Beer for Dinner

312 Beer Cheese Soup w/ Brie, Chorizo and Manchego

• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 2 fennel bulbs, chopped
• 2 cups of thinly sliced celery
• 6 pack of 312 Beer (2 bottles for the soup and the other 4 for you!)
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon of ground coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper
• 4 tablespoons of flour
• 1 pound of cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 pound of brie cheese, sliced (leave the rind on)
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 8 cups water or stock
• Mexican-style chorizo, cooked and drained very well (or Soyrizo)
• Shredded manchego cheese

Heat oil and butter in a large stock pot. Add the onion, celery, fennel, cumin, coriander and crushed red pepper. Sautee on medium heat and stir frequently until everything is caramelized, which should take about 10-15 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 2 more minutes while stirring constantly. Add the beer! Stir and scrape the bottom of the stockpot to deglaze the pan (all that stuck-on stuff is really flavorful and you want in the soup, not stuck to the pan). Add the water/stock and bring everything to a light boil. Add the cheddar and brie cheese and stir to combine. Lower the heat to a low simmer and cover the pot. Cook the soup for one to two hours on low heat and stir occasionally to blend the melted cheese into the broth.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a bit of chorizo and shredded manchego cheese.

Thanks to Gaper's Block

Labels: brie, butter, cayenne, celery, cheddar, cheese, chorizo, cumin, fennel, flour, oliveoil, onions, soup, stock

Posted by Steve at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 300g (2 cups) plain flour
• 1 375ml btl lager beer
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 500g cooked school prawns, peeled
• 2 baby (about 300g) fennel bulbs, tough outer leaves removed, halved, thinly sliced crossways
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh continental parsley leaves
• 1 red onion, halved, each half cut into 6 wedges
• 2 egg whites
• 100ml (5 tbs) olive oil

wholegrain mustard mayonnaise

• 2 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 185ml (3/4 cup) olive oil

To make the wholegrain mustard mayonnaise, place the egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender. With the motor running, gradually add the oil in a thin, steady stream until the mixture is thick and pale. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until required.

Sift the flour into a medium bowl and make a well in the centre. Whisk together the beer and eggs in a jug. Add to the flour and use a wooden spoon to stir until just combined. Add the prawns, fennel, parsley and onion, and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Use an electric beater to beat the egg whites in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Use a large metal spoon to fold half the egg whites into the prawn mixture until just combined. Repeat with remaining egg whites.

Heat 1 tbs of the oil in large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter into pan, cooking 3 fritters at a time, and cook for 3 minutes or until golden underneath. Turn and cook for a further 1 minute or until golden underneath. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and batter in 4 more batches (with only 2 fritters in the last batch).

Serve immediately with the mayonnaise.

Thanks to Taste.com

Labels: eggs, fennel, flour, fry, oliveoil, onion, parsley, prawns

Posted by Steve at 6:45 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Buy fresh mussels that do not smell fishy and have tightly closed shells. If you are not cooking the live mussels immediately, remove them from their plastic bag (if they’re in one), place in an ice-filled bowl, cover with a damp towel, and keep refrigerated. Just be sure to use them within one or two days of purchase.

Just prior to cooking the mussels, clean them by scrubbing the shells and de-bearding them. Debeard each mussel by grabbing the thread, or beard, that runs along the side of the shell and pulling it toward the hinge of its shell until it is removed.

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 medium fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups light Belgian-style ale (such as Duvel)
• 2 pounds live mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. When it foams, add the onion and fennel, and sweat until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper, and cook another 2 minutes.
Add the ale and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Add the mussels and lower the heat to medium. Cover pan with a large lid or plate and let simmer, shaking the pan occasionally, until the mussels begin to open, about 5 minutes.
As the mussels open, remove them to a serving platter with a slotted spoon. Discard any mussels that do not open after 10 minutes. Stir the lemon zest and cream into the mussels’ cooking liquid, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, or until broth is slightly thickened.
Pour the creamy broth and vegetables over the mussels and serve with crusty bread.

Serves 6

Thanks to GlassMoose

Labels: butter, cream, fennel, lemon, mussels, onions

Posted by Steve at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post