Bear Cuisine

Jambalaya

The Easter ham always presents a challenge in terms of what to do with the leftovers. This is, however, a welcome challenge for there are more dishes to make than there are leftovers to make them with. Now, if I can only remember next year what I didn't make this year.

Since I have been craving New Orleans flavors , it was natural that my first choice would be jambalaya. Turns out that this favorite rice dish has a multi-layered history. John Folse in The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine has this to say about the dish.

"In the early 1700s, Spanish settlers in New Orleans brought their famous paella.Since the traditional Spanish ingredients for paella were not found in South Louisiana, the recipe was adapted to indigenous ingredients.Oysters and crawfish replaced clams and mussels and andouille took the place of ham. The new dish was influenced by different cultures, including the Africans, who named the dish Jambon a la yaya. Yaya is the African word for rice. Today, jambalaya is the best-known rice dish in America."

"The original jambalaya of New Orleans was tomato-based and flavored with a combination of sausages, ham and chicken. Often, the dish was 'thrown together' at a moment's notice when unexpected friends dropped by and a quick entree was needed."

 

This version of Jambalya is adapted from Michael Field's recipe in Culinary Classics and Improvisations.

Jambalaya

1. 3 tablespoons bacon fat
2. 1 cup onions,  chopped
3. 2 medium green peppers, chopped or cut into strips
4. 1 cup celery, chopped
5. 1 cup raw rice
6. 28-ounce can tomatoes, drained and chopped
7. 1 teaspoon thyme
8. 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
9. 1 teaspoon salt
10. Freshly ground black pepper
11. 2 to 3 cups chicken stock
12. 1/2 teaspoon saffron
13. 1 pound pork sausage, cooked and cut into rounds
14. 2 cups cooked ham,small dice
15. 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

 

In a large heavy casserole heat the bacon fat and cook the onions and celery until they are transparent but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the green pepper and stir in the cup of rice.

Stirring continuously, cook for a few minutes until the rice becomes slightly opaque. At this point add the garlic, tomatoes, thyme, chili, salt and black pepper. Pour in 2 cups of the hot chicken stock, add the saffron and mix it together. Bring the mixture slowly to a boil. Add the cooked sausages and the ham, cover the casserole tightly and transfer it to the lower third of a 350-degree oven. Cook for about 20 minutes. Taste a few grains of rice. if they are too firm continue cooking for a few more minutes until the rice is tender. If the rice seems too dry, add a bit more stock.

Place the chopped parsley on top of the dish and serve directly from the cooking pot.

Serves 6

Pasticciata alle Erbe con Spinaci

I find more and more people in my life who are either vegetarians or who are wanting to cut down on the amount of meat that they eat. Cooking for these friends has forced me to expand my repertoire of vegetarian dishes and I have been enjoying the challenge. This dish is from Lidia Bastianich's Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen. The original recipe called for crepes, but since I didn't want to bother with making crepes, I substituted lasagne noodles. The substitution worked like a charm.

Lasagna Filled with Spinach and Herbs

Lasagna Filled with Spinach and Herbs

(6-8 servings)

1. 1 1/2 pounds whole-milk ricotta cheese
2. Crepes
3. 2 pounds spinach or Swiss chard
4. Salt
5. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6. 3 leeks, white parts only, trimmed, cleaned and chopped (about 3 cups)
7. 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
8. 2 large eggs
9. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10. 1/2 poud mascarpone cheese
11. 8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
12. 20 fresh basil leaves, chopped
13. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
14. Bechamel Sauce
15. 2 tablespoons butter, softened
16. 3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Spoon the ricotta into a large, fine-mesh sieve or a colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth or a basket-type coffee filter.Place the sieve over a bowl and cover the ricotta well with plastic wrap. Let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator at least overnight, or up to 24 hours. Discard the liquid in the bottom of the bowl.

Make the crepes (This can be done up to 24 hours in advance.)

Remove the stems from the spinach or chard. Wash and dry the leaves. Stir the grens into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook, stirring once or twice, until tender, about 2 minutes for the spinach or 5 to 6 minutes for the chard. Drain the greens in a colander and rinse them under cold water until cool enough to handle. With your hands, squeeze out as much water as you can from the greens. Chop coarsely.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the leeks and scallions and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Stir in the greens and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove and cool.

Turn the drained ricotta into a clean bowl. Whisk the eggs together with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper, then beat them into the ricotta. Stir in the mascarpone, herbs, and greens mixture until blended.

Make the bechamel sauce, strain it and keep it at room temperature with a piece of plastic wrap applied directly to the surface.

Using the softend butter, grease the bottom and sides of a 13x 9-inch ceramic baking dish. Arrrange as many crepes as necessary, side by side and barely overlapping, so they cover the sides of the dish completely and over hang the sides of the dish by about 2 inches. Part of the bottom of the baking dish will be coverd by the crepes; cover the exposed part some of the remaing crepes. (You will need about ten crepes to cover and overhang the dish as described.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Reserve 1 cup of the bechamel sauce and 2 cups of the grated parmigiano-Reggiano to dress the top of the pasticciata.Spread 1/3 cup of the bechamel in an even layer over the crepes lining the bottom of the dish. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the ricotta filling over the bechamel and top that with another layer of 1/3 cup of the bechamel. Sprinkle about 1/3 cup of the grated cheese over the bechamel. Cover this first layer of filling with a layer of crepes, folding the crepes as necessary to make a nice even layer. Make another filling layer using half the remaining ricotta mixture, bechamel and grated cheese. Top with a layer of crepes. Make the last filling layer using the remaining ricotta mixture, bechamel and grated cheese. Fold the overhanging edges of the crepes over the top layer of filling. Top any uncovered filling with additional crepes.Spread the reserved 1 cup of bechamel in an even layer over the pasticcciata, then sprinkle the reserved 2 cups of Parmigiano-Reggiano over the bechamel.

Bake until the top of the pasticciata is well browned and the edges are crispy, about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool for 15 to 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Note: if you decide to use lasagne noodles, use the no-boil variety. They are lighter than regular lasagne noodles and contribute to the overall lightness of the dish. I boil them anyway since you can't quite gauge the amount of liquid in the recipe.

 

 

 

Green Chile Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping

Cold days aren't completely behind us and this adaptation of an Ina Garten recipe is perfect for blustery, chilly weather. Since green chiles are always to be found in our freezer, we often add them to dishes for some added kick. If chiles don't agree with you, simply leave them out. This is good for the family or a comfortable meal for guests.

CHICKEN POT PIE WITH BISCUIT TOPPING

CHICKEN POT PIE WITH BISCUITS

The Pot Pie

1. 1 3 to 4-pound whole organic chicken
2. 1 onion, quartered
3. 2 carots, sliced
4. 2 celery stalks, sliced
5. 2 bay leaves
6. salt and peppercorns
7. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8. 5 cups chicken stock
9. 2 chicken bouillon cubes
10. 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
11. 2 cups (2 onions) chopped onions
12. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
13. 1/4 cup heavy cream
14. 2 cups baby carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
15. 2 cups frozen peas ( 1 10-ounce bag of frozen peas)
16. 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
17. 1 to 2 cups chopped green chile
18. 1/2 cup minced parsley

For the Biscuits

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 tablespoon baking powder
3. 1 teaspoon kocher salt
4. 1 teaspoon sugar
5. 1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
6. 1/4 cup half-and-half
7. 1/2 cup choppped fresh parsley
8. 1 egg mixed with tablespoon water, for egg wash

 

After rinsing the chicken, place in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a quartered onion, two sliced carrots,two sliced celery stalks, 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper corns to the pot. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to a steady simmer and cook until the chicken is done, about an hour and a half. Remove the chicken from the pot and allow to cool. Shred the chicken and set aside. Return the bones and skin to the pot and continue cooking down for another hour or so. Strain the stock for later use.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small saucepan heat the 5 cups of chicken stock and add the bouillon cubes to the stock. In a large pot melt the butter and saute the onions over medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the heavy cream. Add the shredded chicken, carrots, peas, onions, green chile and parsley. Mix well. Place the stew in a 10x13x2-inch rectqngular baking dish Place in the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes.

To make the biscuits, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in the a large bowl. Add the diced butter and combine with your hands until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half and half and mix with a wooden spoon. Mix in the parsley.

Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out twelve circles with a  2 1/2 inch-round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the bisuits on top of the filling. Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.

To make this in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew and biscuits separately. Bake the stew for 25 minutes, then place the biscuits on top and bake for another 30 minutes, until done.

Alsatian Choucroute Garnie

Alsace is that region in eastern France which shares its long border with Germany and  has been at times part of Germany and other times part of France. It's food reflects these dual nationaliies. Even though this recipe uses the French word for Sauerkraut (choucroute) it is distinctly German in its feel. This is the perfect dish for using that  freshly made sauerkraut in the refrigerator,leftover ham and the bratwursts in the freezer. This recipe is adapted from Michael Fields' Culinary Classics and Improvisations.

CHOUCROUTE GARNIE

ALSATIAN CHOUCROUTE GARNIE

(serves 6-8)

1. 2 pounds sauekraut
2. 3 tablespoons goose fat
3. 1 1/4 cups onions, finely chopped
4. 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
5. 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
6. 1 small apple, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
7. 15 juniper berries or 1/4 cup gin
8. 1 cup dry white wine
9. 1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken stock
10. Bouquet garni (4 sprigs parsley,2 celery tops with leaves & 1 small bay leaf, tied togeher with a string)
11. Salt
12. Freshly Ground Black Pepper
13. 4-8 slices smoked ham
14. 4-5 cooked sausages (Bratwurst, knockwurst, kielbasa)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Drain the sauerkraut, wash it well under cold running water, then soak in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes depending upon its acidity. Squeeze it dry by the handful and put it aside. It should be only mildly acid before it is cooked.

Melt the goose fat in a 4 to 6 quart casserole with a tightly fitting cover. Over moderate  heat cook the chopped onions, corrots and garlic for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the vegetables are soft, add the chopped apple and cook for a few minutes longer. Spread the kraut apart gently and stir it into the vegetable mixture. Add the juniper berries (or gin). Cover the pot and cook the kraut gently for about 15 minutes, stirring it now and then. Pour in the cup of wine and 1 1/2 cups of the stock and over high heat bring it to a boil. Push the bouquet garni beneath the kraut, add salt and few grindings of pepper and cover the pot. Braise in the middle of the prehated overn for several hours. After an hour or so,check to see if the choucroute is dry. If it is add 1/2 cup more of the chicken stock.

About a half hour before serving add the ham and the sausge to the casserole.

Fields suggests serving with boiled potatoes, but mashed potatoes seemed better to me.

This is defintely a hearty, winter dish

 

Related articles

Sauerkraut

A Visit to the Northern Heartland

In the past if I  thought of culinary Minnesota,  my ideas were formed by Garrison Keillor's tales of Lutheran  Ladies toiling in church basements preparing jello molds or making endless variations of Tater Tot Hot Dish. I would have said that this was the place where the bland lead the bland.

Like most preconceived ideas, my images were far too limited. A recent visit to the Twin Cities and Duluth revealed that Minnesota has diverse and interesting foodways shaped by each wave of immigrants who farmed the land or worked in the state's logging or mining industries. In the nineteenth century there were influxes of Scandanavians and Germans. The British from Cornwall also came to work in the mines. Greeks, Italians and Mexicans have  come to live here. More recently the Hmong and Vietnamese have found a home here. And before any of these ethnic groups arrived , the Ojibway Indians called Minnesota their land.

The food scene in Minnesota, past and present, is much more interesting than I originally thought. The next few posts will be devoted my discoveries. In the interim, I'm offering a version of Tater Tot Hot Dish.It's easy to mock such a dish, but in reality I think it sounds like the perfect American comfort food. I wish I had known about it when Hallie and Rachel were tots themselves. They would have loved it and Kay and I would have loved it--albeit secretly--as well.

TATER TOT HOT DISH

(serves 6)

1. 1 pound ground beef
2. salt and pepper to taste
3. Pinch of Garlic Powder
4. 1 package (32 ounces) tater tots, thawed
5. 1 can cream of mushroom soup
6. 1 can cream of celery soup
7. 1 can (10.75 ounces) evaporated milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Crumble the hamburger into a 9x 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the meat with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cover the hamburger with tater tots.

In a bowl, stir together mushroom soup, celery soup and milk. Pour the soup mixture over the potatoes and hamburger and sprinkle with additional garlic powder.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes.

(from Allrecipes.com)