Sweetwater IPA + Chicken Masaman

Been overdosing on pasta and pizza lately, and I needed a change of pace.  I had no plans and no idea what to do, so I started rifling through the pantry and fridge to see what my options were.

Here are some green onions!  A potato!  Some coconut milk!  I know we have some curry paste in a little can somewhere in here… A HA!  Found it.  Masaman curry paste.

So I slice the potato (I never peel potatoes, period), chop the green onion, and thaw some chicken.  The can of masaman suggests adding the entire contents to one dish, but I tasted a sample and it was pretty spicy.  I figured the whole can would be more than the wife could handle.  I used a little more than half.

The paste is actually imported from Thailand.  I don’t even remember when/where we bought it; we’ve had it a long time.  We bought several varieties at once and have already gone through several cans in the last couple years, just forgot about them for a long time.

Beerwise, my first thought was a Sam Adams White Ale.  Not the best example of the style, but pretty tasty and I thought perhaps the spices in it would work well with Thai.  But then my eyes settled on a bottle of Sweetwater IPA and I decided, “Dammit, it’s my favorite beer sold in Alabama and I’m going to try it with every food on earth eventually. ” Why not try Thai food tonight?

And it worked! It was actually really good.  The peachy character of the IPA was a great compliment to the spices and coconut in this.

In a couple years, you’ll be able to type “Sweetwater IPA” the search box on this site and learn every dish imaginable that it does and does not pair with.  Be forewarned.

Tags: chicken masaman, IPA, Sweetwater Brewing