There are versions of potatoes and cabbage or kale throughout Northern Europe. In the British Isles one finds the onomatopoeic Bubble and Squeak in England, Cawl Cennin a Thatws in Wales, Rumpledethumps in Scotland, and Colcannon in Ireland. Like most traditional dishes from the “Old Sod,” the versions of colcannon found in the United States reflect nostalgia for a largely mythical past combined with the tastes and plenty—not to say gluttony—of the New World. It is unlikely, for example, that a 19th Century Irish peasant would have had the half pound of butter many recipes call for. My version is unapologetically American although I have tempered the excess a bit. I have used cabbage instead of the more traditional kale. I would happily use the latter, it being more flavorful, but what is available at this time of year is of dubious quality. The bacon I use is American-style or what our cousins across the Atlantic call streaky bacon. Irish bacon would be even better, just add a bit of oil or butter to make up for the lower fat content. Finally, in place of the mealy russet potatoes most recipes specify I have used small, firm boiling potatoes. I just like them better. And I left them unpeeled. Use whatever potato you prefer and peel them or not as you see fit.
Serves two as a meal.
Ingredients |
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Potatoes, whole or large cubes |
600 grams |
1⅓ pounds |
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Bacon, coarsely chopped |
100 grams |
2 thick slices |
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Cabbage, coarsely shredded |
450 grams |
1 pound (½ medium head) |
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Onion, sliced |
60 grams |
2 ounces (1 medium) |
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Heavy cream (36%) |
60 milliliters |
¼ cup |
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Butter |
30 grams |
2 Tablespoons |
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Salt and pepper |
to taste |
to taste |
Boil or steam the potatoes until soft, about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool a bit.
In a large skillet over medium heat, render the bacon until nearly crispy. (If using Irish bacon put in enough butter to allow it to fry nicely, perhaps 15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon)). Add the onion and sauté until softened but not browned. Add the cabbage and toss to coat with the bacon fat or butter. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cabbage is soft.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into small cubes and place into a large bowl. Mash along with the cream and butter until smooth but still a bit lumpy. Fold in the cabbage, bacon, and onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In the kitchen, the leftover, not necessity, is the mother of invention. Last night while casting about for dinner ingredients I came up with: four mushrooms a bit past their prime, one frozen flounder filet, and a half dozen frozen shrimp. For reasons I cannot begin to explain risotto came to mind. What turned out was a thick creamy porridge-like dish reminiscent of a rich chowder, hence the whimsical name. Note that bay scallops would be a great substitute for, or addition to, the shrimp. You could, of course, eschew the bacon if you prefer a meat-free meal.
Accompanied by a green salad this recipe serves two generously.
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Ingredients |
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60 grams |
2 ounces |
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Shrimp or bay scallops |
170 grams |
6 ounces |
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White fish filet in small pieces |
85 grams |
3 ounces |
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Olive oil |
As needed |
As needed |
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Bacon, one rasher, chopped |
30 grams |
1 ounce |
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Onion, one medium, diced |
140 grams |
5 ounces |
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Arborio rice |
240 grams |
8 ounces (1 cup) |
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Dry white wine or vermouth |
60 milliliters |
¼ cup |
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Shellfish or fish stock |
750 milliliters |
3 cups |
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Heavy cream (36%) |
30 milliliters |
2 Tablespoons |
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Salt and pepper |
To taste |
To taste |
Bring the stock to a simmer and keep warm.
Film the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil and sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they become fragrant and release their liquid. Set aside. If needed, add a bit more oil to the pan and sauté the shrimp until just done, about 2 minutes. Set aside with mushrooms. Do the same with the fish.
In the same pan cook the bacon, stirring often, until it is almost crispy. Add the onion and sauté until translucent but not browned. Add the rice and fry, stirring constantly until chalky, about 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in the wine or vermouth and allow to mostly evaporate.
Begin adding the stock 60 milliliters (2 ounces) at a time stirring after each addition until it is nearly absorbed. Continue until the rice is creamy and just al dente. Stir in the cream then fold in the mushrooms and seafood. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
This most tender cut of beef is a special treat for meat lovers. Since each steer yields only about twenty or so they are quite pricey. But there is a way to bring the cost down to a more reasonable level: buy big. While pre-cut filet mignon sells for $15 to $20 a pound you can usually buy an entire beef tenderloin for around $10 a pound. That piece will yield ten or so half-pound filets a couple of pounds of really good ground beef or beef cubes. Most supermarket butchers will remove the membrane (silver skin) and cut it for you.
We Americans when we think of steaks think of grilling. For filet mignon that is just plain wrong! The best approach for this cut is to sear it in a very hot skillet and finish it in a very hot oven. Not only does that yield a juicy product but a delicious pan sauce or gravy as well. There are many classic pan sauces that go very well with filet mignon. If you accompany the steak with mashed potatoes gravy like this one is especially nice.
Serves 2.
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Ingredients |
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2, about 250 grams each |
2, about 8 ounces each |
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Salt and pepper |
To taste |
To taste |
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Butter, unsalted |
As needed |
As needed |
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Shallots, minced |
30 grams |
1 ounce |
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Mushrooms, chopped |
60 grams |
2 ounces |
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Flour |
15 milliliters |
1 Tablespoon |
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Brown stock |
125 milliliters |
1 cup |
Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). Place a heavy, cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Salt and pepper the steaks generously on both sides. When the oven reaches temperature raise the heat under the skillet to high. When the pan begins to smoke add a good-sized pat of butter to it and, when it is melted, put in the steaks. Turn after two minutes and place the pan into the hot oven. After five minutes pull the skillet from the oven and remove the steaks to a warmed plate. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and allow to rest while you make the gravy.
Put the skillet on the stove top over medium heat and sauté the shallots for a couple minutes then add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring or tossing often, until the mushrooms start to give up their liquid, adding a bit of butter if needed. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to make a roux. Slowly add the stock while whisking constantly. Allow the stock to begin to boil before adding more so that you can judge the thickness. When the gravy has come to the consistency you desire, turn off the heat and adjust the seasoning.
Serve the meat with mashed potatoes and the gravy.
The word goulash is derived from the Hungarian word for herdsman, gulyás, providing a pretty clear indication of its origin as a peasant dish and its principal ingredient. I suspect that it was originally made with lamb or mutton but today beef or pork are usual. This version incorporates ideas from several online recipes that all claim to be authentically Hungarian. Of course, as with most such traditional dishes, there are as many recipes for goulash as there are cooks making it, each insisting that it is the only true version. Many recipes, especially those made with pork, call for sour cream but I decided to stick with a kosher-style approach. For the liquid I used beer but you could substitute water or wine. Whatever you do, though, do not cut short the browning of the meat. A good caramelization is essential to a rich sauce.
Canola or other neutral cooking oil
1½ pounds beef, preferably chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
2 Hungarian wax peppers, seeded and chopped
3 -4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large tomato or several smaller ones, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons sweet or hot Hungarian paprika or a mixture of both
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
Beer, about one 12-ounce bottle
1 pound firm potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and black pepper
Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven or deep pan with a lid. Working in batches, add the beef cubes in a single layer, browning well on all sides. Remove meat to a bowl and set aside.
Adjust the amount of fat in the pot then sauté the onion and garlic until softened, about three minutes. Add the pepper and tomatoes and cook for another two minutes.
Return the meat to the pan and sprinkle with the caraway and paprika, stirring to evenly coat the meat. Pour in enough beer to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to very low and cook 1½ hours or until meat is almost fork tender. Remove the lid for the last half hour to let the sauce concentrate.
Add potatoes, cover, and cook gently for another 30 minutes or until potatoes are done. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot by itself or with noodles.
In many parts of the world lamb, mutton, and goat are the most common red meat on local menus. Not so in the US where beef cheaply fattened on corn dominates the meat counter. What lamb is available, aside from the pricy frozen bits at farmers’ markets, is imported from Australia or New Zealand; goat mostly comes as frozen cubes sold at halal markets; and, mutton is simply not to be found. More’s the shame since these are tasty alternatives to our usual meats. But economy, not gastronomy, rules the market so lamb is a sometime treat. On a recent trip to Sam’s Club I was pleased to see that the price of a boneless leg of lamb had dropped somewhat to an almost-reasonable $5.99 a pound so I indulged. If you are using a bone-in leg, remove the bone or have your butcher do it for you.
(see Method for quantities)
These instruction are for boneless leg of lamb that is tunnel cut and packaged in a roasting net. Adjust accordingly.
Remove the lamb from the net and pull out the pop-up thermometer if it has one. The leg will resemble a tube of meat. Find the side where the meat is thinnest and cut through to open out the leg. Make a cut part way through the thickest part so that the meat lays out flat.
Using a mini-chopper if you have one, chop five or six cloves of garlic along with a good sprig of fresh mint and a tablespoon or so of fresh mint leaves. Add enough olive oil and lemon to make a thick paste. Stir the paste into about a half cup of Greek yogurt.
Prepare a grill for high heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper then generously smear on the marinade. Grill directly over the heat for about eight to ten minutes per side.
While the lamb is grilling, preheat oven to 350°F and set a rack into a suitable roasting pan. When the exterior of the lamb is well charred put the leg into the pan and roast to an internal temperature of 150°F for medium (more or less to taste). Remove to a serving platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and rest for 10 minutes before serving.
If you wish to omit the grilling step, preheat the oven to 450°F. Roast the lamb for about 10 minutes then turn the heat down to 350°F to finish.
Serve thin slices over Greek-style spinach rice with tzatziki on the side.
To my mind, risotto is not a dish unto itself but a palate awaiting whatever flavors and textures a cook cares to bring it. This unusual combination, loosely based on a recipe from the UK’s Good Food Channel, highlights the way that ingredients meld in a risotto yielding unexpected harmony. Do not be afraid of the anchovies. In this dish they are not even identifiable as fish but rather bring a touch of umami that enhances the whole. In place of radish greens you can use any spicy leaves such as arugula or mustard greens. And you can use any flavorful stock you have on hand—I used duck stock. Yes, I know, as does anyone who watches Chopped on the Food Network: Italians never use cheese and fish in the same dish. Well, I’m not Italian.
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Ingredients |
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3 cups |
750 milliliters |
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Olive oil |
1 tablespoon |
15 milliliters |
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Onion, 1 medium, chopped |
4 ounces |
100 grams |
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Garlic, 3 cloves, minced |
½ ounce |
16 grams |
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Dry vermouth or white wine |
¼ cup |
75 milliliters |
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Anchovies in oil, about five |
1 ounce |
28 grams |
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Arborio rice |
1 cup |
270 grams |
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Radish greens, coarsely chopped |
1 cup |
50 grams |
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Butter |
1 tablespoon |
15 grams |
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Parmesan, grated |
¼ cup |
30 grams |
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Salt and freshly ground pepper |
to taste |
to taste |
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Truffle oil (optional) |
a few drops |
a few drops |
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Caper, rinsed and drained |
1 tablespoon |
15 milliliters |
Bring the stock to a boil then reduce heat and maintain at a simmer while preparing the risotto.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft and translucent but not browned, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the anchovies to the pan and cook for a minute then add the rice. Stir to coat the grains with oil and fry for about 2 minutes or until they lose their chalky appearance. Add the vermouth and deglaze the bottom of the pan.
Ladle in about one quarter cup of stock and stir until the rice has nearly absorbed it. Add more stock a couple ounces at a time, stirring until nearly absorbed before the next addition. After having added about two cups of the stock begin checking the rice for doneness after each addition. It is done when the grains have lost their crunch but still retain a bit of “tooth.”
When the rice is nearly done, add the greens and cook for a couple minutes, stirring, until wilted. Fold in the butter and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and black pepper then stir in the truffle oil if using. Stir in the capers and serve immediately.
A friend once pointed out—correctly I must admit—that my refrigerator contained no food, just ingredients. That being the case, even a simple I-don’t-feel-like-cooking meal requires a bit of ingenuity. My usual fall back is Tuna Glop. This is a variation on that theme using a can of minced clams instead of canned tuna and Old Bay® seasoning in place of curry powder. If you are really in a hurry you can throw in some dried minced onions rather than taking the time to sauté fresh ones.
Heat a bit of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tightly-fitting lid and sauté the onion until softened. Add the rice and fry for a couple of minutes then stir in the clams with their juice and the peas. Season with the Old Bay® then add the water and black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, cover, and let simmer over very low heat for about twenty minutes.
Stretching from Buzzards Bay to Narragansett Bay, roughly from Taunton past New Bedford to Fall River, the South Coast of Massachusetts is known for its diverse population and, especially, for its Portuguese fishermen. And it is famous for its Portuguese-style seafood soups and chowders. Unlike the creamy Irish-style “New England” chowders found farther north, these have a distinct Mediterranean flair. (Manhattan clam chowder actually originated here.) Besides a variety of fish and seafood, these chowders include spicy Portuguese chourico sausage. In fact, I would say that chourico and tomatoes are pretty much the essence of South Coast soups. So feel free to use whatever fish or shellfish you have on hand. You can hardly go wrong.
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Ingredients |
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1 tablespoon |
15 ml |
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Bay leaves |
2 |
2 |
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Chourico, sliced ¼ (6 mm) thick |
6 ounces |
170 grams |
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Onion, chopped |
6 ounces |
170 grams |
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Green bell pepper, chopped |
4 ounces |
110 grams |
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Tomatoes, coarsely chopped |
1 14½ ounce can |
1 411 gram can |
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Garlic, minced |
1 tablespoon |
15 ml |
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Allspice berries |
4 or 5 |
4 or 5 |
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Firm potatoes, cubed |
12 ounces |
340 grams |
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Fish stock or clam juice |
about 2 cups |
about 500 ml |
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Pimentón (optional) |
¼ teaspoon |
1 ml |
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Old Bay™ seasoning (optional) |
½ teaspoon |
2½ ml |
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Salt and pepper |
to taste |
to taste |
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Minced clams |
1 6½ ounce can |
1 184 gram can |
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Cod or haddock, cubed |
8 ounces |
225 grams |
Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over a medium flame. Brown the bay leaves in the hot oil for a minute or so then add the chourico. Cook, stirring often, until rendered and brown. In the same pot, sauté the onions and bell pepper until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and allspice to the mix and cook for a further couple of minutes.
Add the potatoes to the pot along with enough stock to just cover them. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in the pimentón and Old Bay™ seasoning, if using. Season with salt and pepper.
Gently fold the clams and fish into the broth. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
Lambic is unique Belgian beer fermented by wild yeast. Sometimes fruit is added and the brew allowed to ferment a second time. The result, reduced and blended with cream, makes a wonderful accompaniment to savory crepes wrapped around a hash of ham, mushrooms, and tart apples.
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Ingredients |
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1 medium |
1 medium |
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Lemon juice |
1 tablespoon |
15 ml |
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Mushrooms, diced |
4 ounces |
110 grams |
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Unsalted butter |
1 tablespoon |
15 ml |
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Cooked ham, diced |
6 ounces |
170 grams |
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Salt and pepper |
to taste |
to taste |
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Lambic pomme |
1 cup |
250 ml |
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Sharp cheddar, shredded |
1 cup |
250 ml |
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Crepes, buckwheat or plain |
6 |
6 |
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Heavy cream (36%) |
½ cup |
125 ml |
Cut eight thin wedges from the apple for garnish. Set aside in a small bowl of water with the lemon juice mixed into it. Peel, core, and dice the rest of the apple.
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté the mushrooms until they begin to release their liquid. Add the dice ham and apple. Continue to cook until the apples begin to soften. Pour in ½ cup of the lambic and stir until mostly evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool a bit.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Place a crepe face down on a plate. Add about ½ cup of filling about ⅓ of the way from the edge nearest you. Sprinkle on about 2 tablespoons of cheese then carefully roll up. Set on a baking sheet. Continue until all the crepes are done. Place in the hot oven for about 15 or 20 minutes until heated through.
While the crepes are warming, pour the remaining ½ cup of lambic into the same frying pay you used for the filling. Bring to a boil and reduce to a syrup. Stir in the cream, return to a boil, and allow to thicken for a couple of minutes.
When the crepes are warm, plate and nap with the sauce. Garnish with the reserved apple wedges and serve hot.
Buckwheat, sarrasin in French, is not a grain but an herb. Naturally free of gluten it is a great substitute for wheat in crepes and pancakes. To make the latter just leave the batter thicker. The best pan for cooking either is one made of cast iron because of its superior heat retention. If you do not have a crepe pan use a skillet. You may have heard that crepes can be cooked on the back of frying pan but in my opinion that is an urban legend.
This recipe is translated and adapted from one by Stéphane Lecuyer.
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Ingredients |
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1½ cups |
325 g |
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Baking powder |
1teaspoon |
5 ml |
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Milk |
1 cup |
250 ml |
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Eggs |
1 |
1 |
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Salt |
½ teaspoon |
2 ml |
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Cold water |
1 – 2 cups |
250 - 500 ml |
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Oil for cooking |
as needed |
as needed |
In a bowl combine buckwheat flour and baking powder. In a second bowl lightly whisk together the milk, egg, and salt. Slowly incorporate the liquid into the flour being careful not to over mix. Stir in cold water as needed to produce a thin batter about the consistency of heavy cream.
Heat a crepe pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When a drop of water skittles quickly across the surface brush the pan with oil and pour in about 2 ounces, one quarter cup (75 ml) of batter. Swirl it around quickly to coat the pan. When the top is set and dry carefully turn the crepe, using a spatula to gently scrape it from the pan if needed. Usually the first crepe is a discard so do not be discouraged if it is not quite right. Continue to make the rest of the crepes, oiling the pan between each. To keep the crepes from drying out while you work, put them on a plate in a 300° oven covered with a large lid.
Serve the crepes hot with a bit of butter and sugar or use them in a recipe for stuffed crepes.
