Chef of the Month

Have you ever cooked with beer? If you have a great recipe using our beer, send us a recipe and we’ll try it, and if it’s tasty, we’ll tell everyone about it in our Chef of the Month section.

Winter 2007
This month’s chef is truly a master. Chef Scott Bova is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and has worked with such notables as Chef George Robinson (The French Laundry, Aqua, The Martini House) and Chef Jonathan Haloua of La Fleur Restaurant. Mr. Bova is currently Chef de Cuisine at La Fleur Restaurant in Mayville, New York, and is assuming the Executive Chef title for the Food is Good Restaurants. This month he brings to the table a decidedly tasty and seasonally appropriate Beer & Cheese Soup.

“Phin & Matt’s Beer and Aged Cheddar Cheese Soup” with Rye Croutons
Corporate Executive Chef Scott Bova, Food is Good Inc

Soup base Ingredients

3 C Chicken Stock
1 C Phin & Matt’s Extraordinary Ale
1 Medium Yellow Onion, sliced
1 C White Mushroom (button), chopped
1 Stalk Celery, sliced
3 Cloves Garlic, sliced
3 oz Butter, unsalted
2 oz Flour, all purpose

To finish
1C Phin and Matt’s Extraordinary Ale
4oz Aged Cheddar Cheese 

Soup Base
Melt butter in a medium saucepan; add sliced onion, mushrooms and celery, cover and sweat on low heat until soft (about 8 minutes).  Add sliced garlic and sweat an additional 3 minutes.  Add flour and stir until smooth making a Blonde Roux, cook for another 3 minutes stirring often.  Next add 1 C Phin & Matt’s and whisk vigorously until smooth. Then add the 3 C Chicken Stock in parts until all of the stock is incorporated.  Whisk until smooth and continue until the soup base comes to a boil. After the base comes to a boil add salt and pepper.  Taste and Strain reserving only the liquid (should be thick).

To Finish Soup
Heat soup base until it reaches a simmer, whisk until heated through.  Pull soup off of heat and add the 1 C Phin & Matt’s and the 4oz Aged Cheddar Cheese whisk vigorously until smooth, season once again with salt and pepper. Garnish with Rye Croutons & Cheddar Cheese. Serve immediately with a pint of Phin & Matt’s Extraordinary Ale.