A Perfect Pairing: Snow Crab & Sauvignon Blanc

We recently had a very unique and fun opportunity offered to us by The Crave Local Network. We were asked to sample the products and delivery services provided by AquaBest Seafood and Pasternak Imports. As soon as we found out this offer meant Live Snow Crab and White Wine delivered to our door, we jumped at the chance...duh! It's no secret we our fans of wine, but we also happen to LOVE sea food. We could hardly contain our excitement.

 A few days later, delivered right on time and at our door, we received 2 Live Snow Crabs from AquaBest Seafood and three bottles of Sauvignon Blanc from Pasternak Imports. We immediately got to work, planning for our Seafood and Wine feast. In preparation, we put together a recipe and purchased additional crab legs from the local grocery store so we could feast some more, as well as make comparisons. 

We began by steaming the crabs while we prepared the special broth we would finish cooking them in. When the crabs were done we added them to cook in the broth and they were ready to eat in no time. We call the following deliciousness:

Drunken Crab

2 12oz bottles of Blue Moon Belgian White Wheat Style Ale

2 tbsp Paprika

2 tsp Minced Garlic

2 tsp Oregano

5 Bay Leaves

1 tsp Horseradish

1 tbsp Olive Oil

2 tbsp Butter

1 shot glass of Vinegar

Combine all the above ingredients, add crab, cover pot and allow to cook on medium heat for approximately 15 minutes. Add 1 tbsp Cayenne Pepper and 1 tbsp Freeze Dried Red Onion and simmer for a few more minutes. When done, sprinkle some Old Bay Seasoning to taste and serve with some butter sauce, lemon and a glass of white wine.

Before digging in we opened one of our sample wine bottles provided by Pasternak Imports, a Sauvignon Blanc from Cotes de Gascone in the South of France:

2010 le jaja de jau (The word "jaja" is French slang for glass of wine...yeah, we'll be stealing that one!)
At first glance, the twist cap made us skeptical, even though we know quite well it means nothing. (In fact, it's been noted that a twist cap may be of more benefit than a traditional cork.) Once open, we were immediately struck by the scents of citrus and flowers. The wine smelled like a basket of oranges, lemons, grapefruits and soft flowers. One sip and we experienced a very crisp, clean, fruity taste. Traces of peach and citrus lingered on our palates. We immediately knew this was going to pair very well with our seafood.



As we pulled the meat out of the Snow Crabs we had received, we were impressed with just how meaty they were. Even more impressive was tasting the difference between the store bought crabs and the samples. The freshness in the Snow Crabs delivered from AquaBest was very obvious. We found ourselves dipping our store bought crab legs in our special butter sauce (whose recipe we refuse to disclose...family secret!) far more than the samples from AquaBest. The fresh crab meat was perfect as is.




A bite of the Snow Crab and a sip of the "jaja" and we discovered a match made in heaven. It truly was a terrific pairing. The light citrus flavors of the wine were refreshing and a perfect match for the somewhat spicy broth concoction we had bathed our crabs in. This was indeed a perfect Summer meal. Even the picky hubbies were very impressed! The greatest thing about this experience was learning that with companies like AquaBest and Pasternak, you can have a nice Summer meal any time of year!







Disclosure:

*The views and opinions expressed in this blog post belong solely to the blog owners.  
*Product samples provided by AquaBest Seafood, Pasternak Imports, and in conjunction with the Crave Local Network.  

About the Represented Companies: 

Aqua Best Seafood ships gourmet fish, lobster, shellfish, and unique caviar products around the globe. They are known for their work with Dorothy Hamilton and the French Culinary Institute and have spearheaded the charge to educate both consumers and chefs about differences between fresh and traditional frozen seafood products. For more info, or to place an order, go to Aquabestnyc.com.

Pasternak Wine Imports distributes nationally with a wide variety of both price range and selection. Based in Harrison, NY, their portfolio is diverse, and can please nearly every wine lover’s palate. For more information, go to Pasternakwine.com.

Crave Local helps you discover the very best right in your own town. Their local sources have scoured countless local restaurants, businesses and events, to bring their members the best each city has to offer.  You can find anything from new gourmet foods to wines & cocktails, recipes and things to do nearby.  Get notified of local and national sales and specials, exclusive tastings, hotel getaways, spa deals, and much more. You can join now for free at CraveLocal.com. 

Additional links: 

http://www.aquabestnyc.com/about/

http://cravelocal.com/about/

http://www.pasternakwine.com/find-our-wines