Chips and roach are considered the best snacks for beer. But according to zitologists - specialists who study beer - neither one nor the other is completely inappropriate for the drink. If only because the aromas of beer and food should not interrupt each other. What appetizers go with a classic lager, what to serve with unfiltered beer, and what should go with dark beer, read the material. Foodpairing - the art of combining food and drinks - is one of the main gastronomic trends in recent years. Today, dishes that harmoniously emphasize the taste of the drink are selected not only for wine, but also for a seemingly simpler and more popular drink - beer. At the same time, according to Alexander Smirnov, zitologist, head of innovation and technical development at AB InBev Efes, the culture of combining beer with various dishes has long been established.

“Foodpairing starts with an analysis of the aromatic ingredients of the products to be combined. The main thing in this process is to find balance and harmony between the taste of the drink and the food, ”he says.

When choosing a pair for beer, Smirnov advises paying attention to three main principles:

- Balance: when the intensity levels of the beer and the snack flavors complement and balance each other.

- Connection: when the aromas of beer and food do not contradict or interrupt each other, but, on the contrary, play in unison thanks to similar shades.

- Contrast: This technique helps to reveal additional flavor nuances through a combination of sweet and bitter, spicy and fresh.

Smirnov recommends combining classic American lagers with fried meat dishes and classic fast food. “With chicken legs baked with lemon and thyme, chicken street fries, burgers and steaks,” the zitologist gives examples.

The Belgian unfiltered wheat beer with a slight sourness, citrus and spice flavor Alexander Smirnov suggests complementing with cheeses, salads, seafood dishes, especially shrimp, squid and shellfish. “With camembert cheese with honey and grapes, halibut baked with olives and pine nuts, sushi and sashimi, mussels, custard or fruit salad,” he lists.

A classic European lager with a slightly bitter taste, according to the expert, goes well with meat and fish dishes, salads, various cheeses and cream-based desserts: “With baked sturgeon, baked chicken breast with broccoli puree, mozzarella and other white cheeses ".

The dark lager with bitterness will go with traditional poultry dishes - goose baked with apples, grilled chicken breasts. Or - pear and ginger cake with honey. But the Belgian Wit - a cloudy light straw color - is combined with the classic dishes of such "beer" countries as Germany and the Czech Republic. “Vitibiri with a slight sourness and subtle bitterness goes well with dishes that have a citrus aroma. Such beer will be an ideal complement to pork knuckle with sauerkraut, Czech dumplings, roast pork with pea puree or baked carp, ”says Alexander Smirnov.

According to Kirill Brusin, beer sommelier of the Bibirevo. Beer, food, ice cream ”, beer is a drink that requires attention when choosing a snack: dried fish is not an ideal accompaniment for it.

“Everyone is used to banal combinations like“ classic ”and roach.” But despite these clichés, beer is a very gastronomic drink, and therefore the accompaniment to it should be appropriate, ”he says.

As an example, he cites the original British style "oyster stout", when oysters and seafood are served with beer. “For example, scallop popcorn, due to its protein-rich sweetish texture, goes well with milk stouts, and oysters and tartars are good with some dry Belgian gueuze,” says the beer sommelier.

Strong varieties, according to Brusin, are combined with desserts. “Sour cream with imperial stout, Pavlova with red Flanders ale,” he adds.

Ruslan Usmanov, the bar-chef of the Touche wine bar restaurant, offers a universal, in his opinion, appetizer - jerky or meat chips. You can cook them from beef, turkey or chicken, the main thing is that the meat is lean. "Jerky can be stored for a long time, and fat can turn rancid," he warns.

For cooking, you will need soy sauce and spices - garlic, ginger and various types of peppers. Freeze the meat slightly, cut into thin slices across the grain, marinate in soy sauce and seasoning mixture and leave in a cool place for 6-12 hours. String the strips of meat on skewers and place them in an oven preheated to 80 degrees for 15 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 50-60 degrees and open the oven door.

“Check the dish in three hours. Finished meat should not be burnt, like burnt crackers, but it can break when bent. If so, turn off the oven and wait until everything cools down. It is better to store Jerky in the refrigerator, which is especially convenient, there will always be something to treat guests to, ”explains Usmanov. The bar chef does not reject the idea of ​​accompanying beer with chips either. However, he advises to cook them yourself - from thin Armenian lavash. “Brush pita bread with sour cream, sprinkle with pepper, salt and rosemary. Cut into pieces, place on parchment and place in the oven at 180 degrees for seven minutes. ”

If you want to have a good meal, the chef suggests making Scotch Egg, or Scotch Egg. For cooking, you will need hard-boiled eggs and minced meat. Wrap eggs with minced meat, shape a ball. Dip in breadcrumbs and sauté in oil until tender. The chef recommends serving with tomato, creamy or garlic sauce.

Chef of Moriarty Bar & Kitchen Ivan Ivanov considers chicken wings in tandoori spices an ideal snack for beer. Cooking requires 2 kg of chicken wings, 20 g of corn or potato starch, 200 g of ketchup, 35 g of sriracha sauce, 60 g of tandoori spices, a clove of garlic, 35 g of vegetable oil, 10 g of black pepper, 20 g of salt, 300 g of Greek yogurt , 10 g of olive oil.

Divide the wings into phalanges at the joints and place in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, tandoori, sriracha sauce, ketchup and starch. Punch the butter in a blender with garlic, add to the wings, mix well and leave to marinate for an hour. Deep-fry the wings or in a skillet until golden brown.

“Do not fry the wings in a large amount of oil - they will give off excess moisture during frying, and if there is an excess of it, you will get cooking instead of frying,” the chef advises.

After frying, place the wings on a baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 190 degrees for 10 minutes. Prepare the sauce: Mix yogurt with tandoori, add salt, pepper, olive oil and stir.

The German restaurant SPATEN HAUS Grand offers a classic Bavarian dinner with beer, Franconian grilled salad and pork knuckle with cabbage. According to the local brand chef, classic European lagers and bitterness whites are best for the shank, and Belgian unfiltered wheat beer is best for the salad.

To prepare a Franconian grilled salad, you will need meat bread, Nuremberg sausages, Munich sausages, boiled potatoes, pickled gherkins, red onions, Borodino croutons, and parsley.

Coarsely chop the meat loaf, Nuremberg and Munich sausages, gherkins and boiled potatoes. Chop the red onion with feathers. Place all ingredients in a plate and season with vegetable oil. Top with Borodino bread croutons and parsley leaves.

To prepare the main dish, you will need 600 g of pork knuckle, a bottle of dark beer, 50 g of soy sauce, honey, mustard and salt - to taste. To make the meat juicy, soak it for at least eight hours in a marinade of honey, mustard, soy sauce and salt. When the meat is marinated, wrap the shank in foil and steam for 50 minutes. This can be done using an oven or a steamer.

Wipe the finished shank dry, wipe it with a vinegar solution diluted in a 1: 1 ratio. Make large cuts and bake the shank at 150 degrees for an hour. Then increase the temperature to 180 degrees and bake for another half hour. Bake the shank at 210 degrees for the last 30 minutes. Be sure to moisten the shank with beer while baking. The restaurant serves shank with stewed white cabbage, garnished with cranberries.

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