White Cloud Smoky Salmon
Salmon lightly brined in beer, salt, and sugar before smoking is a delicacy well worth the extra time and effort. Be sure to keep the meow mix bowl full or dry the salmon in a secure place out of kitty's reach.
· 2 lbs. salmon fillets with skin, rinsed · 2 cups water · 2 cups White Cloud Ale · 1/2 cup coarse or kosher salt · 1/2 teaspoon dried dill · 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar · 3 lightly cracked black peppercorns · 1 bay leaf
Heat water and beer to boiling, add salt, dill, sugar, peppercorns, and bay leaf, stirring until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Simmer 25 minutes. Allow brine to cool to room temperature. Pour over salmon and weigh fish down with a saucer. The fish should be completely immersed in brine. Refrigerate 4-6 hours. With cold water, lightly rinse brine from fish but do not remove all of it. To dry, thread a loop of dental floss through one end of the fillet and hang in a well-ventilated area or lay on a cooling rack elevated on 4 cans placed in front of a fan for 4 to 8 hours. The fish will acquire a glossy veneer (called pelz) that is dry to the touch. Heat smoker to low and add wood chips. Smoke the fish slowly, checking occasionally. For moist fish with a hint of smokiness, the time will be relatively short. If you like dry and smoky, allow a longer smoking time. Serves 4.
Source: The Great American Beer Cookbook; Candy Schermerhorn; Brewers Publications, 1993.
Hot Oktoberfest Potato Salad
A hearty side dish, this warm salad combines red and white new potatoes with bacon and beer to create a new twist for an old spud.
· 8 each small new and white potatoes, scrubbed · 5 strips lean bacon, coarsely chopped · 1 lg. onion or 5 shallots, coarsely chopped · 5 scallions, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces · 2 teaspoons caraway seeds · 1 cup Frankenmuth Oktoberfest beer · 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar · 1/4 to 1/3 cup oil or bacon drippings · paprika, salt, and pepper to taste · 1/4 cup toasted crushed walnuts
Lower potatoes into boiling water to cover. Add a teaspoon of salt and boil just until tender. Drain, cool slightly, and quarter but do not peel. Place in a hot covered pan. In a heavy skillet cook bacon until crisp. Remove and set aside on towels to drain. Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings and sauti onion in drippings until golden. Add scallions and caraway seeds, sauti for 1 min. Add beer to onions and simmer over medium-high until reduced by half. Pour in vinegar and oil and simmer briefly. Adjust seasonings. Add warm potatoes to sauce and simmer 2 mins., turning potatoes gently. Remove from heat and place in serving bowl. Sprinkle with paprika and walnuts. Serves 3-4.
Source: The Great American Beer Cookbook; Candy Schermerhorn; Brewers Publications, 1993.
Dock Street Beer & Seafood Fest
This is a serious recipe for serious appetites. What more could you want? You got your potatoes, your shellfish, your fatty fish, your meaty fish, some nice spice and a vegi to boot. And of course, one of the best handcrafted Pilsners in the country. So what are ya waitin' for Julia? Get busy!
· 12 oz. Seabass fillet (skin on) · 12 oz. Salmon fillet (skin on) · 8 oysters in shell, brushed and cleaned · ½ lb. Cleaned mussels · 4 russet potatoes peeled and cut in an oval · 1 lb. Asparagus tips · ¼ tsp. Caraway seeds · 3 oz. Good butter · 12 oz. Dock Street Bohemian Pilsner · 2 Tbsp. Chopped parsley · salt, pepper to taste
Cook potatoes thoroughly in salty water. Cook asparagus al dente in salty water, then refresh in iced water. Cut each fish fillet in 4 slices and season with salt and pepper. Butter bottom of a lg. Sauce pan, add fish pieces plus the 8 oysters and pour the beer and caraway seeds into pan. Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat. After 2 min., add potatoes and mussels. Cover and let simmer until mussels open. Remove the fish, shellfish and potatoes to a deep plate. Bring the remaining liquid to a boil. With a whisk, gently introduce the cold butter to the liquid a little at a time. Turn the flame on and off to keep the butter from breaking. Add the asparagus to the liquid and pour over the seafood. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and proceed to inhale food in mass quantities. Recline to couch and pop in "Raising Arizona" video for good laugh. Do not attempt to clean kitchen.
Baked Crabmeat Legacy (appetizer)
· 1 1lb. Round loaf rye bread · 12 oz. Lump crabmeat · 2 8oz. Packages cream cheese, room temp. · 2 TBS Legacy Red Ale · 1 tsp. lemon juice · ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce · 1 dash hot pepper sauce · ¼ tsp. salt
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Slice the top off of the loaf and scoop out the center, leaving about a 1" thick shell. Cut the soft bread into cubes. Set them aside in a plastic bag. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly and taste for seasoning. Adjust for salt or hot pepper sauce, as necessary. Fill the bread shell with the crabmeat mixture. Replace the top. Wrap completely in foil and place on a backing sheet. Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Unwrap and remove the top. Serve hot, with reserved bread cubes for dipping. Serve with a cold Dead Armadillo and watch for their expressions of pure delight.
