Best food pairing for a Manzanilla Sherry

I have a pairing taste coming up on the 25th of this month and we have never done sherry wines. I have a Manzanilla on order but do not know what to pair with it. I was thinking of a few slices of prosciutto with a green olive relish. I have a taster that can not do spicy food but everything but mussels will work.

I thank you in advance for all of your help.

Gary

The green olive relish would be fine. Shrimp/prawns also great. Manchego cheese...well aged. Fritto misto. Marcona almonds, served hot with olive oil. White anchovies. Smoked whitefish.

Gary,
I was going to suggest Pimentos Padrone, but then I saw the no spicy food exception. Maybe a Spanish version of Arancini might pair well
-Shaji

Marcona almonds and garrotxa are good, too.

Mark Lipton

The joy of Sherry is that it goes well with things that are difficult to match with other wines. Olives and anchovies, for example, but they have already been mentioned, as have almonds and ham (Spanish cured ham of course).

They also work well with soups. I particularly like Sherry with ajo blanco (AKA white gazpacho).

All of the above applies as much to Manzanilla as other Sherries IMO. Manzanilla also works with dishes where you might otherwise drink white wine - fish and seafood dishes - nothing too delicate, but otherwise it will be fine.

After talking with others and reading these great posts, here is an idea. Do a few slices of prosciutto and dress the plates with a bit of spicy olive oil for those that can take the spice. Do the green olive relish with the green olives, anchovy, capers and garlic. I want to add in the almond part but have not figured that out yet.

Thanks to all who have taken time to help this Sherry novice

[Jenise]

Gary, I'll be cooking for an all-sherry dinner in a few weeks myself, so I'm familiar with the quandary.

I'm not very experienced with sherry myself, but I did have a sherry epiphany many years ago when I ordered pea soup in a creperie--it came with a small glass of sherry on the side. More an amontillado style, but still--the combination was heavenly, and it's a combination to consider--maybe a little shotglass on the side, with almond garnish?

Gary, I'll be cooking for an all-sherry dinner in a few weeks myself, so I'm familiar with the quandary.

I'm not very experienced with sherry myself, but I did have a sherry epiphany many years ago when I ordered pea soup in a creperie--it came with a small glass of sherry on the side. More an amontillado style, but still--the combination was heavenly, and it's a combination to consider--maybe a little shotglass on the side, with almond garnish?

Although this is a pairing dinner, as apposed to my monthly blind tastings, my tasters will not know that the first wine will be a sherry. If they know, I feel they will prejudge the wine and turn up their noses. I will use some form of almonds for the first plate probably more as a garnish. Maybe chopped and sprinkled on the plate. The capers will be salt packed,( I hate the pickled ones in the jar ) and with the white anchovy it should bring out any saltiness in the wine.
We will also be serving a Pedro Ximez. We will be serving Carmel sea salt ice cream with raisins bloomed in the wine, almonds, and dark chocolate pressed into a pistachio white chocolate cookie.
The other wines will be an Albarino, with grilled eggplant brushed with a lemon EVOO oregano vinaigrette, Barbara d'Alba with sausage and porcini stuffed cannelloni in a cream sauce and a Tuscan blend with a pork loin stuffed with roasted garlic with a red wine glace and grilled asparagus with a roast garlic vinaigrette. It should be a good dinner, I welcome and additional ideas.