It’s official: sherry is hot. Chefs across the UK are now listing many more sherries on their wine menus.
So why the sudden interest? Chefs such as Heston Blumenthal reckon there is a sherry to suit most ingredients, which means it’s very versatile. ‘And because it delivers in the mid-tongue acidity area, making food juicier, it quite literally whets the appetite,’ he says.
At Bordeaux Quay in Bristol (bordeaux-quay.co.uk), chef-proprietor Barny Haughton is passionate about sherry, pairing the likes of chargrilled sardines with potato and garlic salad and pickled fennel with Fino del Puerto from Gutierrez Colosia.
Edinburgh’s Oloroso (oloroso.co.uk) offers 15 fabulous sherries. With Valdespino’s Fino, chef Tony Singh likes to serve smoked salmon consommé.
In London, Moro (moro.co.uk) and Salt Yard (saltyard.co.uk), have an excellect range, as do gastropubs Anchor & Hope (+44 (0)20 7928 9898) and the Marquess Tavern (themarquesstavern.co.uk).
Best, though, is Maze (gordonramsay.com), where head sommelier Laure Patry pairs an interesting line-up with executive chef Jason Atherton’s thrilling dishes – such as monkfish, dehydrated olives, bouillabaisse and fennel pollen, with Fernado de Castilla’s Antique Palo Cortado.
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