Provencal Rosé and Crab Rolls a Match Made in Heaven

Ahh… memories of our New England summers, when we lived in Maine and could amble to the end of the street to buy lobster from shops on the piers over the tidal creeks of coastal Maine… or bicycle to nearby seafood shacks for lobster rolls. Now, our ocean is the desert; vast, varied, and always interesting… but no lobster: Enter my Summer Crab Roll.

In addition to being in the mood for rosé, I was also in the mood for seafood. Truth be told, a lobster roll on a bright summer’s day with a good rosé sounded perfect, but lobster has been scarce here lately. So I decided to go with crab and created a really flavorful lemon, tarragon and saffron Crab Roll, lobster roll-style. Continue reading here for the original Cocoa & Lavender post.

Triennes rosé — which seems pretty easily found in the United States — is a beautiful light salmon pink. It has a fresh bouquet with the aromas of grapefruit and apricot. I found it wonderfully floral on the palate with jasmine, peach, strawberry, and vanilla flavours. While the crab brought out the strawberry, each element of the wine was present. In addition, the tarragon brings out a bit of anise in the wine. Reviews of the 2019 Triennes rosé are excellent — if you can get some, I highly recommend it. But I know from reviews of other vintages that this wine is a perennial favourite, and I can see why.  Ultimately, the crab rolls were perfectly paired with this Provencal rosé. Please read my review for Provence WineZine here.

Summer Crab Rolls

David Scott Allen | Cocoa & Lavender

Easy to make, these sandwiches are great for a summer dinner, picnic or lunch near a beach.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Lunch Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 New England-style hot dog rolls
• Softened Butter
• 8 oz Lump Crabmeat
• 1/4 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp fresh tarragon chopped
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads
• the zest of 1 lemon
• a large pinch of Salt
• freshly ground white pepper

Instructions

 

• Butter the outsides of the New England-style hot dog rolls (or the interiors of regular hot dog buns) and place the buttered side in a frying pan or griddle on medium heat.
• While the buns are grilling, gently mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
• When the buns are golden brown (New England style buns need to be turned), divide the crab mixture between the two buns and serve.
• The filling can be made in advance and refrigerated.

Keyword Crab, Sandwich

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David Scott Allen

David Scott Allen is the author, photographer, and cook behind Cocoa & Lavender, a weekly food blog based in Tucson, Arizona. Passionate about travel, he especially enjoys eating traditional foods and learning local customs, whether in the United States or around the globe.

David's first trip to France took place when he was 14, and he returned as often as possible thereafter. However, it wasn't until his 50th birthday that he finally made it south to Provence. The beauty, history, charm, warmth, cuisine, and - of course - the rosé wines captured his heart. He shares his Provençal recipes here on Perfectly Provence, and his food and wine pairings monthly on the Provence WineZine.

David is a firm believer that sharing a meal with friends around the table is one of life's greatest pleasures. And if it happens to be in Provence, all the better!