While we admit there’s nothing like a cool beer on a hot day – as we wait for Santa to arrive – there are also plenty of really interesting ways to combine craft beer into your Christmas table offering

Mussels Steamed with Bacon and Beer

A great light starter or lunchtime dish, if you haven’t thought about cooking greenlips with a hoppy pale ale before, give it a try.

700 grams fresh greenlips

700 grams smoked bacon cut into pieces

300 grams orange kumara, cut into chunks

1 onion

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter

500ml wheat beer

generous pinch salt

Clean the mussels, removing any beards. In a large pot, over a low heat, add the butter and the onion. Leave to simmer gently so the onion stews rather than browns. Add the kumara and bacon, replace the lid and cook on a very low heat for five minutes. Add the beer and the salt and bring to the boil. Add the mussels, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until all the mussels are open. Serve with crusty bread.

Steak in Stout Marinade

Bring out the rich flavour of the steak with this easy overnight marinade.

1 cup stout

½ cup finely chopped pickled onions

? cup soy sauce

1½ tablespoons golden syrup

1 tablespoons fresh rosemary

1 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika or Huffman's sauce

800 grams of steak – we used Silver Fern Farms Beef Porterhouse Steaks

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, add the steaks and cover with plastic wrap. Leave in the fridge overnight. Cook on a very hot barbecue for around five minutes each side (medium-rare).

Beer Battered Fruit Fritters

Whether it’s a pineapple ring from the takeaway or pineapple fritters at gran’s, battered fruit is a Kiwi classic.

1 cup flour

1 cup pale ale

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

4 Granny Smith apples or 1 pineapple cut into rounds

vegetable oil for deep frying

coconut yoghurt – we used Raglan Coconut Yoghurt, and chopped dates, to serve

Mix the flour, beer and salt together to make a smooth batter. Cover and let stand at room temperature for an hour. Mix together the lemon juice and brown sugar in a separate bowl. Soak your fruit in the mixture for 1 hour then remove, patting them dry with a clean towel. In a large pan, pour vegetable oil to a depth of about 5cm. Heat the oil, then gently dip the fruit rings into the batter and allow them to fry in the oil for about four minutes, turning them once. Serve immediately with coconut yoghurt and chopped dates.