Wild Ale Dill and Cheese Soup

Recipe from Jodi Laney at Traffic Jam & Snug in Detroit. Use your favorite pale ale.

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 quart ale
• 2 quarts half & half
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon dill weed
• 11/2 tablespoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons smoked sea salt or kosher
• 1 cup white cheddar cheese (shredded or cubed)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened

Saute the chopped garlic in olive oil in soup pot for a few minutes until garlic is soft but not brown. Deglaze pot with beer. Add the rest of the ingredients except cheese, flour and butter. Bring to a boil; add cheese. Once cheese is thoroughly melted, blend flour and softened butter to make a roux. Add roux to soup a little bit at a time and stir well to thicken. Let soup simmer on very low for 10 minutes.

Makes 16 servings.

Per serving: 236 calories; 19 g fat (11 g saturated fat; 72 percent calories from fat); 9 g carbohydrates; 56 mg cholesterol; 834 mg sodium; 6 g protein; 0.4 g fiber.