The Six-Pack Gourmet

Once upon a time, aspiring American cooks worried about what wine to cook with. Those were the days when they basically aspired to be as French as possible. They’d knock themselves out to get a particular French wine for cooking a particular dish, simply because the French tend to have very settled ideas on the subject.

That is, in France they have settled ideas about what wine to cook with. When French people emigrate, they’re admirably practical about their cooking liquid. In the Caribbean, they use rum without a whisper of complaint.

The safe answer to the wine question was always that you should use the same wine in cooking that you were going to drink with the meal. And this raises an interesting point: What if you’re going to drink beer? Despite the wine explosion of the last quarter century, this is still basically a beer-drinking country.

And beer is wonderful to cook with. Besides being cheaper than wine, it’s subtler and homier. It’s a natural for any dish featuring pork or onions, of course, but its mild sweetness and the bitter note of the hops make a refreshing counterpoint to a wide range of ingredients.

As for what beer to cook with--there are lots of theories. The safest: Just use the same one you’re going to drink with the meal.

This recipe is a cross between a Belgian beef carbonnade and an ordinary American stew. As the stew cooks, the onions disintegrate in the beer and cook down to a sweetly pungent sauce. The potatoes, added later, fall apart and give the sauce a certain body, and the carrots contribute both flavor and texture.

BEEF AND BEER STEW Oil 6 onions, thinly sliced 3 pounds beef stew meat Salt, pepper 6 cloves garlic, crushed 1/4 cup chopped parsley 2 (12-ounce) bottles dark beer 2 bay leaves 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Heat 1/2 cup oil in large oven-proof casserole over medium heat. Add onions and cook until tender and translucent.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown meat, in batches, on all sides. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add meat to casserole, with garlic and parsley.

Into skillet meat was cooked in pour 1 bottle beer and scrape up brown bits. Add to casserole, along with second bottle of beer. Add bay leaves, thyme, Worcestershire and vinegar. Stir to combine, cover casserole and cook at 350 degrees 1 1/2 hours.

Add potatoes and carrots to casserole and cook 40 minutes more. Stir in tomato paste and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve in bowls, with crusty bread, if desired, to sop up sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about: 683 calories; 227 mg sodium; 100 mg cholesterol; 37 grams fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 42 grams protein; 1.74 grams fiber.

This is a remarkably easy dish, from “Feast of Italy” (Crowell: 1973), and the unusual combination of beer and cream turns out to be incredibly delicious.

POLLO ALLA BIRRA 6 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup olive oil 2 large onions, sliced 1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken 1/4 cup flour Salt, pepper 2 cups beer 1 cup whipping cream

Melt butter with olive oil in medium skillet. Saute onions until tender and translucent. Remove onions to oven-proof casserole.

Lightly dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess. Cook chicken in pan 10 minutes, turning to brown evenly all over. Add chicken to casserole with onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour beer over all. Cover and cook at 350 degrees 1 1/4 hours.

Place chicken on large platter. Pour drippings and onions into blender and puree. Add whipping cream and return to casserole. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat just until warm. Pour sauce over chicken and serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Each serving contains about: 880 calories; 410 mg sodium; 225 mg cholesterol; 70 grams fat; 17 grams carbohydrates; 38 grams protein; 0.35 gram fiber.

This recipe has been adapted from Patricia Quintana’s “Mexico’s Feasts of Life” (Council Oaks Books). The salsa has an elusive flavor that is hard to recognize if you don’t know that it contains beer.

GRILLED SNAPPER WITH BEER SALSA 8 (1 1/2-pound) red snapper or 1 (6 1/2-pound) red snapper 1 cup oil 6 cloves garlic, peeled and pureed Salt, pepper 1 medium onion, chopped 3/4 cup chopped cilantro Beer Salsa

Bone fish and lightly score flesh. Place in shallow dish and cover with oil. Sprinkle with garlic. Marinate 1 hour.

Drain fish, reserving marinade. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grill fish over medium-hot coals, 10 to 12 minutes for small fish and 18 to 20 minutes for large fish.

Turn fish gently with spatula. Brush exposed side with reserved marinade and season to taste with salt and pepper. Grill another 10 to 12 minutes for small fish, 20 minutes for large fish, or until flesh is uniformly white, probing into slashes with fork. Place fish on serving platter and garnish with onion and cilantro. Serve Beer Salsa on side. Makes 8 servings.

Beer Salsa 4 cloves garlic Salt 1/2 medium onion, peeled and quartered 6 medium tomatoes, roasted 4 serrano chiles or 2 jalapeno chiles, roasted whole 4 ancho chiles or dried red California or Mexican chiles, roasted, deveined and seeded 2 cups beer

Grind garlic, salt to taste, onion, tomatoes, chiles and beer, preferably in mortar and pestle, gradually adding each ingredient while grinding. If using food processor, grind carefully to retain chunky texture. Adjust salt to taste.

Each serving contains about: 457 calories; 299 mg sodium; 121 mg cholesterol; 12 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 69 grams protein; 1.41 grams fiber.

BEER-CHEESE BREAD 3 cups self-rising flour 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons minced fresh savory 1 (12-ounce) can beer 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 1/2 cup shredded dry Jack cheese

Mix flour and sugar. Stir in savory. Blend in beer 1/3 at time. Turn batter into 9-inch loaf pan and drizzle butter over tops. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over loaves. Bake at 350 degrees 50 to 60 minutes. Makes about 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 106 calories; 55 mg sodium; 13 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.05 gram fiber.

Beer-lovers will find lots of terrific recipes in Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly’s book, “Real Beer and Good Eats” (Knopf: 1992). This cake, from Kelly’s wife, Kathy, is one of our favorites: The taste of the ale is quite pronounced in the cake, but combined with brown sugar and mixed fruits, it is very pleasing.

KATHY’S STRONG ALE SPICE CAKE 1 cup amber ale 2 cups mixed diced dried fruits, such as apricots, peaches, apples or raisins 1 cup light-brown sugar, packed 1/3 cup oil 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg

Mix together ale, dried fruits, brown sugar, oil, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in saucepan. Bring to boil. Cook on simmer 3 minutes. Then cool.

To fruit mixture add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and egg. Stir until smooth. Pour into oiled 9-inch-square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees oven about 30 to 40 minutes, until wood pick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool on rack before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 469 calories; 313 mg sodium; 35 mg cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 80 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.97 gram fiber.

CALF’S LIVER AND BACON WITH BEER ONIONS 8 slices bacon 2 onions, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 (12-ounce) bottle dark beer Salt, pepper 1 pound calf’s liver, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices Flour 2 to 3 tablespoons butter

Cook bacon, reserving fat in skillet. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain. Saute onions and garlic in bacon fat until tender. Add beer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until beer is reduced to 1/3 cup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Season calf’s liver to taste with salt and pepper. Lightly dust with flour. Melt butter in large skillet. Cook liver until browned, turning to brown other side, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

To serve, spoon onions on top of liver on each plate. Arrange 2 bacon slices around liver. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 532 calories; 533 mg sodium; 445 mg cholesterol; 35 grams fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 28 grams protein; 0.52 gram fiber.

BEER-BRAISED CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES 4 chicken breasts, skinned 4 chicken thighs, skinned Salt, pepper 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced (such as crimini, shiitake, portobello or oyster) 12 baby eggplants, cut in half and grilled 1 cup beer 4 baby bok choy, split in half

Season chicken to taste with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned on both sides. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

Add remaining butter and oil to skillet and heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender. Add and saute mushrooms until tender. Add eggplants and beer and simmer few minutes. Return chicken to skillet. Simmer until chicken is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Add baby bok choy during last 5 to 10 minutes cooking time. Cover and cook until bok choy is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 336 calories; 255 mg sodium; 111 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 32 grams protein; 1.3 grams fiber.

Don’t be afraid to use all the beer called for in the tempura batter. After it’s fried, the tempura is crisp and delicate, with just a pleasing hint of beer taste.

VEGETABLE TEMPURA IN BEER BATTER 1 green or sweet red pepper, cut into wedges 1 large carrot, thinly sliced diagonally 12 green beans, trimmed 1/2 bunch broccoli, cut in florets 8 ounces mushrooms, halved, if large 1 sweet potato or rutabaga, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick 1/2 cup cornstarch Oil for deep-frying Beer Batter Tempura Dipping Sauce, optional

Lightly dredge each piece of green pepper, carrot, green beans, broccoli, mushroom and sweet potato in cornstarch.

Heat oil in deep fryer to 375 degrees. Using tongs, fork or chopsticks, dip each piece of vegetable into Beer Batter. Fry in hot oil, about 3 or 4 pieces at time, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove vegetable and dip again in Beer Batter. Return quickly to hot oil and fry until crisp and lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Drain tempura on rack or paper towels. Repeat with remaining vegetables, removing batter crumbs often with slotted spoon. Serve with Tempura Dipping Sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Note : Instead of or in addition to vegetables, use peeled and deveined shrimp (with tails left on) and/or cleaned squid.

Beer Batter 1 egg 2 egg whites 1 cup cold beer 3/4 cup flour 1/2 cup cornstarch 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup ice cubes

Combine egg and egg whites in large bowl. Lightly whisk until combined. Stir in beer. Add flour, cornstarch, salt and baking powder. Mix lightly (mixture will be thin and lumpy). Stir in ice cubes. Use immediately.

Tempura Dipping Sauce 1/4 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 teaspoon sugar or 2 tablespoons mirin

Combine chicken broth, water, soy sauce and sugar in small bowl. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Each serving contains about: 258 calories; 385 mg sodium; 35 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 1.47 grams fiber.