Don’t settle for the same old boring spread this holiday season. Let BeerAdvocate (BA) help you liven things up by bringing beer to the dinner table with the following beer & food recipes + pairings!
Just in time of the holiday season, we’ve decided to post this month’s Cuisine à la Bière by Sean Z. Paxton, as featured in the November issue of BA mag. Simply print this page, go shopping, get cookin’, and enjoy!
To receive beer & food recipes like this on a monthly basis, subscribe to BA magazine; the only monthly magazine of its kind! Hopefully this teaser is the push you need to subscribe today …
Additionally, checkout this classic BA article if you’re looking for beer pairing tips:
Celebrating with BEER this Holiday Season
http://beeradvocate.com/articles/240
Interested in what other BAs are cookin’ up with beer? Visit our Beer & Food group:
http://beeradvocate.com/forum/list/3
And remember that turkey isn’t just for Thanksgiving. You can enjoy these recipes on X-mas, New Years, or throughout the year during any festive occasion, and you can pair beer with any meal; yes, even breakfast.
Cheers, grab a brew with that food, and happy holidays!
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Give That Turkey a Brew!
By Sean Z. Paxton, from BeerAdvocate magazine (Nov 2007)
Are you tired of dry turkey? Is the canned cranberry sauce not what it used to be? Bored with the store-bought cheesecake? Well then, keep reading. Here are some updated classic recipes, perfect for the homebrewer, beer connoisseur and everyday foodie.
Beer-Injected Turkey
Outside of the occasional turkey and avocado on sourdough, how often do you have turkey, let alone cook a whole one? Just once a year—so do it right! Here are two different cooking techniques to ensure a succulent bird for your holiday centerpiece.
Ingredients
1 Turkey, fried (10–12 pounds) or roast (14–16 pounds)
12 oz. Oktoberfest or Märzen
1 Syringe
1 dash Sea salt and black pepper
Deep-Fried Turkey Ingredients
5 gal. Peanut oil
40+ qt. Heavy duty pot
1 Propane burner and tank
Roasted Turkey Ingredients
1 Roasting pan
1 bunch Thyme
1 Yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 head Garlic, cut in half
Turkey Prep
Place the turkey in the sink and remove from plastic wrap. With cold water running, rinse the inside and outside of the bird well, removing the neck and giblets (reserving for the stock or gravy). Once clean, dry the turkey thoroughly. This is very important, as the drier the bird is the better the skin will be in roasting, and also safer when frying. Place the turkey into a large bowl. Fill the syringe with your beer of choice (Märzen flavors help bring out the natural flavors of the turkey). Locate the center of the right breast, poke the needle through the skin and into the meat and start injecting the bird. Pull the needle from the meat, but keep using the same hole and change direction of the needle and inject again. Do this same procedure 4–5 times on each breast. Repeat this process on each leg and thigh. Season cavity and exterior with salt and pepper. Let turkey marinate for 2–4 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.
Directions for Deep-Fried Turkey
When deep frying a turkey, to make sure that it cooks evenly the size of the bird should not be more than 14 pounds, anything larger will overcook on the outside, while the inside will not be fully cooked—and could be a safety hazard with the oil displacement.
Fill a large 40-quart (or more) brew pot with peanut oil. Place on a propane burner outside, on level and preferably concrete ground away from the house or anything flammable. Bring the temperature up to 375°F.
Remember safety: Wear a long-sleeved shirt, closed-toe shoes, pants and gloves—hot oil splatters! Using a metal coat hanger or twine, make a large loop and create a hook to insert into the turkey so it can be easily removed from the hot oil. Using a rolling pin, wooden dowel or similar, dip the turkey into the hot oil like a tea bag. This will help eliminate water from the bird and prevent the turkey’s moisture from creating excessive and hazardous steam.
This may take 4–8 dunks, before you can fully submerge the turkey. The turkey will take 3–4 minutes per pound. Continually monitor the temperature of the oil and hold above 350° until the internal temperature of the turkey is 170°. This should take about 38–45 minutes. Remove from the oil and let rest 15 minutes before carving.
Directions for Roasting Turkey
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place the prepped turkey in the roasting pan, stuffing the cavity with thyme, onion and garlic. Place the turkey in the center of the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 325° and continue to cook until the internal temperature is 170° in the breast, about 3 ½ to 4 hours for a 14–16 pound turkey. Baste the bird periodically with any juices in the pan, checking to see if the skin gets too dark. Once a golden hue is reached, tent the bird with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
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Cranberry Wit Sauce
A traditional side dish with a twist.
Ingredients
2 Blood oranges, zested and sliced into rings
2 cups Witbier*
1/2 cup Belgian clear rock candy sugar, or regular sugar
2 tsp. Ground coriander
1 pinch Sea salt
1/2 cup Orange blossom honey
12 oz. Cranberries, fresh (1 bag)
Directions
In a large saucepan, add oranges (giving a good twist to release the juice), Witbier, rock candy, coriander and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring about 4 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the sliced citrus, and add the honey, orange zest and cranberries; reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. The sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance.
* For beer, use a local Wit or Double Wit from South Hampton brewery, if you don’t have a homebrew Witbier available.
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Vienna Lager Wild Mushroom Gravy
Wild mushrooms not only add texture and flavor, but give this gravy an earthiness that complements any turkey dinner.
Ingredients
4 oz. Unsalted butter
2 Shallots, peeled and diced
2 lb. Mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced or quartered: cremini, button, chanterelle, oyster, black trumpets, morel, puffballs, portobello, porcini
12 oz. Vienna lager
2 qt. Stock, chicken, turkey or mushroom, preferably homemade
1 dash Sea salt and pepper
Directions
Prep and clean all the mushrooms, using a wet paper towel to help remove any of the dirt, pine needles or other debris. In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, add butter. Once melted, add the shallots and sauté for 2–3 minutes. Add mixed mushrooms, a pinch of salt and sauté for 8–10 minutes or until the mushrooms have released their liquid and start to caramelize. Deglaze the pan with the Vienna, stirring until the beer has reduced by half. Then add stock, bring to a boil, turn heat down to a simmer and cook until reduced to 3 cups, approximately 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
You may also use a mixture of dried mushrooms. Prior to use, dehydrate in stock to help add flavor, leaving behind any dirt or sand in the bottom of the container
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Pumpkin Barley Risotto
Made with Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws
Instead of the classic stuffing, here is a recipe that brings brewer’s ingredients to the dinner table. Using barley will add flavors of caramel, toffee and a light sweetness to the finished risotto dish. Serves 10–12.
Ingredients
1/2 cup Unsalted butter
1 cup Shallots, peeled and chopped
1 Leek, white and light green part only
1 Small pumpkin*, about 2 1/2 pounds, peeled, seeded
3 Tbsp. Fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup Sage leaves, chiffonade
2 cups Pearl barley
12 oz. Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws 2006
2 qt. Chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
1/2 cup 60° lovibond crystal malt, ground to a powder in a coffee grinder
1/2 cup Dry Jack cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. Sage honey, optional (if risotto is too bitter)
1 dash Sea salt and black pepper
Directions
In a 12-quart stock pot over medium heat, melt butter until it starts to foam, then add shallots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the shallots are transparent. Add leeks and season with a good pinch of salt. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add pumpkin (cut into half-inch cubes) and cook for another 5 minutes. Add sage, thyme, pearl barley, 1 teaspoon salt and mix well, coating the barley with the butter and toasting for 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the Doggie Claws, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then top off with 8 cups of stock. Turn heat to low once a boil has been reached. Stir every 3–5 minutes, to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. After 15 minutes, add crystal malt and cook for another 25–30 minutes, until the barley is al dente. Turn heat off, mixing in Dry Jack, butter and parsley. Cover with a lid and let sit for 5 minutes, to absorb any remaining liquids. Taste the risotto; if the bitterness is too strong, add a tablespoon of honey, adjust seasonings and serve. Garnish with sage leaves.
* Butternut or Acorn squash can be substituted for Pumpkin.
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Holiday Ale Cheesecake with Barley Malt Crust
This recipe is very versatile—substituting a Kriek, Belgian Strong Dark, Grand Cru or Russian Imperial Stout for the Holiday Ale will give excellent results. Makes 10 Servings.
Crust Ingredients
3/4 cup Maris Otter pale malt*
1/2 cup Melanoidin malt 30L*
1/2 cup Munich malt*
1/4 cup Honey malt*
1/2 cup Dried malt extract*, pale (DME)
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
7 Tbsp. Unsalted butter, melted
Filling Ingredients
12 oz. Holiday Ale, homebrew or commercial
16 oz. Cream cheese (two 8 OZ. packages)
16 oz. Mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Dried Malt Extract*, pale (DME)
5 L arge eggs
1 tsp. Bourbon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. Salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
For crust: To gather ingredients for the crust, go to your local homebrew store just as you would for a beer recipe. Once all the malts are measured out, have them ground fine in the shop mill, or use a coffee grinder and grind each grain separately at home. Add the ground malt to the bowl of a food processor, adding Dried Malt Extract, sugar and salt. With the motor running, drizzle the melted butter in until the mixture comes together, resembling a graham cracker crust. If the malts above are not available, substitute 2 cups of barley flour. Take the crust mixture and add it to a 9-inch springform pan. Using the tips of your fingers, evenly press crust into the bottom of the pan. Bake in the center of your oven for 13–15 minutes, or until the crust is light golden in color. Remove and set on a wire rack. Wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan in 1 piece of aluminum foil.
Lower oven temperature to 325°F.
For Filling: In a medium-size pot, add Holiday Ale and cook over low heat until reduced to 4 ounces. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add room temperature cream cheese and mascarpone cheese (adding cheeses at room temperature helps eliminate lumps and makes for a smoother filling), sugar and DME. Whip until smooth, scraping down the sides to make sure mixture is evenly blended. Add one egg at a time, mixing well between each addition. Next add vanilla and salt. Pour half of the filling into the pre-cooked crust. Add beer reduction to the remaining filling and mix well. Pour the remaining beer filling in a spiral pattern, using a knife to further marble the filling. Place the foil-wrapped pan into a large roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot water three-quarters up the side of the cheesecake pan. Place in the center of the oven and cook for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the cheesecake is light golden on top and the filling has set. Remove pan from the water bath, cool for 1 hour on the counter, then another 3–4 hours in the refrigerator to fully cool and completely set.
* Available at most homebrew stores or online.
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Copyright 2007 BeerAdvocate. All rights reserved. Do not reprint w/o permission. Illustration by Meg Hunt.
Todd
Founder & Chief Executive Advocate
BeerAdvocate
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