Gastropub Comfort Food ~ From Chedder Cheese Beer Bread to a Stout Float

Spring is not quite here yet, so in our house comfort food is sticking around.  Real California Milk {CMAB} just sent me these amazing looking 'Gastropub' recipes to share with you and that we will be trying in the near future.

The Monk's Cheddar Cheese Beer Bread & Mussels recipe is courtesy of Monk's Kettle in San Francisco and the Stout Float {yes, you read that right} recipe was made popular by BoHo Restaurant, the original gastropub in Hollywood.

Maybe this can be a great alternative to the standard corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day.

Photo by Monk's

MONK’S KETTLE CHEDDAR BEER BREAD

4 tablespoons Real California butter, divided
3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups beer, room temperature
1 cup grated sharp Real California Cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Melt remaining butter and set aside. Sift flour, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add beer, cheese and melted butter. Mix well, being careful not to over mix; the batter should be sticky but smooth. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on rack. With a serrated bread knife, cut into 16 slices.

Makes one loaf.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1 slice): 157 calories; 6 g fat; 15 mg cholesterol; 138 mg sodium; 21 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 5 g protein

Note: The flavor of this bread will be guided by the beer you choose to use. This beer bread is a great accompaniment to dishes such as mussels. Any beer can be used from pale ales, to lagers, to stouts depending on what you are serving it with and what type of beer you like. If paired correctly with Mussels, ideally a Belgian Wit is used.


MONK’S KETTLE MUSSELS

4 tablespoons Real California butter, divided
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 red Fresno or jalapeño chile, cut into quarters lengthwise (remove seeds for milder heat, if desired)
1 pound mussels (about 20), scrubbed and de-bearded
1/2 cup beer, such as Belgian Wit
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and black pepper

Heat a medium sauté pan to high heat; add 1 tablespoon butter and the shallot, garlic and chile. Sweat for 1 minute and add mussels; toss over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add beer and simmer until all mussels have opened. Toss with thyme and remaining butter; season with salt and pepper. Discard any mussels that have not opened. Serve in bowls with the liquid poured over.

Makes 2 servings

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 433 calories; 28 g fat; 124 mg cholesterol; 793 mg sodium; 12 g carbohydrate; .3 g fiber; 28 g protein

Note: Toast slices of Cheddar Beer Bread in the oven or brush lightly with oil and grill for a few minutes to add a toasted flavor to the bread. Serve with mussels to sop up all the juice in the bowl.


BOHO STOUT FLOAT

2 (4-ounce) scoops Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (recipe below)
8 ounces stout, such as Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout {use root beer for the non-alcoholic version}
5 Shortbread Cookies (recipe below)
Confectioner’s sugar

Place ice cream in chilled pint glass and slowly pour in stout. Dust cookies with powdered sugar, place on plate next to float.

Makes 1 serving

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 775 calories; 37 g fat; 123 mg cholesterol; 86 mg sodium; 66 g carbohydrate; .3 g fiber; 5 g protein


REAL CALIFORNIA VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM

2 cups Real California half-and-half
1 cup Real California heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

Combine all ingredients (including pod and seeds of vanilla bean) in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steam starts to rise from the surface or mixture registers 170°F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Remove pod of vanilla bean; pour mixture into a container. Refrigerate, covered, overnight to mellow flavor and texture. Freeze in ice cream freezer according to manufacturer’s directions. When volume has increased by 1/2 to 3/4 and mixture is soft-serve consistency, spoon into a container, cover and freeze until firm.

Makes 5 cups



CALIFORNIA SHORTBREAD BUTTON COOKIES

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup Real California unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a bowl, whisk together flour and salt. With an electric mixer or a hand mixer, beat butter about 1 minute or until soft and creamy. Add sugar and beat about 2 minutes or until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract. Gently fold in flour mixture just until incorporated. Flatten dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Position rack in middle of oven; heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/4-inch thick. Cut into rounds with a 1-inch cookie cutter. Place on prepared baking sheets and refrigerate for about 15 minutes (this will firm up the dough so that the cookies will hold their shape while being baked). Bake 8-10 minutes or until cookies are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 9 dozen cookies



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