Pairings | Cucumber
The best food to pair with vodka
Vodka may be primarily thought of as a base for cocktails but in vodka-loving countries like Russia and Poland, vodka is enjoyed neat and is almost always accompanied by food (as I learned in this visit to Leonid Shutov’s restaurant).
The best food pairings for vodka are often smoked, pickled or cured with blinis being a popular delivery device.
Read on for my list of top foods to serve with vodka, and if you’re feeling particularly ambitious, read my post on how to host a vodka party.
Top food pairings for vodka:
* Caviar or lumpfish roe (If the latter use to top sliced or stuffed eggs or mini baked potatoes with sour cream)
* Smoked fish of all kinds - smoked salmon, smoked mackerel and especially smoked eel
* Blinis with smoked fish toppings
* Pickled herrings, especially with warm potatoes
* German and Polish style sausage, especially smoked sausage
* Smoked hams or pork tenderloin
* Dried or smoked beef
* Steak or venison tartare
* Pierogi (Polish-style dumplings) - there’s a recipe here
* Beetroot in all guises - borscht, beetroot salad, beetroot pickle
* Cucumber, ditto - in a salad (especially with dill) and pickled. Those big sweet-sour cucumbers are especially good.
* Russian salad (carrots, peas and potato) or the more elaborate Salad Olivier
* Creamy or salty cheeses, especially with dill
* Radishes, especially pickled
* Capers
* Dark breads like rye and pumpernickel
Vodka would also go with the sort of dishes you serve with other white spirits such as aquavit, ouzo or raki so if you fancy taking it in another direction try Greek or Turkish-style meze.
Six food pairings for gin that might surprise you
Given the immense popularity of gin the chances of you sitting in a bar downing a gin-based cocktail are pretty high. But at some point you're going to need something to eat so what kind of food can you pair with it?
There aren’t gin dinners (yet) in the same way there are whisky dinners but there are some dishes that work particularly well with gin - especially served simply as a G & T
The secret is in the botanicals ...
Paté
You know how you often season a paté with juniper berries? Well, stands to reason then that juniper-based gin should work too and it does.
Cucumber sandwiches
G & T with afternoon tea? Well, why not especially if your tastes run more to savoury things than sweet. Think cucumber sandwiches in particular (well, if it works in a Hendrick's, why not on the plate?). Egg sarnies, crab and smoked salmon sandwiches are good too.
Prawn toasts
I stumbled on this by accident (how many of the best discoveries happen) and they’re just brilliant with a G & T. As are veggie spring rolls
A Chinese-style seafood supper
Indian street snacks
Same principle. Deep-fried, spicy food, refreshing botanicals. Try it!
Fish & chips
This is a bit more counter-intuitive - after all you may be longing for a glass of Cava or a good cup of tea but it’s a really refreshing contrast to that rich batter. Gin can take a bit of garlic too if you want to serve a dollop of aioli on the side
For other good fish & chip matches click here
Strong pongy cheeses
Actually it’s the Dutch version of gin, genever, that works particularly well but a slightly earthy gin like Bathtub or Plymouth gin can easily handle a powerful pongy cheese like a Epoisses or Stinking Bishop. Serve it as a shot though (maybe with a tiny splash of water) rather than diluted with tonic. (By contrast fresh goats cheeses apparently pair well with a citrussy G & T according to online spirits store Alexander and James
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