Match of the week

Miso and malt whisky

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on August 22 2022 at 10:07

I’ve been away in Scotland for a couple of weeks and seem to been drinking more beer and whisky than wine but the standout pairing was with an innovative dish at The Macallan distillery of fermented barley with a confit egg yolk and caramelised yeast which was like a savoury marmitey risotto. (Much tastier than it looks in my particularly rubbish photo).

It was paired with a Broglia Gavi di Gavi which was a perfectly good combination but I had a hunch it would work with the Macallan 12 y o and got them to bring along a dram. It really did which makes sense really when you think that whisky is made from malted barley too. And if fermented barley why not any dish with miso? I’m sure that would work too.

Maybe the Macallan is particularly well suited to the pairing because of its rich sherried style and viscosity but it's definitely an idea worth playing with.

Other good pairings while I’ve been away were the 2011 Vina Tondonia Rioja rosado gran reserva with grilled lobster at Hawksmoor in Edinburgh (a pre-birthday treat from my son, Will) and a crisp fruity Austrian Funkstille riesling with a smoked fish platter at a nice little wine bar called the Giddy Gannet in St Monans in Fife. (Dry riesling works really well with smoked fish)

I ate at the Macallan as a guest of the distillery as part of The Mastery Experience .

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