My annual salute to the Irish always includes a pint of Guinness Beer, a delicious black stout from Dublin, Ireland. This full-bodied beer has a considerably smooth finish despite its bold characteristics, and is delightful to drink anytime of the year. Although there are many fans of this traditional ale, there are just as many cynics due to its dominant taste. I have determined however that even people who don’t drink beer or alcohol, can appreciate the unique taste of Guinness when used in cooking.
I always question a recipe when it calls for water to be added. Why not add wine, broth, juice, or even beer? How much flavour does water have? Zero. If you want a dish to taste wonderful, and full of flavour, could you not add something that has more distinction than water? I have always addressed this topic to my past culinary students and preached creativity and improvisation when it comes to preparing a meal. Guinness beer is a very clever way to add flavour intricacy to a dish, especially when the recipe involves red meat. The hearty flavour of red meat holds up nicely when married with the boldness of Guinness, whereas the taste of fish would most likely be lost.
A beef stew, for example, made with a combination of beef broth and Guinness beer is incredible. The full-flavoured dark, almost black, broth will not only have them guessing, but it will also have them requesting a second helping! With this knowledge in hand, think of the endless possibilities of recipe modifications you can now carry out. Try Guinness in beef gravy, Sheppard’s pie, casseroles, soups, stroganoff, or even your next beef and tomato spaghetti sauce, to name a few. You can even try marinating an inexpensive, tough cut of beef in Guinness. You will be amazed at the results.
The flavour and darkness of this beer comes from the selected hops and roasting of malt barley, similar to the way coffee beans are roasted. Although Guinness representatives claim that the colour of their beer is actually a deep ruby red, black is most popularly used to describe the obscurity of this beer here in Canada. The smoothness is supposedly from the pure water obtained from natural springs fed by the St. James well.
In modern day Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day has traditionally been celebrated as a religious holiday. It was up until the 1970’s that Irish law banned the opening of pubs on the 17th of March. So this St. Patrick’s Day, one may find it more fitting to raise your fork or spoon (instead of a glass) in a toast to St. Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland. However, let’s also make a point of remembering Arthur Guinness, who set up his brewery in Dublin, Ireland in 1759, by signing a nine-thousand-year lease. Thank you Arthur!
If you are interested in traveling to Ireland (or other destinations) with Chef Dez, you can now do so through his exclusive Chef Dez Culinary Tours. Chef Dez is traveling to Ireland & Scotland in the summer of 2017, as well as Savannah GA this October, and Atlantic Canada in 2018. Visit www.chefdez.com/culinarytours for more information.
Chef Dez is a Food Columnist, Culinary Travel Host & Cookbook Author. Visit him at www.chefdez.com
Write to him at [email protected] or P.O. Box 2674, Abbotsford, BC V2T 6R4
