Paris Grocery seattle January 14, 2016

“I love oysters. It’s like kissing the sea on the lips.” -Léon-Paul Fargue Mes chers amis, One evening this week while I was leafing through Patricia Wells’ Salad as a Meal cookbook  $16.99 (reg. $34.99)  in search of healthy French meal ideas, I made a startling discovery–in Bordeaux, Merguez & oysters are a natural pairing. In this case, PW suggests you enjoy a white Bordeaux as your accompanying wine, which is really quite brilliant. (I read this while coincidentally enjoying a delicious glass of the recently arrived 2014 vintage of Ducasse Bordeaux Blanc–see below…)Honestly, I’d never thought of pairing oysters with a white Bordeaux (like many, my first thoughts are Muscadet or Sancerre), but in hindsight this makes perfect sense. “Every market in the region has at least one or two oysterman and on weekends roads are lined with little trucks or tables offering oysters to passersby”, Ms. Thorissen shares. Sounds kind of heavenly, doesn’t it? Pack a picnic basket & take a culinary roadtrip to Paris Grocery this week to find out why Seattle is buzzing about us… À bientôt, j’espère, Catherine, Manuel & the entire crew at Paris Grocery ___________________________________ Oysters with Merguez adapted from a recipe by Mimi Thorrisen, A Kitchen in France $40 Here in the NW, we are indisputably privy to incredible seafood. And while I fantasize about chilled oysters with some fancy granita in the dog days of summer, I know that the reward of winter is amazing  huîtres. Typically, I prefer to enjoy oysters raw and in a fairly pristine fashion, but this recipe got me thinking about mixing things up a bit… Please enjoy, and tell me what you think. 6 oysters 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or if you prefer, olive oil) 2 or 3 Merguez sausages 1 clove garlic, sliced finely 1 shallot, minced A dash of ground nutmeg 3 tablespoons of red wine Olive oil, to drizzle A few sprigs of chives, finely chopped Coarse sea-salt & freshly ground black pepper For the garlic breadcrumbs 3/4 cup/45 g breadcrumbs 1/2 clove garlic, minced Mix both ingredients together in a small bowl. Slit the sausages sideways and squeeze the meat out of the skins. Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the shallots until softened, add the sausage meat, garlic, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir, until the meat is cooked. Pour in the wine and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Take off the heat & set aside. Shuck the oysters. Place 2 teaspoons of the sausage filling on top of each oyster. Sprinkle garlic breadcrumbs on top and drizzle a bit of olive oil. Arrange oysters in an oven-proof dish or tray and place under a preheated grill for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden. Sprinkle the chives on top. Serve immediately. Chateau Ducasse Bordeaux Blanc 2014, Bordeaux $16.99 Try the delicious fresh vintage! Fall in love with white Bordeaux. Made by a perfectionist winemaker who owns an estate founded in 1890 and discovered by Kermit Lynch over 40 years ago . This delicious bottling Kermit Lynch has a juicy roundness (but no oak), a mineral streak made for shellfish, topped off with a kiss of lime: a perfect marriage of Sémillon, Muscadelle, and Sauvignon Blanc.  Trust me, this wine is lovely & affordably tempting any night of the week, oysters or not. Le Pigeoulet en Provence 2012, Vin de Pays de Vaucluse $17.99  New vintage! The Brunier family’s holdings include Vieux Telegraphe (perhaps the most celebrated cru of the Southern Rhone.) This affordable, everyday Vin de Pays is fresh, rich & fruity and terroir-driven. 35-year-old vines grown in rich clay soil, Le Pigeoulet comes from the foothills of the noble La Crau plateau. Grapes are grown on the warm flats around Chateauneuf de Pape and the cooler foothills of Mt Ventoux. Hand-harvested Grenache with a small balance of Syrah, Carignan & Cinsault–silky & clean with the essence of fresh strawberries. This wine loves grilled merguez. THIS WEEK’S SHOPPING LIST D’Artagnan Lamb Merguez 8.5 oz $13.99 Flown in from NY Fabriques Delices Lamb Merguez $16.99 approx 12 oz Made in California in a traditional French style CHEESE OF THE WEEK Chabichou du Poitou, Appellation d’Origine Controlee $13.99 each The lemon & mineral flavors in this cheese come from vegetation that springs from the Haut Poitou limestone, which in turn flavors the goats’ milk. In the 8th century, Muslim troops left behind 732 goats after being defeated at Poitiers. Their loss was our gain. Do not fear its appearance, as the tinges of d’îlots gris bleu (blue-gray islands) are a sign of authenticity.