Food pairing
Beer with prawns
Sweet, briny and firm, and a shellfish that takes strongly to char and to chilli.
Sweet, briny and firm, and they take strongly to both char and chilli depending on how they are cooked.
Salt is the deciding attribute. A beer with coriander or citrus character meets the sweetness directly, and the wheat body suits the texture.
Prawns 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 salt.
What to drink
Witbier — excellent pairing
Coriander and orange peel in the beer meet the sweet brine of the prawns directly, and the wheat body suits their texture.
English porter — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Munich Dunkel — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Czech dark lager — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Dark mild — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
English brown ale — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Dry stout — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Altbier — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Foreign extra stout — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- American barley wine — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.
- Double IPA — Delicate food needs a beer that stays out of its way.