Food and beer go hand in hand, right? We thought we’d ask a pro to help us match our beers to food, so our mate Adam Banks got involved.
A little background on Adam – he was most recently the Head Chef of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall and is now working for himself, sending out fresh, weekly changing pasta boxes with loads of other exciting events planned around Cornwall for the summer
So, now to the food –
To start off, we have a super easy and versatile snack, Polenta Chips with garlic aioli dip, which pairs perfectly alongside our Helles Beach Cornish Lager.
What you’ll need –
- 400ml of veggie stock
- 150g of polenta
- Parmesan cheese
- Chilli flakes or dried oregano
How to make –
First, bring the stock to a boil and stir in the polenta until it has thickened. Once it’s thick and smooth, add in your chilli flakes for spice or dried oregano for a different angle.
Next, pour into a small square tin and let it set in the fridge for around an hour.
Once they’ve set, cut them into chips and brush with olive oil. When that’s done, put them in the oven at around 220C / gas 7 for 30 minutes or until crisp and golden.
Serve with some extra grated parmesan and an easy garlic aioli.
Now that you’ve had a snack and your hanger’s been eased, the next dish is Wild Mushroom Bruschetta paired with our flagship beer, Patchwork Rocket Pale.
What you’ll need –
- 100g of your favourite mushroom (we chose a mixture of wild mushrooms)
- A slice or two of Sourdough bread
- 1 Clove of Garlic
- Fresh Thyme
- Olive Oil
- Lemon
- Butter
How to make –
Start off with a dry, hot pan and a small amount of butter to get the mushrooms cooking. This will cook the mushrooms, but also drying them slightly to intensify the flavour.
Once they are cooking, add a smashed clove of garlic and some thyme.
Then finish them off with a squeeze of lemon and a splash of good olive oil.
Place the mushrooms on top of your toasted sourdough bread and enjoy!
The pine and citrus flavours from Patchwork combine perfectly with the woody, earthy flavours from the fresh mushrooms. Super satisfying eating and drinking.
To finish off the meal, Adam’s decided to pair Pork Belly with our Thundercloud NEIPA. The idea behind it is the tropical fruity notes and grapefruit flavour will cut through the richness of the pork. Alongside the pork is a fresh and delicious apple and fennel salad which will also match up perfectly with the grapefruit flavours found in Thundercloud.
What you’ll need –
- 1.5kg piece of Pork Belly
- Fennel seeds
- Olive oil
- Apple
- Fennel
- Walnut
-
Pecorino cheese
How to make -
Preheat your oven to its highest temperature.
Carefully score the top of your pork belly with a knife, but don’t cut into the meat.
Crush the fennel seeds with a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar and rub the pork with olive oil, then the powder.
Place the pork belly in a tray and then into the over for 10 to 15 minutes to create the crackling.
Once the crackling has formed, reduce the temperature to 170C / 3 gas and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes.
While the pork is roasting, finely slice your apple and fennel and mix in a salad bowl.
Crush the walnut into the bowl and mix through with shavings of Pecorino cheese.
Once the pork is done roasting, place everything on a plate and enjoy!
Give these recipes a try alongside the beers and don’t forget to tag us in your pictures on social media.
