Chill your dil

What better way to beat the heat than a mug of beer and some healthy food? Chef Oscar Gonzalez shares recipes to tackle the rising mercury

Chef Oscar Gonzalez with his Mexican origin has always had a passion for food. A celebrated chef with Graze, Taj Residency for the past six months, he excels in European cuisine. His signature dishes include lobster salad, spaghetti and fish scallops.

We've heard of wine pairings, but what's the whole thing about pairing beer and food now, I wondered.
"Warmer temperatures signal the start of outdoor eating and drinking and, whether you're simply throwing sausages onto a barbecue or planning a more elaborate al fresco feast, there's nothing like a glass of chilled, refreshing beer to turn it into the perfect summer meal", explains Gonzalez. "Beer is very cooling in the summer.
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Also, you don't need to do a whole five-course meal with beer. You can just order a few quick dishes in between your office hours and you're done."

But why Peroni beer, when there are a gamut of drinks out there? He says, "Peroni is a smooth Italian beer. Deciding which food tastes best with what beverage is an evolving experiment. Its refreshing clear-cut character and clarity leaves a fresh and natural taste. Once you start experimenting with this beer and food pairings, you'll quickly discover that not only does beverage enhance the flavour of food, but food enhances the flavour of beverage."

So, what are the dishes that go best with this beer? Gonzalez says that a garden-fresh pizza pairs well with beer. Not the thin crust one, as you need something nice, which you can bite into. "I recommend the Pizza Bosco (Spanish for garden vegetarian pizza) with vegetables, mushroom and just a hint of chilli flakes. You can try a quick lunch with a pizza or a set of pasta, salad and an entru00e9e. The second dish I have paired with this beer is prawns with red pepper and garlic, which complements the flavour of the prawns. The spaghetti is cooked in tomato sauce and this beer tones it down a bit."

Gonzalez says that pasta in cream sauce don't go well with the beer, because there is a clash of tastes. The barley in the beer makes the pasta a little bitter. "My all-time favourites are the hand-tossed pizzas made fresh every day with feta cheese and chilli flakes. I make five types of salads tomato, mozzarella, Caesars, mushroom and seafood. Our pizza, salad or soup or Peroni beer package is priced at Rs 550 plus taxes. For desserts only cheesecake would be fine, other than that anything else would turn the beer bitter," he says.