Superbowl Sunday: Smokin’ Seattle Seahwawks Stout Chili Recipe

January 28, 2014 by Beth Shepherd

What would Superbowl parties and tailgates be without chili? And what would chili be without endless debate: Beans (and which beans)? Pork, beef, or both? Vegetarian? Vegan? Spices (and which spices)?

Then there’s beer. Well, of course, you say. But what about beer in your chili? Absolutely!

Beer will boost your chili. It helps tenderize and add flavor to meat. Or if you decide to go meatless, beer will still take your chili up a notch. I suggest a stout or smoked porter. Both are boldly flavored, malty dark beers that pair perfectly with any chili recipe.

Smoky sausage and smoked paprika are the perfect compliment to this hearty chili which pairs nicely with a full-bodied Syrah or Zinfandel, and–of course–beer (note that Elysian’s Dragonstooth Stout comes in a 22 oz bottle and only 12 ounces is called for in the recipe, which means there’s a bit left over for drinking, assuming you don’t consume the rest of the beer while cooking). I served our chili with more grated Beecher’s Smoked Flagship cheese, guacamole, salsa and sweet potato chips which added a bit of sweetness to balance the smoke and spice.

Superbowl Sunday: Smokin’ Seattle Seahwawks Stout Chili Recipe

For the chili:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup sweet white onion, chopped
1 large jalapeno, finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 lb Andouille or other smoked sausage, raw, removed from casing (roughly 4 sausages, depending on size)*
1 lb ground lean beef *
1-2 15 oz cans beans (optional: some folks like ’em, some don’t)/I chose mixed: kidney, pinto and black beans
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz stout or smoked porter (and make that a Seattle Stout, like Elysian Dragonstooth Stout!)**
14 oz diced tomatoes
1 tsp smoked paprika (or as smoky as you like it)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I didn’t have this on hand and it tasted great, so I think you could go with or without)
1 Tbsp molasses, (not black strap)
Garnish: chopped chives or cilantro

*This is a meaty chili. You can adjust the amounts to suit your preferences. For my vegetarian friends, you could increase the vegetables (adding whatever suits your fancy) and beans.

**I found that on night #1, the chili–while very tasty–ended up with a bit more liquid than I thought it would. But on night #2, all the stout had been absorbed (and, in my opinion, the flavors had mingled and were more complex). So my suggestions are: make the chili one night ahead and reheat; lower the amount of beer (but why would you want to?); let the chili cook a lot longer than the recommended cooking time; or, accept that your chili will be a bit watery.

For the topping:

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (I used Beecher’s Smoked Flagship for more smoky goodness)
½ cup cilantro, chopped
¾ cup crème fraiche, yogurt or sour cream (I prefer the tang of crème fraiche or yogurt, but I won’t keep anyone from their sour cream)

Directions

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, jalapeno, and bell pepper and cook until onion softens but isn’t browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the sausage and beef, cook until meat starts to brown. Add the garlic, cook for about 30 seconds.
Add the beer, beans, diced tomatoes, smoked paprika, pepper, cumin, and Worcestershire sauce. Allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes or until thickened.
Pour into bowls. Top with cheddar, and crème fraiche.
Garnish with chopped chives or cilantro.

Serves 4 hungry Superbowl fans.

Take the road less traveled (and GO HAWKS), Beth

Chef “Sheffere” makes sausage

August 22, 2012 by Beth Shepherd

Big Papa was never the chef in our household. He’d tackle grilling and I taught him how to make an omelet, which he’s done with great success when we’ve gone camping or stay some place with a kitchen, but for the most part, I do the cooking, food shopping, and menu planning.

At least that’s how it was up to the point when we became parents. Once Baby Bird was underfoot, someone had to watch her. Watching her and cooking is a challenge–to say the least–so I lobbied for Big Papa to help out two nights of the week and learn to cook a few things.

A few months in, I can report that Big Papa is finding his way around the kitchen (and also comes ups with his own dinner ideas as well as shops for the meal he prepares). Chef “Sheffere” is what I call him, a French nickname I came up with because that is how our last name was pronounced whenever we traveled in France.

I want to encourage his continued enjoyment of cooking, which is why I bought him a Waring Pro sausage grinder for his birthday. Big Papa likes sausage.

On his first attempt, he knocked it out of the park: Chicken, Feta and Spinach Sausage. I am so proud of him! Bon Appetit.

Chicken, Feta and Spinach Sausage

Note: you can cook the sausage as patties and skip the stuff into casings.

Also, you don’t need a special sausage grinder. If you have a food processor, there are attachments which work well. And, there are also inexpensive meat grinders that attach to a counter top (though they don’t come with the attachments that allow you to stuff the sausage into casings).

Makes 5 pounds of sausage (we cut the recipe in half)

3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon oregano
2 tablespoons basil
1 teaspoon chopped lemon zest
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
4 ounces fresh spinach, shredded and chopped

How to: Remove any gristle or large amounts of excess fat from the chicken and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place chicken in a large bowl. Add feta cheese, garlic, oregano, basil, lemon zest, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Mixture can be ground immediately or covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours for a more intense flavor. Just before grinding, stir shredded spinach into cooking mixture.

Waring pro Meat Grinder

If using a meat grinder assemble with the medium cutting plate and grind chicken mixture. Meat may be stuffed into prepared casings (or shaped into patties for cooking). Fresh sausage should be cooked within 24 hours or else double-wrapped and frozen. Cook thoroughly before serving.

What to stuff yourself with more deliciousness? Check out Wanderfood Wednesday!

A dish inspired by–a dish: Tajine

June 29, 2011 by Beth Shepherd

Two years ago, on my birthday, Big Papa and I spent three heavenly days in a yurt by the ocean. On “my” day we had dinner, on the deck at Treebones, overlooking the Pacific. And what a dinner it was! Moroccan tajine served our own individual clay tajine clay pots. Sweet fruit and nuts melded with North African spices mixed in couscous to create a dish to remember—in every sense of the word.

So, when I stumbled onto a tajine pot, ironically at the Alhambra Warehouse, an outlet store where I typically shop for travel clothing not kitchen ware, I just had to buy it. It’s been sitting patiently in my cupboard waiting for just the right moment and that moment arrived this week, when our favorite market sausage seller, Vashon Island’s Sea Breeze Farm, happened to have Merguez sausage on hand. Merguez is the perfect sausage for tajine as it is lamb-based and features many North African spices.

Our dinner was, in a word, WOW! The aromas that filled our kitchen, as I cooked, hinted at the flavors that would soon grace our mouths: apricots, pistachios, fennel, olives, market-fresh chick peas, artichoke hearts, Mustapha’s (from Seattle) Harissa spice and preserved lemon, plus a few fava beans that needed a place to hide. And, of course, the Merguez. I didn’t cook our meal in the tajine as is traditionally done; the tajine pot I’d purchased was too small for the amount of food I made. But I did use it for a serving dish.

As I closed my eyes and enjoyed my first bite, the taste of tajine took me back to the lovely weekend we spent together touring Big Sur, just as I’d hoped it might. The only thing missing–the smell of ocean breezes and a view of the Pacific.

Big Papa and I paired our tajine with a Zinfandel (2007 Lockshaw Vineyard) from our absolutely favorite winery, Foxen. The fruit and spice in the wine was dreamy with the fruit and spice in the Merguez tajine. We both had seconds and wanted thirds. It was one of those dinners: so good you don’t want to stop eating, even though the fullness in your belly tells you otherwise.

Tajine with Merguez Sausage

Note: Tajine (and this recipe) can easily be made vegetarian (vegan, in fact) by omitting the sausage and using vegetable stock to prepare the couscous. If going veggie, add more vegetables to the tajine. Eggplant would be particularly good with the flavors in this dish.

Ingredients

½ cup olive oil
1 minced onion (I used two small shallots)
1 T. paprika
1 cinnamon stick (or ground cinnamon)
1 T. crushed cumin seeds
3 minced garlic cloves
2 c. chicken (or vegetable) stock
Couscous (I used the larger, rounder Israeli couscous – 1 c. dry)
¼ c. preserved lemon (can be found at Whole Foods or other specialty grocers)
1 tsp. Harissa, and more for serving (again, can be found at Whole Foods or other specialty grocers). You can substitute hot red pepper/cayenne, if you can’t find Harissa.
½ c. toasted pistachios
½ c. sliced dried apricots (preferably Turkish)
(optional – and, if so, use 1 cup apricots) ½ cup raisins (I used white raisins)
1 lb. Merguez sausage (I remove the casing before cooking so that it’s easier to chop and into ground-style for cooking). Note: you can opt out of meat or, as some recipes call for, use 6 boneless chicken thighs.
(optional) 1 fennel bulb, diced
1 c. orange juice
1 cup dry chick peas – or one 12 oz. can (the dry chick peas are much better but they do take about 1-1/2 hours to cook ahead of time)
One 12 oz can fresh artichoke hearts (you can also get fresh marinated hearts at Whole Foods)
* (optional) ½ c. prepared fava beans
½ c. minced parsley

How to

1. If using dried chick peas, pre-cook (about 1-1/2 hours)

2. Remove casings from sausage, dice and then brown (or cook chicken) in olive oil in a large Dutch casserole. If using fennel bulb, add to sausage and cook until slightly tender. Reserve.

3. Saute onion, spices (cinnamon stick, paprika, cumin seeds), garlic and add couscous to toast. Add a cup of stock, and the orange juice. Bring to a boil. Continue adding stock, as needed, until the couscous is soft (if using traditional North African couscous, cooking time will be shorter than if using the larger Israeli couscous).

4. Add preserved lemon, fennel, pistachios, raisins, apricots and Harissa spice to sausage and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Stir in parsley, and serve on top of couscous with more Harissa to spice as desired.

5. If using a tajine pot, the final cooking can be done with the pot in the oven. Here is a link to advice on using, and buying, a tajine.

Want to dish on more deliciousness? Check out Wanderfood Wednesday!