Curry Chicken on Mini Pappadum
A tray of curry chicken on mini pappadum.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp cilantro chutney* (or 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro)
2 tsp vegetable oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced in 1/4-in. pieces
2 tbsp mild Indian curry paste (such as Patak’s)
1/4 cup of Walkerville Premium Blond lager
sea salt
1 tube mini pappadums*
1/4 cup cilantro, stemmed

PROCEDURE:
Whisk yogurt and cilantro chutney in small bowl; set aside.
In a large non-stick sauté pan or wok, heat oil over medium heat and stir-fry chicken until cooked, approximately 5 minutes. Add curry paste; sauté for a few minutes.
Add lager and cook until almost evaporated. Season with salt, to taste. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken onto mini pappadum and top with cilantro yogurt sauce. Garnish with a cilantro leaf.
Michele vig/courses (Toronto)

Ale, Peppered Date and Orange Dipping Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (250 ml) aged balsamic vinegar
1 cup water
7 oz. McKinney’s Triple Chin dark ale
2 oz. soy sauce
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
juice of 2 oranges
zest of orange, finely mined
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup dates, chopped finely
1/4 cup chopped mint

PROCEDURE:
In a heavy bottom pot, add all ingredients except for the chopped mint, bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and reduce by half its original volume. When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, add the chopped mint and refrigerate. Will keep, stored in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 months. Makes 2-1.2 cups.
michael Hoy/claramount inn & spa (Picton, Ont.)

Taps Braised Bison Short Ribs


Time: 4 hoursServes: 8
INGREDIENTS:

32pc bison short ribs
200 g shallot mirepoix
150 g sliced mushroom
1 L Taps Premium Lager
40 ml 35% cream
1 L brown chicken stock
1 g fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
14 g bacon trimmings
1 g cracked black pepper
35 g butter

PROCEDURE:
1. Caramelize shallots and cracked black pepper in butter until golden brown. Add bacon trimmings and mushrooms. Cook until dry.2. Reduce the beer by half.3. Add chicken stock, cream, reduced beer, vinegar and herbs to shallots and mushrooms.4. Reduce this by half.5. Sear off the bison ribs and add them to the liquid.6. Cover and place in a 275 degree oven for approximately 3 hours.7. Remove the ribs from the liquid and reduce the liquid to a sauce consistency.8. Strain and serve.9. Serve accompanied by a soft herb polenta or a creamy potato puree.
william brunyansky/the charles inn (Niagara-On-The-lake)

Vietnamese Barbecued Pork Sandwiches (Banh Mi)

INGREDIENTS:
1 pork tenderloin
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp beer (ale)
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 baguette
4 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp Asian sweet chilli sauce
1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
cilantro sprigs, for garnish

PROCEDURE:
1. Trim excess fat and silver skin from pork tenderloin with a paring knife. Mix first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Pour into a plastic food storage bag, add tenderloin and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.2. Remove tenderloin from bag, reserving marinade. Pour marinade into a small pot. Pat tenderloin dry with paper towel and allow to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before grilling.3. Preheat grill.4. Heat marinade to boiling. Turn heat to low and simmer until ready to use. Grill pork over indirect medium heat until internal temperature reaches 155_F, 20 to 30 minutes, basting with marinade. Turn pork once halfway through grilling time. Remove from grill and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest 3 to 5 minutes before slicing thinly. Cut baguette in half horizontally and spread mayonnaise and chilli sauce on each half. On bottom half, place pork slices, cucumber slices and cilantro sprigs. Top with other half of baguette and slice into sandwiches.5. Makes 4 servings


Herbed Polenta
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS:
400 ml of chicken stock
400 ml of milk
50 g of butter
5 oz. of cornmeal
2 oz. of parmesan cheese
1 oz. kosher salt1 sprig of sage, chopped
1/2 sprig of rosemary, chopped
1 g of dried thyme, chopped
PROCEDURE:
1. Bring the chicken stock, milk and butter to a boil.2. Add the chopped herbs to infuse the flavour.3. Mix together the remaining dried ingredients and whisk into the liquid. Be careful that there are no lumps.4. Cook for approximately 10 minutes.5. Serve when ready.
William Brunyansky/The Charles Inn (Niagara-On-The-Lake)

Lamb Kofta
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 lb. minced lamb
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp hot paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp lemon zest, finely minced
2 tbsp natural yogurt1/
4 cup pine nuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsleysalt to taste

PROCEDURE:
Soak skewers in hot tap water for 15 minutes. Combine lamb, onion, garlic, spices, yogurt and minced lemon zest and mix well. Add the chopped pine nuts and parsley, mix well and cover — refrigerate for 30 minutes.Form into ovals the size of a small egg and place 2 ovals onto one skewer. Grill on the barbecue or place koftas on a lightly greased pan and put into a 375 degree F oven until browned and fully cooked through.
Michael Hoy/Claramount Inn & Spa (Picton, Ont.)

Apple Ale BBQ Sauce
• Keeps for 2 weeks
• Servings: 4 cups

INGREDIENTS:
4 teaspoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 cups ketchup
1 cup Unibroue Éphèmere
4 tsps sugar
4 tsps barbecue rub
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tsps Dijon mustard
Fresh ground black pepper to taste.

PROCEDURE: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, melt butter and cook onions and garlic until soft and fragrant. Add remaining ingredients and stir until blended. Transfer to food processor and blend until smooth. Return to pot and adjust seasonings if needed.
— Brian Morin/beerbistro (Toronto)