Belgian ale

Beer Poached Pears with Chocolate Stout Fudge Sauce and Moose Munch Crumble

25.04.2014 6 Comments

One of the perks of blogging is the invitations for the behind the scenes tours of places you’d never be allowed in otherwise, to fully indulge the Food Geek in all of us in the how it’s made process that thrills and fascinates those of that have dedicated our loves to internet food. The vast majority of these invites I turn down. The ones I accept are only from companies I can get behind.

Harry & David is a fantastic Pacific Northwest company. Although I choose to highlight their pears and Moose Munch, they’re so much more. They even have a well stocked bottle shop section of their Harry & Davids company store in Medford Oregon, I picked up a bottle of Alameda My Bloody Valentine and Walkabout Jabberwocky Ale. I was also amazed that this company that does such large volumes or candy, fruit, wine and gifts was run by a small and dedicated team. They all seemed to know each other, support each other and value the quality of their products. It’s exactly the type of company I want to support. Plus there is talk of beer cheese dip and beer bread mixes making their way into the Harry and David baskets, something I’m definitely keeping an eye out for.

Until then, I’ve poached some pears in beer and smothered them with beer chocolate sauce and topped it with some of that famous Moose Munch for a little texture.

Beer Poached Pears with Chocolate Stout Fudge Sauce and Moose Munch Crumble

Print Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups beer*
1 cup sugar plus 1/3 cup, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp whole cloves
2 large Comice pears peeled
hot water
¼ cup chocolate stout
3 tbs corn syrup
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 cup Moose Munch caramel corn rough chopped

Instructions

In a large pot over medium high heat add the beer, 1 cup sugar, vanilla, cloves. Bring to a simmer. Add the pears and enough hot water so that pears float. Cook until the pears are fork tender, 15-20 minutes.
In a separate pot add the chocolate stout, corn syrup, remaining 1/3 cup sugar and cocoa powder, bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 8 minutes.
Drain the pears and add to small bowls. Drizzle with chocolate sauce, sprinkle with chopped Moose Munch.

Notes

*For the poaching liquid you want a malty beer, but not a dark beer (dark beers may change the color of the pears). Look for a Belgian ale, brown ale or amber ale.
*You can also use regular caramel corn in place of Moose Munch.

Harry & David paid all the expenses for the trip , but this post was not sponsored or expected.

All opinions are my own.

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Other blogger’s posts:

Reluctant Entertainer

Crazy for Crust

HeatherChristo

Coconut Curry Belgian Ale Chicken

31.03.2014 16 Comments

This blog has always been about pushing craft beer forward. The importance of the flavors that come with good beer, and how to explore those in a new way. From the beginning you got that and you stood next to me, exposing people to craft beer through food by sharing the recipes I’ve posted.

And today, we got a win. Just hours ago Saveur, a leader in field of culinary exploration, announced the finalist for the Best Food Blog Awards. Out of the 1.3 million food blogs world wide, The Beeroness was nominated along with just 5 others as one of the Best Original Recipe Blogs.

That’s us. You, me, good food and great beer. It’s a huge step when it comes to showing the world how important good beer is. It’s a huge indicator that "cooking with beer" is no longer seen as beer can chicken made with a pale macro lager. It’s important flavors and practical applications. It’s us pushing beer onto the same playing field as wine.

Let’s show people that craft beer is a culinary force to be reckoned with.

Vote for The Beeroness for The Best Original Recipes in the Saveur Food Blog Awards. It takes about a minute to register before you can vote. It’s a vote for craft beer, and what it does to food. It’s a way to show people who dynamic beer can be.

Coconut Curry Belgian Ale Chicken

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 tbs olive oil
½ cup chopped white onions
4 large bonesless skinless chicken thighs cut into small cubes
½ cup Belgian ale
13.5 fl oz coconut milk
3 tbs thai red curry paste
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs lime juice
pinch cayenne pepper
¼ cup cilantro chopped
3 tbs roasted peanuts chopped
Rice or Rice noodles for serving

Instructions

In a large skillet or wok heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft and slightly brown, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken, cooking until browned on all sides.
Add the beer, scraping to deglaze the pan.
Lower the heat, add the coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, lime juice and cayenne pepper. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Serve over rice or rice noodles, garnish with cilantro and peanuts just prior to serving.

Rosemary Beer Biscuits with Stout Sausage Gravy

25.11.2013 17 Comments

Let’s pretend for a second that you’ve never had biscuits and gravy.

Like you’ve never sat in good company at a crappy diner in a small town eating sub par biscuits and gravy washing it down with shitty coffee like it’s the best breakfast you’ve ever had. Like you’ve never had someones grandma make them for you so early in the morning you could hardly keep your eyes open. Like you’ve never delayed the start of day two of a road trip just so that you could have a plate of southern comfort food from that place your friend once told you about.

But we can’t do that. Because there is something about that combination of simple ingredients, done just right, that stays with us forever. The way the perfect song pouring out your car windows as you drive down a softly worn country road on a summer afternoon makes you feel like everything’s right in the world.

The food that stays with us, that comforts us, reminds us of home, is almost always simple food. It’s these dishes that are worth making, and remaking, over and over, making small adjustments that no one but us really notices, because dishes like this stay with us.

Rosemary Beer Biscuits with Stout Sausage Gravy

Print Recipe

Servings 6 -8 servings

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
8 tbs unsalted cold butter cut into cubes
1/2 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup Belgian ale or wheat beer
2 tbs melted butter
¼ tsp course sea salt

For the gravy:

1 lb pork sausage raw, without casing
¼ cup finely chopped white onion
1 tbs butter
6 tbs flour
3 cups whole milk
1 cup stout
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Optional

4 large eggs fried

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.
In a processor add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and rosemary.
Pulse to combine. Add the cold butter, process until well combined. Add to a large bowl.
Add the buttermilk and beer. Mix with a fork until just combined.
Add to a well-floured flat surface, pat into a rectangle. Using a cold rolling pin (preferably marble) gently roll into a large rectangle, about 1 inch in thickness, using as few strokes as possible.
Fold the dough into thirds as you would a letter about to go into an envelope. Roll lightly, once in each direction to about 1 inch thickness, fold in thirds again. Gently roll into about 1 1/2 inch thickness (this will give you the flakey layers).
Using a biscuit cutter cut out 6 to 8 biscuits. Place in a baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Brush biscuits with melted butter, sprinkle salt.
Bake at 400 for 12 to 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
To make the gravy add the sausage to a pan over medium high heat. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned. Add the onions and butter, stirring and cooking until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour. Whisk until flour is well combined. Cook until flour has browned. Add the milk, stout, Worcestershire, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Cook until thickened, about 8 minutes.
Top the biscuits with gravy and fried eggs, if desired.

A HUGE Thank You to my Facebook Fans who suggested I work on a Beer Biscuits and Gravy recipe. You guys are always an inspiration.

Orange Brewlius

21.11.2013 9 Comments

Can I be dramatic for a second?

And not in that I Almost Died in Morocco story kind of way, this is more the twisted inner workings of Jackie kind of way. It’ll only take a second.

I sleep about as well as homeless prostitute (that’s bad, by the way). If I can fall asleep, it’s never for very long. Sleep is as evasive as a greased pig at the county fair, if I can catch it, it’s slips away from me pretty easily. Most of this is due to my crazy brain waking me up with dreams like this, or for unnecessary demands and insignificant request.

-You have to send that W9!

-Shut up and go to sleep. I’ll do it in the morning.

–The trademark hasn’t gone through yet!

–I want to beat you. Shut your hole. there is nothing I can do about right now.

It happens every night, all night long. Sometimes Crazy Brain has recipe requests, and they are always bizarre.

-You have to make a chocolate bread pudding tart!

-Are you carb deficient? Go the EFF to sleep.

–Beer cheese tater tot nachos!!

-Are you high?

But occasionally it’s really on to something. Like a few nights ago when I was rudely awakened from a sound sleep with the request for a beerified mall walkers treat.

–ORANGE BREWLIUS!

-SHUT– oh, wait. I like that. Remind me of that at a more appropriate hour.

So here I am, to inflict on you the spoils of my horrible and erratic sleep in an attempt to put my crazy mind at rest. Or maybe I’m just reinforcing bad behavior, either way, this was delicious. I used Ommegang Abbey Ale, a great beer that would actually do well to pair with your Thanksgiving dinner. Although I decided to sully it in a copy cat recipe of a large chain smoothie maker.

I hope the head brewer forgives me.

Orange Brewlius

Print Recipe

Ingredients

7 fl oz orange juice
½ cup Belgian ale
2 tbs heavy cream
2 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Pour the orange juice into ice cube trays. Place in the freezer until frozen, about 2 hours.
Put the orange juice ice cubes and the remaining ingredients in a blender.
Blend until frothy.
Enjoy.