Teriyaki Trout and Fitz

I first came across Fitz, an English Sparkling wine, a few years ago and have paired it before. Recently, I discovered that the production is still going strong, and the ownership and distribution have changed.

Still, a wine of West Sussex, having been invited to raid my friend’s trout (also of the South Downs!) I thought that I would give this pairing a go!

I must admit, I usually have salmon at least once a fortnight, trout – well, rarely. In addition, an effort to use what was in the fridge, store cupboard and what I could hand-pick from the garden – in this case radish and garlic, I opted to give a trout teriyaki bowl a go!

The Sparkling Wine

I wasn’t sure what the fruit on the nose was, and I tasted apple when I had my first sip. Fitz is known for easy-drinking and I support that. That’s not to say it’s not worth a pairing.

The Dish

The trout came from ChalkStream Foods in the UK.
The bowl also contained basmati rice, cucumber and some radish, hand-picked just minutes before.

Why This Food Pairing Worked

On the whole, the ingredients were dry and fresh. The rice, cucumber and radish all acted as palate cleansers, complementing this fresh wine.

The trout complemented the soft character of the wine and its peachy flavour. The hints of ginger, fresh garlic, and chilli paired well with the apple notes in the wine. Normally, I tend to use a lot of soy sauce, but I was quite restrained for this occasion.

I surprised myself with this experiment. We can think ‘easy-drinking’ means staying away from a food pairing. I think not.

 

Photo credit: Rupa Datta