SANDRA'S ALASKAN BEER BATTERED MUSHROOMS with GRUYERE CHEESE

My husband and I had a similar appetizer 
at a local eatery
so I just had to replicate them, 
and these
Beer Battered Mushrooms 
with Gruyere turned out identically yummy...

Servings: (6)
Prep: 10 mins. |
Cook 10 to 15 mins.

Posted by Sandra

INGREDIENTS

Note: Allow mushrooms to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking, as cold mushrooms tend to condensate upon removed from refrigerator.

2 lbs. medium button mushroom, stems intact, cleaned with a dry paper towel
--(batter does not stick to wet mushrooms, so do not rinse with water)
peanut oil, for frying
¼ cup gruyere cheese, grated (or swiss cheese)
1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley

Local
Alaskan Brewing Company
'Alaskan Summer'
Ale

***Beer Batter:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted through a sieve
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning blend
1 bottle dark beer, cold (I use Alaskan Beer ;-)

---Serving options:
-Lemon wedges
-Ranch dressing, for dipping sauce
--(See recipe here: Ranch Dip or Dressing)

METHOD

Place a ovenproof serving platter in the oven at 275 degrees to warm.

Pour about 2 inches of oil into a deep fryer or electric skillet, and heat to 375 degrees.

Meanwhile, make the beer batter by sifting the flour and baking powder through a sieve into a medium bowl. Add the kosher salt, ground pepper, garlic and onion powders, paprika, italian seasoning, and beer, whisking until smooth.

Don’t over crowd the pan, and fry in batches. Begin by ‘lightly’ dipping dry mushrooms into batter, then carefully immerse into hot oil. Fry the mushrooms for a total of about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping half way through, until they are evenly golden brown. Drain the mushrooms on a paper-towel lined plate.

Meanwhile, remove the warmed serving platter from the oven, and turn the oven up to 350 degrees. Place hot mushrooms on warm platter and sprinkle with shredded gruyere cheese. Place in oven for a couple of minutes, just until cheese is slightly melted. Remove from oven, and warn guests that the platter is hot, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges, individual forks and plates, and small bowls filled with ranch dressing for dipping. Squeeze lemon over mushrooms, eat while hot. ~ Enjoy!


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Tip: Thinner batter makes for a lighter coating, and thicker batter makes for a heavier coating (all batter recipes may vary depending upon humidity in your area – so adjust to your liking by adding more beer to thin it, or more flour to thicken.) Also, this batter is very good for deep-frying onion rings and veggies, such as zucchini, broccoli, etc.

SANDRA'S BEER BREAD topped with CHEDDAR CHEESE AND GREEN CHILIES

No kneading or rising required 
for such a delightful bread...

This particular photograph 
I found featured on 9-17-12 at 
"World of Beer"
http://www.worldofbeer.co.za/news/
entry/cooking-with-beer-beer-bread

Yields: (1 loaf)
Prep: 3 minutes
Bake: 1 hour

SIFT - Dry Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, (not self-rising)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 cup sugar

Wet Ingredients:
- 1 (12 ounce) can/bottle of unopened beer brought to room temp. (Alaskan Pale Ale is best!)
- 1/4 cup melted butter

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt the butter for 40 seconds in the microwave, and set aside to cool to room temperature

Sift using fine-mesh sieve sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl by tapping side.
[IMPORTANT: Don’t skip this step!]

Pour the beer in folding and drawing the spoon through the batter to gently mix in the dry ingredients. [It is very important to not stir in a circular motion while adding the beer just to moisten, (as you do not want it to form into a “globby ball.”)

Pour into a 9” x 5” loaf pan sprayed with oil, and place over a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean up. Very lightly smooth the top with a teaspoon dipped in the melted butter (do not press the bread dough down though.) Pour remaining melted butter over mixture.

Bake 50 mins. to 1 hour (when lightly thumped it sounds hollow, not a thud). Remove loaf from pan and place on its side to cooling rack, and cover with a tea towel, letting it cool for at least 15 minutes.

---(Note: This is optional - I added a small can, drained, of chopped green chilis + 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese during the last 5 mins. of  baking pictured in the above loaf.)---

The final result should be hearty, slightly dense, and a very moist and tasteful loaf of bread.

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TIP: If using non-alcoholic beer, please add a packet of dry Active Dry Yeast or 2 teaspoons of Bread (Machine) Yeast so that you get proper rise.