Food
St Patrick’s Day: 6 delicious recipes for cooking with Guinness
by Tamsin Burnett-Hall
St Patrick’s Day (17 March) is synonymous with ‘the black stuff’ – Irish stout – and particularly with Guinness. This extra-dark beer has an unmistakable flavour from the combination of malted, flaked and dark-roasted barley used in brewing, and the distinctive creamy head on a draught pint is down to a ‘nitrogen pour’, rather than being carbonated.
But it’s not just for drinking – the deep, complex flavours add an extra dimension in cooking, from homely Irish classics to chocolate desserts. Try some of our favourite ways to cook with Guinness...
The obvious starting point for cooking with stout is a rich and comforting stew; combine a can of Guinness and another of condensed tomato soup and slow cook to give a velvety sauce with fall-apart tender beef – and knock up a quick batch of cheese ‘biscuits’ (like a scone) to dunk in.
From stew to pie – make the luxuriously savoury beef, Guinness and Stilton filling ahead, top with a crisp cheese pastry lid and bake until crisp and fragrant.
Have you got a bit of Guinness left over after St Patrick’s Day? Why not whip up the ultimate ‘cheese on toast’, a gloriously gooey concoction of melting cheese, beer and mustard, with pickled onions for added crunch.
The pairing of Guinness and chocolate makes a lot of sense – both rich and dark with fruity, malty notes. Make this easy loaf cake, and see who can guess the magical ingredient!
A splash of Guinness enriches the chocolate flavour in this microwave mug cake – and it even looks like a pint of the black stuff, with its whipped, creamy head! If making more than one, microwave them one at a time for best results.
The gorgeous maltiness of the classic Irish stout is enhanced by aromatic spices in a simple condensed-milk base ice cream. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce for the finishing touch.
