A roasted whole snapper stuffed with sauteed vegetables, breadcrumbs and herbs needs a wine that can navigate among those flavors and textures.
The food
Gulf Coast snapper
Finely chop 1 small red bell pepper, 1/4 cup mushrooms, 4 green onions and 1 rib celery. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables; cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; mix in 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs, 1 beaten egg, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Fill the cavity of a whole red snapper (about 1 1/2 pounds) with stuffing; brush with some melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees on a parchment-lined baking sheet until fish is firm and meat is flaky and moist, about 35 minutes. Makes: 2 servings.
The wines
By sommelier Ryan Arnold, divisional wine director for Lettuce Entertain You restaurants, as told to Michael Austin:
2014 Dirty & Rowdy Family Winery Semillon, Napa Valley: Winemaker Hardy Wallace is sourcing fruit from Napa Valley and picking early, which keeps alcohol low and acidity high for a particular freshness.Snapper has medium texture and a flaky flesh, and in this recipe it gets brushed with butter, so you need a wine that can stand up to it. Fermentation in concrete, oak-aging and direct skin contact give this wine the right texture to do that while maintaining the integrity of the fruit.
2013 Clelia Romano Colli di LapioFiano di Avellino, Campania, Italy: Fiano is one of Italy’s greatest wines. This wine is waxy, nutty, savory and herbal, which will complement the umami characteristics of the cooked red peppers and mushrooms in the dish. Also, breadcrumbs and butter add weight and richness, calling for a medium-bodied wine without the heaviness of oak. Aged in stainless steel, this white wine will not clash with the fats of the fish.
2012 Franz Keller Spatburgunder, Baden, Germany: Here’s a pick for red wine-lovers. The fish is roasted, which means a light-to-medium bodied red with zero to low tannins will go nicely with it. This German pinot noir — Spatburgunder — comes from a cool climate and granite soils, yielding a mineral-driven wine with high acidity, low alcohol and less fruity aromas. Instead, you get more savory notes that will play well with the mushroom, egg and thyme in this dish. $15
