A Serious Rhône Rosé with a Nostalgic Fast Food Sandwich Reimagined #Winophiles

Welcome to the June edition of our combined wine writers group; we are posting as the French Winophiles. This month, Deanna of Wineivore is hosting and we are looking at Rosé from France ahead of Rosé Day which is June 14th.

This Month's Line-Up

• A Serious Rhône Rosé with a Nostalgic Fast Food Sandwich Reimagined by Culinary Cam (you're here)

• Bugey Cerdon - Semi-Sweet Sparkling Rose from Jura by Wineivore

• Simple Green Salad with Shrimp and Lemon Vinaigrette paired with Gerard Bertrand Rose by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Surprising Rosés from the Loire Valley by Food Wine Click

• Organic Côtes du Rhône Rosé with Salmon Cakes, Squash Soup, Salad and From Luberon with Love: Four Organic Chateau de Sannes Rosé Paired with Venison Bourguignon by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley

• The Joys of Tavel and a Salade Niçoise by Crushed Grape Chronicles

A Serious Rhône Rosé

Though I picked up this bottle at Trader Joe's for less than $10, this is a serious Rhône Rosé. And by 'serious', I mean not a fluffy, drink-by-the-pool kinda wine. Not that there is anything wrong with day-drinking poolside. It's just that this wine is complex and alluring...it's something to be paired and not just poured.

Tavel is the only all-Rosé appellation in the Rhône and comes in a range of pinks - from the palest salmon to an almost bright magenta. By law, Tavel wines may be a blend but must contain a minimum of 30% Grenache. This one, from Vignobles & Compagnie, is a propriety blend of mostly Grenache Noir along with Cinsault, Grenache Blanc, Syrah, and Carignan.

In the glass it poured a vibrant salmon-coral color. On the nose, I detected a bouquet of rose petals along with red fruits and ripe stone fruits. It's a hefty Rosé with layers of complexity on the palate including black fruit and garrigue notes.

A Nostalgic Fast Food Sandwich Reimagined

I participated in a copycat event earlier this year and set out to re-create a McDonald's Filet'O'Fish sandwich. I knew Jake was going to be out one evening, so I took the opportunity to not have to make it gluten-free. No matter how hard I try, gluten-free buns are just not satisfying and gluten-free panko has a weird texture.

I messaged my best girlfriends and we all waxed nostalgic about these things. We remembered the turquoise styrofoam fondly...remember, that was a time before we all knew how terrible styrofoam production is for our planet. One friend mentioned how small they are now and how much more expensive. Since I haven't had one of these in over four decades, I decided to drive to McDonald's.

Admittedly, I was surprised that these were now over five dollars; I would have sworn these were 49 cents when I was a kid. Maybe a dollar at the most. The sustainability logo on the cardboard box was also a surprise. I do wonder if that is only for our area or if every McDonald's uses sustainably-caught fish. The filet-o-fish was much smaller than I recall. Or maybe I was just smaller. Also funny was that R didn't even want to try it. He said it looked like a toy. But he was excited that I had planned to reimagine it in all its gluten-y goodness.

This recipe makes 4 sandwiches, but if you know you’re not going to serve them all, then we suggest only assembling what you’ll be serving. The remaining sandwich components can be packed up separately and assembled up to 2 days later. The fried fish can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat the fish in a 350° oven for 10 to 15 minutes or a 400° air fryer for 3 to 4 minutes and assemble the sandwiches as directed.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs

• 1/4 cup flour

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• salt and pepper

• 2 cups panko

• 3 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless white fish filets, I used a Pacific cod

• oil for frying (I used canola oil)

• 3 brioche buns

• 3 slices cheese (I used a medium cheddar)

Tartar Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 3 Tablespoons dill pickled, finely chopped

• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste

• 1 Tablespoon capers

• 1 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional

• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Tartar Sauce

Combine the mayonnaise, pickles, lemon juice, capers, dill, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in a small bowl and stir until well blended and creamy. Season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust with additional lemon juice, as needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, but at least 30 minutes to let the flavors develop.

Fish

In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, mustard, garlic powder, a dash of salt and pepper. Place panko in another shallow bowl. Season fish all over with salt and pepper.

Pour oil to a depth of 1/2-inch in a heavy-bottom skillet. Heat over medium heat until a thermometer registers 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat each piece of fish with egg mixture, then dip into panko, gently pressing to adhere.

Fry fish, turning halfway through, until golden brown and just cooked through, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; season with salt.

To Serve

Top bottom buns with slice of cheese, then fried fish. Spoon tartar sauce on top of fish. Close sandwiches and serve with more tartar sauce alongside.

That's a wrap for my June #Winophiles event. The wine writers will return in July when Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm hosts Seasonal Fare with Wine to Pair. Stay tuned!