Everything tastes better with bacon and I think the same could be said of beer, so we knew this recipe was a winner. It debuted at Banana Jam Café on IPA Day 2012 (the first Thursday in August, if you’re interested) and was a huge hit. Risotto is a long-term companion of wine, but beer – as both an accompaniment and an ingredient – works wonderfully, the carbonation of the brew cutting through the creaminess of the dish. Many beers will work both in and with this dish, though we recommend something with a bit of a hop kick to it.

Check out some other recipes from African Brew: beef and stout pie or springbok stew with dumplings.)

Beer and Bacon Risotto

Serves 4 | Recipe courtesy of Greg Casey, owner of Banana Jam Cafe

Ingredients:

1.75 litres chicken stock

15 ml olive oil

150 g streaky bacon, diced (keep one rasher for garnishing)

1 large onion, diced

2 large sticks celery, sliced and diced (keep leaves for garnish)

15 ml finely minced garlic

500 ml arborio rice

200 ml of a hop-forward beer, such as Emerald Vale’s Amber Ale

50 g butter

60 ml grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan over medium heat. Keep it at a gentle simmer.

2. Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the bacon until browned.

3. Add the onion, celery and garlic and keep stirring until just soft, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the rice and a pinch of pepper, stirring constantly so that the rice toasts but doesn’t brown.

5. Once the rice has absorbed the flavour of the bacon and onion, add the beer, ensuring that it evaporates before you add any stock. Do not worry about the beer’s bitterness as it will diminish as the dish cooks.

6. Once the beer has evaporated, start to add the stock. Keep stirring and adding stock 1 cup at a time, each time letting the stock be absorbed by the rice before adding more. You know it’s time to add more when you can run a spoon through the rice and see the bottom of the pan for a few seconds before the rice covers it again. Do this until the rice is al dente.

7. Once the rice is ready, add the butter, stir in the Parmesan, garnish with a crispy piece of bacon and a celery leaf and enjoy with a glass of beer.

Recipe extracted from “African Brew” by Lucy Corne & Ryno Reyneke (Struik Lifestyle), which is available at all leading bookstores in South Africa. 

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