2 kg. bacalhão (dried, salted codfish that you can get either in Portugal or in a little Portuguese market on Cambridge Street in Boston)

2 kg. potatoes

1 kg. onions

1.5 L milk

5-6 T. flour

5-6 T. butter

0.5 L cream

6 eggs

nutmeg, oregano, salt, pepper

 

First, soak the bacalhão for several hours, changing the water a few times to get rid of the salt and to rehydrate. Boil in water for 3-4 minutes and drain.

 

Boil, peel, and slice the potatoes about 0.25 inches thick.

Slice onions and saute in olive oil until soft.

Boil, peel, and slice the eggs.

 

Make the bechamel sauce by melting the butter in a deep pot. Add the flour and make sure that this gets dissolved. Then slowly add the milk to avoid lumps. Make sure it gets thick. Add about 1-2 teaspoons each of nutmeg, salt, and pepper. You want it nice and tasty to flavour the dish. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add the cream and stir, tasting all the time to make sure that this sauce is seasoned enough- remember, it should taste saltier and spicier than you think.

 

In a large dish- this recipe will most likely require two-, layer the bechamel sauce, potatoes, bacalhão, and onions. Keep alternating until you use up the ingredients. Top with the eggs and the remainder of the bechamel and stick into a hot oven, say 350 degrees F, until it boils. Serve hot and enjoy with lots of friends.

A Non-traditional sheep and cabbage dish

 

I went to the store yesterday looking for ingredients for a hearty stew that I had in mind too cook for the guys and have it ready for when we came home from training martial arts. Because the chicken was a ridiculous price, I picked up a bag of nice looking frozen meat with bones, thinking that it would make a great addition to my stew. Before purchasing, I hesitated. What was this mysterious meat? After all, nearby was a bag of frozen reindeer meat (I could tell by the cute reindeer picture on it). So I asked the shop clerk what this meat was. He replied, 'baaaaaaaaaaaaah'. The message was clear. It was sheep. Now, I've never personally cooked mutton. Lamb, yes. But strong smelling hunks of mutton. Never. He then explained to me that there is a traditional Norwegian dish in which sheep is cooked with cabbage and lots of pepper in a stew. So I thought I'd make my own version. It turned out fabulous- rich, hearty, nourishing, and great for after training.  Be warned, however, your kitchen WILL smell like sheep for a while until either the smell goes away or you just get used to it.

 

Ingredients:

 

1.2 kg sheep, cut into large hunks including the bone

1 large onion, coarsley diced

1 small head garlic, coarsley diced

1 t rosemary

1 t garlic pepper

1 heaping teaspood freshly ground black pepper

1/2 t cinnamon

2 cups water

1 cup apple juice (I am sure that wine or beer would be good as well)

1 can whole tomatoes, including juice

6 small potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

4 carrots, cut into large chunks

1 cabbage, chopped very coarsley

pepper and olive oil

soy sauce and salt

 

Heat up a very large dutch oven or big pot. Braise the sheep until golden brown outside. You can do this successfully with frozen pieces, just as long as you get a nice crust going on the meat. Remove the meat to a dish (it shouldn't be near cooked yet) and fry the onions with a little olive oil in the sheep drippings to save all the flavor. Make sure to scrape the pan as you do this so you don't burn it. Add all the spices to this and stir fry to release the aroma. It should smell yummy. If it doesn't add more spices! Next, add the garlic, fry a minute or two longer, then add the water and apple juice and boil heartily to make a nice sauce. Return the sheep to this sauce and then add the can of tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes or so, and then add the potatoes and carrots and turn the heat down to a slow simmer, covered. After another 10 minutes or so, add the cabbage all at once on top of everything. Don't worry if its not totally submerged because it will steam nicely once the lid is on. Shut tightly and simmer slowly for at least an hour or two. Once the cabbage is nicely steamed, stir it all up, and keep on simmering for as long as you like. This doesn't need much attention- just low heat and time to melt down all the tendons and gristle in the sheep meat. It should become a nice soft stew with an almost thick soupy sauce. Add about 2 tsp salt and a drizzle of soy sauce and serve in big bowls with fresh crusty bread. Delicious.

 

 

2 bananas, sliced into coins

mayonnaise

avocados (optional)

 

Mix the onion and bananas in a bowl with enough mayonnaise to make it all sort of stick together. If you have avocados, add those too. Let sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

 

Leslie assured me that this salad is delicious, despite how it sounds. I have yet to try it, so let me know if you are adventurous enough to make it yourself.