Food pairing
Beer with scallops
Sweet and delicate, with a caramelised crust that is most of the point.
Sweet and delicate with a caramelised crust that is most of the point, and almost no salt or fat of their own.
The crust rewards clean malt and the flesh needs protecting. Kölsch and similar styles suit them because they can meet the caramelisation without burying the shellfish.
Scallops 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
Kölsch — excellent pairing
The caramelised crust is the point, and Kölsch's clean malt and soft fruit meet it without competing with the delicate flesh.
London brown ale — outstanding
Enough residual sweetness to stand up to the dish rather than being flattened by it.
Czech dark lager — 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.
Dark mild — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
English porter — strong
Deep malt character matches the savoury weight of the dish instead of sitting apart from it.
Rauchbier — strong
Smoke in the beer meets smoke on the plate — the same family of compounds on both sides.
Best bitter — strong
Beer and dish carry similar weight, so neither flattens the other.
What not to drink
- Cold IPA — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.
- West Coast IPA — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.
- Saison — Sweet food makes a drier drink taste harsher than it is.