Cooking with Beer

[karadekoolaid Profile]

I´ve been on the lookout for a new cookery course. There´s only a limited amount of courses I can base on Indian and Spicy food ( not enormously popular in a country where no-one cooks with chiles), so I thought I´d try using some beer.
10 years ago, the only beers available in the Venezuelan market were German - nearly all Pilsen. Since 2012, small artisan breweries have sprung up all over the place, and while the quality is occasionally a bit dodgy, I´m happy to say we now have a far better choice.
So yesterday I went down to the restaurant kitchen and spent a whole day testing out some new ideas.
Welsh Rarebit with brown ale.
Cincinnati Beer Cheese with pilsen.
Lentils with red ale.
Hungarian Lacsó with sausage and American pale ale.
Chili con carne with porter.
Fish batter with light ale.
Chicken with Belgian witbier (wheat instead of barley).
Carrots with pilsen.
Well I´ve been making rarebit for years, so that one went well.
The Cincinnati beer cheese was the sort of thing I´d have whipped up at a student do, but strangely enough, it was good - with pretzels. The lentils were glorious and the Lacsó was delicious.
With the chili, there was just a hint of that smoky, almost coffee flavour which set off the spices.
The chicken was really good, and the carrots were fine.
The fish batter needs working on, I think, but at least I got some new ideas. The only thing missing is to make a cake - which is NOT my strong suit - but I may just try brownies, which do not involve too much skill, with some dark beer like stout, for example.
There was, of course, the added benefit of being able to drink beer all day long on the principle of "testing things out"

Anyone else tried cooking with beer? Any thoughts? Favourite dishes?

[Amyw Profile]

Is the Cincianatti beer cheese like a fondue ?

Theres of course beef cooked in ale , normally in a beef and ale pie or casserole . I’ve made this Nigel Slater dish before https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theg ... mn-recipes . You have to scroll down for the recipe , very simple but nice . I normally have roughly mashed carrot and swede with it .

There’s the good old beer butt chicken , which I’ve never cooked myself . I think a dessert using beer would be quite quirky and appealing . Maybe find a cake using Guinness and try subbing it for beer ??

[Binky Profile]

Years ago we were both members of CAMRA (Campaign for real Ale) and there were semi-annual dinners with 'Beer Cuisine'.

These are a few ideas from the BBC, and Chocolate & Guinness Cake could be what you're looking for


https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide ... -cook-beer

[Alexandria Profile]

Karakoolaide,
Some interesting food and beer pairings ..

I prepared this last Winter.

Spanish Chicken with Beer ( Pollo a la Cerveza )

Overnight Marinade:
Beer of choice
Dijon Mustard
Salt to taste
Onion of choice
Garlic in quantity of choice
Smoked La Vera Pimentón Spanish Paprika
( do not cook with this marinade, throw out )

Pre heat Oven and put in an earthenware: ( All new ingredients )
Garlic diced or sliced length wise
Diced and de-seeded and peeled fresh red ripe vine tomatoes
onion of choice finely sliced or shallot or leek
Dijon
Spanish Evoo
The chicken as desired
Pimentón de La Vera
Beer for the liquid ( new )
Salt, freshly grinded black pepper, and if you like some fresh herbs
(use a stand up mixer for the sauce )

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Thank you, Member 461.
I shall take that into account!

[DEB Profile]

I have not cooked this but I have seen it in a number of menus round here and in north France/Belgium
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mussels_1399

Regards

[Stokey Sue Profile]

The only thing I really use beer for in cooking is the beef casserole - carbonnades Flammandes if made with dark Belgian or French beer ( or Newcastle Brown, cheaper and not too heavy, works well). Also quite a bit of mustard - there seems to be an affinity between mustard and beer.

If made with Guinness it becomes Dublin Stew and requires a touch of brown sugar which may be a good tip when cooking brings out the latent bitterness of beer

I haven’t tried the mussels Deb, it’s definitely a thought

[Binky Profile]

Oh, I'd forgotten about carbonnade of beef. Had this for the very first time in France on hols - totally delicious.

[Joanbunting Profile]

I often make carbonara which in the NE UK is Beef barised in ale. In ffact it was the mosy recent main course I made for my chef friends - served. of course, with leek puddn.

I also make Guiness cake and have a couple of recipes
https://www.nigella.com/recipes/chocolate-guinness-cake
https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/occ ... -beer-cake

[Lusciouslush Profile]

You've got most recipes covered there Clive. I used to make a beef in beer stew & also a pulled pork cooked in ale, never tried the beer battered fish tho' - cake made with stout is good - & not forgetting the good ol' Xmas pud….!

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Thanks very much, folks!
The essence for giving a course is that the dishes don´t take tooooo long to cook, so I generally avoid casseroles (even though I could probably pre-cook them).
I didn´t use an IPA, either. I ´ve got a feeling something fishy might go well with that.

[Joanbunting Profile]

I always use beer batter for fish, as well as other things - apart from Scotch Eggs . I use SR flour.

[Lusciouslush Profile]

I just don't like batter coating - at all, & prefer fish simply cooked, I sometimes do a tempura batter, but that's a totally different animal.

[Amyw Profile]

I love a decent batter , sign of a good chippy I think . Nothing worse than a flabby , soggy bit of fish .

I love tempura batter . As part of a fritto Misyo once , I had small batons of courgette served with the fish , along with a really lemony aioli. Perfect sat in the sun with a bottle of Prosecco

[Lusciouslush Profile]

Veg in tempura is d-i-v-i-n-e - I'll bring the Prosecco...….!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

When I worked near Hanover Square many years ago we occasionally used to go to one of the Japanese restaurants for the set lunch - mixed tempura (I think you got either prawn or chicken along with various veg, rice, soup, pickles tes. Yum

[Otterspocket Profile]

Usually just used in traditional beef in ale type stews here , as part of a batter or used in beer cheese. Prefer beer as an accompaniment to food really , have been to a couple of really great beer themed tasting evenings at our local culinary college and my husband brews too

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I'm not really very good at cooking with beer. I cannot balance the flavour, and find my dishes bitter the times I've tried.
Needing to add honey.

However, you can make bread with the trub from a beer. The sediment at the bottom:
Feeding it with flour and water to get a lively starter.





And you're away ................

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Is the Cincianatti beer cheese like a fondue ?

Amy - sorry for the delay in replying. I could have sworn I posted something, but it seems to have vanished into thin air.
Beer cheese is the ultimate student fix. It doesn´t require cooking, so you can just put it together direct from the fridge. Cheddar (or any other yellow cheese), a bit of blue cheese, onion, garlic, Lea & P, a pinch of chile powder, butter, beer - then zap in a processor until it´s fondue-ish. Good with pretzels!
Gill - beer bread sounds right up my street! And when you say " can´t balance the flavour" - that´s precisely what I wanted to try on Thursday. If it can be done with wine, then why not with beer, I thought?

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Good thinking.

By the way, do you think you could make something (up) with ginger beer?
Ginger beer cake.
Or ginger beer tray bake?

I've no recipe or experience, but ginger beer's lovely.