Joint performance: how to choose a gastro pair for beer
The concept of "gastropaying" is most often associated with wine accompaniment, which is thought out and offered by sommeliers. But nowadays such pairs are already forming with different types of beer. On the eve of the large-scale gastronomic festival Baltika Fest, Izvestia decided to find out which dishes it is customary to combine foam with in restaurant gastronomy today.
When and why did beer peyring appear
We can safely assume that the search for the perfect combination of beer and food became relevant immediately after the appearance of this drink. And the further humanity moved away from the need to simply get enough, the more interesting solutions were born.
— There is an assumption that the idea to diversify the range of beer snacks in gastronomic establishments originated several centuries ago in British pubs, — Alexey Pavlovsky, chef of the Alaska gastrobar (Moscow), told Izvestia. — It's hard to say what exactly served as the starting point, but obviously, at some point, the gentlemen clearly got tired of the classic pickled eggs in cans and local ale.
Fried smelt
Our interlocutor explains the boom in beer peering observed today by the growth of food culture and globalization. People on all continents are actively traveling, trying unfamiliar and interesting dishes, gradually adding them to their diet and experimenting with foam drinks in the same way.
"The idea of combining beer with food, similar to wine, has become more popular in recent years due to the growth of craft brewing and increased interest in gastronomy," says Alexander Rusakov, chef of the Bibirevo gastropub (Moscow). — What is primary in such peering — food or drink, depends on the situation. If we take some kind of set or dinner, then the beer will match the dish. And if we are talking about an institution where a large number of different varieties of foam are presented, then the drink will be in the first place and an appetizer will be chosen for it.
King prawns in tom yam sauce
When we talk about beer dishes, many people have some traditional patterns in their heads for a particular region, says Mikhail Sidorov, co-owner of the Raki and Gady gastropubs (Rostov-on-Don, Moscow). Sausages with fried sauerkraut, mustard and brezel will be associated with Germany, boar's knee (or pork knuckle, which is more familiar to us) with the Czech Republic, croquettes with Spain, crispy bhujiya noodles with India, and dry and dried fish and, of course, crayfish with Russia.
Smoked cheese croquettes with spicy curdled milk sauce
In search of a suitable pair for beer, you can focus on the traditions of consumption of a particular product in different regions. For example, a team of chefs from the Igora all-season resort followed this path, focusing on unique Russian dishes as opposed to standard snacks. All of them will be presented at the Baltika Fest food festival, which will be held on September 13 in the Leningrad Region at the Igora Drive autodrome.
— We decided to focus on our regional cuisines and tastes, to compare them with well-chosen beers (0.0%, non-alcoholic. — Izvestia) and make gastronomic pairings to make it delicious and interesting for guests, — the brand chef of the Igora resort, the Dot on the Map hotel chain and Winter's Cottage (Leningrad Region) shares the details of the concept Egor Nikonov. — Culinary peculiarities of different regions of our country will be presented in specialized corners. For example, Volga region will introduce guests to Tatar pilaf, Caucasian — with rich meat dishes, and northern — with a variety of seafood.
Chebureks with crab
Special mention was given to the author's corner "Baltiyskiy Vokzal", where fried pies and sandwiches will be prepared, which, according to brand chef Nikonov, are ideally combined with light unfiltered beer.
How best to choose a gastropair for beer
There are no strict rules for beer peering in gastronomy, but in the process it is necessary to start from the fact that food will be the priority, and a foamy drink is a product that perfectly complements this tandem. To find the right balance, you should focus on the distinctive characteristics of a particular dish.
— When choosing beer for a dish, first of all, they proceed from the level of hop bitterness of the drink, — says chef Pavlovsky. — For example, lagers, due to their lightness, are great for delicate Japanese cuisine, as well as Mexican and Thai. At the same time, wheat beers or stouts are suitable for more complex and rich fast-food restaurant dishes, such as crab dog with smoked salmon and oyster sauce and moose dog with mushrooms and truffle sauce.
Burgers from an open fire
If you are going to prepare a light snack, our expert advises you to choose beer with similar organoleptic properties so that the drink does not interrupt the taste of the dish.
— To successfully choose a dish for beer, you need to understand how different varieties differ — light, dark, sour or strong, — chef Rusakov explained to our publication. — Pilsner, for example, is better suited to a light vegetable snack, while stout is better suited to a rich meat dish. Porter with its chocolate-caramel notes will perfectly complement something sweet.
Homemade dumplings with mutton and smoked sour cream
Our expert offers guests 10 sets with beer peyring, which were created for the Septemberfest festival in Bibirevo. Among the original pairs are tartins with creme feta and smoked muksun tartare with New Zealand pilsner and stewed duck leg with carrot puree with sage and weitzen.
"A light lager will perfectly complement classic shrimp with garlic and herbs or crayfish cooked with salt and dill, a stout is suitable for dishes with creamy sauces (for example, blue cheese mussels), and sour apricot lambic is good paired with pure seafood, not seasoned with spices, like Magadan shrimp," says restaurateur Sidorov.. — Especially for the foam, we came up with the idea of cooking mussels in crispy breading with sweet and spicy sauce, fresh cilantro and nori seaweed - a kind of symbiosis of Belgian and Asian traditions in beer snacks.
Flammkuchen
Anton Ibatulin, the chef of the Krombacher Beer Kitchen (Moscow), believes that products from the same region are best combined. For example, German weizen will match well with Bavarian brezels and sausages or a thin flammkuchen pie with bacon, and Czech pils with fried knuckle and beef goulash.
—A light beer will successfully complement seafood or soft cheese dishes, while a denser one will pair with bright flavors of smoked meats, red meat, and aged cheeses," our interlocutor shares his observation. — You can also combine beer notes with similar flavors, for example, wash down some chocolate brownie stout. Or, on the contrary, play on contrasts and choose a bitter Indian pale ale with sweet caramelized pork.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
