Cook Potatoes With Beer For A Uniquely Elevated Flavor

Potatoes are a common pairing for beer, whether they're fried patatas bravas at a tapas bar, french fries at a pub, or potato chips at a Superbowl party. If you think the only way to enjoy this pairing is by chasing a bite of potato with a gulp of beer, there's a sophisticated way to incorporate them both into a single, delicious dish. You can use beer to help cook a batch of potatoes, complementing their earthy savoriness with rich, malty notes and a bitter finish.

You've got various avenues for execution. The simplest method is to use a mixture of beer and water to braise the potatoes. You can toss potatoes in a deep pot with butter, oil, and seasonings to jumpstart the cooking process and lay a flavorful foundation. Next, cover the potatoes with about a can of beer and ⅓ cup of water, then simmer.

Another option is to use beer as a roasting liquid for potatoes. You can parboil potato wedges to help release their starches for a nice crisp skin as they roast. After parboiling the wedges, dry them, and toss them in oil and seasonings before adding them to a deep roasting dish. Top them with a cup of beer and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're feeling especially ambitious, you can make beer-battered french fries by mixing beer, flour, and seasonings to create a thick, pancake-like batter to dip thick-cut fries or potato wedges.

The best beer for cooking potatoes is a light beer that isn't too hoppy. Bubbly, mild pale lagers or golden ales would work. You could also use a pilsner because they're crafted with noble hops, a part of the hops plan that doesn't have the characteristic bitter components. The cooking process will eliminate any alcoholic taste in the beer, leaving you with the floral or aromatic notes and caramelized sweetness from the malt.

While beer adds an underlying richness, you can highlight specific tasting notes in both the beer and the potatoes by adding spices and herbs to the pot, baking dish, or batter. Even using a mixture of butter and olive oil in the roasting oil or braising foundation will add layers of savoriness to complement the maltiness of the beer. Parsley, garlic, rosemary, oregano, and thyme are delicious savory herbs to spruce up braised or roasted potatoes. Smoked paprika and Cajun seasoning would bring smoky, spicy complementary flavors to balance out the sweet and savory richness of beer and potatoes.

Since complex beer cheese is a popular recipe, you know that sprinkling parmesan or shredded sharp cheddar over roasted beer potatoes would bring their decadence to new heights. You could also top them with crispy bread crumbs to enhance the malty, grainy, bread-like notes that make beer so comforting.