To get ready for this I threw together some light sandwiches. i used pan seared chicken with a dash of hot sauce, greens, a light italian cheese and a bit of mustard on the top. For bread we tried both baguette and English muffins, with the winner being the former. The sandwiches were great. I was especially happy with the balance between the ingredients, rather than being overwhelming each ingredient melded with the rest. Also I was happy with the versatility of the dish, I could easily substitute any one of the ingredients, for instance a different cheese, out for something else and have a new, tasty, easy dish.
The pairing was also nice. I was drinking a homebrewed session ale, light, hoppy, with a nice cistrus cascade hop flavor to it. The light bitterness worked well against the mild spice in the sandwich and the greens. We also tried a Brooklyn Lager against the sandwich. The sandwich highlighted the complexities in the malt, which was quite nice, and the foods spice provided a linkage to the spicy hops in the beer. On the whole, I would say the Brooklyn lager was the more skillful pairing, bringing out more of the flavors in the food and the beer, but also adding some heft to the meal. On the other hand the homebrew was solid, and kept the feel of the meal quite light, which might be preferable. Overall an excellent culinary experience.
-Eric
No comments:
Post a Comment