What’s for Dinner Wednesday

and 15% off these wine pairings!

At our Friday wine tasting last week, our friend Kelly Cordes shared selections from her Family Crafted portfolio of wines. Kelly is also a chef, so we asked her to suggest a recipe that would pair with some of her favorite wines, and she suggested this Grouper dish that is packed with bright, Spring-y flavors. We have a line-up of some of Kelly’s favorite whites to pair this with - and you get 15% off!

What pairs with Grouper?

You don’t want to overwhelm any white fish like Grouper or Chilean Sea Bass so keep the wines lighter bodied. Beyond that, it is all about the sauce. This recipe brings a lot of flavors - bright citrus, briny olives, herbal fennel and rich butter - so it calls for medium bodied white wines. Any thing from richer  Sauv Blanc to steely Chard will be great.

We are going to pair with some of Kelly’s US portfolio, but you would find great matches in whites from anywhere near the Mediterranean coast. Some other great options would include Alejandro Fernández La Mancha Alejairén (2016) - crisp but rich with honeysuckle, Viñátigo Vijariego Blanco 2020 - bright and complex from the Canary Islands, or Benanti Etna Bianco 2022 - saline and herbaceous.

How to make Grouper with Orange, Fennel, and Olive Relish

You can really make this with any firm, white fish like sea bass or cod, or keep it local with Florida Grouper. Here is the recipe:

• 4 - 6oz fillets of white fish (grouper, sea bass or cod)

For Relish:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind

• 3/8 teaspoon kosher salt; divided

• 3/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; divided

• 1 12-ounce thinly sliced  fennel bulb

• 1 cup fresh orange sections

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

• 2 ounces halved Castelvetrano olives (about 1/2 cup)

For Sauce

• 1 1/2 teaspoons butter

• Juice of one lemon

• Pinch of salt

For Couscous

• 1 cup ( or package) Pearl Couscous

• 1 tsp orange zest

• Juice of one orange

• Vegetable stock

Zest the orange and reserve the zest. Peel and section the orange and reserve the segments. Thinly slice red onion and fennel bulb (use a mandolin if you have one to make the slices extra thin). In a bowl, whisk to combine orange zest, olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, pepper and salt, and gently toss sliced olives, onions and orange segments.

Prepare pearl couscous according to directions using the juice of one orange plus vegetable stock for the liquid.

Cook fish by first patting the fish dry and heating olive oil in a non-stick pan. Cook 5 minutes on medium high until opaque all the way through. If fish has skin make sure the skin is very dry (pat it dry or leave it uncovered in the refrigerator before cooking) and start skin side down. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove fish from pan and reserve in a warm spot. Deglaze the pan with butter and lemon juice and cook down. Salt to taste.

Fluff the couscous with a fork and plate the couscous and fish. Drizzle with lemon butter, then top with relish.

What Wines to Try with Grouper?

With this combination of flavors look for medium bodied whites. Rich Sauv Blanc to Rhone grapes to Chardonnay is the spectrum you want. All of the wines below are Family Crafted - wines from smaller, family-owned wineries - and will pair great with this dish. Personally, I am going to start with the  Truchard Estate Roussanne - I love the balanced floral notes - then the Morgan Highland Santa Lucia Highlands - a great wine and value and finish up with the Greg Norman Estates Russian River Chardonnay - the tropical notes will really bring it home.

Get 15% Off

Spend more than $75 on any assortment of these bottles online and use code DINNER in check out and get 15% off.  You can order now for in-store pickup and pick up any time - don’t miss the deal! Or stop by the store and buy any 3 bottles of these wines and get 15% off.  Deal good until Saturday Mar 30.