2017 Stagecoach Road Pinot Noir & Salmon with Lentil-Beet Salad
Fall 2021 selections: Salmon with Lentil-Beet Salad
This Food & Wine recipe is best paired with our 2017 Stagecoach Road Pinot Noir
Credit: David Malosh via Food & Wine Magazine
Ingredients:
1 cup French green lentils
Kosher salt and pepper
6 baby golden beets, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups torn frisée, white and light green parts only
2 red endives—halved lengthwise, cored and sliced crosswise on the diagonal
Four 5- to 6-ounce skin-on salmon fillets
Instructions:
1. In a large saucepan, cover the lentils with at least 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until just tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, add a generous pinch of salt and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain well and spread the lentils on a baking sheet to cool.
2. Rinse out the saucepan and put a steamer basket in it. Add 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Scatter the beets in the basket, cover and steam until tender, about 10 minutes. Let the beets cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar with the shallot, mustard and 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lentils, beets, frisée and endives and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and toss again.
4. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add the salmon, skin side down, and press gently with a spatula to flatten. Cook over moderately high heat until the skin is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook until it is medium within, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the salmon to plates and serve with the lentil salad.
Why It Works
"Pinot Noir would do well to look for two words on the label, Sonoma County—it’s arguably America’s greatest Pinot Noir region. Thanks to the brisk ocean breezes of the far Sonoma Coast, or the morning fog that creeps over the Russian River Valley, the climate could not have been better designed for this cool-weather-loving variety. And it’s an ideal partner for rich fish like salmon." - Food & Wine Magazine
This perfectly describes our 2017 Stagecoach Pinot Noir. It has bright, restrained red fruit along with developing earthy characteristics complemented by subtle spice. These notes epsecially accentuate the delicate sweet & earthy flavors of the beets, and the soft, medium-body lines up with the texture of the salmon.