Pairings: Paraduxx white wine a rich match for salmon, curried mussels

You’ll want to keep our Wine of the Week, Paraduxx 2015 Propriety White Wine ($30), around for spring, which will be showing its sweet self, bud by bud, any time now.

The wine has beautiful aromas, like an orchard in the spring sun. There are whispers of jasmine, honeysuckle, orange blossom, and something suggestive of rain. It’s a beauty before it even gets to your lips.

This aromatic halo resolves into a rich, full experience on the palate, with a heft that is a bit surprising given the delicacy of the aromas. You’ll notice flavors of ripe melon, baked apple, custard apple, and a hint of ripe white pineapple, with buoyant acidity and a teasingly refreshing finish that leaves you wanting more.

This is one of those white wines that you can enjoy with red meat, even a rare ribeye steak, if your preferences run in that direction. It will be excellent with wild Pacific King salmon with a fresh mango salsa and is a great companion to roasted chicken glazed with honey and lemon. Pork tenderloin with sautéed apples, roasted root vegetables, pastas with cream-based sauces, rabbit Dijonnaise, and risotto with winter squash, golden beets, carrots, or rock shrimp are great matches, too. Carrot soup and carrot fritters welcomes the wine alongside, too,

Today’s recipe includes cilantro, which is typically a poor match with chardonnay and there is a significant amount in this wine. But with the other varietals along with the rich coconut milk, the match blossoms and both the cilantro and the spices engage beautifully with the wine.

Curried Mussels ?with Apples & Vinegar

Serves 4

2 tablespoons butter

1 small yellow onion, minced

2 inner celery stalks, minced

1 sweet (not sweet-tart) apple, peeled, cored, and cut into small dice

1 tablespoon mild or medium curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

- Kosher salt

- Black pepper in a mill

- Pinch of saffron threads

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

1/3 cup heavy cream

21/2 pounds black mussels, rinsed thoroughly, scrubbed, and trimmed, as necessary

- Best-quality Champagne or white wine vinegar

- Cilantro, for garnish

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over low heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until very tender, about 15 minutes. Add the apple and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until the apple begins to soften. Stir in the curry powder, turmeric, and ginger, and cook 2 minutes more; season with salt and pepper.

Add the saffron and stir in the coconut milk and cream. Increase the heat to medium and simmer 3 minutes. Add the mussels and cook, covered, until the mussels open, about 4 to 6 minutes.

Discard any mussels that do not open.

Ladle the mussels into 4 individual bowls and pour sauce over each portion. Drizzle about half a teaspoon of vinegar over the mussels, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve right away.

Michele Anna Jordan is author of the new “Good Cook’s” series. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com and visit her blog at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.