Stimuli

On a wet, snowy Thursday evening, over 70 wine and seafood enthusiasts crowded into the tiny 1 Fish 2 Fish Fresh Seafood Market on Fraser Highway in downtown Langley for the 2nd Annual Sip & Slurp food event. The Sip & Slurp showcased Ocean Wise® seafood from 1 Fish 2 Fish, transformed into delectable nibbles by Rebecca Troelstra from Mizuna Culinary  and perfect wine pairings poured by Township 7 Vineyards & Winery.

The winter weather was forgotten as we were welcomed to the event by Kristine Carrick from Urban Life Media, who invited us to begin helping ourselves to the tempting hors d'oeuvres. The first bite we tried was a tender slice of smoked salmon lox, topped with dollop of Boursin creme and a tiny snip of dill on a crisp rosemary wafer. This salmon nibble was paired with the 2009 Un-oaked Chardonnay from Township 7. The fresh, fruit-forward palate of this delightful white wine, with notes of melon and green apple, balanced beautifully with the rich salmon.

Cheerful servers mingled through the crowd, bearing a heaping bowl of tiny mussels and clams, poached in a court bouillon of lemon, onion and bay leaf, and served room temperature tossed with minced shallots, raspberry vinegar and minced parsley. The mussels and clams were sweet and tender and were paired with Township 7's 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, with its bright acidity and citrus notes. You could also pair the mussels with the 2009 7 Blanc; a spicy blend of different varietals combined to create a mouth-watering white wine; slightly off-dry, with hints of tropical fruit and pear.

A raw oyster station saw plenty of action as oyster-lovers crowded up to the freshly shucked oyster selection; ready to be slurped down topped with a drop of hot sauce or sherry mignonette. Celebrity guest oyster-expert Rob Tryon from Effingham Inlet Oysters (Twitter: @effingoyster) gave us an oyster shucking demonstration — he made it look easy but I would probably slice my fingers off! Wine pairing: 2010 Sauvignon Blanc.

The next canapé to try was the seared albacore tuna with sweet paprika and citrus on crostini. The tender tuna and the fresh citrus burst with incredible flavour. The seared tuna was also paired with the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc.

Following the tuna was a pistachio- and parmesan-crusted poached sablefish bite that melted in your mouth. This buttery fish was paired with the 2009 Syrah — proving that you can pair red wine with fish! The Syrah was all soft tannins with hints of pepper and cherries.  My favourite of the evening was the seared scallop (see recipe below). Creamy on the inside, slightly caramelized on the outside, and topped with a salad of kale, bacon and sherry vinegar.  The scallops were sweet and tender; the bacon salad smoky with a tiny tang of kale. I hovered near this dish for quite some time. Wine pairing: 2010 Sauvignon Blanc.

Two magnificent bowls of creamy dips invited one to dip tender bread cubes and parmesan crisps. One dip was double-smoked wild BC salmon with cream cheese, the other was fresh Dungeness crab, blended with 1 Fish 2 Fish's signature artichoke parmesan dip. The artichoke parmesan dip is available all through December in the store, and you can pick up fresh, cooked Dungeness crab there as well. Both dips were very popular and well received. Wine pairing for the dips was Township 7's 2009 Rosé, fresh and clean on the palate with hints of strawberries and caramel.

The quality of the food and wine was amazing and I left with a renewed appreciation for ocean-friendly and sustainable seafood. I would encourage everyone who loves seafood to give it a try — paired with a wine selected from Township 7!

Seared Scallops with Kale & Bacon Slaw

Serves 4 for an appetizer



• 4 Digby or Qualicum scallops — mussel removed and dried on a paper towel
• 2 tbsp butter
Salt
Pepper
2 rashers bacon
• diced small
1 leaf kale, spine removed, cut into thin strips

• 1/2 tsp sherry vinegar



Method:

1. Heat your pan to medium heat.
2. Add the bacon and render all of the fat off. Remove the bacon
3. Add the butter and increase the heat to medium-high.
4. Add your scallops (season with salt and pepper right before putting them in the pan) and sear so that they get nice and browned on both sides (about 2 minutes per side).
5. Remove the scallops from the pan and quickly add the kale into the pan and the cooked bacon.
6. Toss the kale so that it is coated in the juices. Season with salt and pepper and deglaze with the sherry vinegar. 

7. Serve the scallop in a miso spoon with the kale and bacon slaw over it. Enjoy!



Recipe courtsey of:

Rebecca Troelstra
Executive Chef, Mizuna Culinary
mizuna.ca
778-888-4067

by Linda Horn
Blogger at Let Them Eat Cake & Ice Cream and Stimuli Magazine Contributor

All photos by Robin Horn