A Q&A with Nico Osteria’s Chef de Cuisine Erling Wu-Bower and Wine Director Bret Heiar

Hello! This week, I’m talking seafood with Nico Osteria’s Chef de Cuisine Bower (and 2 time James Beard nominee) Erling Wu-Bower, who gives us some tips on sourcing, purchasing, and preparing seafood. And since wine is one of the most important elements of a great meal, I asked Wine Director Bret Heiar to provide some guidance on pairing vino and seafood. Here’s what they had to say:

Q. Bret, can you give us some tips for how to choose seafood at the market? What should we look for? 

Erling Wu-Bower: The key to choosing fish at the market is to smell and touch it. The standbys of clear eyes and vibrant gills are good rules, but sometimes can be misleading. There is no way to fake smell and firmness. Ask your fish monger to put the fish in front of you. When you smell it, it should smell like the ocean, not like “fish.” Ask if you can touch it. If your fish monger won’t let you, ask for a glove – and, if he still won’t let you, find a different fishmonger. The fish should be firm to the touch. Go home and cook the fish right away.

Seafood at Nico Osteria

Q. Lots of people are intimidated to cook fish at home. Can you offer any great tips for gaining kitchen confidence when cooking seafood or fish at home?

Erling Wu-Bower: I understand why home cooks are scared to cook fish at home. It’s FRAGILE. One thing I tell most people who are cooking fish at home is not to fool around with it. People put fish on the grill or in a pan and immediately want to move it around. DON’T DO IT! It’s cooking just fine where it is! The less you fidget with fish as you cook it, the prettier it will be when you serve it.

Q. Which markets (that sell to the public) in Chicago do you recommend for purchasing seafood?

Erling Wu-Bower: I like Dirk’s Fish & Gourmet. 

Q. Can you provide a few guidelines for pairing fish and seafood with wine? 

Bret Heiar: Seafood is very diverse. It is not a one-size-fits-all pairing. There are different textures, oil content, and preparations. Take into consideration the preparation – smoked, baked, cured, and sauces – when pairing wine and seafood. Here are some ideas:

• Salmon, char, and other oily fleshed seafood are great with a light red like Gamay Noir or Pinot Noir.
• Crudos (raw) are very delicate and you don’t want to overpower or compete. I love bubbles with raw fish.
• Oysters love a high acid white. Muscadet and Chablis are the classic pairings.
• With a spicy sauce or Asian flavors, I like a Kabinett Riesling. A hint of RS (residual sugar) tames spice.
• Firmer, meatier fish (swordfish, Mahi, shark, etc.) can handle a red high in acid and low in tannin, or a more robust white.
• Flakier fish (cod, sole, etc.) are more delicate. Think crisp white: Sssyrtiko, Albarino, Vinho Verde.
• If the sauce has acid, the wine has to have acid.
• If the sauce is slightly sweet, so should be the wine.

Stay tuned next week for three more great restaurants and some more inside dish right here on my blog!

Cheers,
Catherine