Carbonnade

This classic stew is Belgium's answer to French beef stew with red wine. Less acid and far more mellow, it's the kind of dish you can make your own. Add vegetables that you like in a stew. Just remember that it has to simmer for hours, preferably all day, to truly blend and be tender.


1 pound beef cubes, chuck or round, generally lean
¼ cup flour that has been salted and peppered
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, whole
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme, fresh
1 sprig rosemary, fresh
1 cup beef broth
2 cups (or bottles) dark beer

Heat a crock pot if that is the preferred method of cooking. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed skillet. Dredge the beef in the flour. Brown the beef in the oil. As it browns, remove it and place in a crockpot. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, bay leaf, thyme, broth and beer. Simmer on low in the crockpot all day until it has melded into a stew. Or, simmer on the stove. Serve with mashed potatoes.


Green Chilies and Beer
Again, beer is a mellow addition that can't be duplicated with wine in this traditional Southwestern chili.

1 pound of beef, chicken or pork in chunks
4 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup flour that has been salted and peppered
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5 to 10 green chilies depending on the desired heat, roasted and chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup of chicken broth
2 cups (or bottles) of beer, any kind

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed skillet. Dredge the pork or beef in the flour. Brown until the edges are crispy. Add the onion, garlic, chilies, broth and beer. Simmer for at least four hours. If using a crock-pot, simmer on low all day. Serve with rice or tortillas.


Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura

For the batter:
½ cup flour
½ cup beer (pale)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Shrimp and Vegetables: Choose your favorites, these are recommended

4 large shrimp
2 diagonal slices sweet potato
2 diagonal slices white turnip
2 large onion rings
4 green beans

Heat ½ cup oil to 350 degrees, or medium to medium high. If you are using a small pan, don't allow the oil to be more than about one-third of an inch in the pan. This is not deep frying. Instead, it's a quick fry and requires that each ingredient have a lot of room so that the temperature of the hot oil does not drop. Canola or peanut oil are good choices. The shrimp or veggies should sizzle as they are eased into the pan. Mix the batter together and toss in the shrimp and vegetables. Fry in small batches until golden. Serve immediately. A dipping sauce is traditional.


Apricot and Soy Sauce Dip
3 tablespoon apricot jam
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white wine
a few shreds of grated fresh horseradish or ½ teaspoon of bottled horseradish
Skewered Soy Wasabi Scallops

Both Japanese and Mexican cuisines combine well with beer. The salty soy and spicy chili have a natural affinity that partners in Thai and Indonesian fare, too.

1 pound of sea scallops
1 whole red bell pepper
1 whole green bell pepper
1 whole Bermuda onion
2 Portabella mushroom caps


Wasabi Soy Sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons of wasabi
Fresh, diced ginger to taste

Rinse the scallops and let sit in a colander. Cut into wide julienne strips: green pepper, red pepper and onion. Cube the Portabella mushroom caps. Mix wasabi and soy sauce in a bowl. Dice ginger and mix in to taste. Skewer all veggies and scallops (should make six to eight skewers) and lay flat on a cooking sheet. Drizzle soy wasabi mix over each skewer and allow to marinate 30 minutes, flipping occasionally. Set grill or broiler to medium low and lay skewers across rack. Flip every few minutes, splash a little more soy to keep moist, and remove when scallops are just golden brown on the edges.

(To be served with Trippel Belgian Ale, courtesy of Bryan Simpson from New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins).