On the hop

Whether in a crisp batter, a rich stew or even a chocolate cake, beer can be a winning ingredient, writes Dan Stock

MOST of us know the pleasures of cooking with wine – and not just sipping a glass of something while standing at the stove.

We know adding a good glug of cabernet to bolognaise will make it beaut, or that a splash of sauv will make seafood sing. We’re comfortable with using liqueurs in dessert and sherry in soup and grabbing a bottle of something good to use in a stew.

But beer? For many home cooks, that’s the final frontier.

Today, thanks to a growing craft brewing scene, beer can be as complex a beverage as wine. It can be as nuanced as a pinot noir, or as bold as a big cabernet; it can be sweet or bitter or sour or crisp. From a zippy pale ale to a sleepy stout, beer has many moods which can suit many dishes – both in the pan or served with it.

WHY COOK WITH BEER?

Beer can add richness to savoury dishes, or a nutty sweetness to desserts. As the range of beer styles is so broad, so, too, are the types of dishes it can be used in.

Taste.com.au beer writer Mike Gribble says beer can make for a surprising ingredient that can be substituted where water is called for. “But, like cooking with wine, you should use the beer you like to drink because it’s all about building up flavour,” Mike says.

WHAT BEERS TO USE?

Mike says the most popular cooking beers are ales, with their warm-fermented yeast and bolder profile of grains and hops for bigger flavours, but that using lagers is fine, too.

“A sparkling ale such as Coopers is great for plategrilling fish on the barbecue, with constant basting and a little seasoning,” he says.

BATTER UP

Chef Donovan Cooke is a covert of the classic beerbattered fish. “The batter helps the fish steam inside, so it’s lovely and juicy and not overcooked,” he says.

“I use a full strength beer with a light colour, Cascade pale, or if I’m feeling extravagant, something like Stella (Artois) or Asahi. It gives a nice golden colour to the batter, with a rich beer flavour.”

Donovan also uses fresh yeast in his batter. “It makes a really airy, crispy batter that appears to be quite thick, but it’s not, which also enhances the flavour of the beer,” he says.

STEW ON IT

A steak and Guinness pie is another classic dish that takes beer as a hero ingredient.

Donovan takes it a step further, using Ireland’s national drink to braise beef cheeks.

“It’s like making a red winebraised beef dish, but substitutes the red wine for Guinness, which has a quite malty and hoppy flavour,” he says.