It turns out that choosing the beers was the easy part…pairing beer and food takes a bit more thought. Not as easy as wine and food…
For our first round, we went with pairs of Schwarzbier and Dunkelbier. Both are dark and much more malty than hoppy, and my first thought was cheese. A dark beer need some cream and fat to stand up to it and bring out the flavors.
So, inspired by The German Beer Institute and the discovery of the beautiful cheese selection at my local Manufactum (English / German), I went with a Schwarzbier Cheese Fondue, garlic shrimp tapas, brie, and prosciutto. For dipping, we used toasted french bread and ham-wrapped toast.
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And the surprising winner was Paulaner Original Münchener Dunkel. Surprising, because we expected one of the smaller breweries to have a superior beer. But Paulaner pulled through to the Sweet Sixteen with a very balanced and tasty Dunkelbier. The Flensburger was nice, but had a strong, single flavor. The Paulaner had a much more complex, but perfectly balanced, blend of various flavors. It's extremely drinkable!
Both Schwarzbiers were good, with the Mönchshof having a slightly more aggressive taste. Schwarzbier overall was a good discovery - I plan on cooking with it in the future and enjoying the extra!
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Recipes:
Schwarzbier Fondue Recipe:
12 oz. / 355 mL Schwarzbier
12 oz. (4 cups) / 450g mix of shredded cheese (recommend Gruyere and Emmenthaler)
2 Tbsp / 12-15g flour (substitute cornstarch for gluten free)
A pinch each of ground nutmeg, black pepper, and cloves
1 Tbsp Kirsch or Vodka (optional)
Heat beer in pot. Coat shredded cheese in flour (using a large Ziploc bag is easiest). Gradually add floured cheese to the beer, stirring constantly until cheese just melts. (Don’t let it get too hot, or the cheese will ball up.) Stir in spices and (optional) Kirsch. Transfer to fondue pot for warming and serving.
Make sure not to let the mixture cool too much before serving or the cheese may become stringy.
Serve with toasted bread cubes, crackers, breadsticks, or Ham-Wrapped Toast.
Ham-Wrapped Toast: (Herr J’s invention)
Good quality bread (french, seven grain, and ciabatta work well)
Dry-cured ham, such as proscuitto or serrano
Manchego cheese (optional)
Cut bread into bite-sized rectangles and lightly toast in oven (top with thin slices of manchego before toasting, if using). Take out and wrap each toast piece across the middle with a strip of ham. Return to oven and toast until ham is warmed and bread edges are crisp.