A professional chef takes on beer styles and fun food pairings.
What do I want to eat when I’m sipping on Czech Pale Lagers or (the OG) Pilsner Urquell?
Crab Rangoon and Butter Chicken, of course! Nom, nom, nom, nom…
Clean, crisp, and moderately malty Czech Premium Pale Lagers, in my hungry-humble opinion, pair well with savory foods on the sweet to spicy spectrum.
The herbaceous, somewhat-spicy hop notes and pronounced bitterness of the beer balance creamy sweetness (think, cream cheese, heavy cream, and ricotta). While the malty elements allow for some food’s natural sweetness to blossom (think, crab meat and lobster). I love how that malt body has a soothing effect on my palate, neutralizing more aggressive, spicier ingredients (the lower ABV helps here too).
There’s also a fun carbonation tingle with Czech Lagers, lifting heavier ingredients up and off the tongue, readying you for the next bite.
Why Crab Rangoon?
I adore this Chinese-American appetizer, that sweet and buttery combo of cream cheese and crab meat (either real crab or…not so real crab) with that tart and tangy sweet & sour dipping sauce–food swoon. All those ingredients fall right in line with those balanced malt and hop elements of Czech Pale Lagers. That hoppy bitterness contrasts and helps neutralize the sweetness of the cream cheese and crab. While the refreshing, fizzy carbonation cleanses the palate from those more stubborn, cloying, and tongue-clinging elements. That maltiness naturally aligns with the sweet and gives you a nice bite of the sour with the sweet & sour sauce.
Why Butter Chicken?
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) has to be, if not culinary perfection, then damn near close. All the lager-loving components are there; sweet, savory, aromatic, zesty, creamy… That richly spiced tomato-butter sauce is well matched and balanced by Czech Lager’s floral and peppery hop character. That hop bitterness is prominent, but clean and refreshing. Standing up and cleansing those pops of heat without knocking out the dish’s aromatics and prime seasonings (garlic, ginger, garam masala, and cumin). The malt calls to notice the butter (or ghee) and cream. A little “here I am” before being sweetly whisked off your palate.
Other pairings I wouldn’t turn down…
~Buttery-garlicky scampi with either shrimp or lobster (with a nice sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes-yum)
~Triple cream brie with either pepper jelly or a hearty drizzle of hot honey
~Deep dish Chicago style pizza–with all that cheese and acres of buttery crust
Czech Republic Love
We have to pay homage to the birthplace of this pale golden brew. Their pub culture reigns supreme when it comes to pairing food and Czech Premium Pale Lager (they’ve had centuries of practice). Here are some of my favorites if you are looking for a more traditional pairing…
~Česnečka (garlic soup with potatoes) or Kulajda (creamy, dilly mushroom soup)
~Smažený Sýr (hunka-hunka fried cheese)
~Utopenci (pickled sausages) or Nakládony Hermelín (pickled camembert)
~All the potatoes; pancakes, dumplings, and potato salad (plus any porky goods that accompany)
About me—I am a professional chef working my way up the Cicerone certification ladder. I left the typical cheffy grind (after 15+ years) to focus on fun food play, independently working as a recipe/food content developer and restaurant consultant (freelance, full-time, kicking off in 2017). While studying all of these fabulous profiles and sipping my way through 80++ different beer styles. I created a project for myself…”what do I want to eat with these beers”. As a food obsessed professional, I reached into my memory rolodex of flavors and food profiles to find some worthy contenders (that may fly a little outside the box)…
Want to see what food I would like to eat with your beer? Let’s chat! Email me at contact@pattersonwatkins.com
Need some help pairing beer with your food menu? Or, would you like some help creating a food menu that pairs with your beer? I’m always hungry (and thirsty). Email me at contact@pattersonwatkins.com
Are you interested in food or beer related content development? Hit me up! contact@pattersonwatkins.com or check out my portfolio at www.pattersonwatkins.com