Amusing the Bouche

This past Saturday night a few Hot Dish chefs went where we have never gone before... The First Annual Beer Pairing Extravaganza. The brain child of a night of wine and Internet browsing, the beer pairing dinner was conceived back in February with the mission of pairing delicious food with great beer matched to provide extreme amusement and delight to the palate. Over weeks of careful planning, we created a menu of six dishes each paired with a different beer. We searched for recipes, selected the most fabuous ingredients, fetched beers of all varieties, packed our trunks and made the trek to Oneonta where a crew of tasters and chefs gathered around a ping pong table to eat, drink and be merry. What follows are the recipes, pairings and photo documentation of a night that will go down in history.

Hors D'oevre

Kalamata Olive and Feta Stuffed Focaccia Paired with Hefeweizen


Start with bread dough or pizza dough. You can use store bought or make your own. I made my own using the bread recipe mentioned in a previous post.
Flour a surface and roll dough out into 13x9 rectangle. Rub half of dough with olive oil and minced garlic. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary, feta cheese and chopped kalmata olives, sprinkle with pepper.
Fold in half, press air bubbles out and seal edges. Sprinkle top with more rosemary and salt. Bake on a grease cookie sheet at 350 for about 30 minutes or until browned. Drizzle top with olive oil and butter.
We served this with a Hoegarden Hefeweizen.

The Amuse Bouche
Bacon Wrapped Dates Paired with Scotch Ale


Bake 20 strips of bacon (or a few more you will want some to snack on) in the oven until sort of cooked but still bendable.
Take 20 dates and make a small slit down the middle to remove the pit. Combine 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. Using a pastry bag (ziploc with a clipped corner works too) fill the inside of the dates with ricotta mixture. Wrap each date in a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine 1/3 cup of maple syrup and 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar. Simmer until mixture reduces in half. Drizzle over finished dates.
We served this with an Old Chub Scotch Ale *insert joke here*
Let me just say this dish was divine. Try it and be sure to pair it with this delicious beer. It will probably change your life.

First Course
Scallops with Corn Salad Paired with White Ale

Cook two bags of corn in olive oil. Cover with chili powder and garlic powder. (Note: this original recipe calls for corn on the cob grilled and cut off the cob. Since out of season we used frozen but if you make this in summer, I highly recommend the fresh because I'm sure it would be Amaz-O).
In a bowl, combine corn, 1/2 cup chopped red onion, few cloves of garlic, 1 chopped green pepper, chopped fresh parsley and cilantro, and a little fresh ground pepper. Squeeze the juice of 2 limes over top and stir it up.
On a baking sheet (we used one from dates so it was coated in bacon grease :) lay scallops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for about 5 minutes on each side. Scallops can also be grilled if you have propane in your grill. Serve scallops on top of corn salad (We chilled the corn salad but I think it would also be splendid warm).
We served this with a Milwaukee Brewery Belgian-style white ale brewed with coriander and orange peel.

Second Course
Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Paired with IPA


In a food processor, combine 2 cups of parsley, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 Tbl of crushed red pepper, juice of 1 lemon, 1/3 cup of olive oil. Blend until combine.
In a bowl, combine 2 sliced cucumbers, 1/4 cup of red onion, a splash of garlic power, some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Grill steak on grill or in pan to your liking. Slice steak into strips.
Serve steak with field greens topped with cucumber mixture and a splash of chimichurri sauce for dipping.
We served this with a Brooklyn Imperial Pale Ale.

Third Course
Chicken with Mushroom Cream Sauce Paired with Brown Ale


In a large skillet, melt 1/4 cup of butter. Brown 4 chicken breasts in butter and remove. Add 1/2 cup of onion, 3 cloves of garlic and 2 cups of baby bella mushrooms to pan. Brown up. Add 1 cup of chicken broth, 1/2 cup of white wine and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Slice chicken breasts and return to pan. Salt and pepper mixture and simmer down for about 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve over risotto or any type of rice. (This would also be fab over pasta!)
We served this with an Ithaca Nut Brown Ale.

Dessert
Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce Paired with Coffee Porter


In a mixer, combine 20 oz of cream cheese and 1 1/4 cup of sugar. Blend well. Beat in 4 eggs one at a time. Add 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 2 tsp of vanilla. Mix. Add 4 cups of sour cream (I used 3 cups and 1 cup of ricotta).
In a bowl, combine 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of butter. Grease a 10 inch spring form pan and line bottom with parchment or waxed paper. Press graham mix into bottom. (Note: This cheesecake can also be made without a crust and is just as delicious) Pour cream cheese mixture in pan. Place pan inside larger pan and fill with 1 inch of water on outside. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Turn off oven and let sit in oven for another hour. Remove cool and chill overnight.
In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups of raspberries (fresh or frozen), 1 cup of orange or lemon juice or combo of both, and 2 Tbl of cornstarch. Cook on low until it thickens. Add 2-4 Tbl of sugar (this is determined on taste and what juice you are using. You prob need more sugar if using more lemon juice.) Remove from heat.
In another pan, slowly heat 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Add 1 1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips. Stir until melted and creamy. Serve cheesecake topped with raspberry sauces and ganache.
We served this with Three Heads Java Sutra Coffee Porter.

By this point, I am sure you are drooling all over yourself. I am and I already had the experience of eating this. By the time, we reached the end we were all fat and happy and thoroughly pleased with our increadible meal. So pleased, that we decided that this trend must continue. So if you missed this event and are feeling sad, never fear there is more beer and food pairings in our future!
 Think summer, think grills......MMmmm