Bear Cuisine

Be It Ever So Humble

One of the things I'm loving about living in a cosmopolitan city is the ready access to real butchers and real charcuterie. There is so much more to the meat-eating world than bland,prepackaged chicken sausages from the local grocery. When I saw honest-to-God bangers , a very British sausage, in the butcher's case, I couldn't resist. The  classic accompaniment to these is the potato--specifically, mashed potatoes. Not one of my British cookbooks included a recipe for these. After all, you just cook and mash the potatoes and then cook the sausage. But Ina Garten offered a unique spin on this dish that made some of the best mashed potatoes that I have ever tasted. This is a great recipe to have in your arsenal.

Bangers and Mustard Mash

 

MUSTARD MASH

1. 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quarterd
2. Kosher Salt
3. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
4. 1/2 cup whole milk
5. 4 ounces creme fraiche*
6. 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
7. 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
8. 1 teaspoon dry mustard
9. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan with 1 tablespoon of salt and enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return them to the saucepan. Add the butter,milk and creme fraiche and beat the potatoes in the pan until very smooth and creamy. Add a little extra milk if the are too stiff. Mix in the Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, dry mustard, 1 tablespoon salt and the pepper.  Place the potatoes in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water and keep hot for up to 30 minutes, until ready to serve.

*you can substitute sour cream for the creme fraiche with no ill effects.

(from Ina Garten.Barefoot Contessa:How Easy is That?)

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Soul-Soothing Gumbo

In her book, Crescent City Cooking, Susan Spicer describes soups as having the potential to be "soul-soothing." Maybe that's why I always enjoy  gumbo; it is soothing and satisfying. It conjures up images of a warm kitchen,the cook stirring the roux with love and focused attention , and the glorious smells of simmering ingredients which tease us into anticipation of a beautiful, delicious meal. I don't have one scintilla of Cajun DNA, but gumbo evokes all these things in a way that no other soup or stew can. So, here's another and very good gumbo recipe. I have used Spicer's Smoked Duck and Andouille Gumbo recipe as the base and Alton's Brown's tip for making the all-important roux.

CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE GUMBO

 

CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE GUMBO

(8 servings)

1. 1 3 lb. chicken*
2. Salt and pepper
3. 1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking okra
4. 1/2 cup flour
5. 2 medium onions, chopped
6. 2 bell peppers, chopped
7. 3 celery stalks,chopped
8. 1/2 lb. andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced
9. 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
10. 6 cups dark chicken stock
11. 2 cups sliced okra,fresh or frozen
12. 1/2 cup plus 2 TBS chopped scallions
13. 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
14. 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
15. Bouquet Garni**
16. Hot Sauce
17. Cooked white rice,optional

 

Roast the chicken (click here for a recipe).  Allow it to cook and pick the meat off the bones. Set aside.(Reserve the bones to make stock now or freeze for later use.)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6 quart cast iron Dutch oven (or enameled iron pot) and whisk together to combine. Place o the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times during the cooking process. If you like make the roux the day before and let it stand overnight. Then you can remove the excess oil that will rise to the top and you will have a much cleaner tasting gumbo when you are finished.

When the roux is ready, add the onions, peppers and celery, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage and cook 3 more minutes. Then add the garlic and whisk in the stock, 1 cup at a time. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Heat 2 TBS vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, sear the okra and add to the pot, along with 1/2 cup scallions. Add the thyme, Worcester Sauce, Bouquet Garni, hot sauce to taste, the reserved chicken meat and a little salt. Simmer over low heat, stirring from time to time, for at least 1 hour. Skim off any fat from the top. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce and serve hot, with or without rice. Garnish with reserved scallions.

 

*If you are in a hurry, a rotisserie chicken from the market could serve to make this dish.

**Here is Susan Spicer's version of a Bouquet Garni

Take one bunch of parsley stems, stripped of leaves (or most of them), 2 small bay leaves or 1 medium bay leaf, and a generous sprig of fresh thyme. Lay the parsley stems down and spread them a little, then place the bay leaf and thyme in the center and surround with the parsley stems. Cut a 15-inch piece of kitchen twine and pick up the bundle in your left hand. Holding the string about 3 inches from the end between the thumb and index finger of your left hand, use your right hand to wrap the string twice around one end of the bundle, then bring the string down to the other end, wrapping around twice, then back to the middle and around once, meeting the 3-inch piece and tying a secure knot. ....Be sure to tie it snugly. If the bundle is not tied tightly, it can disintegrate when the parsley stems cook and become limp.

Toad-in-the Hole Italiano

This is another quick-and-easy dish for a family supper from Sara Moulton's Everyday Family Dinners.As it happens, all of these ingredients are available in our fridge and freezer most of the time. So for us this is the perfect fallback dinner. Sara calls it Italiano because she uses Italian sausage rather than an English variety and she has added bell peppers and cheese to make it a legitimate one-dish meal. If we think of recipes as guidlelines rather than blueprints, we should feel free to make changes that suit our tastes as well.

TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE ITALIANO

(serves 4)

1. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2. 1 1/4 pounds sweet or hot Italian sausages or a mixture of the two
3. 1 medium red bell pepper
4. 1 medium green bell pepper
5. 1 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano
6. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
7. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
8. 4 garlic cloves
9. 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
10. 2 large eggs
11. 3/4 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet with an overproof handle over medium heat until hot. Add the sausages and cook until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the red and green bell peppers (about 1 cup each). Grate the cheese using a microplane or the fine side of a box grater (about 1/2 cup) and , if using the fresh herb, chop the oregano (about 1 1/2 teaspoons). Chop the garlic into a small dice.

Remove the sausages to a plate and let cool; reserve the drippings in the skillet. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the bell peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Cut the sausages into 1-inch chunks and stir into the mixture.

 

Combine the flour, cheese, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. whisk the eggs in a large glass measuring cup until frothy, whisk in the milk, 1/3 cup water, and the remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil. Gradually whisk the milk mixture into the flour mixture just until the batter is combined. It can still be slightly lumpy.

 

Pour the batter over the sausage mixture and bake until puffed and golden 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Breakfast Across America:Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

Biscuits 'n Gravy was Kay's breakfast of choice on this trip. A true Southern classic which is popular all over the country. Here is James Villas' take on this perennial favorite.

Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

FRESH COUNTRY SAUSAGE

(makes 3 pounds of sausage meat)

1. 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, chilled
2. 1 pound fresh pork fat, chilled
3. 1 tablespoon salt
4. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5. 2 teaspoons ground sage
6. 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
7. 2 tablespoons cold water

Cut the pork and pork fat into 2-inch chunks and pass first through the coarse blade, then through the fine blade of a meat grinder into a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, moisten both hands with water and knead the mixture till well blended and smooth. Wrap the sausage in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before using.

Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

(4 to 6 servings)

The Biscuits

1. 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2. 2 teaspoons baking powder
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 3 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening
5. 3/4 cup milk
6. 1 pound bulk sausage

The Gravy

1. 4 tablespoons butter
2. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3. 2 1/2 cups milk
4. Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

To make the biscuits, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the shortening and cut in with a pastry cutter or rub with your fingertips till the mixture is mealy. Gradually add the milk and stir just till the dough holds together and is still sticky. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface, knead about 8 times, and form the dough with your hands into 8 smooth rounds about 1 inch thick. Arrange the rounds on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart, bake in the upper third of the oven till golden brown, about 15 minutes,and keep warm.

With your hands, form the sausage meat into 8 patties, fry the patties on both sides in a large skillet over moderate heat till nicely browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes, drain on peper towels and keep warm on a plate. Set the skillet with the fat aside.

To make the gravy, pour off about half the fat from the skillet, add the butter to the skillet, and stir over moderate heat till the fats are incorporated, scraping the browned bits off the bottom. Gradually add the flour, stir till it has absorbed the fats, and cook, stirring constantly,till the flour turns golden brown,about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly, till the gravy is thickened, smooth and slightly browned. Season with salt and pepper and stir well.

To serve, split the biscuits in half and place the bottoms on warm serving plates. Top each bottom with a sausage patty, arrange the biscuit tops at an angle, spoon hot gravy over the tops, and serve immediately.

Paella

Paella is one of those dishes for which there are hundreds of recipes or , more accurately, variations. This is a much-loved dish in our household, but we reserve it for special occasions-- those celebratory moments when you want to mark the event with something extra-special from the kitchen. The best set of guidelines that I have found for Anglos is in The Spanish Table Cookbook. Here, you have a template for paella which will serve you well as you construct a meal fit for all the royalty you entertain at your table.

THE SPANISH TABLE'S CLASSIC PAELLA

(The measurements listed are for one person. Use this list as a multiplication table.)

1. 1/2 cup uncooked Valancian rice per person ( I find that this enough rice for 2 people. You be the judge.)
   
2. 1 cup chicken stock, clam juice or water per 1/2 cup rice, more is using Bomba
   
3. 5 threads saffron per person,dissolved in 1/2 cup white warm dry white wine.
   
4. 2 tablespoons olive oil per serving capacity of the pan, enough to completely cover bottom of the pan when it is cool. The oil will expand as it heats.
   
5. 1 piece chicken, such as a thigh, per person
   
6. 1/2 to soft, cooking, Spanish style chorizo
   
7. 1/2 teaspoon bittersweet pimenton
   
8. 1 clove garlic, per person finely chopped
   
9. 1/4 cup chopped onion person
   
10. 1/8 cup tomato, grated per person
    
11. 2 shrimp and/or prawns per portion
    
12. 2-4 small clams and/or mussels per portion
    
13. Vegetables may include the following:
    

• red piquillo peppers cut in strips
  
• peas, green beans and/or artichoke hearts
  
• Lemon wedges for garnish
  
• Minced parsley for garnish
  

ORDER OF COOKING

Warm saffron gently in a small pan. When aroma is released, add white wine. Allow to come to a near boil then remove from heat.

Coat the bottom of paella pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add chicken and fry, turning, until golden brown.

When chicken's juice rungs clear, add garlic and onions and saute until translucent.

Add the chorizo and cook until heated through and begins to sweat fat.

Add the rice and pimenton, stirring until well coated with oil (about one minute).

Add the grated tomato.

Add the liquid, stock or water and the saffron steeped in wine.

Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of pan, and adjust heat to maintain a simmer.

 Add the seafood and the other pre-cooked vegetables you are using.

When cooking time since adding the liquid totals 25 minutes, check to see if the rice is done.

At this point, it is traditional to let the paella, rest for 15 minutes while the cook has an aperitif. 

( I will already have been working on that.) Cover loosely  with a sheet of aluminum foil.