Cooking with YellowBelly: a Guide to using Craft Beer in the Kitchen

cooking with a guide to using craft beer in the kitchen with sarah-kim watchorn & declan nixon

CITRA PALE ALE - 4.8% A really refreshing and fruity American style Pale Ale. The malt bill is kept light and simple to allow the tropical qualities of the Citra hop to shine.

Appearance: Hazy Gold | Aroma: Grapefruit, Pine | Flavour: Orange, Grapefruit

buffalo wings SERVES 4 Buffalo chicken wings Sunflower oil for frying 12 chicken wings 50g + 2 tbsp cornflour 175ml CITRA PALE ALE 250ml hot pepper sauce ½ tsp cayenne pepper 2 tsp garlic powder 50ml apple cider vinegar 75g butter, diced 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted 3 spring onions, thinly sliced Small handful fresh coriander Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD Place enough oil in a large saucepan to fill it a third full, place over a high heat until it reaches 190C and then reduce the heat slightly so it stays at this temperature.

Cut off the wing tips and divide each in half, in a large bowl toss the chicken wings with the 2 tablespoons of cornflour to coat.

In another large bowl whisk the remaining 50g cornflour with the plain flour and CITRA PALE ALE until smooth, and in batches, dunk the chicken into the batter and fry the chicken for 12 minutes or until golden and crispy. Flip the wings to ensure they’re completely golden. Do not overcrowd the pot or it will reduce the temperature of the oil too much and bear in mind the temperature reduces when the chicken has been added so check the temperature after each batch. Once cooked place on a large baking tray lined with kitchen paper and repeat until they are all fried.

While the wings are frying place the hot sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and apple cider vinegar in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Gently bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted through.

Pour over the wings and toss to coat, sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds, spring onions and coriander. Grab a CITRA PALE ALE and dig in!

CASTAWAY PASSIONFRUIT SOUR 4.2% A Berliner Weiss style beer with added passionfruit makes this the perfect thirst quencher. Soured with our house lactobacillus culture and conditioned on a tropical Island worth of passion fruit. This beer is not for the faint hearted. Forget everything you thought you knew about beer and grab a Castaway today.

Apperance: Hazy Orange | Aroma: Passion Fruit, Citrus fruits | Flavour: Passionfruit, Lactic, Citrus Fruits

Vanilla bean pannacotta With Rhubarb And Pumpkin Seed Brittle

SERVES 6

For the pannacotta:

125g Caster sugar 250ml cream 6 (10g) gelatin leaves 500g tub natural yoghurt 2 tsp vanilla bean paste

For the rhubarb:

500g rhubarb, sliced 50g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

To serve:

25g pumpkin seeds 50g caster sugar 125g raspberries

METHOD In a small saucepan heat half the cream along with the sugar over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool slightly. Soak the gelatin leaves in a bowl of cold water for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the gelatin leaves to the cream and sugar and whisk until melted.

Whip the remaining cream until you form stiff peaks. Whisk the cream and sugar mix into the yoghurt and vanilla bean paste, this will help to loosen the yoghurt a little. Next fold through the whipped cream and divide between the 6 pannacotta moulds, place on a tray and into the fridge for at least 4 hours or until set.

When they are almost set or before you are ready to serve preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan/gas 4. Then put the sugar along with 1 tablespoon of water in a small saucepan and heat until golden and a caramel colour, add the pumpkin seeds to this and stir until coated, turn out onto a tray lined with parchment and leave to harden.

Once cooled roughly chop or break into small pieces.

Cut the rhubarb into 4cm pieces spread evenly in a tray, sprinkle over the sugar and vanilla and add 50ml water, toss to coat and place in the oven to roast for 15 minutes until softened but still holding their shape.

To serve, run the ramekins under warm water without it touching the pannacotta itself and then turn out onto your hand and place on the plate, top with some rhubarb, raspberries, sprinkle of pumpkin seed brittle and drizzle over the rhubarb syrup leftover in the tray. Serve with CASTAWAY and dig in!

KELLERBIER 4.3% Our take on the classic German style. This is an unfiltered, unpasteurised, unbelievable Helles Lager. We’ve added nothing and taken nothing away. Expect big bready malt sweetness and a creamy full bodied mouthfeel.

Apperance: Hazy Gold | Aroma: Sweet malt | Flavour: Sweet malt, lemon

BUTTER CHICKEN SERVES 4 For the chicken: 450g chicken, diced into 1 inch cubes 250ml natural yoghurt Thumb sized piece ginger, finely grated 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tsp garam masala 50g butter

To serve: 250g Basmati rice 500ml chicken stock Fresh coriander Naan bread

For the sauce: 50g butter 1 onion, finely diced 4 garlic cloves, minced Thumb sized piece ginger, finely grated 1 green chilli, finely chopped 4 cardamon pods, seeds removed 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 x 400g tin cherry tomatoes ½ tsp chilli powder 2 tsp garam masala 1 tsp ground coriander 250ml natural yoghurt Sea salt

METHOD Place the chicken along with the rest of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl except for the butter, toss to coat the chicken evenly, cover with cling film then place in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.

Once marinated, put a large pan over a high heat and add a little of the butter. Fry the chicken in batches until golden on all sides, once golden remove to a plate and repeat until it has all been fried, using a little more butter each time you add a new batch to the pan.

Next add the butter to the pan to make the sauce followed by the onion, garlic. ginger, chilli, cardamom and cumin seeds, sauté for 6-8 minutes until softened and return the chicken to the pan along with the tin of cherry tomatoes, chilli powder, garam masala and ground coriander. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until slightly reduced, stirring occasionally.

Once the chicken is cooking get your rice on. Add the rice to a medium sized saucepan along with 500ml chicken stock over a high heat. Bring to the boil, pop on a lid and reduce the heat to a gently simmer, cook for 10-12 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is fully cooked. Use a fork to fluff up the rice.

Remove the chicken from the heat. add the yoghurt, stir until everything has evenly combined and the yoghurt has heated through. You don’t want to leave this on the heat or your sauce can split. Season to taste. Heat the naan bread and place on the platter, top with some rice, chicken, scatter with coriander and serve alongside some cold KELLERBIER. Dig in.

hopped in space ipa 5.5% Our West Coast IPA is hopped with some of our favourite American grown varieties.

They give this beer its juicy, citrus flavours that are synonymous with the style. The use of some darker malts provide some sweet balance.

Apperance: Light brown | Aroma: Orange, Grapefruit | Flavour: Stone fruits, Orange

PULLED BEEF NACHOS SERVES 6-8 3 tbsp sunflower oil 750g beef brisket 1 onion, thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp cayenne pepper 500ml beef stock

For the cheese sauce: 100g cheddar, grated 1 tbsp cornflour 250ml milk 125ml HOPPED IN SPACE tabasco, to taste

To serve: 400g tortilla chips 100g cheddar cheese, grated 2 corn on the cob 1 red onion, sliced 2 avocados 2 limes Fresh coriander

METHOD Heat a large pan over a high heat and add a tablespoon of oil, season the beef and add to the pan. Fry on each side for 3-4 minutes until browned. Transfer to a tray while you get on with the rest. In the same pan, reduce the heat, add the onion and garlic to the fat which is still in the pan, fry for 3-4 minutes until slightly softened with a little colour. Add the spices to the pan and coat the onion in them, add the beef back to the pan. Pour the beef stock over and around the beef, cover and place back on the hob, cover with a lid and bring to the boil then return to a low heat and cook for 2.5 hours until tender and falling apart, in the last 10 minutes of the cooking time remove the beef to a plate, discard any fat and shred apart the beef with a fork. Simmer the sauce for 6-8 minutes or until reduced by half then add the beef back into this and stir to coat the meat full in the remaining sauce.

Combine cheese and cornflour in a large mixing bowl and toss to coat. Heat the milk in a medium pot over low heat, then gradually whisk in the cheese until melted. Add the HOPPED IN SPACE and continue whisking over low heat until completely smooth. Simmer for 3-4 minutes to allow the beer to mellow. Do not thin out as it will cause the nacho chips to go soft.

Heat a large pan over a medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil along with the corn, fry until charred and crispy. Scoop out the avocado into a small bowl and add the juice of half a lime, smash with the back of a fork but so it’s still chunky.

To finish spread the tortilla chips in a serving dish, top with the shredded beef, cheese sauce, red onion and charred corn sprinkle over the remaining grated cheddar and place in the oven to cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove and mash the avocado flesh in a small bowl using the back of the fork with the juice of 1 lime. Top the nachos with the avocado and coriander, serve the dish with the remaining lime cut into wedges.

Grab a HOPPED IN SPACE and dig in.

ON THE FRITZ SESSION IPA 4.5% This crisp refreshing session beer provides all the qualities you would associate with an IPA but with less alcohol. German grown hop varieties give the beer its fruity aroma and flavour. Bitterness is kept low and the finish kept clean which enhances the drinkability.

Appearance: Straw Gold | Aroma: Strawberry, Lemon | Flavour: Strawberry, Watermelon

fish tacos SERVES 6 500g cod fillet, deboned and skin removed 100g flour 25g cornflour 175ml chilled ON THE FRITZ 1 tsp medium curry powder

To serve: 100g mayonnaise 1 avocado Juice half lime 12 mini tortilla wraps Quarter red cabbage, thinly sliced 2 limes, cut into wedges Small handful basil leaves

METHOD Preheat a deep fat fryer to 185C. Cut the fish into 1cm x 5cm pieces.

In a large bowl combine 75g flour, cornflour, ON THE FRITZ and curry powder and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining flour to another bowl and coat the fish in flour then dip into batter. Fry for 3-4 minutes until golden. (they may look done pretty early on but you need to keep going so they’ve a deep golden colour or else the batter will go soft once out of the oil). Transfer to a tray lined with kitchen paper and repeat the process until they are all fried.

Add the mayonnaise, avocado and lime to a mini blender and blend until smooth, you may need to scrape down the sides as you go.

While the fish is cooking heat a griddle pan over a high heat, add a tortilla at a time and cook until charred, flip to give the other side charred marks and repeat until they are all toasted.

To assemble fill the base of each tortilla with red cabbage followed by some fish and a dollop of the avocado mayo. Scoop the avocado out using a teaspoon to create small chunks and then top with this along with the red onion, basil leaves and lime wedges on the side. Grab some ON THE FRITZ and dig in, these are great served on a tray to the table with all the elements for people to build their own!

the creators

sarah-Kim watchorn

declan nixon

When it comes to food Sarah offers the full 360 package from recipe writing to food styling, photography and everything in between.

Born in Donegal and raised in Derry, YellowBelly Beer’s Head Brewer has a long-standing love and respect for great beer. As a university student in Liverpool, Declan found himself spending more and more time brewing on his homemade brewkit than he did on his Civil Engineering Degree, until eventually he followed fate and apprenticed at breweries in Merseyside and Derbyshire.

Growing up in Wexford she learned to cook as quick as quick as she could walk, with both her Mum and Gran so passionate about food by her side, this is without a shadow of a doubt where her flair for food began.

She now works with some of the top names in the food industry in Ireland including Donal Skehan, Rozanna Purcell, Sharon Hearne-Smith and Chef Adrian.

The Best part of doing what she loves is not just styling the photos but of course getting to eat them too, and she loves to take photos in the hope people feel what she does when she creates them. Of course writing about food and writing recipes plays a huge part in her work as she brings her ideas to life.

Upon returning to Ireland, he became an award-winning gypsy brewer known as ‘Otterbank’ (brewing at various breweries to create very limited batches) as well as spending some time commercial brewing in Co. Tipperary.

At the beginning of 2015 he found his forever home in Wexford, where he began working full-time as YellowBelly Beer’s Head Brewer.