29 September 2010

Somerset Ale Chutney [By Spectre] (thebaytree.co.uk)


There are quite a few ale chutneys on the market, but this one from The Bay Tree struck me as one worth writing about. It has a mix of real ale, Bramley apples and cider vinegar that is recommended on the jar to go well with a good cheddar. Spread thickly on a beef salad sandwich this chutney ended up on a plate with Cinabar’s Worcester Sauce flavoured Twiglets, a selection of pickles and olives and a large chunk of Marmite Cheddar. As recommended I also put a dollop of chutney on the side of the plate to eat primarily with the cheese. We sat down to enjoy an episode of Burn Notice. You can definitely taste the sweet apples in the chutney, and there is a sour edge of cider vinegar to tease the palette. The ale in the chutney complemented the beef in the sandwich well, but the best part of the lunchtime feast was each piece of cheddar I popped in my mouth went down with a helping of chutney. This was a heavenly combination that was akin to the Food of the Gods. The strong cheese, the apple and cider vinegar, the meaty Marmite flavour and the ale all mixed together lovingly in my mouth. And of course, watching Fiona flouncing around on the screen made it a double treat!
By Spectre

No comments: