When spring has finally sprung, we start to crave changes from the hearty stews of winter to salads and lighter fare – something a little bubbly, perhaps? We’re also dusting off the barbecue, so what better time to experiment with beer in our favourite dishes? We’re not talking about those dark ales, stouts, porters and the like; no, fresh air and sunshine calls for pale lagers and pilsners; fruity beers and white (wit, wheat) beers with hints of citrus and coriander. Cooking with beer is a lot like cooking with wine; you can deglaze a pan with beer, steam shellfish in beer, add beer to sauces and dressings; really, anywhere that calls for a splash of wine, the right beer is just fine.
Here are six ways to add beer to your spring dishes
Barbecue Sauces, Marinades and Brines: It’s grilling time again, and beer is a grill’s (and grillers!) best friend. Jazz up your go-to barbeque sauce recipe with some nutbrown ale. Beer in marinades and brines for those budget-friendly but flavourful tougher cuts are perfect. Just replace some of the called for liquid with an equal amount of beer.
Vinaigrettes: The world is green again, and so is the menu. Asparagus, baby lettuces, peas, radishes, green beans; raw, lightly steamed or roasted, veggies –all of these love a good vinaigrette. Try adding a drop of beer to your next dressing. Just replace some of the vinegar or lemon juice with a nice, tart pilsner or even an IPA (bitter, hoppy, India Pale Ale), rounded out with a bit of mustard, honey, and canola oil.
Fruit Salad and Poached Fruit: Beers brewed with real fruit have been around for centuries, so when cooking with a fruity beer, look for brands that don’t use artificial fruit flavours. Switch out some of the other liquid called for in your favourite fruit salad recipe – wine, champagne, ginger ale, tea – and add a splash of ice-cold fruit beer instead for flavour and effervesce. Some fruits – peaches, pears, cherries – are wonderful poached in wine, so why not in beer? Use a fruit beer for the poaching, then serve the fruit chilled with a dollop of whipped cream for an easy spring dessert. Add a little sugar or maple syrup to the poaching liquid and reduce it into a sweet sauce.
Poaching Meat and Fish: Spring foods call for gentler cooking methods and cook-ahead dishes that can be served at room temperature or chilled. Think lager-poached trout and asparagus with lemon and fresh dill mayo, or how about ale-poached chicken breast and baby leeks served warm or chilled? Simply replace all of the wine or some of the broth called for in your favourite poaching recipe, then serve hot or chill for another day.
Beer Cocktails: Lighter or pale beers are perfect in cocktails, either by the glass or by the jug. Of course the shandy – 50/50 beer and lemon-lime soda – is a classic, but beer pairs beautifully with ginger ale or ginger beer, pink grapefruit, Italian frizzantes, and fruit juices. Beer cocktails are lower in alcohol, super-refreshing, and simple to scale up for a crowd.
Pizza: Beer and pizza, absolutely! Beer in the pizza, why not? Making homemade pizza dough is fun and easy, but pizza crust can be a bit bland, though not if you add a splash of beer to the recipe. Use lukewarm beer instead of water to bloom the yeast in this and any dough recipe – breads, buns, biscuits – for extra yeasty flavour.
Tip: Many poaching liquids can be further reduced after the poaching is done; just add some cold butter or heavy cream and a further splash of beer for a quick sauce.
Looking for more ideas? Check out these tasty ways to cook with beer in Summer, Fall and Winter:
6 Ways To Add Beer To Winter Dishes