Food And Beer

Source: All About Beer Summer Fare

Yield 6-8 appetizers or 4 main courses

6 lb cleaned a de-bearded fresh mussels
18 Shallots
6 spring onions
2 stalks celery
1/4 lb unsalted butter
juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 cup water
12 ounces clam juice
12 oz Redenbach Grand Cru

Coarsely chp shallots, spring onions, and celery. Finely chop garlic and parsley, tear basil into large pieces

Melt butter at a low heat in a large pot. Add shallots, onions and celery: simmer until soft. Add everything but the beer and mussels and bring to a gentle boil.

Add the mussels. When they begin opening in 1-2 minutes, add the beer and stir thoroughly. Steam uncovered until mussels are open (discard all that don’t open in 3-4 minutes). Do not overcook: mussels should be plump and not shrunken.

Serve in broad bowls with torn chunks of French bread for soaking up juice.

Source: All About Beer Magazine Summer Fare

For the Shrimp Boil:

2 qt water
1/8 cup Garlic, minced
3 whole bay leaves
1/8 cup Old Bay seasoning
1 lemon, quartered
1/8 cup kosher salt
1 quart light lager
1 lb 21-25 shell on shrimp, frozen
1 quart Light Lager
1 quart ice cubes

For the Chipotle Lime Cocktail Sauce:

1 cup Heinz cocktail sauce
1  tbs chipotle peppers in adobo, pureed
1/4 cup lime juice
3/4 tsp cilantro, minced

Place first 7 ingredients into stock pot and bring to a rolling boil. Combine remaining lager and ice in a container and set aside. Add shrimp to boil and cook until they float. Lift shrimp out of boil into lager ice for 5 minutes and drain.

Mix all cocktail sauce ingredients and chill.