Pairings: Toasty chardonnay pairs with rich sauces, shellfish

Our Wine of the Week, Harken 2016 California Chardonnay ($15), is a classic, exactly the sort of wine people think about when they think of the varietal’s expression in the state.

It is full, round and rich in the mouth, with flavors of baked apple, Asian pear butter, vanilla and ripe pear, with hints of lightly toasted bread. There’s a suggestion of sweetness swirling around in the wine’s creamy texture and luscious finish.

The foods this style engages with in limited but thoughtful matches will make the wine soar. Shellfish, corn, sweet peppers, chicken, winter squash, carrots, Cheddar cheese, Brie, and rich sauces all make good matches. The wine benefits from a mingling of flavors, as we see in today’s dish. The fresh corn and roasted sweet peppers in the succotash form a delicious bed for sautéed snapper and the roasted pepper butter ties everything together deliciously.

Snapper with a Simple ?Fall Succotash and Roasted Pepper Butter

Makes 3 to 4 servings

- Red Pepper Butter (recipe follows)

- Succotash (recipe follows)

3-4 snapper fillets (or similar fish, if snapper is not available)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned generously with salt and pepper, in a shaker

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

- Kosher salt

- Black pepper in a mill

2 tablespoons fresh chopped?Italian parsley

Make the red pepper butter; this can be done a day in advance.

Make the succotash, cover, set it aside, and keep warm.

Set the snapper fillets on a clean work surface and shake seasoned flour all over them; be generous. Pick up the fillets, one at a time, and pat gently with a paper towel to remove excess flour.

Set a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add the butter and olive oil, and when the butter is melted jostle the pan a bit to distribute it evenly.

Add the fillets, working in batches if necessary, and cook on one side until golden brown, about 5 minutes; turn and cook until the other side is equally browned, another 3 to 5 minutes. Cut 3 or 4 quarter-inch thick rounds of the roasted pepper butter.

Working quickly, divide the succotash among individual plates; drape a fillet over the succotash and top with a round of butter. Sprinkle with Italian parsley.

Roasted Pepper Butter

Makes about 1/2 cup

1/2 cup (4 ounces, 1 stick) butter, at room temperature

3 tablespoons minced roasted red peppers

1 garlic clove, crushed and minced

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

- Kosher salt

- Pinch of sugar, if needed

Put the butter into a small glass bowl. Add the roasted peppers, garlic, cardamom,and a generous pinch of salt. Use a fork to mix well. Taste and if it seems a bit flat, add a generous pinch of sugar and mix again.

Set a piece of wax paper on your work surface, tip the butter onto it, and shape the butter into a log about 11/4 inches in diameter. Store in the refrigerator.

A Simple Fall Succotash

Makes 3 to 4 servings

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium shallot, minced

2 ounces pancetta, in small cubes

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 large red bell peppers, seared, peeled, seeded and cut into small dice

- Kernels from 4 fresh ears of corn

- Kosher salt

- Black pepper in a mill

Put the butter into a medium saute pan set over medium low heat and, when it is melted, add the shallot and sauté gently until soft and fragrant, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the pancetta and continue to cook, stirring now and then, until it loses its raw look.

Add the garlic, red bell peppers and corn, season lightly with salt, cover, reduce the heat and cook very gently for 4 to 5 minutes, until the corn just loses its raw taste. Remove from the heat, season generously with black pepper, taste and correct for salt.

Michele Anna Jordan hosts Mouthful, Smart Talk About Food, Wine, & Farming every Sunday evening at 6 p.m. on KRCB 91.1 FM. Email her at michele@micheleannajordan.com.