All About Stout
Over the weekend I cooked a spread to honor the Scottish Highland Games. My aim was to mainly cook foods that could be eaten by hand to evoke the feeling of leisurely walking around the events, unencumbered by utensils. Over the next few weeks I’ll cover each course - so keep checking back for breadcrumbs leading to the complete menu!
The appetizer for the meal consisted of two stout-focused dishes: stout-battered sausages and bacon-wrapped potatoes in stout. I wanted to take ordinary meat and potatoes and spin it just enough to raise an eyebrow. And while stout is associated closer to Ireland and England, I dare you to try and pull a pint of the good stuff out of a caber tosser’s hands!
Guinness Brewery, 2018. It was the first day they were offering to have YOUR PICTURE PRINTED ONTO THE BEER FOAM. We turned our tourist volume up to 11 that day.
Stout: A Brief UK History
Friends, I’m about to tell you something that may shock you as much as it did me. Stout is really just strong porter. I KNOW, RIGHT?! During the Industrial Revolution in the UK, brown malt became the favored malt among brewers due to its affordability. In conjunction with this use of this darker malt the public also started to desire beer that was aged longer, and therefore became a stronger porter. Patrons started ordering “stout porter’ in bars when requesting this strong porter. In due time this was shortened to “stout”.
Stout has been touted for centuries in the UK for its health properties. In Ireland, pregnant women were once recommended to drink a glass of Guinness every day to strengthen themselves and their baby. In fact, a University of Wisconsin study showed that Guinness might help reduce the risk of heart attacks and blood clots because it contains the same types of antioxidants found in red wine. It was also once prescribed to post-op patients because of its high iron content! (Note: Peckish & Parched is not a health blog and should not be used for medical advice no matter HOW GOOD my research and writing is.)
Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes in Stout
Eat While: Playing the bagpipes.
Pairings: Stout on Stout on Stout
Dedicated Time: 1 hour
Components:
2 1/4 red potatoes, peeled
9 oz bacon
1/2 c stout beer
sea salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Make as many slices into each potato as possible without cutting all the way through. Wrap each potato in bacon and place in a roasting pan.
Pour beer over the potatoes and season with a dash of sea salt. Be careful not to over-salt as the bacon also provides some saltiness.
Roast in oven until potatoes are tender (~45 min).
* 6 servings
Love the sausages with all their curves and edges. These are thick ladies and should be respected as such.
Stout-Battered Sausages
Eat While: Giving a full body massage.
Pairings: Dirty Martini……………JK! Stout.
Dedicated Time: 25 min
Components:
8 pork sausages
canola oil, for frying
Batter:
1 1/4 c (10 fl oz) stout beer
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour, plus extra for dredging
3/4 tsp yeast
sea salt
Combine all batter ingredients in a bowl and let stand for 15 min.
Pour oil in a large cast iron skillet until it comes ~2 inches up sides. Heat until it reaches 350°F.
Dredge sauges in flour and then dip into batter. Fry until golden brown and cooked through (~3-4 min). Sprinkle with sea salt once you take out of the oil.
* 4 servings