As we move towards the end of summer, all cooks’ minds operate the same way, searching out the dishes that cling to the last memories of long, hot days, while looking towards the fortifying meals of winter. Ever since I first had it on a late summer evening in Venice, I’ve always been a fan of vitello tonnato. The dish combines near transparent slices of cold, poached veal with a tuna-flavoured mayonnaise. Yes, it couldn’t sound any weirder – but it actually couldn’t taste much more rich and voluptuous. I asked beer sommelier Annabel Smith for something to go with this northern Italian classic.
According to Annabel, Italian brewers are now coming into their own and establishing some exceptional lagers. Birra Moretti L’Autentica has been brewed for almost 160 years using the soft waters from Udine, which create a biscuity, wholesome pilsner-style lager. Pilsner lagers are often referred to as “naked”: there is no place to hide imperfections or faults in the body, so the quality of the ingredients is crucial. For this reason, they will complement the individual elements that go into a dish such as vitello tonnato. The bready sweetness will counteract and interplay with the saltiness of the capers and anchovies in the recipe.
It’s funny how this particular area of Italy does late summer food so well. Perhaps it’s the result of being the cooler, more temperate region of such a gastronomically obsessed country. I was lucky enough to be sent to Milan to research the simple risotto Milanese – creamy and heady with saffron – a stunning autumn staple all on its own. A good risotto should be almost unbelievably creamy without any additional dairy … but that never stops me pouring in an extra dollop of cream before serving, just to make it insanely rich.
Poretti Originale 4, a world-class lager from Varese, embraces this simplest of dishes. Brewed using Columbus hops, which impart an earthy, herbal aroma, it’s designed with clean, transparent flavours. Poretti’s real skill is bringing out the creaminess in the rice, while the moderate carbonation gently cuts through the buttery texture.
Many Italian brewers have taken their lead from the Czechs, renowned for producing some of the most iconic beers in the world – and it’s a dish from that region that I always turn to as the evenings draw in. Guláš (or goulash) is often associated with Hungary, but can be found in various forms all over central Europe. It’s a thick soup (or thin stew), strongly flavoured with paprika. In the Czech Republic, this is made with beef and always consumed with beer, typically an invigorating glass of pilsner. Pravha fits the bill here: lighter, in both colour and flavour, than a traditional pilsner, it has a snappiness that pokes away at the paprika and cleanses the palate. Again, that breadiness in the beer dominates and accomplishes the feat of replicating a freshly baked baguette to soak up the spiciness in the dish.
