Thursday 23 February 2012

FABPOW! Sausage Carbonara and Avery Brown Dredge



A typical Saturday morning is waking up and spending the next three-or-four hours split between writing, exercising and looking at every recipe book I own trying to work out what to cook for the rest of the weekend, usually finding everything and nothing and cooking a fish finger sandwich for lunch and buying a pizza for dinner, then repeating the process on Sunday morning.

Sometimes, through the indecision, I do find recipes to cook. And this is one of them. It’s from Jamie’s Italy. Carbonara plus sausages. Many dishes can be improved with the addition of a sausage and I figured carbonara was one of them.

Rich and salty, comforting, simple and delicious; I love carbonara. I needed a beer to cut the richness, to handle the smoked pancetta and to balance the herby banger. Avery Brown Dredge was in my head as it recently passed a year since the beer was brewed. I’ve still got a few bottles left so I grabbed one. Bright orange-gold, big frothy white foam, it’s just as good as it’s ever been, maybe even better – orangey, sweet aroma followed by a Saaz spiciness, with a dry and peppery bitterness. The sweetness balances the richness and the smoke and the whole thing wraps together in a perfect little package. If you haven’t got ABD then try something like Victory Prima Pils or Dogfish Head My Antonia.

With sausages and spaghetti left over, on Sunday I made one of my favourite dishes: fry little balls of sausage, add garlic and chilli, a carton of chopped tomatoes, seasoning, fresh basil and mix with spaghetti. Easy. But I’ve never found a FABPOW for this one. I’ve gone down the dark lager road but I need something bigger, so perhaps it’s time for Schlenkerla...

Two FABPOWs in a week! I call that a successful weekend staring at recipe books.

A note on the sausage carbonara recipe: cooking for one hungry person, I halved the recipe given for four and it was the right amount for me. Four sausages between four people is a bit stingy, I think. 

9 comments:

  1. I'd try a black IPa again, but not everyone likes the accentuated hop smack of chili+hop!

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  2. Who really gives a Sh#*t what you cooked at the weekend and how many squats you did with 2kg women's weights in your living room. Surely beer writers should be writing something a little more relevant?

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    1. Hi Anon. Thanks for taking the time to come out of your anonymous little internet cave and write a comment. Care to give me a list of things which are more relevant?!

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  3. I have had ABD with suausage before and it is a great pairing. Hoepfully I can drink some more before they become extinct. For the tomato pasta you should try Camden Ink, I'm sure you can get hold of some!

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  4. Love this recipe, but disagree with your comments on the quantities - we halved the recipe and thought it was just right for 2 as it's a very rich dish (I make the sausage balls a lot smaller though too, so they 'spread' further) - have never thought of pairing pasta and beer ever, so must try it!

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  5. I WANT MY OWN BEER FOR A FABPOW! (stamps feet!)

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    1. get talking to some breweries then! Maybe a Yorkshire bloggers brew

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  6. Break out the Belgian stuff for carbonara!

    I direct you to the First Course:

    http://www.craftbeer.com/pages/beer-and-food/features/show?title=garrett-olivers-simple-four-course-beer-dinner

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