Game On
As the nights close in it’s time to get cozy next to a roaring fire and enjoy the richer things in life. Full bodied, decadent red wine and dark, sumptuous ales come into their own at this time of year. Just as the drinks we pour into our glasses get heavier so do the foods on our plate; fruity squashes, earthy mushrooms and dark hedgerow berries are all in their prime and so are the game meats that these delicacies are so often served alongside. Game meat tends not to be available in the supermarket but if you go to see your local butcher they will probably be able to help you find what you are looking for. Here are a few recipie ideas to help inspire you along with some fantastic drinks to partner them and deliver gormet delights.
Venison Stew with Domaine Capmartin Tannat Les Vieilles Vignes
Venison is a delicious, healthy and sustainable red meat that is often overlooked. In the UK we have a large wild deer population that needs management, as well as some fantastic deer farms. Venison, unlike many other red meats, is low in fat and has a range of healthy minerals such as iron, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc as well as vitamins B6 and B12, riboflavin, niacin, and thiamine.
With a deliciously rich red meat like venison red wine makes a wonderful companion. The tannins in red wine couple up with the proteins in the meat and this makes you salivate more which in turn makes the meat taste even juicier. Tannat is a grape variety with plenty of tannins and rich fruity flavours which makes it a fantastic choice for pairing with a venison casserole.
https://www.missallieskitchen.com/venison-stew/
Roast Grouse with Jean-Baptiste Jessiaume Bourgogne Pinot Noir
Grouse meat has roughly 5% less fat than a standard Chicken, but around twice the amount of protein. They have a rich, distinctive flavour that is more delicate in younger birds and more intense and gamey in older ones. As grouse is a wild bird and not farmed they are only available fresh during shooting season, which is between 12 August and 10 December.
When pairing food and drink it is often useful to have some similar flavour notes in both the dish and the glass to help marry the pairing together, whilst also having a point of difference to help lift the dish. This is why Pinot Noir is so good with game meat, it often has earthy, forest floor, mushroom flavours alongside refreshing red berry fruits that make ingredients like grouse ‘sing’ on the plate.
https://www.wildmeat.co.uk/blogs/recipes/roast-grouse
Pheasant Pie with Harvey’s Brewery Old Ale
As with so much of life, we have the Romans to thank for bringing pheasants to Britain. Like grouse they are omnivores but unlike grouse they are farmed and are much more readily available. It has a similar texture and flavour to turkey and can be enjoyed in a wide range of dishes. It is delicious roasted or made into a curry but one of the best ways to enjoy it is in a game casserole or pie.
Wine is by no means the only way to pair drinks; beer can be a fantastic partner to game dishes. Old ales have a richness and weight that helps it sit perfectly alongside a hearty pie, and as a bonus it can be used in cooking the dish too. This results in flavours that echo each other and a pairing that is balanced in terms of the heartiness of the two elements, resulting in a warming, cosey partnership.
https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/pheasant-pie/
Confit Duck with Burning Sky Cuvee Kriek
Duck is widely available in supermarkets, so much so that we often do not think of it as a game bird. It has a taste that is far closer to a red meat than many other fowls and is quite fatty, which brings plenty of flavour to a dish. The meat can be very tender, and it benefits from either being cooked quickly, such as pan-fried duck breast or very slowly, such as when it is cooked confit.
There are times when a pairing benefits from contrast between the glass and the plate. The Belgium Kriek beers have a fruitiness that works fantastically in opposition to the earthiness of game, as well as having an acidity that helps cut through the fattiness of duck. This helps the dish taste fresher and lighter than it otherwise would if you just focused on complimenting the existing flavours.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/confit-duck
Apple and Lemon Rabbit with Napton Cidery Lost Apple Cider
Rabbit was once a staple food of the masses, but this changed with the advent of modern industrial farming. Today rabbit can still be bought from many local butchers, especially in rural areas, but is not anywhere near as widely available as it once was. It tastes very similar to chicken and can simply replace chicken in most dishes but there are some great traditional rural recipes out there too.
Cider often feels like the forgotten gem when thinking about pairing food and drink. In this dish the apple flavours on the plate and glass are reflected, and the acidity in the cider helps moderate the acidity of the lemons. This is because when you have an acid in a drink it helps lessen the acidic flavours in the dish it is paired with, counterintuitive but true.
https://www.foodfromportugal.com/recipes/baked-rabbit-apple-lemon/