Pair Up with La Sommelierre - April 2010
Spring Thai
Thai food is a great winter-to-summer meal bridge. The flavors are fresh and bright but a little spicy heat keeps you warm. A trip to a local sake manufacturer was the inspiration to pair cool, sake rice-wine with spicy Thai food.
Nama sake is draft sake that has a peanut taste. Unlike many other types of sake, it must be consumed within three days of opening because it is unpasteurized. Chicken Satay immediately came to mind when I tasted Nama sake for the first time. Satay is a perfect hand held appetizer because it is grilled on a skewer. Look for some delicious pre-made sauces with which to baste the chicken during grilling and serve with additional sauce for dipping.
By contrast, Nigori sake is very different from Nama sake. It is unfiltered and the resulting wine is white and cloudy with a lovely weight on the palate. The nutty flavor and white color are reminiscent of fresh coconut. It has a fair amount of residual sugar so plan to pair it with a spicy dish like the coconut curry listed here. Green papaya salad is an excellent side dish as it offers crunchy freshness. The nut garnish continues to echo the nuttiness in the wine and if you can handle the heat, make it spicy to properly balance the sweetness in the wine.
Heavy desserts are not a large part of Thai culture. Some fragrant hot tea and perhaps some grilled pineapple will keep this meal authentic and light.
So, go on. Pair Up!
Find recipes online at www.lasommelierre.com
