The Guild held a Beer & Food Masterclass for both its own members and the Guild of Food Writers, at Westminster Kingsway College.
Guests were treated to a demonstration, presentation and tasting, led by Mark Dredge, current Beer & Food Writer of the Year, ably assisted by Guild of Food Writers member and chef Christopher Trotter. Several Guild corporate members donated beers to be used in the recipes, or enjoyed with the dish – or both.
The beer and food combinations, chosen to showcase the myriad ways of using beer in cooking as well as its versatility as a match to foods, were:
Sour Beer Ceviche, with Siren Calypso
Siren’s Calypso is a spritzy sour wheat beer, made acidic with a lactobacillus culture, that’s tropically fruity with aroma hops but has almost no bitterness, meaning it’s dry, tart and refreshing. In this ceviche the acidity ‘cooks’ or cures the fish and adds a lime-like freshness.
Beer-brined Chicken, Duvel and anchovy sauce, Barley Wine and walnut oil salad. Served with Duvel.
Duvel is a powerful, aromatic and fruity Belgian Golden Ale with a dry, peppery, fruity, spiciness. We’re using it in a brine and adding fennel, pepper and lemon to highlight the beer’s depth plus it’s going into a sauce with anchovy, parmesan and crème fraiche. On the side we’ve a salad made with walnut oil and a sweetly malty and boozy Barley Wine.
Chocolate Stout and Banana Pudding, served with Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout is brewed with dark chocolate, chocolate essence and chocolate malt giving a fun and decadent beer which gives an extra vanilla sweetness in this Chocolate and Banana pudding
Guests were also welcomed with a glass of Charlie Wells Triple Hopped IPA, a renewed old-style IPA has a traditional amber roundness of Pale Ale malts balanced by bitter Styrian Golding hops from Austria – that’s the old part of the brew. The new part gives a fresh, citrusy aroma from Australian Galaxy hops and Simcoe hops from America.
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