Dave Jensen at Beer 47 asks us to write about Cooking With Beer for the 47th gathering of The Session. Fifteen years ago Lucy Saunders wrote a book by with that title for Time-Life, and my wife (Daria Labinsky) and I then compiled a companion called The Brewpub Cookbook.
Not all the recipes we collected ended up in the book, but fortunately we saved them (first on 3½ floppies; it was a while ago) because several turned out to be favorites. That includes this one for Stilton Cheese Soup from Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland.
It’s rich, with a powerful, sharp Stilton flavor. Great Lakes used, and may still use, its Dortmunder Gold in making the soup. It goes well with Burning River Pale Ale, because that beer has enough hops to “cut right through the cheese.”
Stilton Cheese Soup
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup lager beer
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 3/4 cups crumbled Stilton cheese
1. In a food processor or blender, purée carrots and onion until nearly smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until mixture turns a copper color.
3. Carefully stir in chicken stock, cream, beer, carrot-onion mixture, pepper, Tabasco, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch and water together. Add to the soup. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Discard bay leaf.
5. Gradually add cheeses, cooking and stirring until melted.
Yield: 4-6 servings
(mini rant…sorry stan)
This recipes makes we wonder about all of the ‘beer’ cooking going on. Seems to me its like an ‘Oatmeal’ stout that uses 0.01% of oatmeal and stil calling it such. What at all is beer going to add to this recipe at 1/3 cup? Don’t get me wrong, this looks like a standard ‘roux’ based cream soup with cheese and anything with that much Stilton will be delicious.
It just seems like the way Bill Murray makes his martini’s. (eg shows the vodka the bottle of Vermouth)
Does this bug anyone else?
Since there are 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock (presumably water could be subbed too) I’d guess that the beer does contribute flavor- or you certainly could make it so.
I understand the point, but perhaps not here.
I particularly recommend (again) Lucy Saunders’ Cooking With Beer, since she tackles this topic (among others). It’s long ago out of print, but you can find used copies on Amazon.
Not that your point isn’t well taken, Kristen. I’m not sure you can taste the difference, with more beer (done that) or less (like none, which we’ve also done).