Soups, Stews and Chili – Page 5 – Sue's Seasonal Palate

February 2, 2013 Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Last week I made chicken and black bean soup or should I more accurately describe it, cooking by the power of suggestion. Our ladies Bible study group is currently in a series on the book of Nehemiah. The teacher of the series, Kelly Minter is a self described foodie and each chapter of the study ends with a few of her favorite recipes. This past week there was a recipe for her favorite Southwest Chicken Soup. I didn’t want to follow her recipe exactly but a concept was set in my mind and the frigid temperatures we were experiencing definitely called for a satisfying warm soup.

The starting point for a good soup is a good homemade chicken stock and I like to have it on hand for impromptu meals like this one. Not only do you benefit from the richer flavor of homemade but you can control the amount of salt in your recipe. Another plus is that when your homemade stock has been cooled and refrigerated, the fat separates at the top and can easily be scraped off. Normally when I make stock I simmer the chicken long enough for it to be cooked through. Then I remove the meat from the bones and cook the broth, vegetables and bones a bit longer before straining. But because of Hurricane Sandy and the need to consolidate all of our frozen foods into one freezer, some of my supply of frozen chicken had fallen victim to the dreaded freezer burn. Not bad, just icy, a little dried out and less than optimal. So I used some boneless and bone in pieces to make this batch of stock. I didn’t waste the chicken, the dogs were quite happy to partake in this batch, supplementing their usual food.

For my soup I used homemade stock, chopped, roasted tomatoes that I froze last summer and a pickled jalapeno from a batch that I canned. I did use canned beans, since the meal was impromptu; I didn’t have time to soak and cook fresh ones. I chose boneless chicken thighs because the dark meat holds up better when reheating a soup, and let’s face it, most soup does get reheated. Good canned chicken broth is a reasonable substitute. I prefer a low sodium version and usually have a few containers of the Pacific brand of both chicken and beef on hand. I seasoned my chicken with Penzey’s adobo seasoning to enhance the flavor profile of the southwest. Substitute a combination of cumin, oregano and cayenne if you don’t have this blend. A small can of chopped roasted tomatoes could stand in for my garden variety. You get the idea, use what you have. I added the chopped spinach at the end since I knew it didn’t need to cook very long and wanted to give the soup a green vegetable element. We had ours with a salad, maybe a little sour cream top the soup and some crusty bread would also be a welcome addition.

Chicken and Black Bean Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 small onion, finely chopped
1T canola oil
3 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1″ pieces
2t Penzey’s adobo seasoning or a combination of cumin, smoked paprika and oregano
1 qt bag roasted tomatoes, chopped or 1 can
1 finely chopped pickled jalapeno (optional)
4-5 c defatted, homemade chicken stock or low fat canned chicken broth
3-4c baby spinach
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Heat chicken stock or broth over medium high heat in a 5 quart Dutch oven until heated through.
In a saute pan, cook the onion over medium heat until softened but not browned, 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
Sprinkle adobo seasoning over chicken, add to the saute pan and cook, adding a little broth to the pan as needed until slightly browned, 10-12 minutes.
Puree 1/2 c of the black beans in a mini food processor.
Add cooked onion, pureed beans, chopped tomatoes, pickled jalapeno and the rest of the canned beans to the broth. Add cooked chicken and heat through. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Soup can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead. Reheat over medium heat. Before serving, add spinach to wilt. Serve in warmed bowls.

DSC_5791b — The first blush on a jalapeno last summer.

January 6, 2013 Lobster Bisque

Our New Year’s Eve tradition for almost thirty years is the anti New Years Eve celebration of most people. Our evening is very low key. We get together with one couple, cook a nice, but somewhat indulgent meal of surf and turf, curl up on the couch and watch movies until the ball drops.

The highlight of this feast is a rich and flavorful lobster bisque that we have been making for 23 years now. Not a dish you would have every day or every week for that matter, but a nice splurge for a special occasion. This recipe is from a January 1990 Bon Appetit article with recipes from Jasper White, chef, restaurateur and New England seafood expert . Mr White offers his bisque recipe which he describes as “the perfect starter for a winter night.”

To say this recipe is a bit indulgent would be an understatement. It is not every day sweet briny lobsters, fragrant golden saffron and silky cream are combined in a luxurious soup. A warm winter resulted in a lobster glut in 2012 and we took advantage of the occasional weekend sale at our local markets. After enjoying lobster for dinner, we froze the body shells, planning ahead for the New Year’s Eve bisque. My fishmonger sells lobster bodies at a much cheaper price than whole lobsters and we also buy these to add to our stock. The shells are roasted, then combined in a stockpot with herbs, vegetables, wine, stock and saffron. This wonderful soup simmers for hours on the stovetop and your house will smell so warm and rich you will want to bottle the fragrance!

A bisque by definition is a rich, creamy soup made with shellfish, specifically crustaceans, in this case lobster. The addition of lobster meat to the final bisque is just an option, so that is one way of keeping the cost down.Though rice is the classic thickener for a bisque, tapioca starch, not cornstarch or arrowroot is the choice for this recipe. I’ve learned that tapioca starch thickens quickly and at a lower temperature than the other options. Tapioca grains don’t always dissolve completely, so straining the bisque twice eliminates that problem. In past years I made the veal stock that is called for in this recipe but I no longer have a source for veal bones. I use the reduced chicken and beef stock mentioned in the recipe, enhanced with a little veal demi glace. Many supermarkets carry the D’Artagnan brand. A little Cognac or another brandy is flamed at the end, burning off the alcohol, bringing even more complexity to the final dish. The steps can be completed over the course of several days and the soup base minus the cream could be frozen for a future special occasion. Valentine’s Day, perhaps?

Lobster Bisque

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

3lbs cooked lobster body shells, halved lengthwise, head sacs removed
5T olive oil
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
2 large celery stalks, coarsely chopped
10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3 quarts plus 1 cup water
2 c rich veal stock, or three cups canned low-salt chicken broth and 1 cup canned unsalted beef broth, reduced to 2 cups
1/2 of a 7.5 ounce container of veal demi glace (optional)
2 c dry white wine
6T tomato paste
1T whole black peppercorns
10 fresh tarragon sprigs
4 fresh thyme sprigs
3 bay leaves
1/2t dried red pepper flakes
1/2t saffron flakes
1/4 c quick cooking tapioca
2c heavy cream
1/4c Cognac or other brandy
1c cooked chopped lobster meat in 1/2 inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F. Transfer lobster shells to roasting pan. Drizzle with 2T olive oil. Roast until aromatic and slightly charred, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.
While the shells are roasting, heat remaining 3T olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook until light brown, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes.
Transfer lobster shells to a large stockpot. Set roasting pan over high heat. Add one cup water and bring to a boil, skimming foam from the surface. Stir in the sauteed vegetables, tomato paste, peppercorns, herbs, pepper flakes and saffron. Simmer until liquid is reduced to 6 cups, stirring frequently, about 1 1/2 hours.
Stir tapioca into bisque and let simmer until thickened, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes. Strain bisque through a coarse sieve, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Strain bisque again through a fine sieve into a heavy large saucepan. Can be prepared ahead, cover and refrigerate for two days or freeze for future use.
Bring bisque to a gentle simmer, skimming surface if necessary. Add cream and heat through. Gently heat Cognac in a heavy small saucepan. Remove from heat and ignite with match. Allow flames to subside completely, then add to bisque. Add lobster meat if using and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately in warmed bowls.

Lobster bodies are added to the roasting pan.

Drizzling olive oil over the lobster shells.

Roasted lobster shells and other ingredients go into the stockpot.

: Straining the stock.

It already looks rich, even without the cream!

: Now the cream is added.

Chunks of lobster meat are a welcome addition to the soup. — Chunks of lobster meat are a delicious addition to the soup.

Cognac is flamed and when the flames subside, then added to the bisque.

December 7, 2012 Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream

Our Thanksgiving dinner always begins with a bowl of satisfying warm soup. Whether it’s made with kabocha, Hubbard or butternut, squash soup has become the traditional starter of our annual feast. Butternut squash soup with cider cream is an Epicurious recipe that originated in a November 1998 Bon Appetit article about soups and salads written by one of my favorite cookbook authors, Betty Rosbottom.
Butternut squash has a sweet nutty flavor, similar to a pumpkin and is a good source of fiber and vitamins B, C and E. In this recipe cubed squash, celery, carrots and leeks are sauteed until softened. Tart Granny Smith apples, fragrant sage and thyme are added along with chicken stock and cider. The addition of apples and apple cider lighten the consistency of the soup. Use a tart apple like a Granny Smith to offset the natural sweetness of the squash. Wonderful aromas will fill your kitchen as the soup simmers. I chose not to add the heavy cream called for in the original recipe, I felt the velvety texture of the butternut squash gave the soup sufficient creaminess. Don’t skip the cider cream in this recipe. It adds a creamy, cool tanginess that contrasts nicely with sweet nutty flavor of the soup. I am pleased to say that the leeks and the sage I used in this recipe were from the garden. Since our chives died back after the first snow and I can’t bear to spend a fortune for an herb that we have in such abundance in season, I chose to garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds. Both the soup and the cider cream can be prepared a day or two ahead. Reheat the soup in a crock pot on a low setting and you will have time to pay attention to other last minute menu details.

Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream

Epicurious from Bon Appetit, November 1998

Ingredients

5 T butter
2½ lb butternut squash, cubed and roasted (about 6 cups)
2 c chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 2 large)
½ c chopped peeled carrot
½ c chopped celery
2 small granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1½ t dried thyme
½ t dried sage leaves
5 c low salt chicken broth
1½ c apple cider, divided
⅔ c sour cream
1/2 c toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add squash, leeks, carrot and celery. Saute until lightly softened, about 15 minutes. Mix in apples, thyme and sage. Add broth and 1 cup cider; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.
Working in batches, puree soup in a food processor until smooth. Return soup to pot. Or puree with immersion blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Boil remaining apple cider in heavy small saucepan until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Cool. Place sour cream in small bowl. Whisk in reduced cider.
Ladle soup into bowls and serve with dollop of cider cream and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds.
Saute chopped squash, leeks, carrots and celery in butter until slightly softened.

Your home will smell wonderful as the soup simmers.

Working in batches, puree soup in food processor.

August 28, 2012 Yellow Tomato Gazpacho

As summer’s days are waning I am reminded to take full advantage of our garden’s bounty of beautiful vegetables. The Sweet Gold tomatoes are in abundance now, more than enough to make a refreshing yellow tomato gazpacho. Gazpacho is the signature dish of the Andalusia region of Spain. It descended from an ancient Roman dish of stale bread, garlic, olive oil, salt and vinegar that sustained laborers as they built roads and aqueducts across Spain. The addition of tomatoes and other vegetables didn’t occur until Spanish explorers came to the New World.
Sweet Gold tomatoes are one of a trio of cherry tomatoes called “Garden Candy” available from Renee’s Garden Seeds that we grew this year. I have posted about all three, the orange Sun Gold were part of a pasta salad and the crimson red Supersweet 100’s were combined with pearled couscous. The Sweet Gold tomatoes are quite firm with a dense flesh and crack free compared to the Yellow Pear variety we have grown in previous years. In this recipe I combined them with a yellow pepper and cucumber from the garden along with red onion and garlic. The low-acid tomatoes benefited from a good quality sherry vinegar and little orange juice added acidity and a little sweetness. I kept it light and didn’t add bread or olive oil. This version did not require the oven or stove top. Just a little chopping, a few spins in the blender and a run through the food mill to give the soup a smooth texture. The perfect starter for any summer meal.

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho

Makes about 8 cups

Ingredients

3 lbs small yellow tomatoes such as Sweet Gold, cut in half
2 cloves garlic
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 medium yellow pepper, seeded and cut into large chunks
1 small red onion, cut into medium chunks
1 small hot chile (or to taste) seeded and cut into medium pieces
1/3c sherry wine vinegar
1/3c fresh orange juice
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions

In a blender, puree the tomatoes, garlic, cucumber, yellow pepper, red onion, chili, vinegar and orange juice in batches until smooth.
Strain the mixture through a food mill fitted with a medium disc
Season to taste with salt and pepper Refrigerate in an airtight container to blend flavors for at least two hours and up to a day.
To serve, whisk the soup to combine ingredients. Taste the soup and reseason with salt and pepper. Serve in small bowls garnished with contrasting cherry tomato halves .

Sweet Golds in various stages of ripeness.

July 31, 2012 Chilled Beet Soup with Horseradish Sour Cream

Our healthy crop of beets this summer have permanently turned my hands, nails, cutting boards and bowls a bright magenta-red. Not that I’m complaining, garden fresh beets have a sweet earthy quality that no canned or frozen product can match.They are rich in nutrients such as antioxidants, folate, maganese, potassium and dietary fiber. Enjoy just picked beets from your garden or farmer’s market as soon as possible because the sugars that make beets so sweet and flavorful eventually turn to starch. One of the reasons I’m certain why many people say they don’t like beets.

Roasting beets in foil intensifies their flavor and is an easy and neat way to cook them. Just scrub the beets, trim the root ends and the leaves (you can cook them separately as well) and place them on foil. Top with some olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper and wrap them up. Depending on their size, start checking after an hour to see if they are done. They should be able to pierce easily with a fork.
The hot and humid weather we’ve been enduring the last several days called for a cold beet soup.This recipe combines the rich sweetness of beets with the bright tang of citrus. This is a good time to pull out a better quality vinegar since you will be tasting it in the soup. I chose a Cabernet red wine vinegar, a citrus vinegar could be interesting as well. I find the heat in different brands of horseradish vary quite a bit. I prefer a local product, Kelchners horseradish, made in Dublin Pennsylvania. A dollop of silky horseradish sour cream and a sprig of dill completes this refreshing soup.

Chilled Beet Soup with Horseradish Sour Cream

From Fine Cooking magazine

Serves four

Ingredients

1-1/2 lb. small or medium fresh beets
4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
3 strips (3 inches long) orange zest
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground white or black pepper
2T olive oil
2-1/2c low salt chicken broth
2t honey
1/3c fresh orange juice
2T red wine vinegar
1/2c sour cream
1T or so prepared horseradish
A few tsp cream or water as needed
Fresh dill sprigs for garnish

Directions

Heat oven to 375F. Put the beets and garlic on a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Scatter on the orange zest and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Fold up the sides of the foil and crimp to make a tight packet. Place the packet on a baking sheet and slide into the preheated oven.
After one hour start checking your beets. Open the packet carefully and check the beets to see if they are done with the tip of a sharp knife. The knife should slide in easily. If it doesn’t, reseal packet and continue baking, check again in 15-20 minutes.
When fully cooked, set beets aside to cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Rub the skins off the beets with a paper towel and cut the beets into chunks. Peel the garlic cloves. Discard the orange zest and thyme sprigs but save any juices that have collected in the foil packet.
Drop about one third of the beet chunks, the garlic and the collected juices in a blender. Add some of the chicken broth and the honey. Blend to a smooth puree and transfer to a bowl. Continue in batches, pureeing all the beets. Stir in the orange juice and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate to chill the soup.
Stir the horseradish into the sour cream. If the sour cream is too stiff, stir in a few teaspoons of cream or water to loosen it. Keep refrigerated until serving time.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls or cups and spoon some horseradish sour cream onto each serving. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs.

Beets picked fresh from the garden. Don’t forget, beet greens are edible as well.

Trimmed beets topped with fresh thyme sprigs and orange peel ready to be wrapped for the oven.

The beets turned the blender bowl a bright magenta red

April 14, 2012 Italian Wedding Soup

As a former caterer I am well acquainted with Italian weddings. Lots and lots of good food and copious amounts of homemade treats for the very important cookie table. However, Italian Wedding Soup was only just a good taste memory from many Easters ago. Of course, I didn’t have the old recipe (was it from Cuisine?) so I had some work to do.

My research took me to a soup that may have originated in Spain. Minestra Maritata, a Neapolitan soup of meat and greens got its name from the way the ingredients in this soup “si sposono bene” or marry well together. Just like the feast of the seven fishes, it’s debated whether the current recipe originated in Italy, or with the Italian American community, possibly in Pittsburgh Pa. The ingredients traditionally include chicken stock, meatballs or sausage, a green leafy vegetable and a small pasta. After much comparing of recipes, I chose to use and slightly adapt the one from the Barefoot Contessa using ground turkey and turkey sausage along with a touch of lemon peel in the meatballs. Homemade stock will always make the best soup but low sodium chicken broth is a reasonable substitution. My pasta of choice was acini de pepe, translated peppercorns in English.

Italian Wedding Soup

adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

For the meatballs

3/4 lb ground turkey
1/2 lb uncooked turkey sausage casings removed
1/2c fresh white bread crumbs
2 t minced garlic
it grated lemon peel
3T chopped parsley leaves
1/4c freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/4c freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
3 T heavy cream
1 large egg lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

For the soup

2T olive oil
1c minced onion
1c finely diced carrots
3/4c finely diced celery
10c homemade chicken stock
1/2c dry white wine
1c small pasta, I used acini de pepe
12oz washed and trimmed baby spinach

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.
For the meatballs, combine ground turkey, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley Pecorino, Parmesan, cream, egg, 1t salt, and 1/2 t pepper in a bowl and mix gently with a fork. Drop 1 to 1 1/4 inch meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet. I used a small scoop for this, but a teaspoon would work as well. You should get about 40 meatballs. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cooked through and browned. Mine exuded a bit of cheese but that will be taken care of when added back to the soup. Set aside.
While the meatballs are baking, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Bring the broth back to a simmer and add the pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions. Add meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, probably less than a minute. Taste soup for salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

Additional notes: My Le Creuset 5 1/2 quart French oven was perfect for making this soup.I stressed raw uncooked turkey sausage because there are quite a few sausages that are already pre cooked. I made the soup ahead to the point of adding the chicken stock and wine.Store the meatballs in a separate container. Before serving, bring the soup back to the boil, return to a simmer, then add the pasta, and cook according to package directions. Add the meatballs, simmer for 1 minute, then the spinach for another minute. Serve with additional Parmesan.

March 31, 2012 Chervil Avgolemono

Attempting to move my menus and cooking to a more seasonal focus can be difficult this time of year. The farmers markets aren’t open yet and our garden’s offerings are quite modest now. I’ve been looking for ways to use the chervil that has seeded itself throughout the garden. Chervil is a very delicate herb with a licorice flavor. Heat essentially renders it flavorless, so it is best in vinaigrettes, or a last minute addition to a sauce or sprinkled over a fish or chicken dish. After spending some time researching my possibilities I came across a recipe that intrigued me, Chervil Avgolemono in chef Jerry Traunfeld’s book, The Herbal Kitchen. Mr. Traunfeld was the chef at The Herb Farm, a restaurant and kitchen gardens near Seattle Washington.

His first book, The Herbfarm Cookbook is one of my favorites. I own hundreds of cookbooks, few are as well worn and falling apart from use as this one. Not only are there recipes, but a guide to growing, cooking, harvesting and storing fresh herbs. It’s my go-to book especially in the summer when the herbs are plentiful in the garden. His recipes for pesto, ice creams, and breads are just some of the recipes I’ve gone back to countless times. I really hadn’t used many recipes in the second book, but was confident that it would be a good starting place.

Avgolemono has been on my cooking “radar” for many years. I passed by the recipe many times while using The Silver Palate cookbook. So I decided this required a little more research. Avgolemono, which means egg and lemon is classic Greek comfort food. The most basic version is just good chicken stock, eggs, a good amount of lemon juice and either rice or orzo. The rice or orzo is cooked in the chicken stock, a healthy addition of lemon juice gives it a tang and the beaten eggs give it a creamy consistency. It can also be used as a sauce without the addition of rice or pasta. Because of it’s simplicity, the recipe demands the freshest ingredients. I had homemade stock , fresh eggs from the Pennsylvania Dutch market, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and of course, chervil picked fresh from the garden. I decided on orzo for my soup, but rice would work equally as well. The result was a very soothing soup with a lemony flavor softened by the creaminess of the beaten eggs. The anisey flavor of the chervil sets off delicate flavor of the soup quite nicely.

Chervil Avgolemono

adapted from The Herbal Kitchen and several versions from Epicurious

serves four

4 cups homemade chicken stock
1 cup orzo or rice
4 large eggs, separated
Juice of 2-3 lemons-depending on your taste
Kosher salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped chervil plus some whole leaves for garnish

Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add rice or pasta and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes
During the simmering process whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl to medium peaks. I did this with a hand mixer. Add the egg yolks and lemon juice to the egg whites.
When the rice or orzo is finished cooking, transfer 2 cups of the hot stock in a slow steady stream to the egg and lemon mixture. Slow and steady will prevent the eggs from curdling.
Take the soup off the heat and and whisk the beaten mixture back into the pot. Stir in the chervil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional chervil and serve immediately.

February 3, 2012 Clay Pot Lamb

Clay Pot Lamb-written before the Chinese New Year celebration 2011

The Christmas decorations have long been stored away, the tree, untrimmed, outside the conservatory door waiting for its tractor ride down to the compost pile, a thick blanket of snow on the ground. That could only mean one thing; our annual Chinese New Year party is only a week and a half away.

Our past celebrations have feted the dog, pig, rat, ox and tiger and this is the year of the rabbit. Some aspects of the menu remain the same, barbecued pork buns-steamed this year, spring rolls, dumplings in the form of pot stickers and steamed “cook and sell”.

We always have three entrees, Festival Fish is a perennial favorite, a return this year to Peking duck and since our acquisition last year of a trio of clay pots, we wanted to choose an entrée that could be cooked in one. Last year we made Lamb Shanks with Plum Sauce, a dish that only took a few minutes to prep but slow cooked for hours. The goal this year would be the same, a dish that would languish on the stove while we were busy with other tasks. Clay or sand pots date back to antiquity when Chinese kitchens had no ovens, only a fire to cook over. The pots are beige in color, banded with wire crosshatching with a smooth brown interior. They need to be treated before their initial use, soaked overnight in cold water, drained the next day, filled with cold water, brought slowly to a boil, and then drained. The pot is now ready for use.

The dish I decided to experiment with is the simply named, Lamb Stew in a Clay Pot. According to author Eileen Yin-Fei Lo, the stew is a representative dish of Xi’an, a region renown for its lamb cookery. Lemon leaves and sugar cane make this dish distinctively from Xi’an. I sat down with the recipe, checking to see what I needed to purchase and what was already a part of my growing Asian pantry. Bean sauce, dried black mushrooms, Chinese white rice wine, check. Leeks, fresh ginger, sugarcane were part of the shopping list. The lamb to be used in this recipe was leg of lamb, cut into three slices across the bone by the butcher.

This is where our problem began. List in hand we hit the local Wegmans. I almost knew I wouldn’t find the bean curd sticks called for in the recipe, which would probably require a trip to Chinatown in Philly. I was pleasantly surprised to find sugarcane, courtesy of Melissa’s, a specialty produce company. No fresh water chestnuts or bamboo shoots, but I knew I had some canned ones at home. Dried tangerine peel, I just substituted Clementine peel, a Clementine is in the same family as the tangerine.

Now for the lamb, Joe was at the meat counter, ordering some Flintstone style t-bones to cook that evening on the fireplace grill. I found a bone-in leg of lamb, a bit larger than what the recipe called for, but fine, none the less. I walked toward the meat counter, only to hear my husband say “Nooo”. He would do this himself, thank you very much. No big deal. I didn’t see what the problem was; the meat guy has an electric band saw and could make short work of the piece of meat. But I didn’t want to hurt Joe’s feelings.

The next day we proceeded to make the recipe. The bone proved to be too much for our knives, so out came our newest kitchen tool, a hacksaw that he cleaned off and sprayed with Pam.

It did the trick; bone and meat were separated, and then marinated in ginger, white rice wine, salt and sugar. I prepped the “mis en place” and we were ready to go. A quick stir-fry and then into the clay pot. An hour and a half later, meltingly tender lamb with some unique flavors. It turned out to be a delicious dish that tastes even better the next day. It will be a welcome addition to our New Year’s Menu.

Adapted from The Chinese Kitchen, Eileen Yin-Fei Lo author

Lamb Stew in a Clay Pot

Makes 10 servings

3 lbs butt end of leg of lamb, cut into 3 equal slices across the bone by the butcher

For the Marinade:

1 T ginger juice mixed with 2 T Chinese white rice wine or gin
1 ½ t salt
1 ½ t sugar
Pinch freshly ground white pepper

To cook the lamb:

2T peanut oil
Six ½ inch thick slices ginger
3T bean sauce
½ lb leeks, white parts only, well washed cut into 1 ½ inch julienne
½ c Chinese white rice wine or gin
2 ½ cups or more if needed, Chicken stock
12 small Shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, washed and stems removed
3T oyster sauce
8 1×2” pieces of tangerine or Clementine peel
¼ lb fresh water chestnuts or jicama, peeled and cut into ¼” slices
2c bamboo shoots in 1 inch cubes
1 9 inch long stalk fresh sugarcane, outer skin peeled, cut into three pieces and each piece quartered lengthwise
4 dried Kaffir lime leaves
½ t salt

1. If not done by the butcher, cut the lamb in three equal pieces across the bone. Separate the meat from the bone. Trim the fat and discard. You should have 1 ½ pounds of meat. Cut the meat into 1 ½ inch cubes. In a large bowl, combine cubed lamb and bone with the marinade ingredients. Allow to rest at room temperature for 2 hours. Separate the lamb and bone from the marinade and reserve separately.

2. Heat a wok over high heat for 1 minute. Add peanut oil and swirl to coat the surface. When a wisp of white smoke appears, add the ginger, stir and cook for 20 seconds. Add the bean sauce and leeks and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the lamb and bone, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, stir, and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat and transfer ingredients to a clay pot

3. Add the stock, mushrooms, oyster sauce, tangerine peel, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, sugarcane and kaffir lime leaves. Mix together thoroughly. Ingredients should be covered by liquid, if not, add more stock to cover. Cover and bring to boil over medium heat. Lower heat to a simmer, in a clay pot for 1½ hours. A regular pot, with a lid cracked will take a little longer. Stir the contents frequently during cooking. The meat should be tender. Taste to see if salt is needed. Turn off heat. If using a clay pot, serve at the table. Otherwise transfer the contents to a heated tureen and serve as a stew in individual bowls.

The author also mentions that this dish is usually served with a green vegetable such as Chinese broccoli with fried onions.