Just as meat-based stews call for a more robust, rustic wine than simply grilled or roast meat so do seafood stews in comparison with simply prepared fish. Here are my suggestions to match Gordon Ramsay's recipes in the Times today:
Easy bouillabaisse
This recipe may be easy - and delicious- but (typical of a chef’s recipe!) it’s certainly not economical, containing a kilo of pollack, 600g of mussels and clams and 800g other fish for a recipe that serves 4-6 people. From a wine point of view you need to take note of a strong aniseed hit from the star anise and pernod and the other seasonings - saffron, garlic, cayenne pepper and fresh basil. My own preference would be for a strong dry rosé such as a Bandol rosé from Provence (I was drinking Domaine la Suffrène last night which would fit the bill perfectly) or for a crisp dry white Picpoul de Pinet which has enough underlying strength to cope with the punchy flavours.
Seafood ragout with angel hair pasta
There are similar ingredients here too - mussels, clams, uncooked prawns garlic and tomatoes, the inclusion of chicken stock which makes the dish slightly more wine-friendly and a large handful of mixed fresh herbs such as basil, parsley, chervil and tarragon which maybe points towards a minerally Sauvignon Blanc such as a Pouilly Fumé or Sancerre. I think I’d probably be looking for either that or a modern Italian white - probably a Vermentino from Sardinia.
Bengali seafood stew
A tricky one! Although this stew has typically Indian spicing it also contains coconut milk which gives it a creamy texture. I’m torn between wine and beer here. It’s not mouth-searingly spicy though it does contain five cloves and if you use three rather than two chillies it will be quite hot which might make my initial choice, Viognier, a bit alcoholic. It also contains a good chunk (5cm) of fresh ginger which has a great affinity with Gewurztraminer. If you like Gewurz I’d go for that otherwise try an Alsace, Tasmanian or New Zealand Pinot Gris. The stew would also go well with a witbier like Hoegaarden, I think, or a good quality German Pilsner or Kolsch.
