Southern Summer Supper with a French Twist #WinePW

This month I am joining Wine Pairing Weekend (aka #winePW) for their July theme “Summer Supper & Wine.”  Wine Pairing Weekend is a group of bloggers who gather together once a month to create food and wine pairings around a theme.  The bloggers meet up on Twitter the second Saturday of the month to chat about their pairings.  Join the conversation using hashtag #winePW and discover new food and wine pairings and learn some delicious recipes. (Check out my fellow #winePW bloggers and their food and wine pairings at the bottom of this post.)

My motto for summer is laid back, no fuss including (especially) meals.  That said, “summer suppers” are some of my favorite. The summer produce shining through with flavor and variety.  Meals served outside with family and friends lingering into the evening under the stars.  Summer suppers can be special, but they don’t need to be fussy.

I was looking to create that special summer supper to pair with a 2015 Domaine de Villaine Mercurey Les Mottos.  I had been saving, well actually, dying to open this wine for just the right meal. As it often happens, memories and cookbooks helped me uncover the perfect summer supper to pair with my Domaine de Villaine Mercurey.

Last fall while vacationing in France I took part in a cooking class at The Cook’s Atelier. (Check a previous post of my adventures at The Cook’s Atelier here.)  We made duck breast and paired it with a local Pinot Noir from Burgundy, it was delicious.  Before that cooking class I never considered making duck breast at home, I was amazed at how easy it was to prepare duck breast and how quickly it cooked.  The idea of duck breast paired with my Domaine de Villaine Mercurey seemed like a good one.  Then paging through one of my latest favorite cookbook, Root to Leaf: A Southern Chef Cooks Through the Seasons”  by Steven Satterfield,  I came across a recipe for sautéd duck breast (again, super easy and fast) topped with a blueberry mostarda (a Northern Italian condiment made with fruit and mustard).  The summer section of “Root to Leaf” left me spell bound and embracing a southern summer supper with local Georgia produce; blueberries, heirloom tomatoes, black eyed peas, green beans, and stone ground cornmeal for skillet cornbread all paired with a French wine and a cooking class memory of duck breast.

Tasting Notes
2015 Domaine de Villaine Mercurey Les Montots – 13.5% ABV
Bright light ruby in color with an enticing perfume of berries and cherries.  Lean on the palate with nice acidity and a hint of tannin with layers of complexity.  The duck breast and wine were in harmony with the acidity in the wine cutting through the richness of the duck and bringing out the fruit in the wine.

Duck Breast with Blueberry Mostarda

Print Recipe

An easy and quick summer supper also perfect for entertaining.  Pair with a pinot noir.

Author adapted from "Root to Leaf" by Steven Satterfield

Ingredients

Blueberry Mostarda

• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• pinch Kosher salt
• 2 cups blueberries, washed

Duck Breasts

• 4 duck breast halves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Blueberry Mostarda

• In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the blueberries and bring to a boil.

  2.Lower the heat to medium low to medium and simmer until the mixture is reduced by half, about 5-8 minutes.

  3.Add 1 cup of blueberries and continue to simmer until the blueberries have burst and the sauce starts to thicken. Turn heat off and add the remaining cup of blueberries, stir to combine.

  4.Let cool to room temperature. Can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Duck Breasts

• Trim any silverskin on the flesh side of the duck breasts.

  2.Score the fat side of the duck breasts by carefully slicing just the fat with parallel lines about 1/8 inch apart. Turn the breast 90 degrees and repeat to make a crisscross pattern in the fat.

  3.Season both sides of the breasts with kosher salt and just the flesh side with freshly ground black pepper.

  4.Place the duck breasts in a COLD nonstick or cast iron pan.  Turn heat to medium low and cook for 12-14 minutes, allowing the fat to render.  Turn the breasts over and cook for another 2 minutes.  Check for doneness, 130 degrees F is medium rare.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then slice and serve with blueberry mostarda. 

• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm will share Eating and Drinking Locally for the Summer Months #WinePW
• Cindy of Grape Experiences will pair Summer Supper: Cool Pasta Salad and Côtes du Rhône Refreshers
• Ellen of Family Around The Table will prepare Hassleback Chicken Cordon Bleu
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• David of Cooking Chat will pair Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa and a Summery White Wine
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla will share Ceviche + Scheid’s Albariño #WinePW
• Jade of Tasting Pour will share Sweet Pea Pesto Meets Wines of Summer
• Jeff of FoodWineClick has prepared Cool Kitchen Seafood Rolls for an Easy Summer Supper
• Julie and Edgar of Wine-N-Friends will share Tintilla and Ribs: Superb Summer Pairing #winePW
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator will share Getting to Know Napa: Bison BBQ, Rombauer Atlas and Stice Cabs + Conn Creek Atlas Rose! #WinePW
• Peter and Nancy of Pull That Cork will share Lamb Gyros and a Super Sauvignon Blanc for #winePW