Cognac isn't reserved solely for fine dining -- Martell shows us that its many cognacs work equally well with foods like sang har mee, beef rendang and even ikan bakar.
Photo: Courtesy of Martell
The Martell cognac and champagne tastings during the French Art & Film Festival 2015 proved to hold a surprising element: cognacs work surprisingly well with Asian foods.
Expanding on that subject, Lionel Lau – a wine and spirits consultant for the event – shares how Malaysian food actually works really well with cognac.
Traditionally, cognac is the quintessential after dinner drink, made to handle rich foods such as cheese and puddings. It has a higher percentage of alcohol but still remains high in acidity. In terms of weight and texture, Lionel notes that cognac is oily. It is also very versatile, meaning it can pair with a lot of different foods, capable of handling light foods like fresh seafood as well as fatty and gamey meats like duck.
Martell VSOP cognac
Best with: Fresh seafood
Recommended pairing: sang har mee, ikan bakar
Martell VSOP cognac can handle braised dishes well. It has elegant aromas and flavours of cinnamon on the nose, which gives a rich yet supple taste profile that finishes with a brisk pepper spice. Lau recommends pairing VSOP with fresh seafood cooked in Malaysian-Chinese style such as steamed fish. Playing along the lines, it would be interesting to try the cognac with local favourites such as fresh water prawn noodles (sang har mee) or even grilled fish (ikan bakar).
Martell Cordon Bleu
Best with: Braised foods
Recommended pairing: Chinese-style fish head, fish maw, roast chicken
The famed Martell Cordon Bleu has a different flavour profile. Its bittersweet soft aroma is reminiscent of lime liquorice, raisin and plum. Lionel opines that the Cordon Bleu has the advantage of having a more complex flavour profile than the VSOP, with vanilla, spice, citrus peel flavours in its taste with hints of dried fruit, roasted nut and chocolate. This spirit goes well with braised Chinese-styled fish head, fish maw, or roast chicken.
Martell XO
Best with: flavourful foods
Recommended pairing: beef rendang
The oldest of the lot, Martell XO has aromas of toasted marshmallow and cherry that has a slightly sweet yet strong finish with notes of sweet caramel apple pie or toffee. “The XO would ideally pair with something rich in texture such as lamb, beef or venison as well as rich local desserts,” suggests Lionel. Local eats that would ideally go well with the XO include beef rendang or mild curries because of its ability to cut through rich foods. It’s fine to pair flavourful dishes but not necessarily a lot of heat, lest you compromise the cognac.
(Photo: Martell)
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