Beer & Cheese Sauce

Beer and Cheese Sauce
From Rochelle Bilow

1 head of garlic, cut in half lengthwise, skin kept on
½ teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
½ cup beer (I like ale or lager for this)
1 fresh jalapeno, chopped finely
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the garlic in a rimmed roasting pan or casserole dish, cut side up, and rub with the oil. Bake in the oven for 1½ hours, until very fragrant and creamy. Once the garlic has cooled enough to handle, slip it out of the skin.

Pick out 3 to 5 cloves of garlic, depending on their size, and rub them all over the bottom and sides of a medium-size pot. Place the pot over medium heat. Add the butter to the pan and let it melt. Once frothing, add the flour and stir with a whisk until combined -- it will have the texture of putty or clay. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes more over medium heat.

Add the beer and the cheese and heat until the cheese has melted. Continue to stir as the mixture comes together, to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the jalapeno and a few generous pinches of salt and pepper. Taste, then adjust seasoning as needed. Transfer to a warm bowl and serve with chips, bread or pretzels -- anything but vegetables.

Makes a little over a cup.