Our 30 Days of Local Wine campaign takes place throughout the entire month of December. Each day we’ll be featuring a different local wine from several of the Essex Pelee Island Coast wineries along with recipes for food, cocktails (yes, wine cocktails), desserts, party tips and more. Click here for the complete list of 30 wines.
Also, we want to see how you enjoy your local wine. We encourage you to use the #30DLW hashtag on Instagram to win prizes like a day for 2 on a tandem bicycle on our award winning Wine Trail Ride Cycling Tours. Click here for more details on the 30 Days of Local Wine Contest.
The 2012 Sauvignon Blanc from North 42 Degrees Estate Winery will surprise you with it’s aromas and flavours of tropical fruit, pineapple and soft herbaceousness. This wine will provide a nice fruity break from all the candy canes and gingerbread you’ll be scarfing down. These grapes grow extremely well in Windsor Essex County which is why this wine won North 42 their first bronze medal’s in two wine competitions. This competitive bottle pairs perfectly with any shellfish, green salads or creamy mild cheeses. Pop open a bottle with some roasted garlic, brie and crackers while you relax throughout the holiday.
We handed a bottle of this Sauvignon Blanc and handed it over to the extremely talented chef John Alvarez, of Sushi Guru and Chopped Canada fame, and had a little conversation with him that went like this:
WE: “Hey John. If we gave you a bottle of wine could you make us something with it?”
JA: “Yup.”
WE: “Awesome!”
Ya, it was pretty easy to convince him and he created a spectacular Seared Hamachi dish that still has us salivating.
Seared Hamachi
- 6 Oz- hamachi filet
- 1/4- of an avocado
- 1- Jalapeño thinly sliced
- 2- Red beets
- 2 cups – chicken stock
- Garlic cloves
- Pickled Golden beets (can sub out for red)
- Scallion and Pea shoots for garnish
- Salt and pepper
- Ginger Gastrique
- Season hamachi with salt and pepper and let rest on paper towel.
- Heat up sauté pan to medium high heat, add olive oil. Sear fish 2-3 minutes on each side till preferred cook temperature.
Ginger Gastrique
- In a separate sauce pot add minced,ginger,rice vinegar, water,and sugar.
- Reduce till thickened syrup like consistency.
Red Beet reduction
- Thinly sliced beets, garlic, onion
- Add to pan with chicken stock, Pinch of salt and peppercorns
- Bring to a simmer and reduce by half
- Blend and strain through fine mesh strainer. Reserve for plating.
- To plate fan out avocado for the base of the plate, place cooked hamachi filet on top of avocado
- Scatter pickled beets and jalapeños around the plate.
- Drizzle beet and ginger Gastrique around fish and garnish with Pea shoots and scallion.
