
Being invited to a Becasse degustation dinner was an exciting invitation indeed. Not just because it came directly from the Becasse chef Justin North but also because this was my first degustation there. Becasse holds degustations every month matching different wine regions with food and this one was the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France and tonight’s dining companion is Rebecca.

Canape: Sardine mille feuille
I did like the strong sardine flavour but I should confess now that I didn’t fall head over heels in love with this. I thought the puff was a touch dry because it was so voluminous compared to the sardine and longed for something in the centre of it.

Bread: Green olive and lemon thyme olive bread served with 2005 Caves de Sieurs d’Arques, Blanquette du Limoux, Roussillon (a mix of Chenin, Sauvignon and Chardonnay)
The green olive and lemon thyme bread is like an olive foccacia with a light lemon flavour. It comes with the olive oil gel with black salt and really comes into its own with it. We adore it so much that when they ask me if I’d like more, after some initial hesitation at excess carb ingestion, I nod a resounding yes.

Amuse bouche served with 2005 Caves de Sieurs d’arques, Blanquette du Limoux, Roussillon
Our amuse bouche is an Oyster with lime caviar. The lime caviar is made with molecular gastronomy techniques and is the exact size of ocean trout roe. Inside the liquid is more viscous so there’s less of a liquidey pop than you get with roe but more a slow oozing onto the tongue. And it’s good, oh so very good.

Assiette Montpellier served with mas des Bressades, Cubee Excellence, Costieres de Nimes
Our Assiette Montpellier was escalopes of marinated rouget and scallop with rouget jelly, carrot emulsion, carrot and orange sorbet, sesame filo, petite herbs and Spring flowers and radish sprouts. Now I knew this one would be interesting with the quenelle of carrot and orange sorbet with the fish and tiny scallops. Whilst Rebecca initially hesitated with the differing temperatures, I thought it was wonderful, especially when the sorbet had melted a little and became a cool sorbet “soup” with glistening rouget jelly, soft scallops and rouget. Texturally this was heaven. I did need a spoon to scoop it up though once it melted and we used the bread to mop up the last precious drops of this. This wine was interesting with almost a blue cheese aroma and it was very creamy on the tongue. It was 70% Roussane, 20% Viogner and 10% Grenache Blanc.
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