Makes: 2 flatbreads
- 5 Tbs (74 ml) olive oil, divided
- 1 cup (237 ml) yellow onion, sliced
- 4 oz (118 ml) stout, divided
- 1 lb (454 g) portobello mushroom caps
- 1 Tbs minced garlic
- 2 flatbreads
- 4 oz (113 g) fingerling potatoes, sliced into ¼" (6 mm) coins and boiled until tender
- 4 oz (113 g) blue cheese (Gorgonzola works well, too)
- 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
- 1 Tbs grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt to taste
Heat 1 Tbs of olive oil in a sauté pan over high heat. Once wisps of smoke begin to appear, gently add the onions to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and stir the onions frequently until they begin to brown. Once they have reached the color of peanut butter, deglaze with 2 oz (59 ml) stout. Cook until dry and remove from the heat.
Using a spoon, scrape the black gills from the underside of the portobello mushroom caps to prevent the mushrooms from turning black. Dice the mushrooms caps into 1" (25 mm) squares.
In a separate sauté pan, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over high heat. Add the diced mushroom caps, stirring frequently until they begin to release their liquid. Reduce the heat to medium and deglaze with 2 oz (59 ml) stout. Cook until dry and remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Mix the remaining 2 Tbs of olive oil with the minced garlic. Brush each flatbread with the garlic oil. Spread the sauteed onions and mushrooms and the cooked potatoes evenly over both flatbreads. Sprinkle 2 oz (57 g) of blue cheese and ½ tsp rosemary over each flatbread.
Bake at 400°F (204°C) until the cheese melts and the flatbread is golden brown. Remove from the oven; garnish with grated parmesan and a pinch of salt on each flatbread. Slice into wedges and serve.
Beer Tasting Notes: Stout on the sweeter side works well here, as deglazing will focus any strong roasted notes and amplify the perceived bitterness. It’s up to you whether you go lighter with a milk stout or oatmeal stout, or heavier with an imperial stout, but you’ll probably want to drink the remaining beer—so the question becomes, “Do I want to drink it while I cook, or do I want to cork it and drink it for dessert?” Either answer is correct.
Beer Suggestions: Firestone Walker Nitro Merlin Milk Stout (Paso Robles, California), Maplewood Fat Pug (Chicago), SpindleTap Aceite Crudo (Houston), or Trillium Secret Stairs (Boston).