Even if this site is all about pairing japanese dishes with wine, it’s fun to try something new from time to time. And I guess this is still a “western” drink, so here goes: Tempura meets Tequila!
Tequila Ocho 2011 “El Puertiecito”
But careful, not just any Tequila. I’m going with a 100% agave, unaged blanco Tequila by Ocho which retains all the fresh vegetal notes of the raw agave. This is because the Tempura prepared by Mizuki tonight is dominated by greens, including a very original celery leaf tempura, which turns out to be the best match. Just squeeze a couple drops of lemon and add a pinch of salt to bring out the best in the Tequila (yes, just like the shots).
Celery leaf tempura
I served the tequila in a tulip-shaped spirits tasting glass, just large enough to add a small cube of ice. Not only does this chill the spirit, but it also has the effect of slightly diluting it as the ice melts, which is actually a good thing when enjoying pure spirits with food.
The match is nearly perfect, with the fresh agave aromas rebounding off of the celery’s intense, green, almost woody notes. Neither side takes the upper hand, and combine seamlessly, the salt tying it all together on the smooth tequila finish.
Love the idea of this pairing. It’s time that I come to Paris for some liquor and food matching.
The Japanese drink a lot of whisky at the dinner table, but somehow I think there is a whole world of possibilities which could fare much better: tequila, pisco, dry vermouth, or even Gin… gotta try them all out!