Crubeens and Irish stout

I don’t drink beer often enough so I'm particularly pleased when I find a pairing that makes my match of the week slot

This was at Richard Corrigan’s new restaurant Daffodil Mulligan: crubeens, which are deep-fried boned, breaded pigs trotters, are the Irish answer to croquetas. They were served with crushed swede and, the key element in the pairing - Colman’s mustard (there must surely be an Irish equivalent?).

My friends had ordered a glass of Gibney’s stout (from a pub called Gibney’s of Malahide to the north of Dublin), a gorgeous velvety brew which tastes like Guinness used to but almost never does these days* and which was so good I had to order a half of my own.

It would obviously also go brilliantly with oysters. And crubeens would go with champagne - or Cava - if you were so inclined!

(*IMHO it’s served far too cold.)