Pairings | White wine
Which wines pair best with eggs?
Eggs are supposed to be one of the trickiest ingredients to pair with wine but I’ve never entirely got it myself. More to the point do you want to drink wine with eggs at breakfast or even brunch, the time you’re most likely to eat them?
If you do, read on ...
Here I’m talking mainly about dishes where eggs are centre stage rather than the myriad dishes in which they play an essential but supporting role like quiche, meringues and soufflés. For example poached eggs (often with an egg-based sauce like hollandaise), scrambled eggs and omelettes.
Bear in mind that the addition of other ingredients makes a difference - how much depends on whether they overwhelm the essential egginess of the dish. Smoked salmon with scrambled eggs not so much, the peppery sauce of shakshuka a lot.
These are the wines I think pair with eggs best:
Champagne and other sparkling wines
My number one choice both in terms of compatibility and occasion though I’d go for a lighter style rather than a rich toasty one (unless truffles and/or chips are involved as in this sublime dish last year). Chardonnay-based sparkling wines, also known as blanc de blancs are perfect. Personally I think prosecco is a little sweet but up to you. I’d prefer a crémant or cava.
Smooth dry white wines
Think basic white burgundy and other unoaked chardonnays, Alsace pinot blanc, dry chenin blanc and Soave. Those wines would also go with omelettes and frittatas and with that retro (but rather delicious) classic, eggs mornay (eggs with cheese sauce).
What to drink with an omelette or frittata.
With a richer dish such as eggs benedict you could up the oak a bit and go for a more full-bodied chardonnay
The best wine pairings for eggs benedict
Inexpensive claret
Once you introduce meaty elements such as bacon and sausages you might feel more inclined to drink a red. Nothing too fruity, I suggest (think about the combination of raspberries or cherries with eggs. Not so appealing, huh?) but a simple young red Bordeaux works surprisingly well.
Robust southern French or Spanish reds
Good with eggs and chorizo, shakshuka and other dishes where tomatoes, peppers or pimenton are involved.
Red burgundy
Red burgundy works with a very specific dish from the region called oeufs en meurette where the eggs are cooked in a red wine sauce. Not my top choice otherwise.
The best wine pairings for seabass
Seabass is one of the most popular fish on restaurant menus these days - usually treated quite simply and rarely sauced. But what wine should you pair with it?
Crisp unoaked whites
Because it has a delicate flavour I would generally choose a crisp, unoaked white of some quality from a recent vintage so the wine’s clean minerality is still on show. A good Loire sauvignon blanc such as Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé would be a good choice as would a premier cru Chablis, a Spanish albarino or an Italian vermentino or Greco di Tufo especially if the recipe is accompanied by a salsa verde.
Other good quality sauvignon blancs work well too as in this pairing of a seabass ‘crudo’ with a Fontodi Meriggio at the River Cafe but I think the pairing owed as much to the gorgeous olive oil as the fish.
Dry aromatic whites
When seabass is cooked Chinese-style with soy and spring onions turn to a more aromatic white such as a grüner veltliner or a dry riesling from the Pfalz, Alsace or Austria.
Pale, crisp dry rosés
Pale Côtes de Provence rosés are also delicious with seabass but again ensure they’re from a recent vintage, 2016 at the time of writing
Sake
More robust preparations such as this Chilean seabass with white miso would be better with a good quality chilled sake.
Photo © zinaidasopina112 @fotolia.com
What to drink with chicken wings (and your other Superbowl snacks)
Let’s face it a well-honed wine pairing probably isn’t top priority on Superbowl night but there’s no reason why you can’t sip something delicious as you’re nervously nibbling your chicken wings (or your nails).
Chicken wings can of course come many different guises - with a honey marinade, classic barbecue, buffalo wings or with this hot and spicy siracha sauce but the common factor is likely to be that they’re spicy, more than a little sweet (and sticky) and maybe crunchy too.
I know chicken wings aren’t likely to be the only food on offer but it's not like these drinks won’t pair with anything else . . .
* Lager. Gotta be, really hasn’t it and that doesn’t mean the most tasteless, cheapest brew on the market. A good lager from your local microbrewery - like Meantime if you’re in London.
* Pale Ale - I usually recommend an IPA over a pale ale but if you’re looking for a session beer, a lower alcohol pale ale is probably a better choice on this occasion. And there’s enough flavour going on in the food not to need a massive wallop of hops
* Prosecco or - be patriotic! - an all-American sparkling wine. Possibly not one for the boys but fizz totally hits the spot with crunchy, crispy foods.
* Rosé - OK, it’s not summer but that doesn’t mean you can’t drink rosé - it’s great with party food. Maybe even sparkling rosé. Maybe - gulp! - even white zin . . .
* Off-dry riesling especially if the wings have an Asian twist
* A soft fruity red like a Zinfandel which is particularly good with smoky barbecue flavours.I’d keep the alcohol under 14% ABV though. It’s going to be a looooong night ...
For a totally off-the-wall pairing for wings check out this brilliant cocktail match I came across in Portland's Pok Pok.
You might also enjoy The Best Wine (and Cocktail) Pairings for Garlic Cheesy Bread
Image © Brent Hofacker - Fotolia.com
What to pair with Coronation chicken?
Coronation chicken is an obvious choice for any Royal occasion but what wine - or beer - should you pair with it?
First, for those who haven’t the faintest clue what it is, it was invented by Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume of Le Cordon Bleu to celebrate the Queen’s coronation in 1953. It’s basically cold poached chicken folded into a lightly curried mayonnaise to which a touch of apricot purée or jam has been added. So very retro indeed.
There are quite a few contemporary versions knocking around such as this one from the Hairy Bikers but in essence it remains chicken in a creamy, spicy mayo. On those grounds I’d be more inclined to go for a white or rosé than a red:
* Viognier would probably be my top choice. It has just that bit more of an aromatic lift than Chardonnay although I think a medium bodied, lightly oaked Chardonnay would work perfectly well.
* old vine Chenin Blanc would also be good. It often has a touch of sweetness which would work well with the dressing, particularly if it contains apricot purée like the original. South Africa is the place to go for reasonably priced versions - Ken Forrester is a reliable name to look out for.
* a strong fruity rosé - again, not completely dry would work well. Like a shiraz rosé
* or, if you wanted a red, a lightly chilled Beaujolais would hit the spot
* a golden ale like a Duvel would be lovely. You don’t want too much bitterness with this dish so I’d go for this style in preference to a classic English bitter/pale ale.
* and a medium-dry or sparkling cider would also be a great match. And would cope with the sausage rolls and pork pies you’re probably serving up alongside.
Image copyright Brent Hofhacker at fotolia.com
What to drink with dal
Generally of course dal wouldn’t be eaten on its own but with a curry or a biryani but given it makes a pretty good midweek dish on its own or with rice you might fancy a glass with it. Here are some options
8 great drinks to pair with dal
Dal recipes obviously vary so you’ll need to experiment!
Cider
I mean, come on, this is Bristol. Let’s celebrate our regional drink. Besides it goes REALLY well with gently spiced food like dal
Lager
I’m not thinking of Kingfisher more like a good craft lager like Lost & Grounded’s Keller pils.
Sylvaner
Not as well known as Alsace’s other grape varieties such as riesling and gewürztraminer but I really like its refreshingly fruity character with a dal
Dry rosé
Rosé works surprisingly well with Indian food. I’d personally choose a dry-ish style from Provence or elsewhere in the south of France
A virgin mojito
And other lime-based drinks. Even a Rose’s lime cordial!
Salted lassi
Or mango lassi if you prefer but I like salted with dal. There’s a nice recipe here.
Coconut water
Not a huge fan myself but it would definitely work. My local Indian restaurant, Thali does a Arrack Sour cocktail with Ceylon arrack shaken with coconut water, lime and egg white which would totally hit the spot.
Cold brew tea
I was going to suggest chai but I think cold brew tea would be even nicer. There’s a useful guide on brewing up on the Samovar tea website
Photo © Bart at fotolia.com
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