It was a tough task. Thirty dishes and thirty sherries had to be munched and glugged - and the best combinations singled out in the hope of finding a winner of the Copa Jerez Sous Chef and Wine Waiter of the Year, held earlier this year. Why am I telling you about it? Because sherry in pubs sells - or if it's not selling, then it should be.
Two million cases a year
The Brits are still the world's biggest drinkers of Spain's national wine - consuming more than two million cases a year (twice the volume of Port
and Champagne sales) and I'm guessing that a
fair bit of that is (or could be) drunk down the pub.
I'm a huge sherry fan, so being asked to judge at Copa Jerez wasn't supposed to be a hardship, although it was, but only because many of those who had entered appeared never to have actually drunk the stuff before.
The competition, now in its third year, forms part of the Sherry Institute of Spain's ongoing Ten Star Tapas campaign, which aims to show off the versatility of Spain's national drink.
This was a live cook-off, which is always fun, and it got people - the competitors particularly - thinking about which flavours would work best. And they went for it, too, using every style of sherry going from pale cream and fino to oloroso and sticky Pedro Ximénez.
Sous chefs had to put together a three-course menu, using sherry as an ingredient in at least one dish, while three sherries, each from a different producer, had to be selected by the wine waiter to match the menu.
The carrot? A gastronomic tour of the region, and automatic entry to the International Copa Jerez final to be held in February next year, judged by Spain's most famous chef, Ferran Adrià.
Beat Spanish at their own game
The judges this year included Mark Jankel and Patrice Guillon of the Notting Hill Brasserie in London who scooped the top prize at last year's International, beating the Spanish team at their own game.
Other judges included Gordon Ramsay's top girl, Angela Hartnett, and Danny McSorley, bar manager at my favourite Spanish place, Moro - and me, of course.
There were some pretty stiff judging criteria - as well as being able to show culinary flair in presentation and flavour combinations, the competitors had to make sure that their chosen sherry match worked - enhancing, rather than dominating the dish; and that the sherries were served at the right temperature and the flavours worked well across all three courses.
OK, so we're not expecting any of you to go quite this far, but a little sherry matching could go down well with your customers, not to mention shift some stock (and it will have to be sold - sherry always needs a gentle push).
I won't bore you with the bad matches (and there were some corkers), nor with the misguided ingredient combinations - from some establishments that should have known better. So best to focus, then, on the winners - the top spot deservedly going to chef and wine waiter duo Craig Sandle and James O'Donnell from the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, with second place (rather surprisingly) won by James Lui and Debbie Thornton from the British Army Culinary Arts Team - way to go, squaddies.
But back to the winning combo. On the menu was sautéed Keltic scallops, chestnut purée, apples and smoked bacon lardons with Hidalgo's La Gitana Manzanilla, followed by Anjou pigeon, braised Brussels sprouts with flaked confit of leg meat, baby beetroot and grape jus with a Palo Cortado from Gonzalez Byass; and finally, a caramelised banana and hazelnut frangipane with chocolate sorbet and banana cream, with a Moscatel from Guttierez Colosia - is this giving you any ideas, yet?
Refreshing the palate
If you really want to see how it's done, hop on a cheap flight to Jerez.
They really do drink sherry throughout a meal here - though manzanilla and fino mainly, which washes down the seafood beautifully (and remember, at around 15% abv, it's no more alcoholic than a feisty New World red). But the sharp, salty tang of manzanilla, for example, also brings out the sweetness of some meat (I'm thinking ham), refreshing the palate for the next mouthful.
The richer styles of sherry, such as amontillado and oloroso, are best glugged with hearty stews, pan-fried offal and roasted meats (though best chased with a glass of iced water to slake the thirst).
And, of course, sherry is used copiously in the kitchen - reduced with a little sherry vinegar, Pedro Ximénez (PX) works well with seared scallops, or try adding a slug of amontillado to sweetbreads, which brings the nuttiness out a treat.
And while oloroso adds a toasty edge to game, amontillado adds a whole new dimension to braised globe artichokes. Sherry has many possibilities, I'm telling you.