The Laverne and Shirley of Flavor (with wine!)

Peanut butter and chocolate. Apples and cinnamon. Tomatoes and basil. Some flavors just go well together. This is so true of honey and mustard. It is like the Laverne and Shirley of flavor.

This honey mustard salmon is excellent.

The recipe calls for a side with roasted onions and green beans. I normally don’t like a main dish recipe calling my shot on a side dish, but like honey and mustard, it worked.

Making the glorious sauce.

Salmon filets ready for the pan.

The onions are ready to go.

Today I’d like to introduce Andee Walton from I Drink For A Living. Andee is a former Marine Corp officer, a blogger and a wine consultant. She holds a Level 3 certification from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and helps her clients find the right wines for their tastes. Andee comes to us today to provide a wine pairing for today’s post. Take a look at I Drink For A Living and if you enjoy wine, check out her recommendations below. Here’s Andee…

Pinot and Chard are both grapes that require a lot of tender loving care to be grown and vinified properly. They both need cool mornings with sunny afternoons to prevent overripenning and the right balance of fermentation and ageing to maintain their distinct and desired characteristics.

A rich style of Pinot Noir that boasts fruit with a rich and silky texture compliments the tangy honey mustard. Plus, Pinot Noir is perhaps the best known red wine pairing with salmon: a light bodied red with low tannins rivals white wines in complimenting this popular fish that is minimally oily and firm with protein. I love a good Central Coast Pinot Noir, a favorite being Laeitia’s Reserve du Domaine Pinot Noir of any vintage; it’s always exceptional and the winery is a beautiful place to visit along California’s Coast just outside of Pismo Beach.

Just the same, Chardonnay is wonderful with seafood. A weighty style with a creamy texture to stand up to the richness of the breading in this recipe is perfect. If you choose a good quality bottle, the light acidity will cleanse your palate on the finish and highlight subtle notes of apple and lemon that are classic of the varietal, all without overpowering the subtle flavors of the salmon. When you achieve this, it’s magical. When it comes to domestic Chardonnay, the Russian River Valley does wonders for producing wines that strike the ideal balance of Chardonnay’s fruit and style. I love the 2012 Foggy Canyon by Jim Olsen. I’m drinking it right now…

Laetitia Pinot Noir Reserve du Domaine:  http://www.laetitiawine.com/laetitia-estate-wines/laetitia-reserve-du-domaine-pinot-noir

Foggy Canyon 2012 Chardonnay: http://www.quigleyfinewines.com/assets/client/File/tech%20sheets/Foggy%20Canyon%202012.pdf

The photo of the Chardonnay I was drinking…

Honey-Mustard Salmon with Green Beans

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Makes: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons honey
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons Champagne or white-wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 pound boneless, skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk together honey, mustard, vinegar, and oil; season with salt and pepper. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss onion with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and bake 5 minutes. Meanwhile, stir 1 tablespoon vinaigrette into breadcrumbs. Coat fish with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper; top with breadcrumb mixture and add to sheet. Bake until fish is cooked through, about 7 minutes.

2. In boiling salted water, cook green beans until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes; drain and toss with onion and 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Refrigerate remaining vinaigrette in an airtight container for Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Salad. Serve fish with vegetables.

Source: http://www.marthastewart.com/925150/honey-mustard-salmon-green-beans