Whether you watch the Super Bowl for the football or the commercials, one thing’s for certain: the best parties have good beer and even better food! Still not sure what you’re going to serve Sunday? From our Historic Hot Wings to our mouthwatering Shrimp Po’Boys to our sweet Onion Gorgonzola Dip, Chef Anthony Frank has it covered. These three appetizers alone are enough to impress your guests, but pair them with his Virginia brews, and you’ll really step up your game.
Got your pen or your grocery app open on your phone? Scroll through to see what ingredients you’ll need, including your beer! Each recommendation is available in most Virginia grocery stores—and bottled just up Interstate 64 at Starr Hill Brewery in Crozet (not too far from Charlottesville). Also, don’t forget to check below each recipe for Chef Anthony’s game-winning recipe tips straight from his kitchen playbook!
CARAMELIZED ONION GORGONZOLA DIP & PRETZEL CHIPS
(Pair with Star Hill “JOMO Vienna Lager”)
Take note: Chef recommends you make this dip the night before the game. Mark my words, it is SO much better than anything you’ll find at the grocery store. The secret ingredients? Gorgonzola cheese and honey! Oh, and fresh onions. Lots and lots of fresh onions.
- 4 large sweet onions (julienne)
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- ¼ lb (4 oz) Gorgonzola (crumbled)
- ½ tsp fresh thyme (minced)
- 1 lb cream cheese (cut into one inch cubes)
- 2 cups Dukes mayonnaise
- 1 tsp honey
- In a hot sauté pan, pour oil and add julienne onions
- On high heat, stir onions every minute or so until they start to caramelize (about 10 minutes)
- Turn burner down to low heat and stir onions every 5-7 minutes until all of them are golden brown. Add fresh thyme.
- Remove from heat and add the Gorgonzola and cream cheese; incorporate until fully melted
- Add the Dukes mayonnaise and honey and incorporate
- Cool and place in a display bowl. Wrap in plastic and reserve in refrigerator overnight
- Remove from refrigerator about an hour before the party
- Serve with your favorite pretzel chips or crackers
FROM THE CHEF’S PLAYBOOK: If you’re like me and your eyes water when you’re cutting onions, Chef Anthony says to breathe through your mouth! Breathing through your nose only contributes to the waterworks. He also says that once you lower the heat, don’t stir the onions too often. You want to allow the moisture to come out and keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. His advice? Stir every five to seven minutes. They will take about 45 minutes to an hour before they’re ready so you may as well crack open a beer while you’re at it!
Carolina Shrimp Po’Boy, Tomato Conserve & Cajun Mayo
(Pair with Starr Hill “Starr Pils”)
Please, don’t let the long name intimidate you! There are a few shortcuts you can take with this recipe. The “wow” factors are definitely in the condiments—not just the Cajun mayo, but the tomato conserve. And you can buy that pre-made. Order online or purchase it in our gift shops. It’s available at the Williamsburg Lodge, WILLIAMSBURG Craft House and Everything Williamsburg (both in Merchants Square), and stores in the Historic Area. As for the biscuits: they can be the frozen kind. Just pick a brand you love! The only real “challenge” is the shrimp. If you’re like me, buy them peeled and deveined from the seafood department at your local grocery store. The rest, as you’re about to read, is easy peasy.
- 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
- Pinch cayenne Pepper
- Pinch flour salt
- Pinch garlic powder
- Pinch onion powder
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup Dukes Mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Cajun spice (pick your favorite)
- ¼ lemon (juiced)
- 6 tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and strained-juice reserved)
- 1¼ cup sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 1 orange, cut into 16 wedges and finely sliced, seeds removed
- 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges and finely sliced, seeds removed
- 12 1½ inch biscuits (favorite recipe)
- Combine and incorporate flour, salt, Old Bay, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne in a mixing bowl
- Place oil in hot saute pan
- Dredge shrimp in seasoned flour mixture and place in hot oil
- Cook shrimp until golden brown on both sides; cook shrimp fully
- Place shrimp on paper towel while hot
- Combine tomato, tomato juice, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, orange, and lemon in a sauce pot; bring to a simmer
- Cook tomatoes until they start to turn translucent (about 10-15 mins)
- Strain the tomatoes out and reserve in mixing bowl
- Place the juice back in the pot. Simmer and reduce to a syrup
- Fold syrup back into the tomatoes; let cool
- Reserve in fridge for later use
- Split the warm biscuit and spread Cajun mayo on top and bottom
- Place shrimp on bottom of biscuit
- Place ¼ tsp of conserve on shrimp
- Top with a piece of Boston lettuce
- Enjoy!
FROM THE CHEF’S PLAYBOOK: Don’t use kosher salt for your shrimp. The flour salt (or popcorn salt) is a really fine version and will keep it from sinking to the bottom of your flour when you’re trying to mix everything together. Also, make sure you coat the shrimp enough, have enough oil in your pan, and don’t let that oil get too hot!
Historic Hot Wings
(Pair with Starr Hill “The LOVE Wheat Beer”)
These wings are sweet & spicy. Again, there are two ways to approach this recipe. Since Chef Anthony’s hot sauce recipe (which is A-mazing!) takes two months to make, for Sunday’s game, you can just substitute a bottle of your own favorite hot sauce to make his delicious wing sauce.
- 12 chicken wings (soak in lightly salted water for 24 hours)
- 2 quarts frying oil
- 1 lb jalapeno peppers
- 2 Tbsp garlic (minced)
- ¼ cup salt
- 2 Tbsp Golden Apiary honey
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 cup hot sauce (choose your favorite)
- 1 Tbsp Golden Apiary honey
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- 1 Tbsp water
- Place oil in 4-quart pot. Heat to 350 °
- Strain and dry, soaked wings
- Place the wings gently in hot fry oil and cook until golden brown
- When wings are fully cooked, remove from the oil and place in a mixing bowl with hot sauce. Coat wings fully (will take about 10 minutes)
- In a blender, chop peppers, garlic, salt and honey
- Place the mixture into a food grade plastic 2-quart container (can use glass or stainless steal) and cover with a cheese cloth, secured with a string
- Allow it to sit at room temperature for two days
- After 48 hours, place in refrigerator for one month
- Mix vinegar into the pepper
- Place the mixture and xanthan gum in a blender. Puree on high until smooth
- Pour hot sauce into 4 oz bottles; seal and store at room temperature for another month
- Place in refrigerator (will last about a year)
- In a sauce pot, over medium heat, bring hot sauce, butter and honey to a simmer
- Combine corn starch and water in a cup. Mix well
- Add the corn starch mixture slowly to the simmering sauce while stirring. Only add enough starch to get your desired thickness
- Place the mixture into a bowl and keep hot
FROM THE CHEF’S PLAYBOOK: Don’t forget to soak your wings the day before the Big Game. The salt will draw the blood out of the meat and season it. Adding that corn starch to the sauce is another game-winning play. It thickens it to help coat your chicken evenly! Worried about that New Year’s resolution to eat healthier? Well these don’t have any breading so they’re considered “naked” wings. That means you can chow down, guilt-free (right?)
What do you think? Will you try any of the Chef’s Super Bowl appetizers? Which team will you be pulling for on Sunday?
[…] The recipes are now up along with their beer pairings. […]