I have arrived in the Rhone Valley and, like all of the French wine regions, there are many sub-regions. I decide to go with Lyon – mostly because it is the gastronomy capital of France. The first order of business is to figure out what to eat.
Maybe it is because it is winter or maybe it simply because I really like to eat, but I am really enjoying the food part of my journey. I had Fricassee de Poulet at my last stop, so I am thinking maybe some kind of red meat dish would work. I could then pair it with a red wine. I was originally planning to make Pot au feu, but after reading the ingredients and instructions, I realized it was a bit over my head.
So, I continued my search, and oddly enough, each search led me to Salade Lyonnaise. Salade Lyonnaise is basically a salad with bacon, a Dijon dressing and a poached egg on top. I decided it was fate (and I am a huge fan of poached eggs), so I started to look for a recipe.
That is when I found a recipe for Salade Lyonnaise Sandwich on a blog called A Cozy Kitchen. I was super excited by this recipe (and the picture was gorgeous) and right away could envision myself eating this sandwich and sipping a glass of white wine.
With my dinner in mind, I went back to West Seattle Cellars for a bottle of Rhone wine. I settled on a bottle of Domain Courtois La Source 2011.
I modified the Salade Lyonnaise sandwich recipe slightly, using some old red wine that had been open a bit too long instead of the red wine vinegar, mixed greens and a basic roll. I gave it my flair 🙂
The sandwich turned out quite tasty, and while I normally do not like bacon (I know, I am weird), I didn’t mind the flavor it gave to the meal.
The wine was a lovely accoutrement to my dinner. Pale yellow in color, it has a very fresh, almost green nose, with hints of citrus, pears and ginger. I could taste white grapes, ginger and a hint of citrus, and the wine was overall very light and airy. The freshness of the wine cut through the salt of the bacon nicely, and the salt of the meal actually brought out more fruitier notes of the wine – green apples.
I could imagine myself sitting on the back porch on a hot summer day, eating the sandwich and sipping this wine. A perfect porch wine.
With a full tummy, I am heading to my last stop in France – Provence.
The Splendid Grape 