One does not normally think of beer in connection with duck but since I had the remains of a five liter mini keg of Newcastle Brown Ale I thought it worth investigating. The combination, it turns out, is not uncommon in Chinese cooking. But surprisingly I also found it at a Web site specializing in Italian fare from which I adapted this recipe. However, in place of the spinach in the original I served the duck with a wild rice pilaf and pureed rutabaga—recipes follow. Oh, and don’t forget a glass of the beer.
Note: to get dinner to come out at the same time, get the rice into the oven first, then put the rutabagas to boil, and finally cook the duck.
2 duck breasts
Beer
Salt and pepper
Flour (rice flour for gluten-free)
Duck stock
Score the skin as indicated in the master recipe and immerse the breasts in beer. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to overnight. Remove from the marinade, pat dry with paper towels, and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook as in master recipe.
While the duck breasts are resting prepare the gravy. Pour all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet (save for another use). Over medium heat stir in the flour and combine to make a roux. Cook gently for about 2 minutes then add ½ cup of beer. Deglaze the pan as the alcohol boils out of the beer. Stir about ½ cup of duck stock and bring to a boil to thicken. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add a bit more stock if needed to make a light gravy.
¾ cup wild rice
½ carrot
2 or 3 shallots
2 or 3 mushrooms
1 tablespoon duck fat or oil
1½ cups duck stock
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 325°F. Rinse the rice in cold water and set aside to soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Cut the carrot and shallots into brunoise, i.e. ⅛-inch (3 mm) cubes. Slice the mushrooms thinly.
Heat the duck fat in a heavy, oven-proof pot with a tightly-fitting lid. Sweat the carrots and shallots until soft but not browned. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle with a bit of salt, and sauté until soft and lightly browned. Drain the rice and add to the pot along with the stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and bake in the oven for about 40 to 45 minutes. Season and fluff with a fork before serving.
1 rutabaga
Duck fat or butter
Salt and pepper
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Peel and cube the rutabaga. Boil until pierced easily with a small knife, about 30 minutes. Drain, add about a tablespoon of the fat rendered from the cooking breasts, and mash smoothly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
For me, nothing is better with Indian food that a cold Indian lager. Unfortunately Indian beers can be difficult to find in the US. My local Wegman’s had nary a one. I was about to give up when it occurred to me that Jamaica has a large Indian population. Sure enough, Jamaican Red Stripe lager, which is easy to find, was perfect with the Indian dinner I made. Try it.
At the risk of offending my Irish-American friends, I find that the broth usually served with corned beef and cabbage to be rather uninspired. But I love corned beef so I cast about for a more interesting way to prepare it. I found quite a few recipes for corned beef braised in a variety of liquids from plain water to Irish whiskey. Beer, however, seemed like the most natural fit. I am certain that some will suggest that one should use Irish stout but I suggest a lager because I think stout would make the broth too sweet. In this recipe I cooked some potatoes, onions, and carrots in the braising liquid to serve with the corned beef but you could certainly add some cabbage if you like. Or, if you planning to do something else with the corned beef like make hash or Rubens, just omit the vegetables altogether. And be sure to save any leftover braising liquid—just freeze it and thaw the next time you cook corned beef. Once you have made corned beef this way you will never go back to boiling it!
Preheat the oven to 250° F.
Put the corned beef into an oven-proof pan with a lid (because I cut my brisket into long narrow pieces, I use a fish poacher). Add the garlic, onion, pickling spice, caraway seeds, and enough beer to come at least half way up the meat. (If the pan you are using is range-proof, bring the braising liquid to a boil before putting it in the oven. If not, just add about 15 or 20 minutes to the cooking time.) Cover and place in the oven.
Braise for 3 hours, turning the meat once. At the end of the 3 hours, add the carrots, potatoes, and onions. Cover and return to the oven for another 1½ to 2 hours or until the vegetables are done. Remove the meat to a cutting board and the vegetables to a serving bowl. Strain the braising liquid into a gravy boat or bowl. Slice the meat across the grain and serve on a platter.
Corned beef is traditionally served with brown mustard but I made a sour cream, horseradish, honey, mustard sauce that I suggest you give a try. The recipe follows.
In a small bowl combine ¼ Dijon mustard, ¼ sour cream, 2 Tbsp. (or to taste) prepared horseradish, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, and 1 Tbsp. honey. Adjust proportions to your taste.
Authentic Jamaican meatloaf is made from spiced beef wrapped in a dough called coco bread and rather resembles a calzone. My interpretation omits the wrapping and adds some pork to the beef but uses typical jerk seasoning and traditional techniques. The British brought many Indians to the Caribbean in the early 19th century as indentured servants and the cooking styles of the region reflect their influence. Another change I have made is to substitute steel-cut oats for the bread crumbs that would typically be used to avoid gluten. If that is not a problem for you just revert to bread crumbs. For the full island experience, serve this meatloaf with baked sweet potatoes, spinach (or callaloo if you can find it), and a cold glass of Red Stripe beer. Enjoy, mon!
Rinse the oats, cover with cold water, and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes.
Using a food processor chop the onion rather finely and remove to a bowl. Mince the garlic then the pepper in the food processor. Film a non-stick frying pan with oil and add the onion. Fry, stirring often and adding more oil if needed, until soft and just starting to color. Add the pepper, garlic, and ginger. Sauté until well browned then add the pepper and allspice. Fry for a few more minutes until very aromatic. Set aside to cool.
Mix the beef and pork together well in a large bowl. Drain the oats and mix in along with the onion and spice mixture. Lightly beat the egg and add it with the salt, rum, and water. Mix everything well and turn into a lightly oiled 5-inch by 10-inch loaf pan, pressing gently to eliminate air pockets. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and quickly invert the loaf pan onto it so that the loaf comes out. Bake for 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160°F.
This Flemish dish of beef and onions braised in beer is just the thing to welcome the first frost of the year. Hearty with subtle sweet, sour, and bitter notes it goes wonderfully with buttered noodles or potatoes and glass of beer. Make plenty because it gets better with each reheating. Be sure to allow at least an hour to prepare the ingredients before the carbonnade goes into the oven because much of its special flavor is developed during the preliminary browning of the meat and onions. Also, since the meat needs to be browned at high temperature, I prefer using an unlined cast iron Dutch oven for carbonnade rather than risk damaging my enameled one.
A note on the beer: a Belgian pale ale would be the best choice for this Flemish dish but any pale to medium ale will work. I used Saranac English Pale Ale which has a more pronounced hop flavor and is thus a bit bitterer. Personally, I like my carbonnade slightly bitter but you may wish to experiment with the amount of sugar you add.
3½ pounds beef rump or round cut into 1-inch cubes
Unsalted butter
Neutral cooking oil such as Canola oil
1½ pounds yellow onions sliced ¼-inch thick
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp. flour (I use rice flour to avoid gluten)
2 cups brown stock or beef broth
1 12-ounce bottle of beer or ale
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp. dried
2 bay leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1½ Tbsp. arrowroot or cornstarch
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
Salt to taste
Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Heat 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. oil in the Dutch oven over high heat. When the fat is just smoking put in a layer of beef cubes avoiding crowding. Do not stir the meat but turn it with tongs to brown well on all sides. The meat should be well caramelized. Remove to a bowl. Repeat until all the meat is done, adding oil and butter to the pan as needed.
Preheat the oven to 325° (300° for convection). Reduce the heat under the Dutch oven to medium, add another tablespoon of butter, and cook the onions, stirring regularly, until soft and medium brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes or until browned. Be careful not to let the flour burn. Pour in 1 cup of stock and scrape up any bits sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Return the beef and any juices that have accumulated in the bowl to the Dutch oven. Pour in the beer and enough additional stock to just barely cover the meat. Add the herbs and generous grind of black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and braise in the oven for 2 hours, stirring from time to time. After one hour remove the cover to let the broth concentrate.
Place the Dutch oven on the top of the stove and allow to sit for few minutes, then defat by skimming the surface of the stew with a ladle or large spoon putting that liquid in a bowl or defatting pitcher. When the fat has risen to the surface, skim it off and discard it, returning the remaining broth to the pot. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the brown sugar. Mix the arrowroot or cornstarch with the vinegar, add to the pot, and bring to a boil to thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with buttered noodles or parsley potatoes, a green salad, and a glass of the same beer you used in the stew.
Makes about 6 servings.
