Scotch Ale Soup

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups finely chopped onions

1 teaspoon dried savory

1 teaspoon celery seed

4 cups defatted chicken broth

1/2 ounce dried mushrooms, soaked and grit removed

1/2 cup pearl barley

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 piece round steak

1 cup peeled and sliced carrots (2 medium carrots)

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup Scotch ale or extra stout ale

Preparation

Place the olive oil in a 1-gallon heavy dutch oven and place over medium heat.

Add the onions and saute until they caramelize to a golden brown; stir often to prevent burning or sticking. Add the savory and celery seed

Stir in the chicken broth, dried mushrooms and barley. Simmer about 45 minutes.

While the soup base simmers, place a heavy 10-inch skillet over high heat and pour in the peanut oil.

Bring the oil to the smoking point, then add the round steak and sear on both sides. When both sides are seared with a brown crust, remove from heat. Cut into cubes and reserve the juices and pan drippings.

When the mushrooms and barley are tender, add the carrots, salt and pepper to taste, and the cubed steak and reserved juices. Stir and cook for 15 minutes more, or until the carrots are tender. Deglaze the steak saute pan with the ale, then scrape all into the Dutch oven. Simmer 5 minutes, or until warmed through.