Beer Pairings: Hefeweizen

July 19, 2011

A gallery of foods that pair nicely with Hefeweizen, a German-style wheat beer with lots of bubbles and a slightly sweet, fruity flavor.

Featured In: Beer Pairings: 10 Recipes to Pair With Hefeweizen

Watermelon and Tomato Salad — Chef Bill Smith of Crook's Corner, a restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, serves a version of this refreshing dish during the late summer. Smith says he developed the salad after paying a visit to a few of his former cooks in Mexico, where he discovered a range of dishes that melded sweet, spicy, and sour flavors. See the recipe for Watermelon and Tomato Salad »André Baranowski

Lobster and Avocado Salad — The creamy elements in this salad match Hefeweizen's smoothness, while the vinegars and citrus boost the beer's flavors of fruit. See the Lobster and Avocado Salad recipe »André Baranowski

Smashed Beets with Goat Cheese — Hefeweizen always pairs well with goat cheese, and the herbs in this salad further enhance spicy notes in the beer. See the Smashed Beets with Goat Cheese recipe »courtesy Artisan Books

Ricotta Crostini with Black Olives, Lemon Zest, and Mint — Magic happens when this zingy and creamy hors d'oeuvre meets the cool, bubbles of a hazy wheat beer. See the recipe for Ricotta Crostini with Black Olives, Lemon Zest, and Mint recipe »André Baranowski

Crab Salad with Two Celeries — This crunchy, bright salad, which is mayo-free, belongs with a light-bodied Hefeweizen with a hint of sweetness. See the Crab Salad with Two Celeries recipe »Christopher Hirsheimer

Lemon Risotto — Complement this dish's intense lemon flavors with a hefeweizen served with a lemon wedge.Ben Fink

Skewered Shrimp on Rosemary Branches — The strong presence of rosemary permeating briny, succulent shrimp, will dance with an herb-driven Hefeweizen. See the Skewered Shrimp on Rosemary Branches recipe »Brian Doben

Cedar-Smoked Salmon — UNITED STATES You don't need a smoker to lend a slightly spicy, faintly sweetish hint of the outdoors to fresh salmon. On board a friend's boat in Alaskan waters, we improvised this method with strips from cedar logs. Back home, we substituted shakes of untreated aromatic cedar (sold by the bundle at lumberyards and hardware stores).Christopher Hirsheimer

Raspberry Shortcakes — "The light, delicate fragility of this shortcake sets it apart from the dense and more traditional shortbread that figures large in Scottish cookery," says chef Jeremy Lee. "It makes a mockery of the idea that Scottish cookery is heavy and stodgy."Christopher Hirsheimer

Banana Pudding — For a beautiful pairing, look for a more expensive German Hefeweizen, which brings notes of clove and banana to this creamy, classic dessert. See the Banana Pudding recipe »Todd Coleman

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