New perfect match

Food now has a cocktail partner to help tempt us

WE totally get the wine pairing — this crisp and delicate pinot grigio with this fish dish, that woody chardonnay with that fish dish.

And we’re getting our head around matching different beers to the food we order.

But now is the time to consider matching food with cocktails, according to Cloud 9 owner and bartender, Gorge Camorra, and The French Corner’s co-owner and chef, Mandy Wright.

Together, the two Pakington St identities have come up with a couple of marriages between food and cocktails and today Real Cooking brings you the know-how to create that marriage at home.

We have a scallop dish with parsnip puree, crispy prosciutto and apples paired with a sauvignon blanc-based gin cocktail.

“You don’t want to overload the palette with too much alcohol,” Mr Camorra said. “And sauvignon blanc is something you would consider drinking with this dish anyway. By adding the gin and lime you’re creating a complexity and yet still keeping it light.’’

The chef has created her own balances of flavours in the dish with the creaminess of the parsnip offset by the fresh crunch of the apples. The crispy prosciutto builds a bridge between the two; texturally it’s closer to the apple but with the flavour depth and richness of the parsnip.

Ms Wright advises home cooks to seek out a reputable fishmonger and buy scallops that have not been frozen. The current trend is not to eat the coral or roe of the scallop.