What to drink with Middle Eastern food?

With middle-eastern food still very much on-trend Dubai-based blogger Sally Prosser of mycustardpie.com tells us which drinks she thinks makes the best pairings

Can you remember a time when hummus didn’t fill the end of every supermarket aisle and come in ten different flavours? Now Middle Eastern influences in food are ubiquitous and restaurants abound, but what should you drink with a Middle Eastern meal?

Typically you’ll be served a wide range of mezze to start, from creamy, smoky baba ganoush, lemon-sharp tabouleh with fresh herbs, a fattoush or bread salad dusted with tangy sumac, vine leaves stuffed with rice and herbs, earthy hummus, delicate pastries stuffed with cheese, spinach or meat, spicy chicken livers and fried kibbeh coated in crunchy, cracked wheat with a lamb and pine nut filling. Some restaurants may even serve raw mezze such as finely minced spiced raw lamb kibbeh or cubes of uncooked liver eaten with garlic sauce and mint leaves.

The mezze course is usually followed by grilled meats, cooked over charcoal, which means an array of lamb chops, kebabs both with cubed meats and spicy, minced kofta, chicken and beef. So given this vast array of flavours, what would be a good choice of wine?

It’s quite a good rule of thumb that local food and wine go together. Regional cuisine has often evolved alongside wine making; Chianti complements the roast tomato-based dishes of Tuscany, for instance, and think how well a crisp Riesling cuts through the heaviness of a wiener schnitzel.

If you are looking for a local match (and don’t have the pleasure of sitting down to eat this spread in one of the countries of the Middle East that serve alcohol) then many winemakers in the Levant export widely; Chateau Musar from the Lebanon is probably the best known, with other Lebanese wines such as Chateau Kefraya, Chateau Ksara and Massaya following suit. Domaine de Bargylus is still managing to produce and export fine wine from Syria. The excellent St George wines of Jordan made by Zumat rarely make it outside the country. Morocco has the most established and extensive wine industry in North Africa with fourteen appellations, and Algeria is the biggest producer so there could be some interesting developments there when the local situation stabilises.

Don’t expect unusual grape varieties however. Although there have been vineyards in the region since biblical times (the Persians were making wine 7000 years ago) modern wine-making techniques, styles and grape varieties from other regions have been adopted across the board.

So what should you choose with a middle-eastern feast? Here are my top tips:

Reach for something pink

Choosing a wine to match this huge array of tastes and flavours could be a challenge, but my first choice would be a rosé. Altitude Rosé by Ixsir, a new winery in the Lebanon, is reminiscent of the fresh, crisp, dry styles of Provence, is one I’d recommend, and the spicy note in Ksara Sunset Rosé, made from Cabernet Franc and Syrah, goes well with mezze like muhammara (a red pepper and walnut dip).

Otherwise I would generally look to Southern France - you want a wine with enough fruit flavours but avoiding anything that’s sweet. Of late I’ve tasted some refreshing rosés from English vineyards such as Sharpham and wonderfully versatile Blanc de Noirs from South African Boschendal that I’d be happy to drink with a table of mezze.

Forget your ABC

Forget the buttery, rich, over oaked style that led to the ABC movement (anything but Chardonnay). A well-structured white from Burgundy could keep you going throughout the meal; a Rully would offer enough complexity but an entry-level white such at Drouhin’s La Forêt would do very well. The new world has learnt its lesson – look for wines that are unoaked and from cooler climate vineyards, for example Adelaide Hills in Australia and Walker Bay in South Africa.

Herbal essences

A wine to balance the intense flavours of the parsley and coriander in tabouleh or the mouth watering lemony acidity of fattoush is a tall order. I haven’t tested this match but I’m wondering if the herbal notes of Gewurztraminer might be the perfect foil? I’m a big fan of Vina Esmeralda from Torres, a muscatel/ Gewurz blend which makes very easy drinking. Don’t be put off by the green bottle which looks like it comes from the Wizard of Oz. A ‘dry as a bone’ well-chilled fino sherry would be fantastic with the vine leaves and mezze containing pine nuts. Another wine to try would be an herbaceous New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

Meat match

A savoury red from the Mediterranean seems the best place to start when looking for a match for the meat course. Over seven hundred years of Arab occupation affected Spanish culture profoundly including their cuisine. There’s a cultural continuity in choosing a Spanish wine.

I’d choose a spicy Rioja Crianza which would be versatile enough to go with chicken and dark meats but not overwhelming. For something with more body, I’d try a Nero d’Avola from Sicily, another part of the world where an Arab presence in the first century is still evident today in the distinct food of the island. This dark, inky wine is laced with black cherry and tobacco flavours, matching the charcoal smokiness of the food.

The family behind Domain du Vieux Télégraphe invested in Massaya and there’s some Rhone spiciness in Massaya Silver Selection that makes it a great match for grilled meats and one my favourite Lebanese reds.

I tasted many of the wines at an Arabic meal in Dubai with Ramzi Ghosn of the Massaya winery; the evening proved conclusively that these wines travel well. Rhône grape varieties (Cinsault and Carignan) also lend spice and fragrance to the deep berry flavours of Cabernet Sauvignon in Chateau Musar red; the 2004 vintage is drinking well now.

A spirited alternative

Food writer Anissa Helou confesses that she abandons wine altogether when she is in Lebanon and drinks the local aniseed spirit arak with water instead.

While mint tea or coffee is usual with sweet Arabic pastries you might try a glass of Marsala. The name of this fortified wine from Sicily comes from the Arabic marsa Allah (the harbour of God).

Without alcohol

I’ve been lucky enough to taste some wonderful wines over the 18 years I’ve lived and traveled in the Middle East but of course there are occasions when alcohol is not served either due to local regulations or to respect non-drinkers with whom you are sharing the meal.

Alcohol is forbidden in a few countries in the Middle East, notably Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Yemen and Libya and may not be available in some areas. When I was hiking along the Lebanon Mountain Trail there were some valleys in the North of the country, which were alcohol free, and Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates is completely dry.

Wherever you are in the Arab world, water will usually be brought to the table without asking. In this part of the world where water is often in short supply it is prized; if you are dining with someone of importance, it is the done thing to fill up their glass with water. Fresh fruit juice will also be readily available - watermelon and pomegranate juices are particularly refreshing. I would avoid mango juice with a meal though as it can be very filling.

Sherbets are a cooling fruit juice cordial which are very popular in Egypt, but variations such as Sekanjabin (a Persian vinegar and sugar syrup) exist throughout the region. Laban or ayran is a popular yoghurt drink but not usually with lunch or dinner.

Mint tea or infusions are popular throughout the Middle East, usually served in small glass cups and with sugar. Coffee, which was first roasted and traded from Yemen (via the port of Mocha) is served in very small handle-less cups and can be mixed with different spices, usually saffron and cardamom. If you are at a gathering and would like a refill, keep the cup still; tip the cup from side to side if you do not.

Middle East Matching

As with all food and wine pairing, there is no right or wrong match and with such a wide array of tastes and textures in a Middle Eastern feast, discovering which wine works best for you is part of the fun. If you do get to taste the food in its country of origin, it's always worth trying the local wine.

Sally Prosser, the author of mycustardpie.com, a food and wine blog that was listed in The Independent’s top 50 food websites, has lived in the Middle East for 18 years, currently in Dubai, UAE. During this time she’s tasted coffee in Libya, champagne in Saudi and Kuwait, wine in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Oman and Jordan and a cocktail made with edible gold in Dubai! She’s furthered her interest in wine throughout this time (she took Jancis Robinson’s wine course book to Saudi Arabia) and gained Wines and Spirits Education Trust Advanced Level.

Top picture ©Bethany Kehdy of Dirty Kitchen Secrets.

A beginner's guide to juicing

If you’re planning a brunch it’s quite fun to lay on a DIY juice bar where your guests can run up their own fresh juices and smoothies. If you don’t already have a juicer you’ll probably have a couple of friends who have. Or you may feel that with the warmer weather coming up (though it’s hard to believe that today in the grey, drizzley UK) now’s a good moment to get into juicing.

Here are some basic tips on what to buy and how to get started - and just why juicing is so good for you:

To make the full gamut of juices you need a purpose made juicer which will tackle hard fruits and vegetables like carrots and apples.

Most juicers work by centrifugal action. You feed ingredients through a tube and a powerful motor spins them round. The juice is forced through a filter and the pulp is discarded. Machines tend to start at around 40 and go up to several hundred pounds for heavyweight American models that have the construction of a tank. But you don’t really need one of those unless and until you become a juice fanatic.

The big advantage of having your juice freshly made is that you don’t lose any of the nutrients. And compared to packaged or bottled fruit juice it gives you the most amazing lift. According to natural health expert Michael Van Straten, author of the best-selling Superjuice it’s because all the nutrients are digested immediately. “When you juice fresh produce you release all their ingredients in an easily absorbable form which goes straight through the stomach wall.”

“With sweet fruits you’re also getting a sugar explosion that gives you a burst of energy. It’s a bit like taking ten glucose tablets at once only much healthier. And because you get the pulp and fibre as well you get a secondary, slower release which boosts your energy over a longer period.”

As Van Straten points out that you couldn’t possible munch your way through the amount of solid fruit that you get in a glass. “A glass of carrot juice is equivalent to five or six carrots so you’re getting all that goodness in an instant hit”. And, he points out, raw fruits and vegetables offer significant protection against degenerative diseases like cancer and heart disease. “Citrus for example offers much more than vitamin C. There’s a substance called limonene which is a cancer and heart-protecting antioxidant which is very intensely concentrated in the pith which you get the benefit of if you juice whole segments rather than using a citrus juicer.”

It has to be admitted that there is a slightly anorakky tendency among hard core juicers who will pulverise almost anything including wheatgrass, a vile tasting, concoction which is enough to put anyone off juicing for life. It’s a personal view but with a few exceptions (notably carrots and tomatoes) I think most vegetables taste too bitter to be enjoyable though, as Michael Van Straten points out in his book, you can add them in very small quantities and still get a considerable health benefit.

If you’re a first time juicer though it’s better to concentrate on fruit juices which tend to have naturally sweet flavours. The trick is not to combine too many different kinds of fruit otherwise you can end up with a juice that doesn’t taste of anything in particular and which goes a strange muddy colour. (Remember mixing paints? Red and yellow is great. Red, yellow and green makes khaki) It’s hard for example to improve on the perfect pairing of carrot and apple or watermelon and strawberry, beautifully clean flavoured juices that enable you to really taste and enjoy the fruit at its best.

As you gain confidence you will undoubtedly want to invent your own concoctions though - not least to make use of the seasonal produce which is available. Here a few tips that may come in handy.Apples, pears and melons for example make useful bases because they produce a lot of juice. But because they don’t have a great deal of flavour of their own you need to add a lift with a more strongly flavoured fruit like strawberries or raspberries. If you need to add a touch of sweetness add a few grapes while a touch of of lemon or lime will add zest to a juice that is slightly bland. You can also add other ingredients for flavour like fresh ginger or mint and - though orthodox juicers might frown on it - even season them with a little sugar or, as I do with fresh tomato juice, salt, pepper and Tabasco.

You’ll undoubtedly get the best results (and save yourself money) if you use whatever produce is in season. For a start ripe fruit has more flavour. If you attempt to juice peaches or tomatoes right now in March they won’t taste nearly as good as a mixed citrus juice using ruby grapefruit or blood oranges. But vary your juices as much as possible to get the maximum health benefits.

Although you might think of juice as a natural breakfast time drink I drink it at any time of day - frequently as a meal replacement. If you’re working, a big glass of juice and a salad at lunchtime makes you feel much less sleepy than a carbo-heavy meal whereas if you’ve had a big boozy lunch with friends having juice instead of supper in the evening leaves you feeling bright-eyed the next morning.

And there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use your juices as the basis for some stunning cocktails or drinks when you’re entertaining. Fresh peach juice for example is sensational topped up with champagne - or any sparkling wine, tropical fruits like pineapple, papaya and mango are great with a dash of rum and a Bloody Mary made with fresh tomato juice is - well, like no other Bloody Mary you’ve ever tasted.

Top juicing tips and techniques

• Cut fruit and vegetables into chunks that will fit the feeder tube. Press down firmly but steadily. Don’t rush or you’ll force through too much peel.

• Most fruit - other than citrus - doesn’t have to be peeled but wash or scrub it thoroughly before you use it.

• Stone fruits like peaches, apricots and cherries

• Juice soft and harder fruits alternately. Harder fruits like apples and pears help to force softer fruits like strawberries or mango through the filter

• Very soft fruits like banana or ultra ripe peaches or mangos are better liquidised than juiced.

• Small hard fruits like grapes, cherries, cranberries and cherry tomatoes can come jumping back at you out of the feeder tube. Pack in a chunkier piece of fruit on top.

• Adjust the temperature of your juice to the time of year. If it’s winter serve them at room temperature. In hot weather add ice (though not too much or you’ll dilute that lovely intense fruit flavour)

• Don’t attempt to prepare your juice beforehand and store it. You should drink it immediately

• Don’t overload your machine or it won’t juice as efficiently. If you’re making a lot of juice do it in batches, emptying the filter in between.

• Clean your machine immediately after you use it. It’s much harder to remove bits of pulp once it’s dry.

Here are a couple of easy juices and a delicious smoothie to get you going. All make 2-3 glasses.

Carrot and apple juice

Carrot and apple is the juice everyone starts with and you can hardly better it. The exact balance will depend on what type of apples you use. Use organic produce for preference.
2 medium or 3 small flavoursome apples (Cox’s are ideal)
4 medium sized carrots
1/2 a lemon (optional)
Cut the apples into quarters or pieces that will fit the feeder tube. Scrub and top and tail the carrots and cut up as necessary. Peel the lemon removing as much of the pith as possible. Push through the feeder tube alternately.
Alternatives: you could add a stick of celery and replace the lemon with a small cube of fresh ginger.

Pineapple mango and lime juice

One of my all time favourite juices
1 small to medium pineapple
1 large ripe mango
1-2 limes
Peel the pineapple and remove the hard core. Peel and stone the mango. Peel and cut up the limes. Juice the pineapple and mango alternately then finish with the lime.

Strawberry and orange smoothie

This can be made in an ordinary blender.
1 ripe banana
100g ripe strawberries
The juice of one orange
150ml carton natural yoghurt
Peel and slice the banana. De-stalk and halve the strawberries. Place both in the liquidiser goblet with the juice of one orange and whizz until smooth. Add yoghurt and whizz again.

This article was originally published in Sainsbury's Magazine

Can any wine survive a Vindaloo?

The widely held belief that wine doesn’t pair with curry has largely been dispelled with the new and more subtly spiced curries on the market. But what of really hot curries like a Vindaloo?

I decided to put the issue to the test with a ‘very hot’ Chicken Vindaloo from Tesco and one from my local takeaway. Vindaloo aficionados would have probably thought both a touch weedy in that neither burnt the roof of my mouth off but they certainly contained a good blast of chilli heat that was enough to challenge any wine or beer.

The drinks I put up against them were a bog-standard can of supermarket lager, a bottle of Greene King IPA (Indian Pale Ale), an Alsace Gewürztraminer, a full bodied, fruity red Stormhoek Pinotage from South Africa and a mango lassi - all served chilled, even the Pinotage.

I limbered up my palate with a medium hot Chicken Rogan Josh which was a fairly easy run-in for all the drinks. The lager tasted a bit watery (as it did without the curry) and the mango lassi a bit sweet but the fragrant Gewürztraminer, the hoppy IPA and the fruity Pinotage all survived.

Next the supermarket vindaloo. This time none of the drinks fared quite as well except the lassi and the lager which survived the chilli heat better than the IPA. The Gewürztraminer also lost some of its fragrance and the Pinotage some of its intensity but they still hung on in there.

Finally the vindaloo from the takeaway, which was hotter still. The Gewürztraminer really couldn’t cope with this unless you added some raita and dal but the Pinotage still kept going. The lager and lassi stayed the course while the IPA again proved it is at its best with milder curries.

Conclusion: yes, you can drink wine with hot curry - it depends what you like. Lager won’t taste of anything but will provide a cool, refreshing liquid accompaniment as will lassi though drinking a yoghurt drink isn’t to everyone’s taste, especially if you already have a good dollop of raita on your plate.

If you bring that and other side dishes like dal or a vegetable curry like a sag aloo (potatoes and spinach) into the equation then you’ll find that a fragrant Gewürztraminer will match nicely. But the big surprise - although I’d had an inkling it would work because South Africans regard it as the best match for curry - was the Pinotage, welcome news to those who prefer drinking red wine to white. But don’t drink it at room temperature, chill it first!

 

Image credit: dhiraj jain