As with anything new, I was nervous about turning my monthly Beer Versus Wine Food Pairing column into a reader generated contest complete with a vote and a winner who will take the reins of the column next month. Would anybody actually participate? Sure, the posts have always won some comments and suggestions in the past, but participation varies from the wildly popular Thanksgiving Dinner post to the not so popular Chicken Wing post. So last Wednesday I finished the final draft of Beer Versus Wine – The Perfect Battered Fish Pairing and clicked publish.
And then I waited. Okay, so maybe “wait” isn’t the proper word. I manically checked the post on my smart phone like every 5 minutes throughout the work day until somebody finally posted a comment (Thank you, Bishop!) around noon. Whew! And then a couple of hours later Stories by William posted a second comment. More comments trickled in throughout the day, and all of a sudden we had a contest.
In total, 7 bloggers participated in this inaugural challenge. Not bad at all! Thank you, dear readers, for not sending me back to my high school days when I was always picked last for the kickball team. Below is a summary of suggestions. Read through them and vote for your favorite. Voting ends on Tuesday, March 11.
- Bishop – I also have a personal choice that has very limited availability, it is my Golden Wheat Red IPA. Nicely dry hopped with just enough bitterness and great aroma!
- Stories by Williams – I would say an American-style India Pale Ale. While an English-style would seem like the most appropriate, I find a balanced malty beverage with a fair dose of bitter, floral hops would not only compliment the salty flavors but help cut through the oily texture as well.
- Whine and Cheers for Wine – Since the beer options have it thus far I am going to go with a wine and bring in France! My choice would be a White Bordeaux, the affordable Chateau Bonnet comes to mind, a blend of mostly Sauvignon Blanc with Semillon and Muscadelle. A very well rounded dry white, but not too dry, thanks to the blend, that would work wonderfully with the battered fish and chips. Making my mouth water as I type. Thanks!
- Julia Bailey – Great idea! As a Brit where heading to the chippie on a Friday night is practically a rite of passage, then I thought I had to get involved. For those (like me) who are not too keen on beer. then Champagne is a great alternative to pair with fish and chips. It’s what I’d describe as being a new classic combination. Essentially the acidity in the Champers cuts through the greasiness in the food, plus the bubbles add a freshness and another texture. If I had to plump for one, then the best match I’ve had by far is the Veuve Cliquot La Grande Dame.
- The Wandering Sheppard – Lot more Wine pairings than usual on the comments! Usually, I am the cheese that stands alone. In the same stroke, you should drink the wine you cook with. I think the beer used in the batter is what you drink. I remember going to some restaurant and their Newcastle beer battered fish and chips were awesome. So that’s my perfect pairing.
- Dead Frog Brewery – The traditional pairing for fish & chips is an English bitter. However, I did a tasting the other night with a North American West Coast IPA and found the pairing excellent. Not only does the bittering and carbonation nicely cut through the fat and starch to cleanse the palate, the citrus from the Northwest hops acts similarly to the lemon you squeeze over seafood. For a twist, try adding some masala spice to the batter or tossing the chips in some curry powder.
- If It Falls on the Floor – So, over the weekend I actually made some fish n’ chips for my hubby and I. I drastically altered the recipes so there would be a little southern for Malc and a lot of New Mexican for me. I came up with a spicy cornmeal beer batter that was pretty darn good! The beer was a Harpers. Great for the batter, not so great for the fish n’ chips. I would however recommend a buttery chardonnay as an company. Perhaps a Toasted Head.