THINK OUTSIDE THE GLASS
Beer jazzes up any recipe
BY KENDALL FI ELDS
B
eer — it’s bubbly, it’s refreshing, it’s hoppy. And if you ditch the glass, beer becomes much
more than a beverage. You can have your beer and eat it, too.
Beer has been used in cooking for as long as wine. In fact, ancient Egyptian physicians
encouraged cooking with beer for increased health. Beer jazzes up any recipe, creating
complex flavors. Hops’ bitterness is a great complement to sweeter vegetables or desserts.
Darker beers offer a roasted flavor that’s delicious in chocolaty dishes. And beer’s efferves-
cence makes it the perfect addition to batters.
There are hundreds of ways to use beer where a glass isn’t necessary — unless, of
course, you want to drink some on the sid e. There’s beer-battered fish, beer-cheese soup,
beer barbecue and beer bread. Beer can even be used in desserts.
Brewmaster Matt Van Wyk at Oakshire Brewery urges beginning beer chefs to
“experiment by adding small amounts of beer in places where liquid was
used. Then, think about ‘flavor hooks,’” Van Wyk says. “A lighter
beer with citrus notes goes in a sauce for fish. Use a roasty,
malty ale in a barbecue sauce. Use a Belgian cherry ale
reduction on roasted pork or a rich imperial stout in a
chocolate sauce for bread pudding.”
Oakshire’s Espresso Stout could work perfectly in the fol-
lowing recipe:
CHOCOLATE STOUT CAKE
Cake
• 2 cups stout of your choosing
(a chocolate stout, like Rogue’s works well)
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
(Dutch-process is best)
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1-1/3 cups sour cream
Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter three 8-inch
round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with
parchment paper; butter paper. Bring stout and
butter to simmer over medium heat in large
saucepan. Add cocoa powder and whisk until
mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in
large bowl until blended. Using electric mixer,
beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl
until blended. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg
mixture and beat just until combined. Add flour
mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. With a
spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
Divide batter equally among pans. Bake cakes
until tester inserted into center of cakes comes
out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to
rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack
and cool completely.
Icing
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
Bring cream to simmer in medium saucepan.
Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and
whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until
icing is spreadable, stirring frequently (about two
hours).
Place one cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup
icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3
cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread
remaining icing over top and sides of cake.
Slice and enjoy with a glass of red wine or
even some leftover stout. ■
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