Wines to go with Oysters

Having completed an extensive but by no means comprehensive trial of various wines which go well with oysters (a tough job I know) here are my top 5 recommendations for 2012.

Rock oysters and Chablis

Chablis 2011, Vocoret (Majestic £10.99)  
This wine is produced in one of the northernmost wine growing areas in the world where a combination of cool weather, limestone soils and Kimmeridgian clay produces one of the most iconic wine styles. Steely and mineral aromas with citrus fruits, limestone and slate provide a crisp, fresh and vibrant palate.  

Domaine de Villargeau 2011, Coteaux du Giennois(Majestic £8.99) 
This small appellation has only 91 hectares planted with Sauvignon vines and as it lives in the shadow of its neighbour, Pouilly Fume, its wines often slip under the radar and are hence excellent value.  Classic goosebery on the nose is intense and leads to a palate bursting with lime and nettle delivered with a clean crisp finish. 


Sancerre 2011, Calvet (Waitrose £9.99)
One of the most famous white wines in France, the Sancerre appellation is produced in 15 villages. An aromatic bouquet with white flowers and citrus fruits with flinty notes which perfectly complements the minerality of oysters.

2011 Picpoul de Pinet, Coteaux de Languedoc (M and S, £7.99) 
 Just a few miles from the Mediterranean coastline comes this crisp and zesty wine made from the Picpoul grape.  With a nose of lemon and lime, followed by green apple with a refreshingly dry and acidic finish.

2012 Sauvignon Blanc, Malborough Ragged Point (Majestic £5.99)
Typical Malborough characters of gooseberry, nettle and hints of tomato leaf on the nose.  Palate fruit is predominantly green apple and citrus with suggestions of melon, framed by intense acidity.

Crab Balchao

Soft shell crab is one of my favourite small dishes as a starter or appetiser.  I have eaten it in many different styles including Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and American.  Having an Indian version was new to me so I jumped at the opportunity when it appeared on the menu at Meghdoots restaurant in Petworth.  The crab was prepared in a light batter with ginger, garlic, vinegar and crushed peppercorns, topped with mango chutney and served with a yoghurt dip and salad garnish.  This delicious starter was developed for Meghdoot's recent Goan Food Fiesta which featured a guest Goan chef and offered a range of speciality dishes including King Prawn Cafreal (king prawns in a mint and coriander sauce with coconut) and Fish Ambot Tik (roasted hot and sour fish served with traditional Goan spices and served dry). Owner Sanjay Jha heralded the fiesta a huge success which was sold out every night, so check out Meghdoots website.    

The Caxton Grill - London SW1

Hotel 41 is No1 on TripAdvisor for London and its easy to see why.  From the moment you arrive nothing is too much trouble and if you do have a problem you are compensated. It is a 5 star hotel which is situated on the top (5th) floor of the Rubens Hotel (4*) on Buckingham Palace Road (SW1).  An oasis of calm this small select hotel feels more like a private club with the central library (Executive Lounge) providing the hub.  Great personal service which included complimentary champagne (choice of four leading marques) and comfortable quiet rooms provided a wonderfully calm ambience.  However, they do not have a restaurant so after reading the reviews on Square Meal we headed to the Caxton Grill at the St. Ermin's Hotel which is about 10 minutes walk away. 

Squid Ink Raviola with Crab

 The hotel lobby at St Ermin's has an impressive array of grand terraces and chandeliers but initial impressions of the restaurant were that it is a bit 'ordinary' by comparison.  That was soon forgotten however as we were directed to our table and our Portuguese waiter, Ivo explained the menu choices.  He was fully informed about all of the dishes which we had questions about and was most helpful throughout the meal.  For starters I had the Squid Ink Raviolo which was stuffed with fresh Devon crabmeat and Sea Fennel, topped with Coriander Gremolata in Crab Bisque. Ivo told me it was his favourite and I think it will be mine too (once I have been back to try all the others !). 

Dover Sole

For main course we ordered the 'Catch of the Day' which was whole Dover Sole grilled in the Josper Grill. Of Spanish origin, the Josper is a charcoal based 'closed draught barbeque' that cooks super fast at incredibly hot temperatures and (as the argument goes) more thoroughly than any other option as the heat is distributed evenly from above, below, left and right of whatever’s been placed on the grill. In my opinion overcooking fish is the worst thing you can do so I was interested to see the results by this method.  I needn't have worried, Executive Chef, Hus Vedat, is a very talented.  The Dover Sole was skinned topside only then cooked upside down which allowed the fish to cook beneath the skin to the perfect result.  Dressed with burnt butter and lemon soaked almonds it was simply delicious.  

Fishing with Carlos

Spent a nice day at Zavial fishing with Carlos Ramos. We caught 4 fish, all too small to keep but it was lovely sunny weather. Carlos is the owner of O Cantinho Algarvio, a restaurant in Lagos which offers a range of fresh fish dishes. Thankfully Carlos doesn't rely on his catches but buys fresh fish from the local market every morning.