Today I happily bought some monkfish, which we haven’t seen in a while, and wrapped it in blanched collards, then put it in the iron pan with a bit of duck fat and olive oil. While it was cooking, I peeled, cubed and steamed an acorn squash. Once cooked through, the rolls came out and a pan sauce ensued: some of the carrot/burdock purée from yesterday, juice of half a grapefruit, a pat of butter, and a pinch of thyme. Today’s good luck at market continued in the wine store next door; I found some 1997 Teófilo Reyes Ribera del Duero for a great price and we tried one with the fish. The extraordinary funk meshed pretty well with the burdock and grapefruit in the sauce, and the delicate lightness (it’s much thinner in the middle than the Remirez de Ganuza, for example) handled the subtler fish and squash without overpowering them. Not a perfect match, but fascinating nonetheless. And DAMN what a nose this wine has.
