The Naked Pint (43 page)

We’ve been lucky enough to taste some inspiring beer recipes from our own culinary culture in Los Angeles, and we’ve asked some of our favorite chefs to provide us, and you, with some of their most beloved beer recipes.

J
enn Garbee is a regular contributor to the
Los Angeles Times
Food section and
LA Weekly
’s SquidInk food blog, and is the beverage columnist for Tribune Media’s national newspaper wire. The former pastry chef is the author of several books, including
Secret Suppers: Rogue Chefs and Underground Restaurants in Warehouses, Townhouses, Open Fields, and Everywhere in Between,
an insider’s look at the underground restaurant movement. We met her when she interviewed us for a story in the
Times
about women and beer, and we immediately became friends and beer-drinking buddies. Jenn got so bitten by the beer bug that she is currently working on a book called
Sisters of the Suds
, which explores the history of female brewers. She is also a contributing editor for
EAT Los Angeles
and an amazing baker. You’ll know it once you’ve tried this herbed beer bread.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray (pay close attention to the corners, as this bread tends to stick).

 

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

 

In a medium bowl, combine the beer, butter, and herbs. Stir into the dry ingredients until just combined, being careful not to overmix.

 

Pour into the prepared pan, and bake until golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen and turn onto a rack to cool.

 

Serve warm with butter.

Makes 1 loaf

A
prolific beer expert, writer, teacher, author, and cook, Lucy Saun ders (aka the Beer Cook) has been changing the way we appreciate and include beer in our dining world for over 20 years. Not only has Lucy forged a path for women in beer (for which we are mighty grateful) but she also walks the walk, having published her first highly informative book,
Cooking with Beer
, as well as another of our favorites,
Grilling with Beer
. She also published
The Best of American Beer and Food: Pairing and Cooking with Craft Beer
. Lucy is a fount of information, and she travels the country leading beer events and dinners, bringing cuisine a la bière to the forefront of the modern dinner table. With her most recent project, Lucy is one of three female beer writers who contributed an essay to the book
Beer Hunter, Whisky Chaser
. The book is a tribute to the late great beer writer and legend Michael Jackson.

The circle of women in beer is a pretty small one, so we are lucky enough to have been in touch with Lucy for years. After reading all her books and trying her recipes, we knew that we had to have one in this book. Lucy just understands how beer works with food in an unpretentious yet delicious and very forward-thinking way. We’re so happy to be featuring this grilled fennel and orange salad because it illustrates wonderfully that beer can be used in cooking in so many innovative ways!

Preheat a grill to medium-high.

 

In a large bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients until emulsified. Add the fennel, bell peppers, and onion, and toss to coat. Set the vegetables aside to marinate for 30 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to lift the vegetables from the marinade; reserve the remaining marinade, and set aside.

Place the vegetables in a grill basket or on a fine mesh grill grate. Grill until tender and slightly caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes, turning often and covering the grill to capture the steam. Remove the vegetables from the grill, and let cool until warm enough to handle.

 

While the vegetables cool, chop the oranges and add the fruit and collected juice to the large bowl; toss with the reserved marinade. When vegetables are cool enough to handle, chop into bite-size chunks, removing any tough end pieces, and add to the oranges, mixing to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add a bit of balsamic vinegar if you wish. Serve on top of Romaine lettuce leaves on a large platter.

Serves 6 to 8

C
hef Matt Accarrino has come a long way from his humble begin nings washing dishes in New Jersey. He’s studied abroad in Labico, Italy, working at the Michelin Guide-rated Antonello Colonna restaurant. While in Italy, he visited farms and “foraged for the restaurant’s ingredients” on a daily basis. He was opening sous chef at Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York City, which received the near impossible four-star rating from the
New York Times
and three stars from the Michelin Guide. He’s cooked for Charlie Palmer in New York City and Todd English at Olive’s at the W in Union Square. Matt developed quite the following as the chef de cuisine of Tom Colicchio’s Craft and Craftbar in Los Angeles.

Matt has been featured in
Wine Spectator
,
Food and Wine
,
Food Arts
,
Los Angeles Times
, and
Los Angeles Confidential
. Oh, and he teamed with us at Craft L.A. to cook at one of the most mind-blowing and innovative beer-pairing dinners of all time! We are thrilled to share one of the dishes from that dinner with you.

 

FOR THE MUSSELS

FOR THE SUZUKI

THE MUSSELS

 

On medium heat, sweat half the shallots and half the garlic in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot until soft, seasoning lightly with salt. Add the mussels, and increase the heat to high. Pour in the beer, and add the parsley stems. Cover and steam until the mussels open. Strain the mussels, reserving both the broth and the mussels. Pick the mussels from their shells, reserving both the meat and the liquid. Discard the vegetables and shells.

 

Place the reserved liquid from the mussels back into the pot, and add the chicken broth. Season with salt and sugar to balance out the natural bitterness of the beer. Using an immersion blender, incorporate 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the butter into the reserved liquid. Set this broth aside.

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

 

In the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sweat the remaining shallots and garlic and leeks. Add the mushrooms and chorizo. Cook until the vegetables are tender without coloring; set aside.

 

THE SUZUKI

 

Season the suzuki with salt and pepper. Sear the pieces skin side down over medium-high heat in the olive oil in a medium sauté pan with a metal handle. Transfer the fish to the oven, and roast for about 5 minutes, or until it flakes easily with a fork.

 

Return the pan to the stovetop over medium heat. Add the butter to the pan and flip the fish over, skin side up. Add the thyme, and baste the fish with the pan juices. Allow the fish to finish cooking for 1 or 2 minutes. Remove the fish and blot on paper towels.