From the menu of … Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub, 12650 Crabapple Road, Milton. 678-624-1090; www.oldeblinddog.com
Q: I would love to get the recipe for the Ale & Cheddar Dip from the Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub. It is to die for. I always look forward to eating it every time we dine there. I would be forever grateful if you can squeeze the recipe out of them! Thanks!
— Lucrezia Jankowski, Roswell
A: No squeezing required. General manager Geoff Kokoszka sent the recipe and lots of notes. “The Ale & Cheddar Dip has been on our menu since the beginning and has been our most popular appetizer since the day that we opened the doors. We developed the appetizer because it would be simple to serve for us and easy to eat and share for the guest,” he wrote.
“Our version has all of the basic ingredients of a cheese fondue except we substitute an aged Irish cheddar, Kerrygold Dubliner, for the traditional Swiss or Gouda and we use a hearty Irish ale instead of white wine. We use the Velveeta as a stabilizer so it won’t separate,” he continued. He recommends serving the dip as they do with toasted pretzel bread and pairing it with a Guinness or one of the craft-brewed IPAs they typically have on tap.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of restaurant in the subject line.
Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub’s Ale & Cheddar Dip
Hands on: 25 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Makes: 4 cups
Serve this dip with crusty French bread, pretzel bread, chips or vegetables.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium sweet onion, pureed in food processor
10 ounces Velveeta, cut into small cubes
10 ounces Kerrygold Dubliner Irish Cheddar, shredded
12 ounces brown ale
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
Salt and pepper
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion puree and saute until onion is soft, about 2 minutes. Add Velveeta and cheddar and stir until the cheese begins to melt. Add ale, cream, horseradish and mustard and continue heating until mixture is completely smooth. Season to taste and serve warm. May be made ahead of time and reheated slowly.
Per 1/4-cup serving: 199 calories (percent of calories from fat, 70), 10 grams protein, 5 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 16 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 70 milligrams cholesterol, 579 milligrams sodium.
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