Match of the week
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Steak tartare and Provence rosé
It’s back to the usual drizzly grey grot this Monday morning but the past week has been glorious.
Definitely rosé weather which prompted my friend Andy Clarke* and I to crack open a bottle of Provence rosé at one of my favourite Bristol restaurants, Little French, the other day.
You might think that was odd as we’d both opted for steak. Andy, an onglet, in my case a steak tartare. But actually the wine - the By.Ott from Domaine Ott worked with both
In my previous post on steak tartare I wrote “Not the very pale Provence type but a Bandol rosé would be lovely.” I take that back - a good quality pale Provence rose is spot on too, especially with a fresh crunchy salad on the side. (And chips, obviously!)
You can buy By.Ott from various Indies in the UK, normally for around £25 but a wine merchant called De Burgh has the 2022 for £19.99 though I'm guessing they'll move on to the 2023 if that sells through quickly
* BTW Andy has a new book on gin coming out if you’re keen on cocktails and although I’m not much of a mixologist myself I’ve had great success with his recipes.
Steak tartare and Beaujolais
This was a wine pairing I hadn’t thought of putting together before but once experienced last week at Racine it seemed supremely logical.
Steak tartare can easily be overwhelmed by the sort of full-bodied red you’d choose for a chargrilled steak and in my view needs a lighter wine to fully appreciate its smooth texture and complex seasoning. Previously I’ve had a sneaky fondness for a glass of Champagne which also works brilliantly well with the usual accompaniment of chips but following my successful experience with a vibrantly fruity Coteaux du Languedoc earlier this year we’d ordered an inexpensive bottle of chilled young Morgon (2008) from Jean Descombes* in the hope that it would hit the spot. Which it did, the cool fruit picking up beautifully on the touch of spice in the mix.
Harris’s steak tartare, for the information of fellow fans, is generally regarded as one of the best in London. Interestingly he starts off with a seasoning purée then adds his chopped ingredients. I’m hoping to prise the recipe out of him so watch this space!
* apparently part of the Georges Duboeuf stable. You can find it in the UK from The Colchester Wine Company, the latest incarnation of Lay & Wheeler, here.
Steak tartare and Côteaux du Languedoc
You might be surprised to know that red wine isn’t the first pairing I think of with steak tartare, which for those of you who haven’t tried it is chopped raw beef flavoured with punchy seasonings such as capers, parsley and hot pepper sauce. I actually think it pairs really well with sparkling wine, especially Champagne but last week I was down in the Languedoc and that didn’t really seem appropriate.
My husband had ordered a dish called hachis parmentier which is a French version of shepherds' pie so we compromised on a medium bodied red in the form of the 2006 vintage of Château de la Negly’s basic wine ‘La Côte’. A blend of Carignan, Grenache and Syrah, it comes from the La Clape part of the Coteaux de Languedoc (see this more detailed description from K & L wine merchants)
It’s one of those easy-going reds that should be in everyone’s cellar, refreshing, quaffable but in no way simple or jammy. It was a great companion for both dishes, especially the steak tartare (and chips, I must confess). Almost as good as Champagne ;-)
In the UK H & H Bancroft carry the Château de la Negly range. The restaurant where we were eating is called Larcen in Agde, one of our current favourites in the area.
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