Beer-Battered Brat Lolipops with Spicy Kraut MustardThe great folks at Johnsonville recently sent me some of their limited-edition Cheddar
Cheese & Bacon brats (available at WalMart), so I came up with this recipe just in time
for the big game. These are a great way to serve brats to a crowd in a way that's fun,
festive and finger-food-friendly.
Most folks know that boiling brats in beer with onions and then grilling them is the
traditional preparation. Well, I reversed the process by grilling the sausages just until
they are barely done, slice them into two-bite portions, then I dunk them in a hearty beer
batter and let them take a deep-fry swim until they are golden brown and slighly crispy. I
serve these lolipop-style on skewers with a spicy sauerkraut mustard.
Enjoy these and tip your cardiologist (he'll be jealous).
Ingredients1 package (19 oz) Johnsonville Cheddar Cheese & Bacon brats
1 Egg white
1 cup All-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup + 2 Tbsp Ale (I used Sierra Nevada Pale Ale)
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Seasoned salt
2 Tbsp Corn starch
1/4 cup Spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup Yellow mustard
1/4 cup Sauerkraut, undrained
1/4 cup Applesauce
4 cups Peanut or canola oil for frying
MethodStart your grill and prepare for indirect cooking over medium heat (325-350º).
Grill the brats indirect for about 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches
145º. Remove the sausages from the grill to a platter and let cool.
Heat the frying oil in a large heavy pot (I recommend cast iron) to 360º.
In a medium mixing bowl beat the egg white to light peaks. Add the flour, ale, baking
powder and seasoned salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
When the oil is ready, slice each of warm sausages into five equally sized pieces and toss
them with the corn starch in a medium bowl.
Using a skewer, remove each piece of sausage from the corn starch, knocking off the
excess. Coat each piece completely in the beer batter and carefully drop them into the oil,
waiting a few seconds in between. Fry the brats until they are golden brown. Remove to
a wire rack inside a lipped sheet pan that's lined with several layers of paper towels.
Combine both mustards, the sauerkraut and applesauce in a small bowl. Blend well with
an immersion blender until smooth.
Serve the sausage on small skewers with the mustard for dipping.
Enjoy!
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John
