The perfect pairing

With a chilled bottle of Birrificio Angelo Poretti, you can elevate your dishes this summer and beyond

hoever thought food and drinks pairings were limited to wine, clearly hadn’t experienced the refreshing taste of Birrificio Angelo Poretti. Meticulously crafted to complement the flavours in your dishes, this delightful pairing beer really is food’s best friend.

For more than a century, Birrificio Angelo Poretti has been producing its crisp, fresh lager-style beer using only the finest ingredients from around the world at its brewery at the foot of the Italian Campo dei Fiori mountains. And thanks to the pristine alpine water used in the

Wbrewing process, the beer has a beautiful clarity and palate-cleansing quality that will enhance all of your culinary creations. Birrificio Angelo Poretti has now teamed up with Ben Marks, chef and owner of Perilla in north London. He’s passionate about serving the beer with his dishes and has specially created a recipe pairing you’re going to love.

The dominant Columbus hop in the beer imparts pepper, liquorice and aniseed flavours that bring alive the chives and chervil in the hollandaise, while the beer’s lively sparkle cuts through the rich sauce, helping the fish to shine.

Barbecue sea bream with asparagus, herb hollandaise & lardo di colonnata

SERVES 3 PREP 5 mins COOK 25 mins

EASY

3 egg yolks

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

200g unsalted butter small bunch each of chives and chervil,

chopped small bunch each of flat-leaf parsley,

tarragon and basil, leaves picked 100ml olive oil, plus extra to serve 400-500g sea bream, gutted and cleaned 4 large asparagus spears, cut into 1cm

pieces

4 lardo di colonnata slices

1 lemon, juiced

1 Bring a medium pan of water to a simmer over a high heat. Place a metal bowl over the top, ensuring the base doesn’t touch the water. Tip in the egg yolks, with a splash of water and the white wine vinegar. Whisk continuously, ensuring the yolks don’t scramble (keep the water at a gentle simmer and remove the bowl from the pan if it gets too hot). When the mixture is light in colour and has thickened, remove from the heat.

2 Melt the butter in a small pan. Slowly pour the butter into the eggs, whisking continuously until you have a thick, glossy hollandaise. Season with sea salt and fold in the chives and chervil. Cover and set aside until needed.

3 Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the parsley, tarragon and basil for

30 secs, then remove and place directly into a bowl of iced water. Once cold, squeeze out any excess water and roughly chop. Blitz in a blender, then slowly add the olive oil and half the lemon juice, blending until smooth. Season with salt, then pour into a bowl.

4 Light a barbecue. Season the fish inside and out with salt. Barbecue over a medium heat, turning regularly for 6-7 mins. Cook until lightly charred on both sides. If you haven’t got a fish cage, lay two sheets of foil onto the grill of the barbecue and use a spatula to carefully turn the fish.

5 Cook the asparagus in a pan of salted boiling water for 1 min, then drain and dress in a little olive oil. Lay the lardo slices over the fish, then spoon a little of the herb oil over and scatter over the asparagus. Squeeze over the remaining lemon juice and garnish with a few extra herbs. Serve with the hollandaise sauce on the side.