Foodie Friday: Iron Hill Brewery
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – Between the craft beers, family friendly atmosphere, and delicious dishes, it’s hard not to enjoy yourself at Iron Hill Brewery. To say that the Foodie Friday team enjoyed themselves at this shoot, would be an understatement. The brewery and eatery just added some new additions to their menu, and we got to check them out.
Savory Salmon, Summer Favorite
At Iron Hill, beer is the name of the game. And, you’ll find it incorporated into beautifully balanced dishes. “The beer is brewed fresh on site. That’s what keeps the people coming,” said Regional Chef Brendan Mullan. “And now, our new menu really has a focus on beer, and food that pairs well in beer, beer in the recipes.”
Chef Mullan says a perfect example, is the pretzel crusted salmon. The North Atlantic salmon is seared, before being smeared with Iron Hill’s Philly Favorite IPA mustard sauce, topped with panko and hard pretzel crumbs, and popped into the oven.
“It has whole grain mustard in it, a little bit of vinegar to kind of get that hoppiness from the beer. Then, you get that sharp tang from the mustard,” Chef Mullan said of the sauce. “It complements the richness of the salmon.”
The dish isn’t complete without garlic smashed Yukon gold potatoes, broccolini, and a green herb sauce. “It’s a scallion and dill-based sauce with sour cream. It really compliments the salmon and the beer really well,” Chef Mullan explained.
Chef Mullan also serves up a summery favorite; fried green tomatoes. “These have been dredged in our Vienna red lager beer batter, and then crusted in panko and cornmeal seasoned mix,” he said. “We’re going to put down our hot pepper jelly. It’s got a little bit of sweet and a little bit of heat. We’re going to top that with our house made pimento cheese. Some corn relish. We’ll garnish that with some sliced scallions.”
Satisfying Crunch, Fork-Tender Fish
“The crunch on these fried green tomatoes is absolutely phenomenal,” Foodie Friday Host Hannah Cechini marveled. “The tomatoes are such a beautiful, bright, acidic note. You pair that with the creaminess of the pimento cheese, and the corn, the jalapenos, and the peppers. It really all comes together to make a wonderful summer dish.”
And, the pretzel crusted salmon definitely made its mark on the Foodie team. The Philly Favorite IPA mustard sauce, combining with the gentle crunch from the pretzels, to create a tender yet satisfying dish.
“Beautiful, fork-tender. Fork went right through,” said Foodie Photog Mike. “The panko and the pretzels give it a nice crunch to the top. Nice snap on that broccolini.”
Fruity Favorites
Not pictured in the kitchen, a pork chop topped with cherry chutney.
“It’s really easy to overcook or undercook a pork chop. Pork is just kind of one of those meats where it’s hard for people to master it. But, this pork chop is just so beautiful,” Hannah said. “[The cherry chutney] is similar to when you’re eating pork chops with apple sauce. You have the sweetness of the fruit, a little bit of acidity going on.”
“That chutney is interesting because a little bit goes a long way. But, even if I get a whole mouthful of it, it’s never overpowering. There’s something very well balanced in that chutney,” Mike agreed.
Ending things on a sweet note: a walnut and pecan apple pie.
“Great texture on those apples. A nice cinnamon note in there,” Mike marveled.
“The apples that are in here are so soft and tender,” Hannah said. “Then you have the opposite of that; the nuts on top add a really nice and crunch and bite to it.”
Iron Hill Brewery
Iron Hill Brewery is located at 19815 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach, Del. 19971. You can call them at 302-260-8000. If you go to check it out, tell the team that you saw them on Foodie Friday.
