Bear Cuisine

Beef Stew with Mustard and Thyme Dumplings

I found Supper for a Song while we were traveling in September. I was beguiled by it's title and it's author, Tamasin Day-Lewis. (If you are interested in such factoids, she is the sister of actor Daniel Day-Lewis.) The book offers recipes that are tasty and relatively inexpensive to make; similar in theme and tone to Diana Henry's Plenty. This recipe is simple and contains as many vegetables as it does beef. A one-pot balanced, delicious supper.

BEEF STEW WITH MUSTARD AND THYME DUMPLINGS

(serves 6)

1. 3 1/2 pounds chuck steak
2. 2 tablespoons (about) seasoned flour
3. 2 tablespoons olive oil
4. 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
5. 6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
6. coarse salt and black pepper
7. 4 stalks celery, strings removed with a potato peeler and sliced
8. 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
9. 2 large leeks, cleaned, whites cut into short lengths( green tops saved for stock-making)
10. 1 small rutabaga, peeled and cut into cubes
11. 1 small celery root, peeled and cut into cubes just before using
12. 1 bottle robust red wine
13. 14-ounce can whole tomatoes
14. bouquet garni of parsley, thyme, rosemary, bay, and 2 strips orange peel, tied together

For the dumplings

1. 3/4 cup (rounded) self-rising flour
2. 2 ounces fresh beef suet, shredded or chopped
3. 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped or 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
4. 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard or 1 teaspoon Colman's English mustard powder or 2 teaspoons freshly grated horseradish

 

 

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Cut the beef into large cubes. Pour the flour into a Ziploc bag, add the meat, lock, and shake to coat. Take out the meat, shaking off excess flour. Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed casserole and brown the meat in batches all over, removing it to a plate when browned and adding extra oil as needed.

Add the onions and garlic to the pan and sprinkle with a little salt. After a few minutes, as the aromatics begin to soften, add the celery, carrots, leeks, rutabaga and celery root. Saute for a few minutes and then return the meat to the pan. Meanwhile, heat the red wine to a simmer.

Add the canned tomatoes to the pan and chop them down into the meat and vegetables. When the liquid is bubbling away merrily, add the wine to just cover. Once the pot has come up to the bubble again, tuck the bouquet garni down into the depths, add a circle of waxed paper to just cover the stew and put the lid on. Transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours or until the vegetables are tender but not reduced to mush.

Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Sift the flour into a large bowl and throw in the suet. Add the herbs, mustard or horseradish, and seasoning, and mix well together. Slowly add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix with your hands or a spoon until the dough coheres but is not too wet and sticky. If it becomes too damp, scatter a little more flour over and roll the ball of dough gently. Flour your hands and pull small, walnut-size pieces of dough from the ball, rolling them between your palms into balls.

About 20 minutes before the stew will be ready, uncover and set the dumplings on top. Put the lid back on and return to the oven. After 20 minutes, check that the dumplings have swollen and are cooked through.

 

Turkey Tetrazzini

TURKEY TETRAZZINI

This is a much better recipe than one I had been using. It comes courtesy of Lynne Rossetto Kasper who found it in Diane Morgan's The Thanksgiving Table: Recipes and Ideas to Create Your Own Holiday Traditions. A great recipe, especially for those of us who like the leftovers more than we like the turkey.

Turkey Tetrazzini

(Serves 8)

1. 2-1/2 teaspoons salt
2. 12 ounces of spaghetti
3. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4. 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5. 3-1/2 cups turkey Stock or chicken stock
6. 3/4 cup heavy cream
7. 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
8. 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
9. 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
10. Freshly ground pepper
11. 3 1/2 cups 1/2-inch dice of roast turkey
12. 10 ounces frozen green peas
13. 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
14. 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

Fill an 8 to 10-quart stockpot three-fourths full of water, cover and bring to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and the spaghetti. Cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. In a 10-inch saute pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until faintly colored, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the stock until the sauce is smooth and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the cream; then add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the rosemary, thyme, nutmeg and pepper to taste. Stir in the turkey and peas and heat through. Tase and adjust the seasonings; then remove from the heat.

Put the pasta in the prepared dish and spoon the turkey mixture over it. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan. Sprinkle evenly over the sauce. Bake, uncovered, until heated through and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Turn on the boriler and quickly brown the top of the casserole. Serve immediately.

This recipe has all sorts of possibilities. You could substitute left-over roast chicken or ham for the turkey. I added some sauteed mushrooms to the mix. This is one of those recipes that you can play with.

Melanzane Al Forno con Peperoni, Pomodoro e Mozzarella

The eggplants have been especially beguiling this year at the Farmers' Market. All diferent varieties, shapes and colors. I would buy them before I had any idea how I would cook them. Kay's friend and excellent cook, Anne DeBois, put me on to this recipe from Marcella Cucina. It is absolutely wonderful--rich and luscious. Vegetarians need no longer feel like second-class citizens when you serve them this splendid dish.

BAKED EGGPLANT WITH PEPPERS, TOMATO, AND MOZZARELLA

1. 2 eggplants, about 1 1/2 pounds each
2. 4 to 7 garlic cloves, depending on their size, peeled and sliced very thin
3. Salt
4. Freshly ground black pepper
5. 1/3 cup vegetable oil
6. 1 red or yellow bell pepper
7. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive ol
8. 2/3 cup canned Italian plum tomaties, drained and cut up or fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut up
9. 1/2 pound mozzarella, cut into thin slices
10. 8 or 10 basil leaves
11. 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
12. 2 tablespoons, fine, dry, unflavored breadcrumbs
13. 1 1/2 tablespoons butter

 

Wash the eggplants, slice off their stems and cut them lengthwise in half. With a sharp paring knife, deeply score the flesh side of the eggplant in a crosshatched diamond pattern. Cut down close to the skin, but not through it. Slip some of the garlic slices into the cuts, about 6 or 7 slices into each eggplant half. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Choose a lidded skillet or saute pan that can accomodate the eggplants in a single layer. Put in the vegetable oil. Arrange the eggplant halves in the pan with their flesh side facing up, turn on the heat to medium, and cover the pan. Cook until the skin side begins to wrinkle and soften, then turn the eggplant over. When the flesh side becomes colored a golden brown, turn them over again. Continue cooking until the eggplant flesh feels completely tender and creamy when tested with a fork.

Using a slotted spoon or spatula, lift the eggplants out of the pan and place the, flesh side up, in a baking dish.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Split the pepper open, remove the core and all the seeds; and, using a swivel-bladed peeler, skin the pepper raw. Cut it lengthwise into strips.

Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a little saucepan, add the remaining garlic slices, turn the heat to medium, and cook the garlic, stirring occasionally, just until it becomes colored a pale gold.

Put in the pepper and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the cut-up tomatoes, salt, and several grindings of black pepper. Cook at a steady simmer, stirring from time to time, ujntil the tomatoes lose all their watery liquid and turn into a dense sauce.

Cover the eggplants in the baking dish with mozzarella slices, sprinkle the basil leaves over the mozzarella, then top with the tomato and pepper sauce, distributing it uniformly over each eggplant half.

Over the sauce, evenly sprinkle the grated Parmesan and the bread crumbs.

Dot with butter and place the dish in the uppermost level of the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes and let the dish rest 15 minutes or so before serving.

I had smaller eggplants than the recipe called for and used three instead of two. Worked like a charm.

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Cassoulet

Years ago I made a cassoulet following Julia Child's detailed instructions. As I remember it was a great success; the only drawback was that my  partner and I were eating the leftovers for what seemed an eternity. Still, I love this dish and for many it represents rustic French cuisine as no other preparation can. It is, to use that over-used word,iconic.

When a member of our French class announced that she would be leaving to live in Switzerland, I thought it time to make cassoulet again. I wanted to give Sandra a going-away party and  could think of no better French food that could feed so many with such ease. This time I chose Paula Wolfert as my guide and she proved to be every bit as involved and reliable as Julia had been.

 CASSOULET

1. 1 pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 12 chunks
2. 1 1/2 pounds fresh ham hock
3. 3/4 pound fresh pork skin with 1/4-inch layer of hard fat attached
4. Salt and freshly ground pepper
5. 2 pounds white beans, such as Tarbais, Lingots, cocos or cannelini
6. 1/3 cup rendered duck fat
7. 2 medium onions, chopped
8. 3 small carrots, peeled and cut into thin rounds
9. 1/2 pound pancetta or ventreche, or blanched lean salt pork, about 1- 1/4-inches thick
10. 1 whole head of garlic, unpeeled and 4 small cloves garlic, peeled
11. 1 large plum tomato, peeled or 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
12. 2 quarts unsalted chicken stock*
13. Herb bouquet: 4 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf and 3 small ribs celery, tied together
14. 6 confit or duck legs 
15. 1/4 pound blanched fat salt pork with rink removed
16. 1 pound Toulouse sausages
17. 4 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
18. 2 tablespoons walnut oil

Two Days in Advance

Season the pork shoulder, fresh ham hock and pork skin moderately with salt and pepper. Place in a glass dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Wash the beans in cold water. Put them in a large bowl with three times their volume of cold water and let soak overnight, or for at least 12 hours.

One Day Before

Simmer the pork skin in water to cover until the skin is soft, 10 to 20 minutes. Drain, roll up the skin into bundles and tie with with string. Cover and set aside in a cool place until needed.

Dry the chunks of pork shoulder with paper towels. In an 8 or 9-quart flameproof casserole, heat the duck fat over moderately high heat. Add the pork shoulder and lightly brown on all sides. Add the onions and carrots and saute, stirring, until the onions are soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the ham hock and the whole piece of ventreche or pancetta. Cook these meats until they are brown around the edges, turning occasionally. Add the whole head of garlic and the tomato, stirring for 1 minute. Add the stock, bundles of pork skin, and herb bouquet. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the ragout for 1  hour.

When the ragout has cooked for 1 hour, drain the beans and put them into a large saucepan. Cover them with fresh water and slowly bring to a boil. Skim and simmer for a few minutes, then drain and immediately add the beans to the simmering ragout. Continue simmering for up to 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Let cool, then skim off all the fat that has risen to the top;reserve 2 tablespoons of this fat for finishing the cassoulet. Cover the ragout and beans; refrigerate overnight.

On the Day

Steam the duck confit for 10 minutes to soften. As soon as the meat is cool enough to handle, pull it off the bones in large chunks.

Remove the ragout and beans from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Pick out the ham hock,ventreche, garlic head and herb bouquet.  Cut the meat from the ham hock, discarding bones and fatty parts. Cut the ventreche into bite-size pieces, discarding the fat. Set all the meats aside, Press on the garlic to extract the pulp and set aside. Discard the garlic skins and herb bouquet.

In a food processor electric blender, puree the salt pork with the cooked and raw garlic and one cup of water. Add this garlic puree to the ragout and beans; simmer for minutes. Remove from the heat. Fold reserved meats into the ragout and beans.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

To assemble the cassoulet, remove the roll of pork skin from the ragout. Untie, cut the skin into 2-inch pieces, and use to line your Cassole fat side down. Using a large slotted spoon, add one half of the beans and pork shoulder. Scatter the duck confit on top of the pork and beans. Cover with the remaining beans pork ragout. Taste the ragout cooking liquid and adjust the seasoning. Pour just enough of the ragout liquid over the beans to cover them. Be sure there is at least on inch of space between the beans and the rim of the dish. Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons of reserved fat. Place the cassole in the oven and let cook from 1 1/2 hours. 

Prick the sausages and brown them in a skillet. Drain; cut large sausages into 3 or 4-inch pieces.

Reduce the oven to 275 degrees. Gently, stir up the skin that has formed on the beans. Place the sausages on top. Dust the bread crumbs on top of the beans and sausages. Bake the cassoulet for 1 more hour. The top should be golden brown. Transfer the cassoulet from the oven to a cloth-lined counter. Let it rest for 20 minutes. Drizzle with walnut oil just before serving.

* I used duck stock which I like to think gave an even deeper flavor to the finished dish.

Definitions

Cassole: the clay pot used to cook the cassoulet and the source of it's name

Confit:This speciality of Gascony, France, is derived from an ancient method of preserving meat (usually goose, duck or pork) whereby it is salted and slowly cooked in its own fat. The cooked meat is then packed into a crock or pot and covered with its cooking fat, which acs as a seal and preservative. Confit can be refrigerated up to 6 months.

Ventreche: French bacon; similar to Pancetta.

If you want a cassole similar to the ones found in Toulouse, you may order one from The Clay Coyote Pottery. 

If you want to make this dish, but don't want to work so hard, order a Cassoulet Kit from D'targnan.

Pot Pie

I think I've discovered a pretty fool-proof formula for making a pot pie. Maybe the best thing about it is using up leftovers in the fridge and making a great-tasting dinner-- one that's a hit with the kid and the so-called grownups who live in our house. This time I was using up leftover roast turkey, but chicken would do as well.

 TURKEY POT PIE

(makes 3 or 4 individual servings)

• 2 cups veloute sauce
  
• 2 generous cups of chopped turkey (or chicken)
  
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
  
• 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, cut into quarters
  
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• a handful of frozen petite green peas
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Frozen puff pastry

Make the sauce (recipe follows). If you think it is too thick, thin it with a splash of Madeira.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the carrot rounds in a small amount of salted water until fork tender. Drain and set aside.

Quickly saute the quartered mushrooms in the 2 tablespoons of butter until they have given up their moisture.

Stir in the chopped turkey, carrots, mushrooms and peas. Check for seasoning.

Place a portion of the mixture into individual serving dishes. *Top with puff pastry which has been thawed for about 10 minutes. Cut the pastry to fit the tops of bowls and press into place, seal the edges.

Put into a preheated 350 degree oven and cook for 20 to 30 minutes (until the pastry is puffed and nicely browned).

*You can also put this into a 4 cup casserole and top with pastry. 

VELOUTE SAUCE

• 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
  
• 1/2 cup flour
  
• 3 cups of any stock (in this recipe I used Turkey stock)
  

Melt the butter in a heavy pan over medium heat. When it is hot and sizzling, add the flour and cook, stirring until the roux is pale brown and still a bit gritty. Take the roux off the heat and gradually add the stock, whisking constantly so that no lumps form. Return to the heat and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce for about 30 minutes over a very gentle heat. Makes about 2 cups.

This makes a delicious, deeply-flavored sauce.  It is a basic sauce in French cooking and it is probably safe to say that it should be in any serious cook's repertoire.

You can vary the ingredients to suit your taste and the contents of your refrigerator.