I haven’t done a Sip + Munch pairing in a while, and I realized I just needed two swift kicks in the derrière from Julie and Julia (each gets one cheek) to put me on track again. My inspiration was none other than the sole meunière that Julia Child had for her first lunch in France after relocating there with her husband, a U.S. diplomat. In her memoir according to the NY Times article, “Film Food, Ready for Its ‘Bon Appétit’”, Julia described the butter-drenched sole as “the most exciting meal of my life.” Easier and much more seasonal than boeuf bourgignon, sole meunière was the perfect choice for a middle-of-the-week dish. 

When I got to the market though, the $7.99/lb tilapia suddenly started looking a hell of a lot more appetizing than the $15.99/lb sole. Hey, we’re in a recession, so go for whatever makes you and your wallet happy. 

To pair with it, I grabbed a white wine from Languedoc, which I wanted to try since I’m a huge fan of Languedoc reds. 

The Sip: Domaine Félines Jourdan ~ Picpoul de Pinet 

Varietal(s): 100% picpoul, one of the oldest varietals in Languedoc. Usually used for blending 

Nose: floral, with a light scent of anise or fennel

Palate: fresh flavors of citrus (perfect accompaniment for the lemon juice in the fish dish!) and a delightfully creamy mouthfeel -- the light creaminess comes from leaving the wine on the lees* for three months.  

Terroir: the winery, located on the banks of the Thau Lagoon, benefits from clay and chalk-rich soil. Specifically, the soil from the Féline vineyard adds citrus notes and freshness.  The Picpoul vines are planted near a forest of pine trees, providing it protection from the north and south winds (i.e. the Mistral and the Marin, respectively). 

The Winery: family winery since 1983

Price: retails for approximately $15/bottle

* The expression on the lees (sur lees in French) refers to the practice of leaving the wine to sit on the yeast residue left over from fermentation. The wine is then bottled without racking, or filtering, giving it freshness and a creamy texture.

The Munch: Tilapia Meunière

Serves 2 * Takes 10 minutes to prepare 

Ingredients 

Meat/Fish aisle: 1/2 pound of tilapia

Seasoning aisle: sea salt, freshly ground pepper, red pepper flakes, Italian parsley

Baking aisle: 1 cup of flour

Fruit/Vegetable aisle: summer squash (green + yellow), 3 lemons

Condiments aisle: vinegar, olive oil

Dairy aisle: butter

1. To clean the fish, descend the fish into a bath of vinegar and water and gently massage it for a couple minutes. (Admittedly, “cleaning” your fish and meat is a very Jamaican thing to do, and is totally optional.)

Tip 1 -- I guess the ratio should be about 2 parts vinegar and 1 part water, but I really never measure it. Just eyeball it. 

Tip 2 -- If you leave the fish in the bath too long, the vinegar will start to cook it (which of course we don’t want).   

2. Take the fish out and pat it dry. 

3. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. (The butter and olive oil combo will help prevent the butter from burning.)

4. Pour the flour onto a large plate and add your salt and pepper. (Alternately, you can pour this flour mixture in a Ziploc bag.)

5. Lightly dredge, or coat, both sides of the fish in the flour. Dust off the excess!

Tip -- Don’t let the fish sit for too long in the flour; otherwise, the flour gets gummy.

6. Place the fillets in the pan, and let it cook for 2 minutes on one side, 2-3 minutes on the other side. You might want to sprinkle some extra seasoning on the fish. 

Tip -- My mother has a horrible habit of overcooking her fish. Don’t do it! The fish has already been killed, so really there’s no need to kill it again.

7. While the fish is cooking, start squeezing your lemons and discard the seeds. 

8. Transfer the cooked fish onto a plate, and add your lemon juice and parsley to the pan. Cook for just a couple minutes. 

9. Pour this lemon juice mixture over the fish. 

10. Chop up the summer squash and add to the pan. Add salt and pepper, as well as some red pepper flakes for kick. Sauté for just 3-4 minutes (I like my squash on the crunchy side.) Serve this on the side. 

11. Eat and say, “Yum!”