Cooking with Beer
Who says you can’t have beer for dinner—or dessert?
Though this soup is simple, its flavors are surprisingly complex. The beer and the well-toasted bread add bitterness, while the cream balances them. Don’t forget freshly grated nutmeg; it adds to the flavor. Followed by cheese (a good cheddar, perhaps) and a salad, it makes a light dinner.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 4 Person(s)
- 4 cups beef stock, preferably homemade
- 1 cup amber beer
- ⅔ cup whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon dark rye flour
- Sea salt
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- Nutmeg, freshly ground
- 4 slices country-style sourdough bread, well toasted
Instructions
Pour the beef stock, beer and cream into a saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Sprinkle over the rye flour and then whisk it in. Season the soup well with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, whisking occasionally. Do not allow the soup to boil.
Place a slice of toasted bread in each soup bowl, check the seasoning of the soup, then ladle the soup over the toast and finish with a touch more nutmeg.
From Bitter: A Taste of the World’s Most Dangerous Flavor, with Recipes, Ten Speed Press, September 2014. Material used with permission.
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