Cooking With Beer

 Here are two recipes to try...

Fontina Spaetzle and Beer-Cheese Recipe

Active preparation time: 40 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Serves: 2–3

Spaetzle
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp white pepper
½ tsp salt
¼ cup (2 fl oz/59 ml) milk
2 eggs
2 Tbs (1 fl oz/30 ml) olive oil
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, nutmeg, and pepper. Mix well. In a separate bowl, beat the milk and eggs together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Bring to boil a gallon (3.78 l) of lightly salted water. Working in batches, with a rubber spatula, push the dough through an inverted flat cheese grater or colander with large holes into the boiling water. With a slotted spoon, scoop out the spaetzle when it floats to the top. Drop it into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the water from the spaetzle, then toss the spaetzle in the olive oil (just as you would for pasta) to hold while you make the sauce.

Cheese Sauce
½ lb (227 g) Fontina cheese
1 Tbs cornstarch
1 cup (8 fl oz/237 ml) Belgian ale
1 Tbs butter
Cube the cheese and toss it with the cornstarch. In a small saucepan, bring the beer to a simmer and add the butter. Turn off the heat and add the cheese to the beer stirring constantly until it comes together. Place the mixture in a blender and puree until it is creamy smooth.

2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs parsley, chopped
½ tsp lemon juice (or to taste)
Toasted breadcrumbs
In a nonstick or well-seasoned pan, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the spaetzle and sauté until it is golden brown. Combine the spaetzle and cheese sauce. Stir in the chopped parsley and lemon juice, if desired. Garnish with toasted breadcrumbs.

Beer suggestions: Balance the intense flavor of the cheese with a Belgian (or Belgian-style)

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Irish Stout Onion Soup Recipe

Active preparation time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

2 large white onions
4 Tbs (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs fresh thyme, chopped
1½ cup (12 fl oz/355 ml) dry Irish stout
1 qt (32 fl oz/946 ml) unsalted beef broth
Kosher salt
Black pepper

4 thick slices of sourdough or French bread
8 slices of Gruyère cheese

Peel and slice the onions into 1/8-inch (3-mm) slices (a julienne cut). In a large heavy-bottom pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook slowly for 25–30 minutes, stirring often until they reach a dark caramel color. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and thyme to the pan. Add the beer to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the beef broth and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat the broiler to high. Arrange four ovenproof soup bowls on a sheet pan. Ladle the soup into the bowls. Lay a slice of bread on top of each bowl of soup. Top evenly with the cheese. Place the sheet pan carefully under the broiler. Broil until bubbling and browned.

Beer Suggestions: Sweet Stout