Beer and Brewer Magazine

The sun is out, the sky is blue, there's not a cloud to spoil the view. Until you fire up the barbie after winter. PAUL MERCURIO does it in style.

BBQ Marinated prawns with asparagus spears

Ingredients

1 kilo shelled prawns with tails intact
5 large cloves of garlic mashed with teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of olive
2/3 cup of beer - see my choice below
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 shallots, finely chopped
2 teaspoons each of coriander and cumin seeds, toasted and then crushed
1/2 cup of coarsely chopped fresh coriander
1 thinly sliced red chilli
Splash of soy to taste
Fresh asparagus spears (two per prawn)

Directions

1. Rub prawns with garlic and salt mixture and let stand for 1-2 hours. Combine remaining ingredients and add prawns, coat thoroughly and marinate for a couple of hours.
2. Spear prawns with knife so as to make a hole through just before the tail and coming out before the head end, taking care not to slice open the prawn. Push two spears of asparagus through the hole, making sure there is a flower at each end.
3. Return speared prawns to marinade until ready to cook on the BBQ.

Serve with

Coopers Pale, Feral White or Red Back Wheat

Beer Braised Spathcock with Stout and preserved lemon Rissotto

Ingredients

6 spatchcocks, #4-5 one per person, or #7-8 for half per serve
12 slices of prosciutto
Dried prunes and apricots; 4 of each for every bird
2 bottles Franziskaner Hefe Weissbier

Directions

Wash and dry spatchcocks. Place prunes and apricots into cavity, then wrap prosciutto around the bird securing with toothpicks. Brown each bird all over in a hot pan with olive oil, then place in baking tray. Pour beer into tray so it comes halfway up the side of the birds. Cover tray with foil, tightly sealing the sides. Use two pieces of foil to form a tent over the top of the tray. Once sealed, pierce the foil once so steam may escape then place in preheated oven. Cook at 180 (160 fan-forced) for 1.5-2 hours. Check the joints have cooked through before serving.

RISSOTTO

Ingredients

8 cups chicken stock
2tbsp butter
1 small-medium onion, finely diced
300g arborio rice
1 bottle of Coopers Stout
Dried porcini mushrooms
1/2-1 preserved lemon. Rind only; no flesh
2 cups peas. Heat in microwave before adding
1tbsp butter (yes, another one)
1tbsp fresh grated parmesan

Directions

Bring stock to boil then turn down to simmer. Soak the porcini in boiling water, squeeze then chop finely, reserving some of the mushroom liquid for extra flavour. Melt butter in pan, add onion and sweat 'til softened. Add rice and coat thoroughly. Throw in mushrooms and some of the reserved liquid if you wish. Beer goes in once all the mushroom liquid is soaked up. Stir rice constantly. As beer is absorbed add a ladle of stock. Repeat until you have 1-2 ladles of stock left. Add hot peas and preserved lemon then the last of your stock. Stir to combine and when most but not all of the liquid is soaked up turn off heat add butter and parmesan.
Serve with a mixed lettuce salad including rocket, dressed with olive oil and balsamic.

Serve with

Hefe Weissbier, Coopers Stout, Gage Roads IPA or Malt shovel IPA

Ricotta Tart with Cherry Lambic Sorbet

PASTRY

1.75 cups plain flour
1/2 cup white sugar
Grated zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/3 cup of butter softened
1 egg
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon until the dough begins to come together into a ball. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in foil and refrigerate for about an hour.

FILLING

1.25 cups of ricotta
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
While the pastry is in the refrigerator, combine the ricotta, egg yolks and sugar in a large mixing bowl and blend well. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until stiff, moist peaks form, then gently fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture.

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Using a 9in (23cm) tart pan with a removable bottom, grease the bottom with some butter - 1/2 tbsp. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a round about 10.5in (26.5cm) in diameter. Carefully transfer to the prepared pan and press gently against the bottom and sides. Trim the dough level with the rim of the tart pan. Spoon the filling into the pastry shell and smooth the surface. Bake the tart until it's just golden - about 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

CHERRY LAMBIC SORBET

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 cups Kreik Lambic
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Directions

1. Place sugar and water in a pan, cook over medium heat without boiling, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Bring syrup to the boil, boil for one minute, remove from heat and set aside to cool. Refrigerate overnight before using or put into the freezer and chill thoroughly so it can be used in about 40 minutes.
2. Combine beer and syrup, then fold through beaten egg whites. Pour mixture into running ice cream-making machine and churn until the desired consistency is met. Spoon mixture into a container with a lid and put in freezer until you are ready to serve.
3. Serve slices of the tart at room temperature with generous scoops of sorbet.

Serve with

Kriek Lambic, Matilda Bay Barking Duck or a La Chuffe.

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