Plato once said, perhaps after a zythos or two with his mates in the back bar of The Wooden Horse, “He was a wise man who invented beer.”
Last weekend I was lucky enough to spend a day in the company of many wise men and to sample their inventions at Beervana 2012, the annual celebration and exhibition in Wellington of New Zealand craft beer. These were beers from brewers proud of their craft and passionate about their product; with over 270 beers from the more than 95 breweries represented, the quality and diversity of craft beers is a happy change from the weak and over-sweet stuff that was hosed-out in pubs when I first came to New Zealand in the 60’s. The choice was far too great for me to even think of trying all the brews but those I did taste I am happy to recommend, among them were:
Yeastie Boys – Gunnamatta IPA – an India Pale Ale dry-leafed with Earl Grey Blue Flower tea, giving it a beautiful, if rather unusual, floral quality.
Emerson’s – Bookbinder – a refreshing and oh-so-drinkable ale in the style of the best English bitter, my favourite.
Invercargill Brewery – Pitch Black Boysenberry Stout– a most flavoursome stout sweetened with a 15% addition of boysenberry concentrate.
With the renaissance of quality brewing and with the new styles of beer , there was considerable attention given at Beervana to the suitability of the beers with food, both as a partner and as an ingredient, places previously only held by wine. As with wine, choosing a beer to drink with a dish is often a matter of taste but even so care should be taken that neither the beer nor the food overcomes the other. A quick rule of thumb could be, big meaty flavours are better served with a darker, stronger ale, whereas more delicate, lighter dishes go better with wheat beers or pilsners. For curries, forget the cold wet nothingness of the usual international lagers and try an IPA and with a rich dessert, especially chocolate, a stout could be your answer.
The basics of cooking with beer are more straightforward, if you would normally use a white wine, try a lager or pilsner and for dishes using red, a darker malty beer or stout. I have always used a pale ale for this favourite:
Welsh Rabbit
150g grated Cheddar or similar tasty cheese
4 tbsp pale ale (or IPA – or milk if you don’t like beer but beer is better)
30g butter
1 tsp made mustard (I use Hot English but a seeded mustard is good too)
A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Pepper and salt
2 thick slices of sourdough or other good bread – toasted on both sides
Put the cheese and the beer into a small heavy saucepan and stir over a medium heat until the mix becomes thick and creamy. Stir in the butter, mustard, cayenne and pepper and salt. Check seasoning, then continue to heat until just below boiling. Place the toast slices side-by-side in an oven dish and pour the cheese mix over them. Cook under a hot grill until the cheese bubbles and browns. Serve at once with a glass of the same beer; ideal for supper or with a salad for a light lunch. Serves 2.
Try this one with crackers, corn chips or carrot and celery sticks next time you are watching the match with a nice beer:
Perky Cheddar Cream
350g grated tasty cheese
2/3 cup pale ale or lager (if you use lager choose one with some flavour)
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tbsp homemade or other good mayonnaise
3/4 tsp caraway seeds
3 tinned or pickled jalapeño chillies (drained and dried)
In a food processor blitz the cheese, beer, sour cream, mayonnaise and seeds to a smooth cream then pour into a bowl. Finely chop the chillies and stir them into the cheese mix. Serve as a dip. Makes about 2 cups
Any thoughts about cooking with beer would have to include probably the best known example, the wonderfully hearty Belgian beef stew, Carbonnade (or Carbonade) Flamande.
Carbonnade Flamande
1.25kg gravy beef (or brisket, stewing steak etc.)
330ml stout or other dark beer (Guinness is ideal)
4 cloves garlic – crushed
3 bay leaves (if they are fresh, just screw them up before using)
½ cup seasoned plain flour
4 tbsp olive oil
250g streaky bacon – chopped
1 leek – sliced
2 medium onions – roughly chopped
2 carrots – sliced
½ tin chopped tomatoes – and their juice
1½ cups beef stock
½ tsp crushed peppercorns
A bouquet of thyme, parsley and bay
Chopped parsley for garnish
Marinate the beef with the garlic and bay leaves overnight.
Preheat the oven to 140˚C.
Remove the beef from the marinade, reserving the liquid, and dry with kitchen paper. Toss the meat in the seasoned flour, removing any excess.
In a heavy flameproof casserole heat the olive oil then fry the beef in batches until browned all over. Add a little more oil if required. Remove the beef to a plate.
Reduce the heat and in the same casserole fry the bacon until crisp then remove and keep with the beef.
In the casserole cook the leek, onions and carrots until they start to brown then stir in the tomatoes and continue to cook for another minute or so.
Return the beef and bacon to the pot and pour in the reserved marinade. Bring to a boil and scrape off any crusty bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock and the herbs and pepper; check the seasoning then return the pot to a boil, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for about 2 hours or until the beef is tender. Adjust the seasoning, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve with egg noodles or mashed or jacket potatoes and simply steamed greens like silver beet, cabbage or spinach. Serves 4.
With Father’s Day looming large I have a couple of suggestions for a beer-drinking and foodie dad’s present list. The first is “Beer Nation” Michael Donaldson’s very enjoyable history of beer and brewing in NZ and for the gastro-dad “Wild Kitchens” by Kerry R. Tyack, the best of Monteith’s Beer and Wild Food Challenge full of wanna-cook recipes. Neither will break the bank and both are super reads.
So, I’m off for a brew or two and leave you with the words of another famous ancient, Julius Caesar, who said, “Beer…a high and mighty liquor…”
Beer Nation by Michael Donaldson
Published by Penguin Group (NZ)
RRP $44.99 paperback
Monteith’s Wild Kitchens
by Kerry R. Tyack
Published by HarperCollins
RRP $44.99 paperback