Sauvignon blanc soars with poached trout

Our wine of the week, Davis Bynum, 2020 Virginia’s Block, Jane’s Vineyard, Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc ($25), is a lovely spring quaffer. Its upfront burst of lemon is as refreshing as a foggy morning.

As its citrus flavors resolve, you’ll notice a subtle savory quality, a suggestion of spring greens and spring vegetables. No single thing stands out, but if you close your eyes, you’ll feel like you’re in the midst of a bountiful garden, enveloped in green aromas and the melody of songbirds.

There is a hint of grapefruit zest on the wine’s crisp acidity and just enough minerality to make you long for another spring rain. Alcohol inches towards 15%, but there is no suggestion of heat or sweetness. The wine is beautifully made and perfectly balanced.

Enjoy this sauvignon blanc with seafood, from razor clams and raw oysters to Dungeness crab, shrimp, scallops, sanddabs and Petrale sole. It’s an excellent match with raw Brussels spouts, shaved into a salad with Marcona almonds and feta cheese. English peas, snow peas, asparagus, artichokes, fresh fava beans, the season’s first zucchini and young goat cheeses all flatter this wine.

Inspiration for today’s recipe comes from a special lunch in the early 1990s. I invited M.F.K. Fisher, whom I had become friends with, to lunch. It was a lovely spring, and I could tell she loved this dish. We began the meal with Tuscan White Bean Soup, and it’s totally like me that I have forgotten what I served for dessert.

Chilled Poached Trout with Fennel & Herb Mayonnaise

Serves 4

3 cups dry white wine

½ cup apple cider vinegar

2 lemons, one cut in chunks and one cut in half

1 carrot, in chunks

1 yellow onion, in chunks

1 leek, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths

2 Italian parsley sprigs

2 thyme sprigs

2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

4 dressed trout

Herb Mayonnaise (recipe follows)

2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed

1 very small red onion, trimmed

Extra-virgin olive oil

Black pepper in a mill

Herb sprigs, for garnish

A few hours or a day before serving, poach the trout. To do so, use a fish poacher or a pan that will hold the trout without crowding them. Cooking in batches is fine.

Pour the wine and vinegar into the poaching vessel. Add the chunked lemon, carrot, onion, leek, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Set over medium-low heat, ease in as many of the trout as will fit and slowly bring the water to a simmer. Simmer very gently for about 7 minutes, transfer to a sheet pan or baking sheet and continue until all trout have been cooked. Cool until they are easy to handle.

Meanwhile, make the herb mayonnaise and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

While the trout is still warm, skin and bone it. Set the fillets in a flat container, using parchment paper to separate them. Chill until 30 minutes before serving.

To finish, use a sharp knife to cut the fennel crosswise into very thin slices, no more than ⅛-inch thick. Cut the onion similarly and put both in a bowl. Season with salt, drizzle with a little olive oil and toss gently. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the mixture and add several turns of black pepper. Divide among individual plates.

Drape the trout alongside and add a generous dollop of herb mayonnaise. Cut the remaining half lemon into 4 wedges, add a wedge to each portion, garnish with herb sprigs and enjoy right away.

Herb Mayonnaise

Makes about 1 cup

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 whole egg, at room temperature

2 teaspoons white wine or Champagne vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup mildly flavored olive oil or avocado oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons fresh snipped chives

— A few rosemary needles

Put the garlic in a bowl or other container that is at least 6 inches deep. Add the egg, vinegar, salt, pepper and mustard. Ease an immersion blender into the container and pulse several times, until the mixture is fairly smooth. Pour in about half the oil and pulse the blender while moving it through the ingredients. Add the remaining oil and continue until the mixture is thick and smooth. It won’t take long.

Taste the mayonnaise, and if it is a bit flat, add several pinches of salt, with lemon juice poured on it to dissolve it. If it is not flat, just add the lemon juice and fold it, along with the herbs, into the mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including “The Good Cook’s Book of Oil & Vinegar.” Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.