson Valley was the hit of the evening. Everyone liked it with: Halibut Crudo, Salmon Carpaccio, Sardine Pâté, Tuna Pâté, and Pickled Mussels.
2023 Conzelman Vineyard Chardonnay Anderson Valley
For many years Donkey & Goat have made Conzelman Vineyard Chardonnay into Lily’s Pet Nat which is a perennial favorite of mine. In 2023, they decided to try and make a still Chardonnay from Conzelman.
The wine poured a pale golden yellow with a slight tinge of green. I noted aromas layered with Granny Smith apples with a touch of lime blossoms and a whiff of summer peaches. What an alluring nose! The palate however was deep and warm with flavors of toasted hazelnuts and yeasty brioche. But there was also a sweetness of ripe stone fruits balanced with a bright, clear acid.
As I already said, this was a delight with several of the dishes I made, including...
Halibut Crudo
INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound sashimi-grade halibut, cut into small cubes
flake sea salt
3 Tablespoons vinegar (I used the light Pomegranate Vinegar from local-to-me The Quail & Olive)
1-1/2 Tablespoons olive oil (I used an Arbequina)
2 to 3 Tablespoons fresh pomegranate arils for garnish
freshly ground pepper and fresh thyme for serving
PROCEUDRE
Place halibut cubes in a single layer and drizzle with 1-1/2 Tablespoons vinegar. Sprinkle with salt. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Uncover and stir to coat with vinegar. Drizzle in remaining vinegar, sprinkle with salt, cover and refrigerate for another 10 minutes. Uncover and drizzle with olive oil. Top with arils and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and fresh thyme. Serve chilled.
The wine also matched well with...
Salmon Carpaccio
You can pound the salmon to be super thin, I went with a more rustic platter and just sliced it as thin as possible. And I was inspired by the fresh calamansi that I had gotten during a visit to Comstock Farm and Kitchen out in Carmel Valley.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound sashimi-grade salmon, sliced as thinly as you can
flake sea salt
2 Tablespoons vinegar (I used the Champagne Mimosa Vinegar from The Quail & Olive )
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed calamansi juice (use lemon or lime if you don't have any calamansi)
6 Tablespoons olive oil (I used a Lemon Olive Oil from The Quail & Olive)
fresh herbs for serving (I used dill)
PROCEDURE
Pour 3 Tablespoons of olive oil on a platter. Add the sliced on salmon and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon vinegar and 1 Tablespoon calamansi juice. Sprinkle with salt and cover. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Uncover and flip the slices over. Drizzle with remaining olive oil, vinegar, and calamansi juice. Sprinkle with salt and cover. Refrigerate for another 10 minutes.
Scatter fresh herbs over the top. Serve chilled.
2023 Filigreen Ramato (Skin Ferment Pinot Gris) Anderson Valley
You can read my thoughts about this style of wine in my post - Ramato: An Unexpected Rosé Alternative. But, essentially, this copper-hued sipper is a sassier more suave Rosé. The Brandts sourced the Pinot Gris grapes from the biodynamic Filigreen Farm in California's Anderson Valley. The grapes are left on the skins for roughly a week before being fermented in neutral oak barrels and sandstone vessels.
Ramato Pinot Gris is skin-fermented which resulted in a vivid salmon color . The wine smells like peaches and sea salt; and while it is light-bodied it's exotic and almost meaty. This wine, like many of Donkey & Goat's creations, is not for the faint of heart, but, like all of Donkey & Goat's wines, it's fascinating. We liked it with the Crab Cakes and Coquilles St-Jacques (Gratinéed Scallops).
Crab Cakes
INGREDIENTS
makes 6 mini crab cakes
2 cups crab meat
1 egg
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/3 cup crushed (gluten-free) crackers or breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
melted butter or olive oil
Also needed: lemon slices for serving and remoulade, if desired
PROCEDURE
Blend all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide the crab into six portions and shape them into patties. Place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with melted butter or olive oil and place in the oven. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of your cakes. You want them firm and golden brown. Serve with lemon slices and squeeze of remoulade, if using.
Coquilles St-Jacques (Gratinéed Scallops)
INGREDIENTS
1 pound fresh scallops
lemon slices
water
2 Tablespoons white wine, divided
2 Tablespoons butter
1 shallot, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 Tablespoons (gluten-free) flour
1/2 cup organic heavy cream
freshly ground salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded Gruyère
Also needed: scallop shells (optional) you can also use small ramekins
PROCEDURE
Heat the water, 1 Tablespoon wine, and lemon slices to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the scallops and simmer on very low heat until cooked through, approximately 5 minutes. Drain the scallops, reserving 1/2 cup of the poaching liquid, and set aside. Once cool enough to handle, cut the scallops into cubes or slices.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add in the shallots and thyme. Whisk in the flour. Add 1 Tablespoon wine, heavy cream, and whisk until thickened and blended. If it's too thick add in the scallop poaching liquid to thin it.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir scallops into the cream sauce. Spoon scallops and sauce into scallop shells or shallow ramekins. Sprinkle with the grated cheese. Grind pepper over the top. Bake the scallops until the sauce is bubbling, the cheese melted and golden brown, approximately 5 minutes.
2022 Siletto Vineyard Cabernet Pfeffer San Benito
Recent DNA testing by FPS (Foundation Plant Services of UC Davis) informed us that Cabernet Pfeffer is its own unique variety. Synonyms are Gros Verdot and Mourtaou. In France the grape was known as Pfeffer, but later changed to Cabernet Pfeffer when it was brought to California. It has a lovely white pepper aroma and palate of its namesake - pfeffer means pepper in German.
This wine is alluring with a gorgeous color and herbal and floral aromatics. On the nose I got red fruits with spice, buttery suede, and white pepper. On the palate the wine reminds me of the hills from which the grapes came - dry chapparal of the San Benito hills.
We paired this with Tomato Risotto with Frutti di Mare and Seared Ahi.
Seared Ahi
Remember: since you're eating it (mostly) raw, you need to purchase sashimi grade ahi and you should eat it the same day you buy it.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds sashimi grade ahi tuna
1/3 cup organic tamari or gluten-free soy sauce + more for drizzling
2 Tablespoons sesame oil + more for drizzling
1/3 cup canola oil, divided in half
1 fresh jalapeno, thinly sliced on the bias
2 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
1 pinch red pepper chili flakes
1/3 cup sake
black sesame seeds or furikake for garnish
pickled ginger for serving
PROCEDURE
In medium mixing bowl, whisk together tamari, sesame oil, half of the canola oil. Stir in jalapeno slices, crushed garlic, chili flakes, and sake. Lay ahi steaks in the marinade for at least 5 minutes per side. Just before searing move the ahi to a plate and sprinkle with black sesame seeds or furikake. Press down lightly to adhere them to the fish.
In a large, flat-bottom pan, heat the remainder of the canola oil. When the oil is hot, place the ahi, seeded side down. Sear and sprinkle the top with more black sesame seeds and flip. I usually cook it for 30 to 45 seconds per side, but you can do it for longer if you prefer it cooked more. We like ours pretty rare.
Remove the ahi to a cutting board. To serve, slice your seared tuna across the grain at a slight diagonal. Slice into 1/4-inch thick pieces by pressing down on the fish and dragging in one, fluid stroke. Don't saw!
Place the slices on your serving plate. Drizzle slices with more soy sauce and more sesame oil. Serve immediately with pickled ginger on the side.
That's a wrap for my 2024 La Vigilia dishes and pairings. I'll be back in a year with another set of dishes that feature a dozen different seafoods.
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