Recipes for Zesty Blue Cheese and IPA Dipping Sauce, and Witty Cilantro Mussels reprinted with permission from “Beer or Wine? - Great Food Pairings from Burgers to Brie.” by Sam Calagione (forthcoming, Penguin/DK, April 2008) ************* Zesty Blue Cheese and IPA Dipping Sauce The subtle bitterness of the hops in the IPA comes forward in the cooking process and complements the sharp cheese flavors to give the sauce a zesty bite. Ingredients 2 ounces (55 g) butter 5 tablespoons (40 g) flour 6 ounces (175 ml) IPA (room temperature and flat) 2/3 cup (158 ml) half-and-half (room temperature) 1/2 cup (80 g) chopped fresh chives 2 tablespoons (30 g) Dijon mustard 8 ounces (115 g) cream cheese 12 ounces (180 g) crumbled bleu cheese 8 ounces (115 g) shredded cheddar cheese 20 hard breadsticks Process 1. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter until simmering then add the flour and stir. 2. Add the IPA and half-and-half and stir while simmering for 3 minutes. 3. Add the chopped chives, Dijon mustard, and cream cheese and continue stirring while simmering for 1 minute. 4. As you add the chunks of bleu cheese and cheddar a few ounces (grams) at a time, continue to stir. Wait until each addition of cheese melts into the sauce before making the next addition. 5. After the last cheese addition is fully melted, shut off heat source and transfer sauce into a mixing bowl. Each guest gets five breadsticks for dipping and a pint of hearty, hoppy IPA. Remember, you are among friends, so feel free to double dip. Witty Cilantro Mussels Mussels steamed in beer and served with crusty bread must be the national dish of Belgium. Traditionally, this dish is cooked with just a few flavoring ingredients to allow the goodness of the beer broth to shine through. Serve the mussels in a couple of communal bowls and be sure to include the broth. Half the fun of eating this dish is dipping your bread in the wonderful broth at the base of the bowls. Make sure you have a big empty bowl at the table to discard the shells as you eat. This dish is best enjoyed with a spicy Belgian wit beer, saison, or biere de garde. Ingredients Mussels 5 pounds (2.3 kg) green lipped mussels 3 ounces (83 g) butter 2 big red onions peeled and chopped 3 sticks of celery (chopped into 1/4-inch wide slices) 12 ounces (355 ml) Belgian wit beer 1/2 cup (10 g) fresh cilantro 2 tangerines, halved Bread Two loaves crusty French bread 4 ounces (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 2 ounces (60 g) finely chopped horseradish 1 ounce (38 g) course salt Process Mussels 1. Clean the mussels using cool tap water and a stiff brush. Make sure you discard any mussels that are opened or cracked. Put the clean mussels in a colander and rinse with cool water. 2. Melt the butter in a large soup pot (your stainless brewpot would work well here) over medium heat. Once simmering, add the red onion and celery and cook until everything is well mixed and soft (6 or 7 minutes). Stir occasionally to prevent burning. 3. Add the wit beer to the pot and stir.* 4. Once the mixture is boiling, add your mussels, stir, and cover the pot. 5. After 4 minutes, uncover the pot and sprinkle the fresh cilantro and squeeze in the tangerine juice (discard the peels). Stir the mussels well, pulling up spoonfuls from the broth. 6. Cover and cook for 4 more minutes. 7. Open and stir for another minute checking to make sure that all of the mussels have opened. Bread *After you’ve added the beer and are waiting for the mixture to boil, it’s a good time to prepare and cook the bread. Cut the loaves in half the long way and lay them out on a baking sheet. Mix the olive oil and horseradish in a bowl and spread it over the bread with a cooking brush. Sprinkle course salt over the top of the bread. Put the bread in your oven at 350°F (177°C, or gas mark 4) until toasted light brown. 8. Put the mussels into two large bowls with the broth evenly distributed in the two bowls. Remove the bread from the oven and serve warm with the mussels. .