The recent dining out restrictions meant we had to give more thought to dining at home and Bistro in the Burbs was born! Delicious home cooked meals with fabulous matching wines – what could be better? Sometimes modest, other times grand and not always perfect. But perfect fun.
This month it’s duck confit with Michel Lafarge Passetoutgrain L’Exception 2017!
INGREDIENTS AND METHOD:
For the salad – combine cos lettuce, thinly sliced Pink Lady apple and a handful of crushed walnuts in a bowl.
Drizzle over a white wine vinaigrette – 1 part honey, 1 part Dijon mustard, 2 parts extra virgin olive oil and 2 parts white wine vinegar.
We use tinned duck confit from France as we were lucky enough to find it at our local IGA. We’ve also bought it from Farmer’s markets before. Simply pan fry the duck pieces in a shallow frying pan over a low heat until they develop a beautiful, crusty exterior.
Serve with roast potatoes, salad and a large glass of Michel Lafarge Passetoutgrain L’Exception 2017
And the match?
The confit is rich, fatty and strong in flavour. Rather than match the richness, I like to have a wine with enough flavour to stand up to the duck and loads of freshness to cleanse and counter the weight of the dish. Lafarge makes one of Burgundy’s best value reds with his Passetoutgrain. The volume of fruit is a cascade across the palate. Tangy and loaded with acidity, really offsetting the fatty/strong/salty flavours. The slickness of the wine’s textures married perfectly with the chewy slipperiness of the duck. One of the the best matches all year, with a favourite dish and one of my favourite wines.
