Cooking with beer is a well-established tradition. Because the following dishes are especially well suited to parties, the following recipes are designed to serve 12 - 16. All depend on beer in one way or another and all are well worth trying.

Welsh Rarebit -
A popular lunch dish in England and the United States

1/4 cup butter
2 cups beer, at room temperature
1/4 kilo cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 kilo Parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. each salt and Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. powdered mustard
Tabasco sauce to taste
toast points or slices for serving

In a double boiler over but not in boiling water melt the butter and into this stir the beer. When the mixture is warmed through, stir in the cheese and continue stirring constantly until the cheese is melted. Stir in the beaten egg and seasonings and serve over hot toast. (Serves 12 - 16).

Beer Soup
Versions of this soup will be found throughout Alsace, as well as in parts of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Some are made with a pale roux, such as the one in this recipe, but others are bound with a deep brown roux, with eggs, cream or bread. Some chefs make them spicy and sugary, others savory and sharp. The recipe given comes from the restaurant "Winstub Strissel" in Strasbourg.

200 gr. butter
80 gr. flour
about 3 liters beer
about 1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
about 1/2 tsp. white pepper
6 Tbsp. confectioners sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
450 ml. sweet cream
12 slices bread

Melt half the butter in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Stir in the flour and whisk until golden. Gradually stir in the beer and then add the salt, pepper, sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and then simmer gently for 20 minutes, uncovered. Add the sweet cream and stir just until the soup is heated through. Check the flavoring, adding salt, pepper, sugar and cinnamon to taste.
In a large skillet melt the remaining butter and in this fry the bread until browned on both sides. Place a slice of bread in each soup dish and ladle in the soup (Serves 12).

Beef and Onions in Beer Carbonnades a la Flamande
Adopted from a recipe by Julia Child

A popular dish in Belgium, the beer gives a very different character to the beef than the red wine used in making Boeuf Bourguignon. This dish is traditionally served with parsley potatoes or buttered noodles, green salad and beer.

3 kilos lean beef roast
4 - 6 Tbsp. good cooking oil
1 1/2 kilos onion, sliced
salt and pepper
8 cloves garlic, mashed
2 cups beef stock
4 - 6 cups light beer
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large bouquet garni made by tying together
6 sprigs parsley,
2 bay leafs and
2 sprigs thyme

3 Tbsp. cornstarch
blended with 1/4 cup wine vinegar

Cut beef into slices about 5 x 10 cm across and 1 cm thick. Dry on paper towels. Put the oil in a heavy skillet and heat until almost smoking. Brown the beef slices quickly, several at a time and set them aside.

Reduce to a medium flame, add the onions to the skillet and stir. Add more oil if necessary and saute until the onions are nicely browned (about 10 minutes), stirring frequently. Remove from the flame, season with salt and pepper and stir in the garlic.

Arrange half the beef slices in a 36 cm. flameproof casserole and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread over half the onions. Repeat with remaining beef and onions.

Heat the stock in the skillet in which the beef and onions were browned, scraping the sides and bottom of the skillet well with a wood spatula. Pour the ingredients of the skillet over the meat and then add just enough beer so the beef is barely covered. Stir in the brown sugar, bury the bouquet garni in the meat. Over a medium flame bring the liquids to a simmer. Cover and place in the lower third of an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius ) and then regulate the oven heat so the liquids remain at a slow simmer until the meat is tender enough to be cut with a fork (about 2 1/2 hours).

Remove the bouquet garni. Drain the cooking liquids into a saucepan and skim off the fat. Beat the starch and wine vinegar mixture into the cooking liquids and simmer for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste and then pour the sauce over the meat. (Note: To this point the dish may be prepared in advance).
Just before ready to serve, cover the casserole and simmer gently until the meat is heated through (5 - 6 minutes). May be served directly from the casserole or by arranging the meat on hot serving platters and spooning the sauce over. Serves 12 (leftovers are marvelous 1 or 2 days later).

Southern Fried Chicken
This dish, which probably originated in the State of South, Carolina has been popular in the United States since the late 18th century. Regardless of whether they eat it at a prestigious restaurant or the greasiest fast-food joint, most Americans prefer to eat the chicken with their fingers. Because the traditional accompaniments are potato salad and either cole slaw or a green salad with vinaigrette, knives and forks should always be served.

1/2 cup cooking oil
2 medium onions, chopped finely
1 cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. each celery salt thyme and tarragon
1 Tbsp. each salt and black pepper about
5 kilos chicken, cut into convenient serving pieces
2 cups flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
6 egg yolks, beaten lightly
2 cups flat beer
deep oil for frying

In a large bowl combine the cooking oil, onions, wine, garlic, celery salt, thyme, tarragon and 1 tsp. each of the salt and pepper. Mix well and in this marinate the chicken, covered and refrigerated for 3 - 4 hours, turning the pieces several times.

In a separate bowl combine and mix the flour, remaining salt and pepper, melted butter and egg yolks. Graudualy add the beer, stirring constantly. Let this batter stand, covered and refrigerated, for 3 hours.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat the pieces dry on toweling. Dip the pieces into the batter, coating well, and then place the pieces on a rack and let dry for 1 hour.
Preheat deep oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celsius)and in this fry the chicken pieces until they are done (about 15 - 18 minutes). Drain on paper towelling and serve hot.

Garlic Shrimps

3 kilos shrimps, boiled and peeled
6 cups beer, well chilled
1 1/2 cups flour
about 2 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup dry white wine
juice of 3 large lemons
12 cloves garlic, chopped

Soak the shrimps in the cold beer for 1 - 2 hours. Place in a colander and drain well.
In a paper bag combine the flour and pepper. Put 4 - 6 shrimp in the bag at a time and shake well, repeating until all of the shrimp are well coated.
In a heavy skillet melt the butter and to this add the shrimp. When the butter starts bubbling add the wine, lemon juice and garlic. Turn the shrimps occasionally and continue to cook until the shrimps are barely browned. Serve hot with the melted butter mixture poured over.
Note: This recipe can also be used to prepare fillets of any firm fish if the fillets are poached, allowed to cool and then cut into large bite-sized pieces.


Fritters
Popular especially in Italian and Provencal cookery, fritters are easy to prepare and make fine accompaniments to meat, fish or poultry dishes. Fritters are nothing more than small patties made from a variety of ingredients that are patted dry, coated with a beer-based batter and then deep fried. Fritters made from calf's brains, kidneys and liver are popular as appetizers and fruit fritters make fine desserts. Vegetable fritters, whether made from sliced vegetables or purees that have been formed into patties, are fine accompaniments to many meat and poultry dishes.

No matter what ingredients are being used, the basic method is the same. The meat, vegetable or other fritter ingredients are patted dry with paper toweling, dipped into the batter and fried until golden in deep hot oil or fat that has been preheated to about 360 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celsius).


Basic Fritter Batter
(To coat fritters to serve 12 - 16)

4 1/2 cups flour
6 egg yolks, beaten
3 Tbsp. melted butter or olive oil
1 Tbsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
2 1/4 - 2 1/2 cups flat beer

Note: To use this batter to coat fruits, simply add 2 - 3 Tbsp. sugar to the batter.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, egg yolks, melted butter, salt and pepper. Gradually add the beer, stirring con- stantly until the batter is consistent and smooth. Let the batter stand, covered and refrigerated for 3 - 12 hours before using. To coat food and fry it, make sure the food you are going to coat is patted dry on paper toweling.

Some of the vegetables that make ideal fritters are zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes. Purees of artichoke, peas, potatoes, leeks, peas, pumpkin and spinach are also excellent. The fruits traditionally considered most suitable for dessert fritters are apples, apricots, bananas, peaches and pineapples.


Baked Beans
This traditional New England dish makes an excellent accompaniment to main courses that include meats, sausages, fish and poultry that have been smoked.

6 cups dried beans
750 gr. bacon or fatty part of smoked mullard breast, sliced
2 cups beer
1 cup onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup each dark molasses and catsup
1/4 cup each curry powder and drymustard
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire saucesalt to taste (about 1 Tbsp.)

Place the beans in a large pot and cover generously with cold water. Let stand 15 - 20 minutes and discard any beans that have floated to the top in that time. Cover the pot and let stand overnight.
Bring the beans slowly to a boil and then simmer gently until the beans are tender (about 1/2 hour). Drain the beans, reserving 2 - 3 cups of the liquid.
Transfer the beans to a casserole dish and add the remaining ingredients, decorating the top with the bacon or mullard slices. Cover and bake in a very slow oven for 8 - 9 hours, adding a little of the reserved liquid if the casserole become dry. For the last hour of cooking uncover. Serve hot.


Beer Sauce
A traditional English sauce for serving with smoked tongue and hot or cold ham

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups beer
1/2 cup raisins, cut in halves
16 whole cloves
2 sticks cinnamon, about 5 cm long
2 Tbsp. butter

In a saucepan combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in the beer and raisins. Tie the cloves and cinnamon in a cheesecloth bag and hang in the cooking pot from the edge of the pan. Cook, stirring regularly for about 10 minutes and then add the butter. Remove from the flame and immediately remove the spice bag. The sauce should be served very hot.


Beer Marinade

A lightly piquant marinade that will add an interesting touch to dishes usually made with wine marinade. Worth trying with small cuts of beef, lamb and chicken and with fish and seafood.

1 1/2 cups beer
1/4 cup olive oil or other salad oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. powdered mustard
1 tsp. ground ginger
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. orange marmalade
2 cloves garlic, minced

Pour the beer into a mixing bowl and slowly, stirring constantly add the oil. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.