A couple of nights ago it was too cold and rainy to go outside and grill the salmon, so I decided to rely instead on a technique that’s an old favorite, roasting the salmon in the oven with butter and slivered almonds. It’s a slightly retro dish, very simple and quick to make, and very satisfying, but I wasn’t sure about what wine to serve with it. Of course Pinot Noir has become everyone’s current favorite to complement salmon, but I think this pairing works best with grilled salmon, not roasted. And besides, so many Pinots today are too sweet and fruity to 
really balance the delicacy of fresh salmon.
Sometimes Chardonnay, and aromatic whites such as Viognier, match well with salmon but often these white wines can be slightly misaligned with it, accentuating the fishy side of this otherwise un-fishy seafood. Someone once explained to me that this is particularly the case when the vines have grown in iron-rich soil. I’ve no reason to doubt this, but when we buy a bottle of wine how are we supposed to evaluate the mineral content of the soils in which the grapes were raised?
Then inspiration struck: let’s try Rosé with the salmon! If nothing else, I figured that the peachy-pink wine would be a gorgeous spring color match with the fish. Since I was pretty sure that a very dry but deeply flavorful Rosé had the best chance at highlighting the virtues of the dish, my instinct was to turn to Provence. This French region, which stretches from the 
Cote d’Azur in the east (along the Italian border) to the Rhône River in the west, is roughly 150 miles wide. It lays claim to being the birthplace of Rosé, and while its wines were woefully neglected in the United States for a long time, things have, happily, changed, as exports of Rosé from Provence jumped 62% by volume last year. In fact, Provence is now the fastest-growing French region in the exportation of wine to the U.S. market.
I am certainly not the only lover of French wine for whom the word “Provence” shouts out “Rosé!” And since nothing says Rosé quite like Tavel, I selected a bottle of Chateau d’Aqueria Tavel, 2010 (imported by Kobrand, the wine sells for about $18). And yes, the luminous pink wine shimmering in glasses on the table alongside the salmon was indeed a beautiful sight, but more importantly the wine and food marriage was very much what I’d hoped for. Fragrant and fruity, the Rosé had just the right robust body, deep flavor and cleansing acidity to strike a sensory balance with the silky salmon in all its buttery, nutty goodness.
Here’s the simple recipe:
SALMON ROASTED WITH ALMONDS
You can use farmed salmon if you like, but for many reasons I prefer wild (preferably line caught) salmon, especially because it is leaner and more flavorful. You can ask the fishmonger to skin the filet if you’d like, but this isn’t really necessary since you can just lift the fish off the skin after its cooked.
Serves 2-4
3 tablespoons butter
½ cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon Canola or other neutral vegetable oil
About 1 ½ pounds salmon filet
Salt and pepper
Finely minced parsley (optional)
1 lemon, cut in wedges
Preheat the oven to 400.
In a small skillet, melt the butter and cook the almonds over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is lightly browned and some of the almonds have begun to color.
Distribute the oil over the bottom of a baking dish and place it in the heated oven for about 5 minutes. Season the fish with salt and pepper, then place it skin side down (if it hasn’t been skinned) in the hot dish and spoon the nuts and butter over the top. Bake, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, then check it for doneness. Put it back in the oven, if necessary, until it is just cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley if desired, and serve immediately, garnished with lemon wedges.
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