Provencal Feta and Sardines a Recipe for Wine Pairing
Appetizer · David Scott Allen · Provencal Recipes · TasteSalty food and oily fish is a wine pairing challenge. However, nothing that Cocoa & Lavender wasn’t willing to try. Taking inspiration from southern France, this delicious warm platter of feta and sardines paired beautifully with two Acquiesce wines. Producing only Rhône-style white and rosé wines, Acquiesce Winery is a maverick in Lodi appellation. The San Francisco Chronicle included the Acquiesce Winery tasting room among its list of 52 vineyards to visit in 2020. To read more about the wines and the vineyard in Lodi, California, click here.
Provencal Feta and Sardines
This recipe is a French appetizer best served with crusty bread and wine.
Ingredients
- 5 oz Ripe Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 4.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp herbes de Provence
- 1/4 tsp piment d’Espelette
- 6 oz (piece) Feta Cheese about 3/4-inch thick
- 1 tin (3.75 oz) Canned Sardines Packed in Oil drained (with or without skin)
- 10 kalamata olives
- 1 tbsp capers drained
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- Crusty Bread for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Halve tomatoes lengthwise, then again crosswise. Place them in a small baking dish – the one you will use to serve – and drizzle with 1/2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper, and roast the tomatoes for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, combine olive oil and herbes de Provence in a small bowl.
- Nestle the slice of feta into the cooled tomatoes. Next, place pieces of sardines, olives, and capers around the sides of the cheese. Zest the lemon over the top, then pour olive oil-herb mixture evenly over everything.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Serve immediately with slices of crusty bread. You’ll want a serving spoon and forks.
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Additional Appetizer Ideas:
Tarte Soleil - Puff Pastry Appetizer
From the chef, "Provençals like things sunny and pretty, so this is a popular take on the local, traditional fougasse. It can be filled with any strong-flavoured spreadable mixture such as tapenade or anchoiade or a sundried-tomato paste or even a spinach/ricotta or goat cheese."
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Panisse (Panelle, Sicilian-style) or Chickpea Fritters
Panisse is very popular in Provence, although a similar recipe can be found in other places along the Mediterranean as I discovered in Sicily. Impress your guests with this salty, yet slightly sweet nibble with cocktails.
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Crunchy Tomatoes
This quick appetizer has a sweet, crunchy finish. Pretty, colourful and fresh cherry tomatoes with a touch of cheese, your guests will love this taste of Provence.
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