Food pairing
Beer with grilled shellfish
Shellfish cooked over fire, where char and caramelised shell sit on top of the sweetness raw shellfish has on its own.
Raw shellfish is saline, sweet and delicate, and the standard advice — something dry, mineral and unassertive — follows from that. Fire changes it: the shells caramelise, the flesh firms, and a genuine char note appears that was not there before.
The delicacy is still underneath, so this is not licence for a big beer. What it is licence for is a little malt colour, which meets the char without erasing the sweetness. It is the middle term between an oyster and a steak.
Grilled shellfish narrows the field sharply, and one answer stands clear of the rest. Most beer falls down on at least one thing this dish demands. The attribute doing most of the work is char.
What to drink
Vienna lager — excellent pairing
Fire adds a char note that raw shellfish does not have while leaving the sweetness underneath intact. A little malt colour meets the char; anything darker erases the shellfish, which is the whole reason the raw version takes a different beer.
English porter — strong
Roasted malt echoes the charred, caramelised edge of the food, so the two reinforce each other.
Czech dark lager — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Lichtenhainer — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Kentucky Common — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Dark mild — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Irish red ale — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
Belgian pale ale — good
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Bock — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- English barley wine — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Wee heavy — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.