Author: Loren

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Green Pozole with Chicken

Gourmet | February 2003 (epicurious.com)

yield: Makes 6 generous servings

active time: 1 1/2 hr

total time: 2 hr

* 9 cups water
* 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
* 1 large white onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
* 6 garlic cloves, chopped
* 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 3 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
* 1/2 cup hulled (green) pumpkin seeds (not roasted; 2 1/4 ounce)
* 1 lb tomatillos, husked
* 2 fresh jalapeño chiles, quartered (including seeds)
* 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 teaspoon dried epazote or oregano (preferably Mexican), crumbled
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 (15-oz) cans white hominy, rinsed and drained

* Accompaniments: diced radish; cubed avocado tossed with lime juice; shredded romaine; chopped white onion; lime wedges; dried oregano
* Special equipment: an electric coffee/spice grinder (we used an electric mini chopper)

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Sausage Bread

(Heritage by Loren’s mom, direction by Loren, execution and last minute guessing by Michael)

1.5 lbs Michael’s or any other good pizza dough
1.25 lbs spicy italian sausage (I used turkey sausage), casings removed
3 small to medium bell peppers (any color, but we used green & red)
1 large sweet yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil (enough to keep pan moist, but not oily)
Dried oregano to taste (optional)
Pizza stone if possible!

Sautee onions on medium in olive oil, for about 5 minutes. Add peppers and garlic and cook until onions are carmelized and peppers are soft but not mushy. Put aside.
Sautee sausage until just cooked and add back vegetables.
Roll pizza dough into an oval 1/8 – 1/4″ thick. Cover entire dough, leaving 1″ around edges. Roll the long side, tucking and pinching in ends as needed. Flip upside down so tucked edges are hidden. Slit top for venting with a very sharp knife. Bake in oven 400 degree preheated oven (preheat with brick for 1hr at temp) until deep golden brown (about 30 minutes).

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Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

3 tbsp plus 2 tsp vegetable oil
6 tbsp unbleached all purpose flour
2 8 oz bottles clam juice
1 c water
1/2 pound andouille sausage (whole foods has the chicken kind), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion minced
1 red bell pepper
cored and chopped fine
1 celery rib, chopped fine
2 tsp creole spice mixture (Zatarains, Emrils, Penzeys)
1 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
salt and ground pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound extra large shrimp (21/25), peeled and deveined
3 scallions, sliced thin

Prepare the sausage, onion, pepper and celery while the roux browns!
Whisk 3 tbsp oil and flour together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture is the color of an old copper penny, about 15 min (once it took me 45, so turn the heat up!) Slowly whisk in clam juice and water and bring to simmer. Continue to simmer until paragraph 3

Sautee sausage and vegetables: while roux cooks, heat remaining 2 tsp oil in a LARGE DUTCH OVEN OVER MEDIUM HIGH HEAT. Add sausage, onion, pepper and celery, spice mixture, thyme, 1/4 tsp salt and cook until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds..

Assemble gumbo: Slowly stir roux into vegetables, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes

Cook shrimp: stir in shrimp and simmer until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Off heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with scallions before serving.

Optional: stir in 10 oz bag of frozen okra, thawed, into skillet, with vegetables when cooking.