Match of the week

Carrot and basil-infused slugs and Saumur Blanc

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on August 18 2009 at 07:52

For the first time my match of the week is not one I’ve experienced myself but was reported by Ron Zimmerman of The Herbfarm in Woodinville, Washington on Twitter (where he tweets as Herbguy - and I tweet as winematcher)

Apparently a customer asked him if he could serve up slugs and he obliged, first purging them on a diet of carrots and basil.

His asked on Twitter what the ideal wine pairing should be, saying he was thinking along the lines of Sauvignon Blanc. I frivolously suggested a strong rosé like Tavel or the Provençal anise-flavoured aperitif pastis (the better to mask the slug flavour, to be honest) but he ended up serving the Thierry Germain L’Insolite Domaine des Roches Neuves Saumur Blanc 2005.

In fact as you can see from Zimmerman’s Picasa album here the preparation and presentation was quite elaborate so I imagine he was looking more for a wine to pick up on his basil-grappa butter and tomato confit than his Spotted Leopard and European Red Slugs which apparently tasted somewhat like calamari. According to Zimmerman “the basil, with the touch of sweetness from the shallots and carrots, pushed the flavours into a nice range for the Saumur Blanc”.

If you’re of a squeamish disposition don’t let that put you off The Herbfarm - a restaurant about which I’ve heard good things. They apparently serve slug-free 9 course themed dinners paired with matching wines on a regular basis.

And if slugs are infesting your garden you now know what to do with them . . .

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