wine Big & Bold Sunaina Sethi, sommelier at Trishna in Marylebone shares her expertise in pairing big reds, and aromatic whites with Tandoori chickens and sheek kebabs
D
rinking wine with Indian food is often scoffed at. After all, think many, only a lager or a mango lassi can wash down a spicy curryhouse meal. Fortunately, for lovers of both wine and Indian food, this is simply untrue. Indian cuisine covers a vast area, and its flavours are varied. Today, the UK’s best Indian restaurants serve a lot more than the curryhouses of old. They use spices delicately, and season their food in much more complex ways. It’s time we recognised this, and, in turn, seriously considered wine as a complement to Indian food. There are, of course, no fixed rules as to which wines to drink. When thinking about classic Indian dishes, however, some broad guidelines can be applied. Firstly, as a general rule, Tandoori dishes, which are usually smoky because of the way they are cooked, should not be paired with tannic wines because they will leave an unpleasant aftertaste. Secondly, aromatic grape varieties and Rieslings such as Albariño, Gewürtztraminer and Viognier all pair beautifully with Indian food. Their aroma only improves the saffron, nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom so often found in our cuisine. By grouping dishes from this vast and varied cuisine into categories, I’ve compiled a guide to pairing Indian food with wine, featuring some of my favourite varieties. With delicately-spiced white meat and fish, Grüner Veltliner is an ideal match. This white Austrian grape, generally from Lower Austria, has spicy fruit characteristics, and white pepper notes, meaning it stands up well to a measure of spice. Slightly richer dishes, such as those with creamy sauces, pair well with white wines from Burgundy. Or for the more adventurous, an Assyrtiko from the volcanic island of Santorini in Greece is a weird and wonderful option. Big Spanish red blends, especially from the Andalucía region, are robust enough to withstand a fair amount of spice. The dark, dried fruit flavours combined with chocolate notes suit grilled meat dishes, such as lamb chops and seekh kebabs. Another interesting Austrian grape to look out for is Zweigelt (a hybrid of St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch). It has such versatility! Its fruity style means it’s capable of being matched with a variety of dishes from simple aubergine to more flavoursome fish Tandoori chicken. Finally, when matching with south Indian dishes rich with coconut and coastal spices, Albariño – a grape found in the northwest of Spain and Portugal – has a wonderful aromatic and floral charm. The caveat, however, is that with the infinite variety of flavours and degrees of spiciness being produced in an Indian kitchen, these are not all-weather options. Trust your palette, and enjoy being part of a revolution in British Indian cuisine. n www.trishnalondon.com
72
Walk this Way Michelin-dining is still relatively scarce in NW London, so stalwarts such as L’Autre Pied, sister restaurant to the heralded Pied a Terre, are an important part of our culinary landscape, says Emma Johnson
W
hen it comes to fine dining, Marylebone certainly has the edge in North West London, with gastronomic gems such as Orrery, Trishna, Roux at the Landau, Il Baretto and Providores on offer. Throw the impressive credentials of Marcus Eaves’ L’Autre Pied into the mix and this is destination dining at its best. L’Autre Pied is the second offering from the much-loved and admired Pied a Terre, a tour de force of modern cooking just a stones’ throw away on Charlotte Street. The restaurant is a more laid back beast than its big sister, décor is more minimal, the menu is cheaper – but it offers the best qualities of Pied a Terre, and it does so with confidence. All the elements of a top class restaurant are here, including an inspired sommelier, a small, but perfectly-formed menu and a tasting option that offers an impressive range of dishes, including a few specials not on the main menu. Our first dish from the tasting menu indicates a few signature