Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner @ Manchester Pub, 5th Course.
Fall Harvest Beer Dinner, Manchester Pub, 11/10/11.
5th course: "Dubbel" duck, seared breast and braised thigh, sour cherries, cabbage and mushrooms, served with Ovila Abbey Quad.
NOW you see why I bought a ticket - if duck is on the menu, I will definitely show up. This was some perfectly cooked duck breast, with a nice little strip of fat still on it, plus under the cabbage was a little mound of the thigh meat, mixed with the mushrooms (I think).
A little mustard under the duck breast, sour cherry sauce, the taste of mushroom - this is what you want to see at a beer dinner - 5 or 6 different flavors that work well together, creating a dish that's more than just the sum of its parts. Then add in sips of beer, and ideally you've got a plate of food that challenges you to combine its pieces in different ways to unlock all its little complexities.
They did serve a dessert, apple fritters, but it wasn't paired with a beer, and I was too engrossed in conversation at the time to take a proper picture. I debated getting a pint of Empire Cream ale to go with dessert, but then opted for the Long Ireland Stout. Smoother than a Guinness, with a flatter, smokier flavor.
Well done. I will be back. Welcome to the rotation.
Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner @ Manchester Pub, 5th Course.
Fall Harvest Beer Dinner, Manchester Pub, 11/10/11.
5th course: "Dubbel" duck, seared breast and braised thigh, sour cherries, cabbage and mushrooms, served with Ovila Abbey Quad.
NOW you see why I bought a ticket - if duck is on the menu, I will definitely show up. This was some perfectly cooked duck breast, with a nice little strip of fat still on it, plus under the cabbage was a little mound of the thigh meat, mixed with the mushrooms (I think).
A little mustard under the duck breast, sour cherry sauce, the taste of mushroom - this is what you want to see at a beer dinner - 5 or 6 different flavors that work well together, creating a dish that's more than just the sum of its parts. Then add in sips of beer, and ideally you've got a plate of food that challenges you to combine its pieces in different ways to unlock all its little complexities.
They did serve a dessert, apple fritters, but it wasn't paired with a beer, and I was too engrossed in conversation at the time to take a proper picture. I debated getting a pint of Empire Cream ale to go with dessert, but then opted for the Long Ireland Stout. Smoother than a Guinness, with a flatter, smokier flavor.
Well done. I will be back. Welcome to the rotation.