Precious cookers and Conecuh's

My favorite kitchen tool varies from week to week, but there are a few that reign supreme.  At the top of the list is my pressure cooker.  I was quite terrified by pressure cookers from the experience of seeing hot apple sauce spew over my mother when she opened one too soon.  But I was reintroduced to them  by my French mother, Hedwige Clayeux.   With her 3-burner stove buried under the eaves of her steep rooftop apartment on the Rue des Grands Augustins, she would whip up mustard rabbit stew in her pressure cooker that left us all begging for more. Pressure cookers have changed and are now reliable and safe. 

Fast forward 25 years and I use my pressure cooker at least 3 times a week, to make my own chicken broth, a stew, some mole turkey, and last night my Conecuh sausage bean soup. What a discovery to find I can make a bean soup from dry beans in 15 minutes! There are endless possibilities for variations on the general theme of sauteed aromatics, broth, root vegetables, beans and any sausage with a big flavor, like my current favorite from Alabama: hickory smoked Conecuh!

Winter Sausage Bean Soup

1 cup dried beans (I used soldier)
4 cups water
Bring beans and water to high pressure for 3 minutes.  De-pressurize the cooker.  You can drain off some bean water and add broth as needed for best consistency and flavor.

Aromatics
onion, garlic, carrots, celery, red or ancho pepper
Saute in vegetable oil before adding to the soup pot

Root vegetables (cubed): about 1 c. each, or 3 C. total
Rutabaga, winter squash (butternut, acorn, etc)
Winter greens like kale are also good.

1 lb. or more of smoked sausage (Conecuh, kielbasa) (or less if you use andouille, chorizo)

4 c. Chicken broth
1 c. crushed tomatoes

Herbs and spices:
cumin, bay leaf, thyme, ground pepper
1 chipoltle pepper in adobo, seeded and finely chopped

Add all ingredients to the soup pot.  Cook at high pressure for 12 minutes.**
De-pressurize with quick release method and enjoy with a quick salad and a glass of wine.

** You can also add some chopped cabbage at the end and just cook covered for a few minutes to soften. 

For an Italian version of this soup, substitute hot Italian sausage (browned), fennel instead of celery, celery root (diced), zucchini and/or eggplant.

Faux Christmas

Fundooooo!
Faux Christmas at the Brown house and this year the fondue worked! No tears, no terror, just creamy, yummy dipping: Broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, red peppers, green apples and baguette with Tarte Tatin for dessert.  Parfait!

Did Someone Say Sauerkraut?

We landed back in NYC last week after a magical 4 days in Maine where the usual pilgrimages (Hussey's, Morse's, Moody's, Bob's) allowed us to feast on our northern favorites- fried things and cheese.  After gorging ourselves for the better part of a week, Adam and I trecked back home with a cooler full of memorabilia for the Brooklyn dwellers...Beans, cheese, kraut and pickle relish.

We ate salad for 4 nights straight before we could stomach busting out the Maine goodies, but when we did- YUM!  So here's a fast one pot weeknight dinner that is so yummy, the gas that comes later is worth it! 

Cast-Iron Chicken with Bacon and Sauerkraut
(serves 4)

1/2 lb slab of bacon, diced
4 legs and 4 thighs of chicken, bone in
salt
pepper
1 large onion, sliced
4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp sweet smokes paprika
1 lb sauerkraut
1/2 c chicken stock

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees

2. Render fat from bacon in cast iron skillet and remove bacon; set aside.

3. Season chicken with salt and pepper and brown it in the bacon fat.  Transfer to a plate.

4. Brown onions in bacon fat, adding more oil if necessary.  Add thyme, bay leaves, red pepper and paprika- saute briefly.  Return bacon to the pan and stir to mix in.  Add sauerkraut to pan and stir to mix in.  Arrange the chicken pieces on top of the sauerkraut mixture and pour stock over it all.

5. Put pan in the oven for 30-40 min (until chicken internal temp hits 165 degrees).

6. Serve with Hussey's baked beans for the ultimate grasto-intestinal experience!

Ooooh yeah...that's gonna hurt later...

Choucroute...French for Dressed Sauerkraut!

My gentleman grew up eating bitter melon and craves it often.  The first time he served it to me, all I could think was, "Hm, what an accurately named food."  I didn't dislike it, it was just a flavor I was entirely unfamiliar with and couldn't quite decide how I felt about.  We all have those foods we grew up with that someone else might be a little unsure about.   In our family, it's sauerkraut.  We love everything about it - it's crispiness, the vinegar/salt explosion, the fact that it literally stings your nostrils if you sniff too close into a fresh tub. It's amazing.  We like it so much, everytime my parents go up to Maine, they buy multiple gallons of fresh sauerkraut from the aptly named Morse's Sauerkraut in Waldoboro and then dutifully divide it up and drive it back to those of us stuck in Brooklyn. 

So what does one do after receiving a delivery of about 2 pounds of fresh sauerkraut?  Go on a mission to convince your friends that it's delicious, obviously.  I decided to pull out the big guns and make Choucroute, a sauerkraut pork stew that I think you'd have to be crazy to not find delicious on a crisp, cold January day like today.  Plus, I looked it up and the title of this post is a true story - Choucroute means "dressed sauerkraut" in French, and we all know that anything, even pickled, fermented cabbage can be made fancy by the French.  I had some weird odds and ends in my fridge, so this is sort of a mishmash of a Choucroute, but it gets the job done!

Choucroute for Four...maybe more.

Mmmm...look at that fancy dressed sauerkraut!  

4oz. bacon
1/2 lb. smoked garlic sausage like Kielbasa (I actually used chicken andouille sausage because my gentleman is allergic to smoked meats and it still turned out delicious!)
1 onion diced
1 Tbs. gin (the recipe called for juniper berries, which honestly, who has juniper berries?!  So I substituted gin, which is made from juniper berries...and because I like it)
1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
5 whole cloves
A sprinkle of allspice (recipe called for 4 whole allspice, again, who has that?)
1 large bay leave
1 pealed and diced apple
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 to 3 pealed, chopped carrots (optional - I had them and figured, why not?)
3 cups sauerkraut
1 C. white wine
2 C. chicken broth
Ham (I had leftovers, so I used a hunk of ham and chopped it into 4 approximately pork chop sized chunks.  You could also use pork chops, ham hocks, whatever you have on hand)
1 lb. red skin potatoes

1.  In an oven safe pan (I again used my Le Creuset, best xmas present ever, Mom!), brown bacon and sausage, about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and put on a plate with a paper towel on it.  If the bacon was really fatty, you can pour off some of the fat, but keep about 1 tablespoon in the pan for the onions.
2.  Throw onions, spices, and bay leaf into pan and saute until onions are tender, about 5 minutes.
3.  Add the apples, carrots, and garlic, saute about 2 minutes more.  Preheat the oven to 350.
4.  Add the sauerkraut, broth, wine, and gin and give it a stir.   Boil uncovered for 10 minutes.
5.  Add all the meats and submerge them in the sauerkraut broth. 
6.  Put in oven for 1 hour. 
7.  With 20 minutes to go, boil potatoes on the stovetop. 

Serve and amaze all with the awesomeness of dressed sauerkraut! If you visit the Morse's website, you can even amaze them with sauerkrauts many health benefits.   I like to take some potatoes, fork mash them on my plate, then spoon the sauerkraut, meat, and juices on top.  If the choucroute looks too saucy when you take it out of the oven, you can always take the lid off and boil it down, or just pop it back in the oven with the lid off for a bit longer, but it should be pretty saucy so the potatoes have lots of yumminess to soak up. 

A Very Merry Christmas Eve...Chicken Tagine Style

Since it's finally begun to feel winter-ish here in the City, I had big plans to make a Christmas Eve meal that was some sort of cross between comfort food and high end deliciousness.  I perused my cookbooks and set my sets on a yummy looking red wine braised lamb shanks.  I also proceeded to enjoy my day off and put off grocery shopping for my meal until 3pm.  Oops.  At the third boutique Brooklyn grocery store deli counter I went to, I was told I had to pre-order lamb shanks if I wanted them at Christmas Eve...like I was a crazy person for not knowing that. Maybe I am.  Is Christmas Eve lamb a thing?  Is that what people eat?  All I could think of is a former roommate of mine who hated when I cooked lamb in the apartment because it smelled "too biblical".  Perhaps this was one of those biblical things I missed?

Anyway, my meat options seriously limited, I scrambled to come up with a comfort food yet classy delish dish involving...chicken.  Luckily, I stumbled across a delightful recipe for chicken tagine in the "Cooking For Two" cookbook.  Yes, that's right, I have a cookbook entitled "Cooking for Two: Perfect Meals for Pairs" courtesy of my father enjoying making me feel awkward after I finally announced I was, in fact, cooking for two these days.  I paired my tagine with garlic roasted brussels sprouts and couscous and it was exactly what I wanted - delicious and comforting.  Hooray!  

I made a few modifications (fresh ginger instead of powdered, prunes instead of apricots, no saffron), but it was mostly because of what I had on hand. I think it would be delicious with any dried fruit/ginger combo. Also, I used slightly less than a full cup of fruit, as I didn't want the fruit to overpower everything...also, I was using prunes.  You have to be careful there. Here's the recipe:

Chicken Tagine for Two:

4 to 5 skinned chicken thighs

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. fresh ground ginger

1 1/2 C. chicken stock

1/4 tsp. ground cumin (I used whole seeds because I have them)

1 1/2 Tbs. honey

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 C. quartered dried figs

1/2 C. quartered dried prunes (or apricots)

1/2 C. chopped almonds

Salt and Pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

1.  In a large Dutch oven (I used my Le Creuset!) heat 2 Tbs. of olive oil over medium heat.  Add chicken and brown on both sides for 4 to 5 minutes.  Remove and set aside.

2.  Add remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil, onions, and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.  Return the chicken to the pot and add the turmeric, ginger, stock, and cumin.  Reduce the heat to medium low and cook uncovered for 55 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the meat is nearly falling off the bone.

3.  While chicken is cooking, combine the honey, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Add the figs and prunes.  Reduce the liquid to a simmer and cook until the fruit is tender and the liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 15 min.  Add more water if the pan gets dry.  Remove cinnamon stick when done. 

Mmm...chicken in one pot and fruit bubbling away in the other!

4.  Toast the almonds.

5.  Season the chicken mixture with salt and pepper to taste then stir in the lemon juice and the fruit.   

6.  Serve over couscous and sprinkle with the toasted almonds. 

Enjoy!!  It's so tasty!

I forgot to take a picture before I started eating - it was that good!  It was a candle-lit meal, so excuse the dime lighting.  It looked good, I promise.

What We Ate...Thanksgiving 2012

If you've ever eaten with our family, you'll know over-production is the name of the game.  4 people coming for dinner?  Let's make 6 courses?  Wait, two more are coming?  Better bump it up to 12 courses.  Thanksgiving 2012 was no different, although we've finally begun to master cooking everything in advance and assigning courses to guests...meaning we had almost an entire free hour prior to the meal.  We were at a loss, let me tell you.  I for one wandered the house aimlessly in an apron, bewildered and unsure what one does on Thanksgiving when not chopping furiously in a kitchen and/or passed out post-meal on a couch in a delightful food coma.  

So, without further ado, and for future reference, here's what we ate at Thanksgiving 2012.  10 people, 2 days of cooking, a whole lot of delicious dishes:

Appeteasers:

• Blue cheese and fig paste cookies
• Olives
• Mixed Nuts
• Not the spiced mixed nuts from 2011, although those were delicious and made me giggle every time I mentioned them.
• Too-Too's Clam Puffs
• Set the way-back machine for 1950's luncheon hosting and imagine cream-cheese clam dip stuffed in a hot profiterole.  Yeah.  That happened.
• Pate, Terrine, Spanish cured meats...basically just lots of random tasty meats.

Julie's Blue Cheese and Fig Paste Cookies.  Beware: you will face her wrath if you sample the goods and mess up the design before the guests arrive!!

First Course:

• Duff's Butternut Squash, Apple, and Garam Masala soup shooters with Morbier cheese toasts

Main Course:

• Brined stuffed turkey.  Duh.
• Mom's sausage, prune, and madeira bread Stuffing
• In the bird and out, for your personal preference.
• Corn pudding
• Caramelized shallots
• Braised carrots and parsnips with "warming" spices of cinnamon and cayenne
• Brussels Sprouts with chestnuts and prosciutto
• Gravy
• Cranberry Sauce
• Robbie's whipped mashed potatoes 

Lili walks folks through each dish of the main course.  Corn pudding in the foreground always features prominently as it's a perennial favorite.

 
Salad Course:

• Leafy greens with pomegranate seeds, shaved parmesan cheese, and fennel
• Cheese board with 3 cheeses and toasts

 Dessert:

• Pumpkin Pie
• Apple Pie 
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Lilac Chocolates

Libations throughout:

• Beer
• Prosecco with Rose simple syrup
• Stan's famous Sangria
• Aunt Patsy's Bourbon Slush
• Wine.  Lot's of wine.
• Dessert Wine.  Lot's of dessert wine.
• Calvados

We ate ourselves into a state of agony - multiple family members and friends could be found passed out on the couch shortly-post meal with utter disregard for entertaining formalities!  And lest you think it's all high-brow (high Brown, heh), all the time in our house, never fear!  Thanksgiving was started off in true Jersey style with this little breakfast treat from Stan...which Julie gracefully fried up when Mom recoiled in horror.  

If you don't know, you better ask somebody.  Probably from Jersey...