Beery Good
A lot of people have said a lot of things about beer. Benjamin Franklin said “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Someone anonymous said “Beer is the reason I get up every afternoon,” and Homer Simpson simply summed it all up by uttering “Mmmmm, beer.”
Most countries have a national beer, one you may feel obliged to try when visiting foreign shores. These beers (as with wine) always seem to taste best in their country of origin, and attempting to recreate the “feeling” of tropical Bali with a six-pack of Bintang when you get home is invariably disappointing.
Many folk enjoy the process of making their own, and I have witnessed two grown men stand around chatting about beer and the makings of beer for hours, on a perfectly fine day. I recently purchased a book by Sam Cook called The Kiwi Beer-Lovers Cookbook, and tried some of the recipes out before giving it to a beer-lover for his birthday. The recipes are inspiring and easy to follow, from the familiar beer and sausage casserole to the more unusual Afghan cookies with a beer icing.
This recipe for sausage casserole is perfect for when the boys come around to watch the Warriors win yet again.
Sausage Casserole
330ml beer (lager or draught)
10-12 sausages, flavour of your choice
1 tablespoon of oil
1 onion, carrot and celery stalk, peeled and chopped into fine dice
500g small potatoes, peeled, or large potatoes quartered
1 x 420gm tin of chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 beef stock cube
In a large, heavy-based casserole dish heat the oil and add the sausages (you will have to do this in two batches). Fry over a medium heat until browned all over. Remove the sausages and set aside. Into the same casserole dish add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté gently until softened. Add the potatoes. Pour in the beer, tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Crumble in the stock cube and stir through. Season with pepper and cook everything on the stove top for 30 minutes at a low heat, until the potatoes are just cooked through. Now slice the sausages on the diagonal into three or four pieces and add to the casserole dish. Replace the lid and return to a low heat for another 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve in deep bowls with some chopped parsley scattered over the top.
To finish off, and in celebration of another Warriors win, here is a very good brownie recipe. This has a chocolate mudcake texture to it and is suitably rich and dense. Perfect with a strong cup of coffee before the boys head home.
Chocolate Beer Brownies
300ml dark beer at room temperature
1 cup of flour
½ cup of good quality cocoa
pinch of salt
85gm butter
350gm dark chocolate
4 eggs at room temperature
1 cup of brown sugar
Sift together into a bowl the flour, cocoa and salt. Set aside. Into a heavy-bottomed pot place the butter and chocolate. Heat gently to melt. Remove from the heat when smooth and melted. Use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and brown sugar together until thick and creamy; this takes a few minutes. Add the chocolate and butter mixture and fold through. Now fold in the dry ingredients and then gradually add the beer, whisking all the time. The mixture may seem quite thin, but do not worry. Pour into a lined brownie pan and bake for 30-35 minutes at 190º, or until JUST cooked when tested (as with all brownies, this is better slightly gooey than overcooked and dry). Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Slice into squares and keep in the fridge for a fudgy texture, or at room temperature if you prefer a more cakey brownie.
Now, if you have ever been lucky enough to enjoy freshly harvested scallops fried in a beer batter you may have mistakenly thought you were in heaven. This remains one of my most memorable food experiences ever. Despite the tendency for the oil to spit and burn delicate skin when juices from the scallop escape the batter’s protective coating, most of us are happy to risk life or limb, and even skin, just to experience this tasty treat.
Beer Batter for Seafood
140gm flour
3 tablespoons of cooking oil
250 ml lager
salt and freshly ground pepper
oil for frying
Into a mixing bowl sift the flour and salt and pepper. Whisk in the lager and oil until you have a lump-free batter. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. Heat your frying oil in either a deep fryer or a large pan until a small piece of bread starts to sizzle as soon as it is added. Lightly dust the scallops, fish fillets, oysters, or whatever your catch happens to be, with flour. Dip them in batter and rest on the side of the bowl, allowing most of the batter to drip off, then place straight in the oil. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook till the seafood is golden and cooked through. Place onto paper towels while you continue with the next batch. Best eaten with a cold beer.
Fiona Feasey
