On Knights In Shining Armour And The Very Very Long Wait
A late night trip to the airport in the pouring rain, and then another. Our tribe is being called home. We gather and form a shield of love we beg pain not to penetrate. There is food. There is always food. It's who we are. We have cooked many meals in celebration of life's greatest joys and ultimate sorrows. As I wash dishes my mind wanders through the bubbles considering this. I realize I have spent many years of my heart waiting for my knight in shining armour..hoping to be seen, saved, loved..Looking around I realize WE are the Knights...a powerful round table. I am already living a go to the end of the earth kind of love. So my friends, I will be the kind of armor that validates honor and I love you.
Momi's Moroccan Stew
The aroma of this stew sets a tone of joy, its the spices. This is why it’s good for both happy and sad occasions. Friends will beg you to pull the pot from the oven so they can taste it. It soothes, it dances. Momi has never shared her recipe before and swears she really doesn't have one. I finally begged it out of her and she emailed me. I was going to nicely translate the recipe but honestly once I read it there was nothing I could do but post her mail to me. Hey Girl Hey!
So here are the ingredients that ALWAYS go in the stew pot:
Meat: I think the ground lamb/spicy lamb sausage meatballs are your fave but any good braising meat will do. I am partial to the short ribs or lamb shanks.
4-5 Idaho Potatoes peeled and sliced for stew
2-3 Sweet potatoes
1 bag fake "baby" carrots- or whatever looks good in the store. Sometimes I get lucky and find the multi colored real baby carrots, sometimes I buy really really good carrots at the farmers market.
1 large onion - chop it rough!
Garlic- there is never to much garlic for me so use at your discretion
Apricots rough chopped
Prunes rough chopped
Fire roasted tomatoes 1 large can ( I use San Martino’s if I can find them- whole and squished or chopped dealers choice
Tomato Past 1 can or 1/2 tube
Red Wine
Things you could add:
Celery currants Pine nuts, squirrels ( no just kidding that would be gross)
And now for the spices:
I always use salt, pepper, garam masala, turmeric, cumin and 2 bay leaves- for you weirdos I also add a pinch of curry powder, hot paprika and harrisa. I think Chuck sneaks behind me and adds sriracha. A traditional Moroccan tagine would always have a cinnamon stick, ground nutmeg and All Spice. I personally never put any of that in because, well I don't like it..
Directions
I flour my meat (except obviously the meatballs because that would be stupid.) I stopped using the bread crumbs and eggs because of people and their allergies. I suppose when I think about it an egg wouldn't necessarily kill anyone but... Meh!
In a large ( whatever those oven safe Le Creuset Pots are called) get a good 'Brown" on whatever meat you are using and remove from pot. I brown in Olive oil..(well who doesn't really) Then I add a little oil and throw in my onions. How long do I cook the onions? Are they translucent? Are they caramelized? No, I cook them till I think its time to throw in the garlic. At that point.. in goes the garlic. I spin that around the pot and when its time, I add the tomato past. I come from a long line of Sicilians ( don's ask) who believe that "if you don't "darken" your past, you fuck up your gravy" So I just do it. Once the tomato paste is good and dark I toss the rest of the crap in with this caveat: If you add the sweet potatoes they will melt out so you will get the flavor and great texture ( especially if you are not flouring the meat) but they more or less disappear in the sauce. I kind of like it, but if you want whole pieces of sweet potato, put them aside until the last hour of cooking.
Its a pretty simple recipe really. Obviously adjust the spices to your ridiculously inedible heat level! 325 for 3 hours. Stir once in a while if you feel like it or remember... I never remember. And its Stew! Now I personally like it over rice best. Its also great right out of the pot or with a little couscous.
Oh! The Pot is called a Dutch oven. I am a bit pillowed over the pots…..thats another story