Pour a pint in the pot for added flavour
BEER: Stout or ale in meat and potatoes recipe increases richness and depth
There’s a saying in the wine industry that it takes a lot of beer to make good wine. After a long day in the cellar or an evening in the tasting room at the Vancouver International Wine Festival, many folks reach for a brew to quench their thirst and cleanse their palates.
I’m not a beer drinker, but I’ve cooked and baked with it since the 1970s, when I loved making cheddar-beer quick bread with my mother. If you’ve never cooked with beer, you’ll be surprised at the richness it adds to scalloped potatoes and the depth it lends to stews.
The alcohol and beer flavour cook away, so don’t be deterred if you don’t care for the taste of beer.
Beer-Braised Sausages with Potatoes and Irish Beef Stew with Stout are adapted from One Pot: 120+ Easy Meals from Your Skillet, Slow Cooker, Stockpot and More by the Editors of Martha Stewart Living (Potter).
Beer-Baked Scalloped Potatoes
If the crust is browning too quickly, cover with foil. This is a wonderful accompaniment to spicy ribs.
Serves: 8
3 lb (1.3 kg) baking potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1/8-inch (3 mm) thick
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 tbsp (60 mL) flour
1½ cups (375 mL) grated
Swiss cheese (Gruyère or Emmental)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 oz (375 mL) pale ale beer
Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C). Generously butter a 9 by 13 inch (23 by 33 cm) baking dish.
Arrange one third of potato slices in prepared pan, overlapping slightly. Add half the onions, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of flour and season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with ½ cup cheese.
Make a second layer using half the remaining potato and onion and all the remaining flour, plus salt and pepper to taste.
Top with a final layer of potatoes and the remaining ½ cup cheese. Pour the beer over all.
Bake until potatoes are tender and bubbling and the top is golden brown, 1 to 1¼ hours. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Beer-Braised Sausages with Potatoes
Serves: 4
2 tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ lb (700 g) sweet Italian pork-sausage links
1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
12 oz (375 mL) pale ale beer
1 ½ lb (700 g) small red potatoes, halved
2 cups (500 mL) water Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) red-wine vinegar
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh parsley
In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add sausages and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.
Add beer, potatoes, and 2 cups water; season with salt and pepper and press to submerge potatoes in cooking liquid.
Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Transfer sausages to a serving platter and keep warm. In a large bowl, stir together remaining tablespoon oil, vinegar and parsley.
With a slotted spoon, transfer potato mixture to dressing (reserve cooking liquid) and toss to combine. Return pot to high heat and boil cooking liquid until reduced to 1 cup, about 12 minutes.
Add potatoes to serving platter with sausages; drizzle half the reduced sauce over top. Serve sausages and potatoes with remaining cooking liquid on the side.
Irish Beef Stew with Stout
Dark, toasty Irish stout brings an earthiness to this stew.
Serves: 10 4
lb (1.8 kg) beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) cubes
¼ cup (60 mL) all-purpose flour
2 6 oz (170 g) cans tomato paste
2½ lb (1.2 kg) new potatoes, scrubbed
2 medium onions, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
4 cups (1 L) reduced-sodium beef broth
2 cups (500 mL) Irish stout beer, such as Guinness
10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cups (500 mL) frozen baby peas
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). In a 5 quart (5 L) Dutch oven, toss beef with flour; stir in tomato paste. Add potatoes, onions, broth, beer and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Transfer pot to oven and cook, covered, until meat is fork-tender, 2 ½ to 3 hours. Stir in peas, and season with salt and pepper.