Mezcal Food Pairing

(etcetera23 on Culinary Art)

Mezcal Food Pairing with Chef Andre Radke

 The very versatile Oaxaca State in Mexico has everything to offer from Mountains to Beaches, from ancient ruins to exciting food creations and of course it’s very famous for an alcoholic beverage distilled from a type of maguey (an Agave plant type) called Mezcal.

(If you want to know more about the spirit itself, please check up on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezcal)

During my stay in Oaxaca de Juarez, I made a Food Tasting for a Beer Workshop and later I have been asked to do a Food Pairing for a Mezcal Tasting. This sounded exciting and a bit challenging. So Sign me up for that!

After a personalized tasting of different types from a very young Mezcal producer, I had to choose 4 out of 5 different Mezcals: Tepextate, Espandin, Mexicano, Arroqueno and Barrel where in my little tasting glasses. I choose the first four of the five and put them in this order.
I became total free hand of what to do and how to combine the spirit in my food. The next challenge, to research what products are available and I was not surprised how limited the vegetable and fruit produce was. I went to many mercados (markets) and tiendas (shops), until I found enough input to put a menu together. 

Tepextate was good starter into the Mezcal World, so as in my Starter. I designed a combination of a few different dishes or maybe a kind of a tasting platter. I wanted to give a little introduction and called this dish: “Fly over Oaxaca”. I served a Carrot- Ginger – Agave Soup in a Shot Glass with Mezcal Cream, Tepextate Pickled Cauliflower, a Mezcal Ceviche and I found some Dark Rye Bread in Artisanal Bakery which was a german inspired bread called “Landbrot”.

My Second course became the name “Playas de Oaxaca” because it was a refreshing Mescal Sangria which could be a delicious cocktail for the beach. I made a hierba buena (kind of a mint) Syrup, juiced very fresh lemons, limes and oranges, combined with some white wine, the ideal Cocktail Mezcal Espandin and some lime soda and served with ice, slices of Oranges and some mint leaves. This was very refreshing on the terrace with the setting sun in the background. 

My Main Course was a Mezcal - Thyme marinated charcoal grilled Beef Sirilion, Onion Jam – Mashed Potato and a Pico de Mezcal. (Like Pico de Gallo with Tomato, Red Onion, Lime Juice, Jalapeno and Cilantro but spiced up with some smoky Mezcal). This part of the pairing became the name “Campo de Oaxaca”, which was inspired by the fields and agriculture of the surrounding area. 

The final plate was influenced by the local chocolate and the mexcian rice drink Horchata. “Montañas de Oaxaca“ because of the mountain ranges in Oaxaca state.
The Idea was, to make a Pannacotta, but with Horchata instead of cream, combined with chocolate and mescal, which turned out to be an amazing combination. I created a new dish “Horchacotta”. The whole thing was served with a rich Chocolate – Arroqueno ganash and some toasted almonds.
The whole event went very successful. even I was a bit worried about the Mexican guests might be a bit scared of these food pairings. I realized that Latin Americans are usually not really open for new things, not trusting foreign chefs and are very proud of their local food. 

In the beginning they ate around the little dishes of the first course, realizing that’s something new and interesting, by the cocktail they loosen more up and enjoyed the main course a lot and with the dessert they have been totally satisfied. Provecho!

Menu

Tepextate  47% Joven

Fly over Oaxaca – Sea to Mountains

Ceviche - Carrot Ginger Agave Shot – Pickled Caulifower – Landbrot

-----------------------------------------------

Espandin 47% Joven

Playas de Oaxaca

Mescal Sangria

-----------------------------------------------

Mexicano 47% Joven

Campo de Oaxaca

Mezcal – Thyme Marinated Beef
with Pico de Mescal
Onion Jam - Mash Potato

-----------------------------------------------

Arroqueno 47% Joven
Montanas of Oaxaca

Chocolate Horchacotta

Copyrights by www.etcetera23.com
Chef Andre Radke