Ronnarong's Thai Classics
Paired w/Dry Sherries
A Special Dinner held Tuesday January 11th
A Special Dinner held Tuesday January 11th
(The big winner: Ronn's Red Curry Beef with an Amontillado)
The January Edition of our Thai Tapas Tuesday Series featured a special guest: passionate foodie and wine expert, Richard Auffrey.
His respected food blog ( http:/passionatefoodie.blogspot.com ) often includes notes about a misunderstood and under-appreciated wine category, the wines popular in tapas bars across Spain which fall under the general heading of sherries. I had a drink with Richard awhile back and we joked about how Ronnarong, as a tapas bar, really should have a sherry list.
Richard surprised me with the assertion that sherries would pair quite well with Thai spicing. I acknowledged that I had little experience of sherries, and thought of them, frankly, as uninspired, unmemorable cheap cooking wines. Richard is a Certified Spanish Wine Educator and he quickly assured me that 1) what I had tasted was not at all representative of a terrific and affordable wine category, and 2) sadly, mine was a typical American experience. The idea for this dinner was born. We met a week later at Ronnarong and tasted a number of dishes so Richard could select sherries to pair and we set the date for January.
The plan included a variety of dry sherry types, which Richard explained as the dinner progressed. His selections included three Manzanillas, two Amontillados and two Olorosos, affording attendees a broad introduction.
The January Edition of our Thai Tapas Tuesday Series featured a special guest: passionate foodie and wine expert, Richard Auffrey.
His respected food blog ( http:/passionatefoodie.blogspot.com ) often includes notes about a misunderstood and under-appreciated wine category, the wines popular in tapas bars across Spain which fall under the general heading of sherries. I had a drink with Richard awhile back and we joked about how Ronnarong, as a tapas bar, really should have a sherry list.
Richard surprised me with the assertion that sherries would pair quite well with Thai spicing. I acknowledged that I had little experience of sherries, and thought of them, frankly, as uninspired, unmemorable cheap cooking wines. Richard is a Certified Spanish Wine Educator and he quickly assured me that 1) what I had tasted was not at all representative of a terrific and affordable wine category, and 2) sadly, mine was a typical American experience. The idea for this dinner was born. We met a week later at Ronnarong and tasted a number of dishes so Richard could select sherries to pair and we set the date for January.
The plan included a variety of dry sherry types, which Richard explained as the dinner progressed. His selections included three Manzanillas, two Amontillados and two Olorosos, affording attendees a broad introduction.
All of these sherries are made to accompany food. We tried them with Thai rolls and three classic Thai dishes: seafood lad nah (mixed seafood and asian broccoli with an oyster sauce, served over wide noodles), beef with Ronnarong's red curry, and a larb (very spicy ground chicken dish). All of the pairings worked nicely -- the slightly briney quality of the Manzanillas with the seafood dish and the rich caramel flavors of the Olorosos with the spicy larb -- but the flavor explosion of the Amontillado paired with Ronn's red curry beef caught everyone by surprise.
We decided on the spot that an Amontillado had to be added to the Ronnarong wine list so others could try this spectacular combination.
Richard will be back later this year for a Thai Tapas Tuesday program focussed on sake.
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Want to learn more about sherry?
Here's a link to blog posts by Richard Auffrey:
http://passionatefoodie.blogspot.com/2010/10/all-about-sherry.html
You'll find articles with these titles:
History of Sherry (Five Parts)
Manzanilla: The Neglected Sherry (Two Parts)
Does Alvear Produce Sherry?
Sherry News
Bound for Spain: Sherry!
I Have Returned!
Ten Things I Learned About Sherry
Five More Things I Learned About Sherry
Aged Sherry: Prepare To Be Wowed
The Mystery of Palomino
Bodegas Tradición: Only Aged Sherries
Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana: Manzanilla Mecca
Bodegas Harvey: Peacocks, Gators & Aged Sherry
Bodegas Sánchez Romate: Flamenco, Momo & Moscatel
Bodegas Gonzalez Byass: Apostles & Thirsty Mice
Bodegas Grupo Estevez: Music For the Flor
Sherry and Spanish Cuisine
Sherry Food Pairings: More Bellota Please
A Taste of Menton, With Sherry
Sherry Bodegas: Beware The Aliens!
Rant: Dumbing Down Wine Lists
The Veil of Flowers
Sherry Day: December 6
Wow! I'm a regular TTT (Thai Tapas Tuesday) attendee, but this event was truly something special. I'm usually more of a beer drinker over wine, but I'm open to new things and have been hearing that Sherry is making a comeback. Richard was a wealth of knowledge and I came away with an appreciation for the history and nuance of Sherry. I was amazed at how well the Sherries paired with Ronnie's dishes. The Amontillado was particularly good at cutting the spice. All in all, a great event. As always the food was superb and the company was great. I loved the community table style meal! Did I hear there's another pairing dinner scheduled for next month?
ReplyDeleteHad a great time at this. Not only was it an introduction to how well thai dishes pair with dry sherry, it was also my introduction to dry sherry itself! Definitely opened my eyes in multiple ways. Looking forward to the future tapas tuesdays!
ReplyDeleteI attended the Thai Tapas and Sherry tasting event on Tuesday Jan 11; it was a very enjoyable event.
ReplyDeleteSherry has always been a favorite of mine, but the idea of pairing it with Thai tapas really intrigued me..after all, sherry and Spanish tapas is ordinary; sherry and Thai tapas was extraordinary!! And believe me, it was!
My companion and I were warmly greeted and within moments of being seated, a glass of sherry was placed in our hands.
Richard Auffrey offered up plenty of interesting information about the origins of sherry and the regions it comes from. We were a group of about
30 people and the conversation, as well as the sherry, flowed throughout the night, thanks to our welcoming host, Henry Patterson. The food was splendid, ( just as I expected…it always is, after all!!) and was complemented by the selection of sherries that were paired with each dish. No one left hungry (or thirsty!). We really had a great time; we tried new foods and new sherries, and met new people. Thanks for a wonderful evening!