Some people like their beer on its own, others prefer enjoying a bottle with a side of tasty dish. Electrolux’s newly launched Life App shares these four recipes that pair well with different types of beer. Now, on to the couch with a cold pint!
Seafood Spaghetti (pairs with lager)
Lagers are famous for their crisp and refreshing taste accompanied with a smooth finish. They typically go well with shellfish and other light seafood dishes.
Cooking time: 25 mins. | Serves 2
Ingredients:
170g spaghetti
85g fresh squid
85g salmon
7 pcs. clams
5 pcs. large shrimps, peeled
1 handful broccoli florets
17g black olives
1 handful cherry tomatoes
4 pcs. dried chili pepper
129g Campbell’s Borsch Condensed Soup
44ml Campbell’s Chicken Stock
15ml white wine
olive oil
Procedure:
1. Boil the spaghetti according to the package’s instructions. During this time, cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Set aside and toss with a bit of olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking.
2. Poach the large shrimps and clams in a pan with simmering water. Cook until the clams open. Once open, remove and set both aside.
3. Add olive oil to a wok or large pan over medium high heat. Add fresh squid, salmon, dried chili pepper, and broccoli florets and stir fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add borsch condensed soup, chicken stock, and white wine to the pan and cook for a minute.
5. Stir in cooked spaghetti, cherry tomatoes, black olives, shrimps, and clams. Toss everything together and cook for an additional minute.
6. Plate and serve.
Hot Wings with Blue Cheese (pair with pilsner)
Dry, crisp, and bitter are the usual characteristics of any pilsner, along with a distinct hop taste. They are identified easily with their golden color, and are a staple amongst many beer drinkers. A favorite dish to go along with pilsners are wings, be it Asian inspired or plain buffalo.
Cooking time: 1 hr. | Serves 2
Ingredients:
46g tomato sauce
34g sweet chili sauce
1 dollop Worcestershire sauce
1 dash Tabasco Pepper Sauce
7g honey
15ml dark soy sauce
2g fresh cayenne pepper
2 cloves peeled garlic, crushed
10 pcs. free range chicken wings
1 pc. Stilton Blue Cheese
250ml fresh cream
lime
chopped chives
Procedure:
1. Heat oven to 200-degree Celsius. Combine tomato sauce, sweet chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco Pepper Sauce, honey, dark soy sauce, fresh cayenne pepper, crushed garlic, and lime, and coat chicken wings thoroughly in it. Leave to marinate for about 30 minutes.
2. Arrange the wings on a lined baking sheet (you may need two of them) and bake directly under the grill for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once or twice and basting liberally with any leftover marinade.
3. In a saucepan over low heat, gently melt the blue cheese in the fresh cream. Allow to reduce until thickened and serve with freshly chopped chives.
4. Serve the hot wings with the creamy blue cheese sauce.
The Perfect Burger (pairs with ale)
Ales are some of the more robust and complex beers with their distinct fruitfulness, acidity, and bitterness. Due to their variety, they go well with a large range of food, but a favorite pairing has to be a burger.
Cooking time: 30 mins. | Serves 6
Ingredients:
454g lean ground beef
onion powder
vegetable oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
Procedure:
1. Put lean ground beef in a big mixing bowl. Carefully use your fingers to mix in salt, ground pepper, and onion powder. Don’t knead, mangle, or squeeze. Keep the meat fluffy and pebbly.
2. Form beef into loosely packed patties. Gently pat each handful into a ball and make a dent in the middle of each burger patty.
3. Grill on a well-oiled grill or pan. Don’t press on burgers to prevent losing the juiciness of the burger to the pan. Flip burger a couple of times.
4. Add cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, caramelized onions, and anything you prefer.
Chocolate Espresso Truffles (pair with stout)
Stouts are typically dark and have a coffee-like character. They feature a roasted type of flavor. Desserts are a favorite to go along with a pint of stout. Some chocolate espresso truffles, for example, would perfectly complement the roasted flavor of a stout.
Cooking time: 25 mins. | Serves 4
Ingredients:
340g bittersweet chocolate chips
3g instant espresso
177ml heavy cream
unsweetened cocoa powder
sprinkles
Procedure:
1. Pour the bittersweet chocolate chips into the upper pan of a double boiler. Heat the double boiler over medium high heat to melt the chocolate.
2. Occasionally stir the chocolate with a whisk to. Once the chocolate is completely melted, remove the upper pan from the double boiler and set it on the counter.
3. Mix the instant espresso with the heavy cream. Pour this mixture over the chocolate and whisk together until you have created a chocolate ganache. The cream and chocolate will become smooth and uniform in color. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. When the ganache is firm, you are ready to roll truffles. In a shallow bowl, add a couple of heaping teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. Powder your clean, dry hands with a little of the cocoa. Using a teaspoon, scoop up almost a teaspoonful of the ganache. Place the truffle on a clean, flat surface. Repeat with the remaining ganache. Refrigerate for an hour or so before serving.
5. Before serving, roll the Chocolate Espresso Truffles in your favorite sprinkles.