When pale fino or manzanilla lose their protective “flor”, oxygen gently transforms them into amber coloured Amontillado. Here are five of the finest food partners.
The burnished gold colour and mellow depth of Amontillado can be an intensely comforting drink. Mushrooms on toast has to be one of the world’s great comfort foods. Put the two together and the meaty, intensely autumnal character of the mushrooms sits perfectly with the soothing, earthy tang of Amontillado. Don’t forget to wave the bottle at the mushrooms as they fry. There’s no finer, mood-enhancing fast food fix.
All sherry needs food, but it doesn’t have to be a full meal. A handful of nuts makes for one of life’s simplest pleasures, a dangerously moreish snack to distract a stomach stirred into a state of anticipation by those dinner time aromas drifting out of the kitchen.
It’s also the perfect moment for a palate stimulating aperitif, a role ably filled by Amontillado, whose oxidative, nutty character chimes so happily with the snack in hand. Any nut will do, but there’s something about the added saline, spicy intensity of a dry roasted peanut that really sings when it meets Amontillado’s yeasty undertow.
Sherry is one of the few genuinely comfortable wine matches with soup and Amontillado calls out for the deep, savoury, umami rich flavour of patiently simmered consommé. Your wholesome bowlful might take the form of a classic French or Austrian version, or perhaps it leans towards the more exotically fragrant bone broths that are such a health-giving highlight of so many Asian cuisines.
Either way, pour yourself a glass of Amontillado and admire the way this sherry manages to intensify that penetrating flavour still further.
Don’t be afraid to flex dry sherry’s strong affinity with traditional Spanish jamón by reaching for other smoked or cured meats. Smoked duck brings its own particularly rich flavour and succulent layer of fat, a personality that is magically enhanced still further by the presence of Amontillado.
Enjoy as part of a simple charcuterie platter, or add a handful of complementary ingredients such as walnuts and salty cheese – both very Amontillado friendly themselves – for a superior salad.
These steamed buns may be more traditionally associated with breakfast in their native China, but that hasn’t stopped them being embraced around the world as dim sum restaurant staples or street food suitable for devouring at any time of day or night.
Even in China the contents of bao vary considerably according to regional specialism but one of the most popular classics is cha siu bao, featuring a sweet, sticky, barbecued pork filling. That alone would make it a happy match for Amontillado, but factor in the salty, nutty elements such as soy, sesame and oyster sauce, then add the soft, doughy bun itself and you have a match made in h
