A taste of olde England
Susan Nowak focuses on winning beer and food combos for St George's Day
I'm sure you've all got 23 April ringed in your diaries as St George's Day. But it's a date to celebrate for another reason as well — the start of the English asparagus season.
And I think the two occasions go hand in hand. Cheap imports have artificially lengthened our all-too-brief asparagus season and devalued this once gourmet delicacy. But true English asparagus is incomparable, and a marvellous treat for St George's Day. So why not dedicate our patron saint's anniversary to a celebration of English food and beer in your pub? And link that to local produce with "provenance" of the ingredients you use, be it Gloucester Old Spot pork, Herdwick lamb, Stilton cheese or ale from a nearby brewery.
Asparagus is ideal for quick and easy serving. This is a day for classic English dishes so include a starter of hot, juicy stalks glistening with Hollandaise sauce — simple luxury.
Flagging up English flavours
A sharing platter for two could be asparagus spears deep fried in a feather-light beer batter, made just with flour and a pale, sparkling ale. Diners can hold the "woody" end of the asparagus and douse the head with dips of good mayonnaise, Hollandaise, and a creamy cheese sauce.
With asparagus serve one of our crop of golden ales, maybe Wells Bombardier Burning Gold (pictured) with the English flag on the label. The name comes from our patriotic hymn Jerusalem — and, when you think about it, "bring me my spear of burning gold" is absolutely right for this dish.
Fish 'n' chips is a national favourite. Give it the posh treatment by serving poached English salmon with watercress sauce — fresh English watercress is coming into season — and the first tiny, new potatoes, just scrubbed or scraped and deep-fried. To drink, an English wheat beer or light bitter with citrus notes such as Adnams Explorer would be good.
On St George's Day beef must be high on the menu. Beef Wellington is both delicious and patriotic; top the beef fillet with mushroom pâté mixed with a little horseradish before wrapping in puff pastry.
The beer? Something robust, complex and full-bodied such as a bottle of White Shield from Burton-on-Trent, the birthplace of English brewing, Shepherd Neame's triple-hopped 1698 or strong, dark Theakston Old Peculier from Yorkshire.
New season English lamb is succulent and tender, a perfect spring dish. Serve roast leg with Jersey new potatoes as they are now in season, spring greens and young carrots. Dark mild is lovely with the sweetness of the meat, or an English cherry beer.
Choose cheese
Now, too, is the time for fresh goats' milk cheese. For vegetarians, make caramelised goats' cheese tarts accompanied by a creamy stout or something floral like Badger Golden Champion with elderflowers.
Naturally you'll offer some brilliant English cheeses, which all find partners in English ales. But for dessert don't forget another native treat as seasonal as asparagus — rhubarb.
And what could be nicer than little rhubarb crumbles with cinnamon in the topping accompanied by a proper custard (or Cornish clotted cream) and Cornish brewer St Austell's bottle-conditioned Clouded Yellow, full of vanilla and bananas?
Pub facts
Address: The Sussex Ox, Milton Street, Alfriston, East Sussex BN26 5RL
Tel: 01323 870840;
Web: www.thecvbxcvb
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