Bear Cuisine

The Paschal Lamb

This is another winner from Christine Hickman's class, "Pasqua Italiana" (Italian Easter) class. This is a simple, but incredibly rich, Lamb Stew from Sicily. This, a crusty loaf of bread and a salad would make an amazing meal.

Sicilian Easter Lamb Stew

 

SICILIAN EASTER LAMB STEW

(serves 8)

1. 2 TBS EVOO
2. 1 onion, minced
3. 4 pounds boneless lamb stewing meat,cut in large chunks
4. 2 3/4 cups meat broth (enough to cover the lamb completely)
5. 6 egg yolks
6. Juice of 4 lemons
7. 1 pint heavy cream
8. 1 TBS corn starch for very 2 cups liquid, dissolved in 1/4 cup water (optional)
9. Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large casserole warm the oil and saute the onion until it is translucent. Add the lamb pieces and cover with broth. Cook over medium-low heat until the lamb is tender. This could take anywhere from 45 minutes to a couple of hours.

Remove the lamb from the broth and keep it warm, Degrease the broth. (The recipe may be done ahead to this point. If you do, you can chill the broth and remove the fat when it has solidified. You can reheat the lamb in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes.)

Warm the broth off the fire. Whisk in the egg yolks and lemon juice and mix well. over a very low flame whisk in the cream bit by bit.

Turn the fire up to medium and slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture, whisking to prevent lumps from forming.As the sauce thickens, add the lamb, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Blanquette de Veau

A while back a reader suggested that I needed more interesting titles for my posts. He thought my content was pretty good, but that my titles were boring. Ouch. Since then, I've tried to think of snappier titles for posts, but I'm not always successful. Sometimes, the  bare statement of fact seems enough and if it isn't, that's all I could come up with. So, today it's just the name of the dish. Maybe having the title in French will help.

Blanquette de veau is a dish I have read about for years and wanted to make ever since Julia Child brought it to my attention. But there was this thing about not using veal because it was raised so inhumanely. Then when some farmers were raising it responsibly, I couldn't find a source. Finally, I have found a source for humanely and sustainably raised veal.  ( D'artagnan) No more excuses.

I chose a recipe from Saveur Cooks Authentic French. After I made it I discovered that a "real" Blanquette must have white pearl onions and mushrooms. This one doesn't have either. And the meat should never be browned. This recipe tells you to brown the meat. So, this isn't really a real Blanquette; but I will tell you that it was delicious. So, we can call this veal stew and tip our chef's toque to the Lyonnais cook, Arlette Hugon who liked a more deeply flavored dish than the traditional version.

"Blanquette" de Veau

"BLANQUETTE" DE VEAU

1. 2 1/2 pounds veal shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2"-3" pieces
2. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3. 1 tablespoon flour
4. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5. 1 yellow onion, chopped
6. 2 cloves garlic, minced
7.  2 1/2 cups dry white wine
8. 1 small leek, white part only, washed znd chopped
9. 3 sprigs fresh thyme
10. 3 bay leaves
11. 1 cup beef stock
12. 1 lemon, halved
13. 1 cup heavy cream
14. 2 tablespoons capers, drained

 

Season the meat with salt and pepper, then dust with flour. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add veal and brown on all sides. Remove pieces as they are done and set aside. When all the veal is browned, return it to the pot, add onions and garlic and cook,stirring frequently, until the vegetables are golden. this should take about 10 minutes.

Add wine, leeks, thyme and bay leaves to the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the stock. Cover the pot and simmer until the veal is tender about 1 1/2 hours. ( I put the pot in the oven and cook at 350 degrees F. for about the same amount of time. This way I don't have to worry about scorching on the bottom of the pot.)

 Remove the veal from pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the lemon halves into the sauce and add the lemon shells. Stir in cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Remove the lemon halves, bay leaves and thyme. Transfer the sauce to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve and return to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper, return the veal to the pot and heat through for about 10 minutes. Serve garnished with capers.

Serve with noodles or white rice.

An Homage to Mom

My mother was a YANKEE from the top of her head to her toe tips. Her identity showed in ever so many ways. She was frugal to the point of being penurious at times. Having lived through two world wars and The Great Depression she knew the importance of every penny and how hard they were to come by. She was recycling and repurposing long before such practices were in vogue.

She was also an excellent cook who knew how to prepare a satisfying, nutritious meal for her three always-hungry children One of my favorites was her New England Boiled Dinner. I think she thought of this as a work-a-day meal that would provide good leftovers, but to me it was a tremendous treat. The meat was juicy and tender and the vegetables tasted of the broth in which they had been cooked. Savory with just the right amount of salt and pepper. This meal was one that I looked forward to. Now, the memory of it is colored by my adult awareness of how hard she worked to create a home that was safe and secure for her family. The taste of her boiled dinner is flavored by her love which she often found difficult to express in other ways.

Every year around St. Patrick's Day, the markets are filled with corned beef briskets. This year as I looked at them, I decided that we should have an old-fashioned New England Boiled Dinner. I loved making it, but it didn't taste like Mom's. It just didn't have that  mellow , savory taste that I remembered. We all know that memory is tricky and extremely unreliable, but I would like to think that she would be complimented that I thought her rendition of this classic tasted better than mine. 

NEW ENGLAND BOILED DINNER

 This version is from David Rosengarten and calls for more vegetables than one customarily finds in this dish. This will easily serve eight people.While I don't think it's as good as my mother's, it is still pretty tasty. Better than good enough.

NEW ENGLAND BOILED DINNER

1. 1 (3 1/2 pound) corned beef brisket
2. 2 bay leaves
3. 2 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
4. 4 whole cloves
5. 4 whole allspice berries
6. 11/2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
7. 1/2 medium onion with skin
8. 2 garlic cloves, crushed
9. 12 cups cold water
10. 2 medium beets
11. 1 small cabbage, outer leaves removed, cut through the stem into 8 wedges
12. 3/4 pound rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
13. 2 medium turnips (about 3/4 pound)peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
14. 2 medium parsnips (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
15. 2 medium carrots (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
16. 6 small white onions, peeled but left whole, root end trimmed
17. 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
18. 1 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish
19. 1 tablespoon chopped chives, for garnish
20. Horseradish as accompaniment
21. Grainy mustard as accompaniment

Trim all but 1/4-inch fat from the corned beef. Place in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the corned beef. Return to the pot and add bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, justard seeds, onion and garlic. Add cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook gently partially covered, for 3 to 4 hours, until corned beef is tender but not falling apart. Add more water as necessary to keep the brisket submerged.

Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Wrap beets in foil and roast until tender, about 1 hour. Cook, peel, and cut into wedges. Keep warm for serving.

Remove corned beef from the pot and strain cooking liquid. Wrap corned beef in foil and keep warm in low oven. Return the liquid to a simmer and cook the vegetables until tender in the following groupings and for the following approximagte times:

cabbage:20 minutes

rutabaga and turnips: 18 minutes

Parsnips, carrots and onions: 15 minutes

potatoes: 10 minutes

As the vegetables cook, set them aside and add the next batch, or cook them in stages in the same pot.

To serve, return all the vegetables to the pot with the cooking liquid (if cooked separately). Slice warm corned beef thinly against the grain. Serve corned beef in shallow soup bowls with vegetables strewn around the bowl. Ladle hot stock over all, about 1/2 cup per bowl. Garnish with parsley and chives and serve immediately, with horseradish and mustard on the side.

Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew is one of those dishes about which there is great debate. People argue about its origins and its ingredients. Two states claim to be its original home. In Brunswick, Virginia there is a historical marker which says that the stew was invented by Jimmy Matthews in 1828. Matthews was an African-American cook who is supposed to have made the first batch for a hunting party given by his owner, Dr. Creed Haskins.

Brunswick, Georgia says that it is home to the first concoction of the stew and every year they sponsor a Brunswick Stew contest between the Virginians and the Georgians. The Lee Brothers conclude their mini essay on the subject by saying,"We should note that the current Brunswick Stew world champion, Henry Hicks, a tobacco farmer from Alberta, Virginia, claims tutelage from Theo Matthews, the great-grandson of Jimmy Matthews. With all due respect to Georgia stewmasters, we think the Virginians tell a more convincing tale." (The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook)

Early recipes called for squirrel, but modern adaptations use rabbit as substitute for the long-tailed rodents. My favorite recipe for this stew uses neither of these,but limits itself to chicken. This version is adapted from Martha Phelps Stamps and is very close to a recipe from a Virginia cook that I used to have, but can no longer find.  Everyone who has ever tasted it says that "It's the best." While I doubt that claim, it is mighty tasty.

BRUNSWICK STEW

(serves 10)

1. 1 chicken
2. 2 onions, halved
3. 3 ribs celery, roughly chopped
4. 2 carrots, roughly chopped
5.   Water to cover
6. 2 bay leaves
7. 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
8. 4 sprigs parsley
9. 2 teaspoons salt
10. 1 teaspoon white pepper
11. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12. 4 slices of bacon cut into small pieces
13. 1 large onion chopped
14. 6 garlic cloves, minced
15. 1 bell pepper, chopped
16. 1 28-ounce can tomatoes
17. 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
18. 2 cups (or more if needed) chicken broth
19. kernels from 2 ears of corn
20. 1 1/2 cups baby lima beans
21. 2 teaspoons salt
22. 1 teaspoon black pepper
23. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
24. 1 bay leaf
25. 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
26. 1 teaspoon dried basil
27. 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Rinse the chicken and remove the giblets. Place in a pot with the onions, celery and carrots and cover with cold water. Bring a boil along with the seasoning. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook about 40 minutes until tender. Remove the chicken and let cool. Strain the stock and set aside.

Remove the skin from the chicken and pull the meat from the bones. Cool until ready to use.

Fry the bacon in a Dutch oven or other large,heavy pot. Remove the bacon and cook the onion in bacon fat for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, pepper and cook on high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and vinegar and cook on high heat about 10 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining ingredients. Add more stock if necessary and adjust the seasoning. Cook until the vegetables are very tender and liquid is slightly thickened.

Stir in the chicken and heat through. Tatse again for seasoning.

You can serve this over rice or as is.

Green Chile Stew

One of the gifts of living in New Mexico is the easy availability of great chile. Fresh green chile is difficult to find other places, partly because New Mexicans keep most of their crop for themselves. One of the rituals of the fall harvest is buying a bushel of green chile, roasting it and then freezing it for use throughout the year. If you time it just right, you will be running of out of your frozen stash just as the chile harvest is starting to come in.

Green chile stew is eaten year round in The Land of Enchantment, but I think it tastes best on a blustery, chilly day. It warms you through and through.

 

GREEN CHILE STEW

(serves 8)

1. 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2. 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin or pork butt, cut in 1-inch cubes
3. 1 1/2 cups sliced onion
4. 1 tblespoon minced garlic
5. 6 cups chicken or beef broth
6. 1 pound red or white potatoes, cut in 1-inch cubes
7. 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
8. 3 cups roasted, peeled, chopped green chiles*
9. 3 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
10. 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Heat the oil in a 6-quart pot over high heat and brown the meat in batches. Set aside

In the same oil, saute the onions until golden. Add the garlic and saute 1 minutes. Return the meat to the pan along with any juices that have accumulated.

Add the broth, potatoes and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour until the potatoes are tender.

Add the green chiles , the red bell pepper and cook 15 to 20 minutes more Add the cilantro, stir, and serve.

 

*Use half mild and half medium or hot chiles for a better balanced flavor. If you don't like the heat, use all mild chiles. If you don't live in New Mexico or elsewhere in the South West, you can purchase frozen green chile from Gift Baskets Just for You.

(from The Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook by Susan Curtis)