HUDSON VALLEY CHEF’S TABLE

First of all, let’s all admit that there was a bad moment in the 1990s when every crappy town had an equally crappy bar that made its own beer. Oh, at first it was a thrill to eat our burgers while looking at gleaming fermentation tanks, but pretty soon it became obvious that those beers—though made on-site—were mostly second rate. Worse, the effort to make beer sucked attention from brewpub kitchens, which often resorted to serving basic pub grub, and by that we mean generic, freezer-to-Frialator food. Sadly, after the 1990s it became apparent that the brewpub genre was favored by the sort of diner who wasn’t particular about quality in either beer or food.

Cue Kara, Keith, and Morgan Berardi, the wife-husband-sister team behind Peekskill Brewery. This young power trio had the audacity to hire Ithaca Brewing Company’s star brewer, Jeff O’Neil, while they were still running a gritty brewpub in a tiny, L-shaped space at 55 Hudson Street. When they did this, jaws dropped. But what the Berardis knew (that the rest of us didn’t) was that Peekskill Brewery was set to explode.

In a short few months after PB snagged O’Neil’s talents, the Berardis re-launched their brewpub in the roomy four stories of an elegant former furniture factory built in 1928. Not only did the move triple the former brewery’s beer production, but it also afforded a public gallery, a private event space, and a rooftop biergarden with sunset Hudson views. The new brewery holds one of the only kuhlschips in the United States; the shallow pool collects ambient yeast for beermaking—it literally rests below a window open to Hudson River breezes. This means that some of Peekskill Brewery’s beers are literally brought to life with Hudson Valley air.

On Peekskill Brewery’s ground and second floors, Chef Sean Corcoran holds sway with locally sourced cuisine that often incorporates O’Neil’s craft-brewed beers. Look for hearty charcuterie, locally sourced cheeses, and house-made soft pretzels—and, always, the perfect match for pint after pint of beer.

SEARED CHICKEN LIVER WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS & BALSAMIC VINEGAR

For the polenta:

5 cups roast chicken stock

1 cup polenta

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Salt to taste

For the chicken livers:

1 teaspoon neutral oil (canola or grapeseed)

1 pound free-range chicken livers, cleaned

Salt

Flour for dredging

1⅓ cup julienned onion

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

To make the polenta: In a medium saucepan bring the chicken stock to a boil. Slowly add the polenta, whisking constantly, until it’s fully incorporated. Lower the heat under the saucepan and keep the mixture at a simmer, whisking constantly. Cook the polenta for 7–8 minutes, or until it is thickened. When finished, remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the butter and cheese, and season to taste with salt. Set aside.

To cook the chicken livers: In a large sauté pan, heat the teaspoon of oil. Season the livers with salt, then dredge them in the flour, shaking off the excess flour. When the pan is almost smoking, add the livers and cook for about 45 seconds on each side. Remove the livers from the pan and set them aside as you prepare the remainder of the dish. Add the julienned onions to the hot pan and sauté in the liver fat until the onions are dark brown and richly caramelized. Return the livers to the pan and then deglaze the pan with balsamic vinegar. Cook the balsamic vinegar with the livers until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove the pan from the heat.

To plate: Divide the polenta among six dinner plates. Place two or three livers in the center of the polenta and garnish with the onions. Drizzle with the balsamic glaze and serve.

PEEKSKILL BREWERY

SEARED CHICKEN LIVER WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS & BALSAMIC VINEGAR