Recommendations
Grilled langostinos with Solear Barbadillo Manzanilla
On the plate are large prawns whose shells have been charred on a glowing-hot grill pan, with coarse sea salt, garlic and parsley. Opposite stands the manzanilla, a salty, almost transparent wine that drowns out nothing of the prawn.
From the shelf
The bottle
Solear comes from Bodegas Barbadillo in Sanlucar de Barrameda and is a manzanilla. According to the Consejo Regulador, that name may only be used for wine aged in the bodegas of Sanlucar: the sea wind and high humidity there keep the flor thicker and active for longer than further inland, and that gives the wine its lighter, saltier character. The wine is made from Palomino Fina, ages biologically under the flor and goes through one of the longest ageings bottled in this style at Barbadillo. A manzanilla may have between 15 and 17 percent alcohol and normally stands at 15 percent; this bottle is 15 percent and comes in 75 centilitres.
The combination
Why this works together
The combination of manzanilla and the large prawns from Sanlucar is the standard course in the region itself, and Barbadillo names langoustines and ham as the classic partners of Solear. The mechanism is weight against weight: a prawn from the grill pan is strong in flavour but light in structure, and a wine of 15 percent with no residual sugar and no wood puts something alongside it that is just as light. What the wine does bring is salt and acidity. That salt runs along with the sea salt and the iodine of the prawn instead of going against it, while the acidity makes the sweet side of the prawn meat come out more sharply. The garlic and the parsley are not amplified by a cold, dry wine but framed, so that the garlic does not linger. The Consejo Regulador sums up manzanilla as the wine of the sea and names fish and seafood as the first pairing.
At the table
The dish
- For 4 people
- Ready in 20 minutes
- Type starter
What you need
- 16 langostinos or other large prawns, unpeeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- coarse sea salt
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
How to make it
- Rinse the langostinos under cold running water and pat them thoroughly dry.
- Heat a grill pan or a cast-iron pan on the highest heat until it is very hot.
- Place the langostinos in the pan, drizzle olive oil over them and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Leave them on one side for two to three minutes, without moving them.
- Mix the garlic and the parsley in a small bowl with a splash of olive oil.
- Turn the langostinos, spread the garlic and parsley mixture over them and cook for another two minutes.
- Serve them immediately with the lemon wedges.
In the glass
Serving
Serve this manzanilla between 6 and 8 degrees, just like a fino, from a bottle that has stood in ice water. A catavinos of about 200 milliliters or a white wine glass works best; fill the glass a third, so the aroma has room. Manzanilla also opens up but keeps only briefly: count on a week in the fridge with the bottle tightly closed, and preferably do not pour a leftover with a meal after that.
All about Solear Barbadillo ManzanillaBack to Recommendations from ’t Bockje
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