(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento) Returning to simple yet savory cuisine, I am happy to share with you all a highly healthy and quick to do meal, with a an Italian twist.
Perfect for spring, even for Easter lunch, this grilled swordfish dish is enhanced by a simple basil-olive oil sauce and fresh vegetables such as green beans.
The perfect pairing for an Italian inspired seafood dish is naturally an Italian wine. For this posting, I am introducing an exceptionally fresh, light and aromatic Italian Chardonnay from the Tentino-Alto Adige region.
(Photo: Enzo Romano)
Trentino-Alto Adige, which borders Austria and Switzerland, is split into two provinces. Trentino (around the city of Trento to the south), is historically Italian in language and culture.
Alto Adige (around the city of Bolzano to the north), is know as Sudtirol to the mainly German-speaking population. The South Tyrol, historically part of Austria, is officially bilingual.
The Alpine climate favors grapes for perfumed white wines, yet the historical emphasis has been on reds, which still account for more than half of the region’s production.
(Photo: Enzo Romano)
You will be amazed how quickly you can make this meal and experience so much flavor with so little ingredients. The wine beautifully balances all the nuances of the dish components, promising a truly memorable repast.
Let‘s get cooking!
Menu: Grilled swordfish steak with basil-olive oil sauce and sautéed greens beans.
Wine pairing: 2020 Bollini Barricato 40 Chardonnay Trentino DOC
(Trentino, Alto-Adige, Italy)
Serves 4
Ingredients Fish:
4 (1/2 pound each) swordfish steaks
Sea salt & cracked pepper
Grape seed oil (for coating grill grates)
Fish sauce:
1/3 cup of extra Virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper
Green beans:
10 to 12 ounce package of fresh green beans, cleaned and trimmed
3 garlic cloves, whole but peeled
4 tablespoons of extra Virgin olive oil
Sea salt & cracked pepper
Garnish: lemon wedges or lemon slices
Directions
Fish sauce:
Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until desired consistency (I personally prefer the consistency between coarse and liquid). Set aside at room temperature.
Fish:
Coat grill grates with grape seed oil And heat grill to approximately 350 degrees.
Season fish steaks lightly with sea salt and pepper.
Grill swordfish steaks for approximately 5-8 minutes on each side (turning fish 90 degrees after the first 4-5 minutes, so as to create cross-hatch grill marks). Turn fish over and repeat.
Green beans:
Heat up oil on medium heat on a large frying pan.
Add garlic cloves and cook for about 5 minutes on low heat.
Add green beans and cook on medium heat for about 7-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, mix well and remove from heat.
Serve it up!
On each individual plate, place one piece of swordfish steak on the middle of the plate. Add some green beans to one side of the fish.
Spoon some of the basil olive oil sauce on top and to the side of the fish. Garnish side of dish with lemon wedges or slices.
Buon appetito! Enjoy!
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
About the wine…
In Trentino, the difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures helps create wines that are remarkably fresh and robust in aroma and flavor.
These grapes are handpicked, destemmed and given a few hours of cold maceration.
The grapes are then soft pressed before vinification with selected yeasts in a combination of temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and oak barriques (hence the name Barricato).
After fermentation, the portion that is fermented in barrique undergoes malolactic fermentation and both parts rest on the lees, with stirring, before blending and bottling.
2020 Bollini Barricato 40 Chardonnay Trentino DOC
(Trentino, Alto-Adige, Italy)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
(Photo: Carlos Sarmiento)
Tasting notes:
Straw yellow with golden reflections and a fruity nose with armoas ranging from Honey to vanilla and exotic fruit; full and well balanced on the palate, with a long, consistent finish.
Grapes:
100% Chardonnay
Food pairing: Ideal with fish and white meat; very versatile.
Accolades:
93 Points Jamessuckling.com
91 Points Bon Appetit
Thank you to Kobrand Wine & Spirits For providing this exceptional and fine Tuscan wine. Grazie!
For more information, visit:
For finding and purchasing this wine, check out Kobrand Wine & Spirits’ retail locator from Wine365.com
Just click on the link and enter your zip code and local stores and restaurants that feature these wines will show up!
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Decorative wine drip collar ring provided by:
(Special discount promo code: CFW15)
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Special thanks to my Italian friend Enzo Romano, the amazing photographer that graciously shared his wonderful photos of the Trentino-Alto Adige region.
Grazie mille Enzo per la tua fantastica fotografia e abilità artistica. Saluti!
Follow Enzo on Instagram at: enk420
(Photo: Enzo Romano)
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