Match of the week

Pike and crayfish pithivier with white burgundy

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on July 4 2016 at 12:51

If you’re looking for a match for a serious white burgundy you couldn’t do better than this elaborate pike and crayfish pie or tourte de brochet, bisque écrevisse as they billed it at the Château de Montreuil last week.

It was basically a pastry-filled version of the French classic quenelles de brochet, sauce Nantua but even more delicious as the pike and crayfish were not pulverised into a mousse. The kind of food that reminds you just how dazzling top French cooking can be.

It was actually paired with a 2012 Chateau de Tracy 101 Pouilly Fumé but I personally thought went better with the 2013 Olivier Leflaive rich, creamy Oncle Vincent that came from the Wine Society’s fine wine stocks in Montreuil. (We were hosted by the Society). The wine comes from older burgundy vines that are grown just outside the Puligny Montrachet appellation.

The Society sells the current 2014 vintage for a very reasonable £15.50 though if you wanted to pick it up from the Montreuil showroom you’d have to order it a minimum 8 days in advance. (And you’d better take advantage on your next trip. This week they announced they were closing their showroom at the end of the year.)

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