Sake as cheese companion

Sake goes very well with cheese. The specific flavour sensation umami - of which there is plenty in cheese as well - emphasizes the relish of sake perfectly.

shizuku recommends...
... the salty-dry Junmai Inatahime Ryokan with the smooth and spicy Grandpapa (BE)
... the floral, dry and buttery Junmai Ginjo Nouvelle with the creamy-bitter Saint-Félicien Tontation (FR)
... the medium-bodied, fruity, elegant and extremely complex Inatahime Junmai Daiginjo with the mature Gruyère Surchoix (FR) aged for 13 months.
... the aromatic, fruity and delicately sweet X3 Rose to the spicy and aromatic semi-hard cheese Nachtwächter (TG)
... the strong, intensive and dry Tokubetsu Junmai (Kimoto) Miyabi with the matured, tangy and 10 months with Pinot Noir treated semi-hard cheese Mont Vully – Le Réserve du Patron (BE)
... or the strong and smooth, in wooden barrels fermented Junmai (Genshu) Shirayuki Edo Genroku with the spicy, sweetish-tangy blue cheese Roquefort (F)

Barbecue - steak, sausage and sake!

It's sizzling, fizzing and smoking. Be it a Cervelat, a Bratwurst, a hearty steak or a spiced up fish - shizuku is pleased to spoil all the grill chefs with the perfect companion.
Heat up the grill and treat yourself to this culinary delight.

shizuku recommends...
... the BBQ Junmai. Inatahime Ryokan surprises with a salty and leathery nose. Aromas of lime blossom and soja mix with notes of dark chocolate, coffee, tobacco and nutmeg. A very round and intense Junmai, delightful for your barbecue.

...the Tangy. Paprika, nutmeg, pine needles, olive tapenade as well as smoked ham and meat pastry in the nose and oily, resinous, smokey and spicy-fleshy in the palate. Goriki Junmai is an aromatic and powerful sake with lots of umami and the perfect match to a barbecue party.

--- the Adventure. Kozaemon Yamahai Junmai is a veritable taste expedition! With its intense and earthy flavours and also a lot of umami a sensational sake to hearty dishes. If it is a 'Bündner Gerstensuppe' with bacon in winter, it has to be a T-Bone steak or a juicy sausage in spring and summer.

... the Umami Force. The balanced Kozaemon Kimoto Junmai, brewed according to the traditional kimoto method, convinces with intense, sweet and spicy aromas and its very pleasant acidity. Thanks to a lot of umami it is the ideal companion to hearty, aromatic and grilled dishes.

Sake fondue

Add sake instead of white wine to your traditional Swiss cheese fondue and be positively surprised by this outstanding combination.
The fondue gets cheesier, more velvet and by the low acidity even smoother.

Complementary to this the same drop can be enjoyed either cold, at room temperature or heated.

shizuku recommends...
... the mellow, full-bodied Asahimai Junmai (cool to hot)
... the round, intense Inatahime Ryokan (cool to hot)
... the floral, dry and buttery Junmai Ginjo Nouvelle (cool to room temperature)
... the strong and intensive Miyabi (room temperature to warm)

Or try our own creation: «Stöphi’s Hausmischung» with the drop of Japan!
The Sake Fondue is a ready-made fondue house mix based on Stöphi's secret fondue recipe, with a mild, slightly sweet sake note.

Raclette with sake

Bacon, mushrooms, pepper, paprika, silver onions, cucumbers... A hearty Swiss raclette is intensely tasty. And the matching drop in the glass should be just as convincing.

Sake goes excellently with melted cheese. This is because of the specific flavour sensation umami - which is also abundant in cheese - skilfully accentuates the enjoyment of sake. Let yourself be positively surprised!

shizuku recommends...
... the round, dry Junmai Inatahime Ryokan
... the strong and intense Miyabi (room temperature)
... the mellow, full-bodied Asahimai Junmai (cool to hot)
... the aromatic, powerful and tangy Goriki Junmai (room temperature)
... the intense, earthy Kozaemon Yamahai Junmai (room temperature)
... or to the table grill the balanced X3 Rose (cool), brewed from red rice.

Or try our own creation: The sake raclette by shizuku!
The raclette cheese is matured over several months, inoculated with a strong, intensive Junmai - brewed according to the traditional kimoto method - and literally refined. The result is an incredibly mild, slightly sweet sake raclette cheese with a wonderful umami note.

Sake with game dishes

A venison stew with a fruity cranberry sauce, an escalope of venison with caramelized pears or a wild boar’s chop with autumnal side dishes such as red cabbage with quinces or sweet chestnuts.

shizuku recommends...
... the complex, sirupy-fruity Daihoju (cool)
... the elegant, complex and tangy Goriki Junmai Daiginjo (cool)
... or the strong and tangy Daiginjo Hiyashibori (cold to cool)

Oysters with sake

A slightly chilled sake is a perfect companion to fresh oysters.
Sake encourages the flavour of fresh oysters without dominating it.

If you like to enjoy your oysters with some lemon juice, with yuzu, with freshly grated wasabi or with red wine vinegar and onions, in Japan there is a saying ‚ju nin to iro’: ‚several men, several minds’.

shizuku recommends...
... the organic Asahimai Junmai (cool to room temperature)
... the strong Shirayuki Edo Genroku (cool)
... the intensive Miyabi (room temperature)
... or the aromatic Goriki Junmai (room temperature)

Moules in sake broth
4 servings, preparation: about 25 minutes

... chop 2 onions and 2 cloves of garlic and braise lightly in olive oil
... add 2000 g well brushed moules
... add 2.5 dl sake
... add 100 g sour cream, boil about 5 minutes
... salt to taste
... itadakimasu! – enjoy your meal!

shizuku reccomends...
... the full-bodied Asahimai Junmai
... or the round, intense Inatahime Ryokan

Spaghetti alle vongole
4 servings, preparation: about 30 minutes

... put 1000 g cleaned clams into water and drip off
... cook 280 g Spaghetti according to package directions
... chop 1 onions and 3 cloves of garlic and
... braise lightly in olive oil with 1 pitted and chopped chilicote
... add clams, 1 dl sake and some orange peel
... cook 6-7 minutes until the clams are open
... add Spaghetti and heat up for a minute
... pepper to taste and parsley for garnish
... itadakimasu! – enjoy your meal!

shizuku reccomends...
... the strong and tangy Daiginjo Hiyashibori
... the complex and sweet Shirayuki Akafuji
... or the aromatic Goriki Junmai (room temperature)

Asparagus with sake cream sauce
4 servings, preparation: about 30 minutes

... steam 1000 g peeled aparagus
... chop 1 onion, braise lightly in olive oil
... deglaze with 5 dl of sake, add some broth and boil down
... add 2.5 dl sour cream, boil down
... add 1-2 tablespoon corn starch if necessary
... salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
... add a bit lemon juice and parsley
... refine with parmesan if you like
... goes very well with fillet of white fish
... itadakimasu! – enjoy your meal!

shizuku reccomends...
... the strong and tangy Daiginjo Hiyashibori
... or the round, intense Inatahime Ryokan

Sake cream sauce with salmon
4 servings, preparation: about 20 minutes

... chop 1 onion and 1 clove of garlic and braise lightly in olive oil
... deglaze with 5 dl of sake, add some broth and boil down
... add some broth
... add 3 dl sour cream, boil down
... add 200 g salmon (sliced)
... add 1-2 tablespoo corn starch if necessary
... salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
... add a bit lemon juice and parsley
... refine with parmesan if you like
... goes very well with pasta, rice or Knöpfli
... itadakimasu! – enjoy your meal!

shizuku reccomends...
... the round, intense Inatahime Ryokan
... or the complex and sweet Shirayuki Akafuji

Sake risotto
4 servings, preparation: about 25 minutes

... chop 1 onion, braise lightly in olive oil
... add 400 g risotto rice, braise until translucent
... deglaze with 4 dl of sake and boil down
... add 9 dl vegetable broth until it is used up
... add 100 g parmesan and
... 2 tablespoon of butter
... salt and pepper to taste
... refine with cream or milk if you like
... itadakimasu! - enjoy your meal!

... braise vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, etc.) with onions if you like
... add fish or shells in the end if you like

shizuku reccomends...
... the almost creamy Nouvelle

Sake cream sauce with mushrooms
4 servings, preparation: about 20 minutes

... slice 200 g cleaned mushrooms, braise in butter
... add 1 onion and 1 clove of garlic (chopped)
... deglaze with 2.5 dl of sake
... add 2.5 dl sour cream and boil down
... poss. 1-2 tablespoon corn starch
... stir in 2-3 tablespoon crème fraîche
... salt and pepper to taste
... refine with parmesan if you like
... goes very well with pasta, rösti or meat
... itadakimasu! – enjoy your meal!

shizuku reccomends...
... the full-bodied Asahimai Junmai
... or the round, intense Inatahime Ryokan

Broccoli soup with sake
4 servings, preparation: about 30 minutes

... chop 1 onion and 1 clove of garlic, braise lightly in butter
... add 250 g chopped broccoli
... deglaze with Shirayuki Edo Genroku
... add 1 teaspoon sesame oil,
... 0.5 teaspoon chilli oil,
... 400 ml sour cream,
... 200 ml water and
... 200 ml Kozaemon Yamahai Junmai, boil up
... simmer about 20 minutes
... puree the soup and salt to taste
... refine with parmesan if you like
... itadakimasu! – enjoy your meal!

Sake sablés
Dough for about 120 sablés

... 500 g flour, 5 g salt und 250 g butter (cubes), mix for 3 minutes
... 5 egg yolks, 200 g sugar und 2 vanilla pods (marrow only), stir for 2-3 minutes with whisk
... add 100 ml sake (Gekkeikan Daiginjo) and 3 mandarins (abrasion only)
... add egg/sugar mixture
... mix mass until it becomes a dough
... roll out dough between 2 paper towels until 0,5 mm
... cut out rounds (4,5 cm diameter) with a biscuit cutter
... cool down the sablés for 1 hour
... pre-heat the oven up to 180°C (circulation air) for 15 minutes
... bake the sablés for about 10-12 minutes, afterwards cool down completely

Recipe by The Frenchie Kitchen Club

Saketini

... 45 ml gin
... 15 ml sake
... 1 thin slice fresh ginger
... mix with ice in the shaker
... strain and decorate with olives
... kanpai! – cheers!

shizuku reccomends...
... the strong and tangy Daiginjo Hiyashibori