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Turnbull Wine Cellars

Turnbull Wine Cellars

by Nai Bt Team

March 5, 2008
in Monthly

Wattle Creek Winery

Red Snapper with Bouillabaisse
Juice

Wattle Creek Winery
Owners Christopher and Kristine Williams

With a name like Wattle Creek, it must be from Australia, right? Well, sort of. When Australian owners Christopher and Kristine Williams were looking for a place to settle and make some wine in California, they found 56 acres in the Alexander Valley that reminded them of the Barossa Valley back home. It was 1994 when they established Wattle Creek Winery (named after Australia’s Wattle tree). Since then, they’ve purchased an additional 600 acres in Mendocino’s Yorkville Highlands as well as expanded the original winery to include a fermentation building.

Australian-born winemaker Michael Scholz adds another down under twist to the experience with his knowledgeable mix of modern technology and Old World winemaking traditions. His Alexander Valley Viognier is a fantastic expression of that ability. It bursts to life with aromas and flavors of apricot, peaches and spices. It’s paired here with a recipe from master chef Jean-Louis Dumonet, who is a good friend of the Williams and has paired several dishes with Wattle Creek wines. Bon appetit!

Wattle Creek Winery Print 4×6 notecard

Red Snapper with Bouillabaisse Juice

A few heads of snappers, lobsters or crabs
9 tablespoons olive oil
1 orange, cut into quarters
1 large Spanish onion
1 head of fennel
1 leek
6 whole tomatoes (you can use canned)

One bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaves, parsley)
1 head of garlic, cut in half
1 gram of saffron
4 tablespoons Pernod or Ricard
4 vine-ripened tomatoes
4 6- to 7-ounce red snapper fillets
Fresh ground white pepper

Preparation:

For the bouillabaisse:
Heat 7 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Finely dice the onion, fennel and leek. Add the garlic, heads of fish, chopped vegetables, tomatoes, saffron and Pernod or Ricard. Mix everything together, add the orange and cover with water. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
Pass through a coarse china cap, pressing the bones to have a maximum of substance in the soup. Reduce until the broth reaches a thick soup consistency.

For the confit tomatoes:
Heat oven to 220 degrees. Cut 4 tomatoes in half. Press them a little to take the seeds out. Season them with sea salt, fresh ground white pepper, sprigs of thyme and olive oil. Place them on a cookie sheet, then cook in oven for 30 minutes. Remove the tomatoes, allow them to cool, then peel them.
Fry some basil leaves and tomato skins for decoration.

For the snapper:
Season the snapper fillets and soak them in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Broil for 4 to 7 minutes, depending of the thickness of the fish

To serve, place two halves of a tomato on the plate. Place the fish on top, and serve the bouillabaisse juice on the side. Decorate with the fried leaves and tomato skins.

Serves 4