The Perfect Marriage

THE PERFECT MARRIAGE

A lot has been said about wine and food and their faithful marriage – or perhaps, uncompromising togetherness. But just when that relationship looked to be heading into a position of unbridled eternity, the sudden attraction of beer has wowed and is eager to have a slice of the action. So, what’s the future for this new-found partnership? Can beer be the new wine?

Beer may have lost out to wine on many dinner tables in recent times but with CAMRA shouting of the revival of real ale, and the ever-increasing credibility of microbreweries, the beer industry certainly appears to be alive and kicking.

In November, I had the pleasure of hosting a beer-and-food dinner for 25 beer novices, and shall I say, beer snobs. A carefully prepared five-course meal was scrupulously paired with five beers, each varying in style and complexity.

To begin the evening, I presented my guests with Kasteel Cru, a delicate Bière Blonde, with its own revolutionary twist – the use of special French sparkling wine yeasts to add subtlety of flavour and a fine, powder-light head I paired the beer with a trio of Alsace/German classics, starting with gourgeres (deep fried cheese) canapés, where I found the acidity of the beer was balanced by the smooth cheese.
The second canapé, pork sauerkraut, was an instant hit: the palette was cleansed as Kasteel Cru’s fine stream of bubbles lifted the saltiness from the pork sauerkraut.  The classic Alsace dish of flammekuche, (thin bread dough topped with sour cream, onion and lardons) was the last of the entrées. The Kasteel Cru worked brilliantly with the light floury dough, whilst the onions complemented the slight hint of onion present in the hops.

And so to the starter, which was a delightful, fresh dish of crab and cucumber rolls, pickled vegetables, pak choi and bean sprouts. This needed a beer that would work brilliantly with the Asian flavours, so I paired it with a Singha Beer, brewed by Royal permission in Thailand since the 1930s. The bitter hops of the beer balanced the fresh chilli and ginger spices from the rolls, whilst the citrus notes in the lime salad helped bring out the flavour of the beer to create a crisp-yet-balanced finish.

After clearing away the empty plates, my guests were treated to a duo of main courses. Firstly there was pan-roasted breast of duck; celeriac and thyme puree with sweet and sour beetroot, paired with the legendary India Pale Ale (IPA), Worthington’s White Shield. Brewed to an 1830 recipe Worthington’sWhite Shield is the bottled live beer that matures with age and the bitterness of the hops were a perfect partner for the strong flavour of the duck and the sweet beetroot. The roasting of the duck breast mellowed the robust flavour of the IPA, which enabled the celeriac and thyme to develop. The sweet and sour beetroot complemented the sweet malts within the IPA and helped neutralise the high carbonation of the beer.

Not finished yet, my guests were then treated to confit of veal breast with slow- cooked ratatouille. This I paired with Modelo Negra, a Munich-style lager that pronounces itself with an initial burst of sweetness that reacted with the tart acidity in the ratatouille. Slow cooking the veal the same way as the Ambar malts balanced the robust flavours of both the veal and the lager. The use of dark malts gives a toasted character, which was complemented by the meatiness of the veal.
And finally, to dessert. And whilst some were undoing the buckle on their belts, I assured them that the best was saved for last.

The final course of the evening was served: a pistachio and olive oil cake with candied ginger and orange sorbet. Choosing a beer for this was relatively easy, and I was quick to ensure that everyone had a bottle of the artfully crafted American beer, Blue Moon ready and waiting. This Belgian style ‘witte’ beer is a unique blend of wheat, rolled oats, Naval and Valencia oranges and coriander. The full-bodied taste reacted well with the light sponge, almost cleansing the palette, whilst the olive oil balanced the dryness of the beer. The orange sorbet enhanced the orange aromas in the beer whilst the high carbonation worked with the caramel of the candied ginger.
Once my guests had made sure every last crumb had been lifted from the plate, the reaction was one of sheer astonishment.  “I never knew beer could have such an effect on the way a dish tastes, the way in which I was able to pick up certain flavours from the beers and compare and contrast them to the food was extraordinary.” One guest noted.  The way in which each beer had associated itself with the flavours in the dishes helped create a wonderful evening.

Matching beer and food is about comparing and balancing styles and flavours. A spicy dish needs a carbonated beer to lift the spicy oils off the palate. High acidity in a dish needs sweetness to balance the flavours together.

A science? Maybe...
A marriage born? Definitely.