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Purple Frijoles Ayocote cooked in a Magic Mexican Bean Pot

Digging around in a Mexican Market in Staten Island, NY called Frutas y Abarrotes Mexico,  I found some curiously large Purple dried beans. The only package on the shelves seemed destine for one of my magic Mexican clay cooking pot. These charming purple beans are also featured on Rancho Gordo as Ayocote Morado Beans (Purple Runners) are meaty, plump and produce a lovely bean broth and very easy to prepare.

Dried Morado Ajacote Beans in a Mexican clay bowl

 In our family we believe in the cooking properties of the Magic Bean Pot. This is the name one of my children gave an old Mexican clay bean pot in my kitchen. “Oh… we are going to use the Magic Bean Pot today”… gets the whole family excited and involved.

It’s not a myth, over the years my favorite bean pot has developed wonderful seasoning and it is like cooking with an old friend everytime I use it… yes, its a positively magical bean pot.

 

Mexican Pretty Lady clay pot

I had just gotten a new shaped Mexican clay bean pot from El Metezo in Chicago. I nick named it “The Pretty Lady”, since the bean pot shape seems like a pretty lady with a narrow top and two hand-les resting on a bulbus bottom. This traditional design was created to keep beans very moist and plump while cooking.  These purple bean were definitely very unusual and would bring some interesting flavors to my new clay pot. Since it was new, I boiled some water in the pot first on low heat for about thirty minutes to prepare it for its maiden bean cooking voyage.

 

 

Ayocote Purple Beans in Mexican Clay pot

Place in the bean pot, 1 lb of Frijoes Ayocote and enough water to cover the beans with an extra 2 inches of water.  Remove and clean to look for any twigs, stones or leaves. Boil for about an hour and turned off for a couple hours or skip the first boil and soak the beans overnight. When ready to cook, again add additional water to cover at least two inches over the top of the bean. Do not add any seasonings. Cook the beans until tender about 2 hours.

Cooked Purple beans in a Traditional Mexican Clay Cooking Pot

In a separate small pan or stove top clay pot saute

1 chopped onion in

1 Tablespoon of olive oil until golden.

Add 2 dried Avocado leaves crumbled,

2 dried hot peppers of you choice crumbpled,

2 cloves of chopped garlic,

1 teaspoon of cumin and saute for 1 minute.

Add one cup of the cooked purple beans and cook a minute more. Let cool a little then using caution place the small pans contents in blender until lightly blended. Then pour the mashed bean and seasoning mixture in to the main pot of beans. Simmer 10 mins and add salt and pepper to taste.

The beans will lose a little of their purple brilliance and become a purplish brown but they are a lovely meaty bean.

 

An Iranian Yellow Lentil Soup inspired by the book Pomegranate Soup

Iranian Lentil Soup

 My love of fresh pomegranate made it impossible for me to resist a book named Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran.

 

Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran

 A sensitively presented book, with recipes, about three women leaving Iran to start a new life in a Ireland. The tale could be located in many countries but Marsha’s story rings the sounds of telling a difficult story in a thoughtful positive light. Of course I loved all the cooking references and what each sister brought to this loving kitchen. An easy quick read, with some difficult heart wrenching chapters. Each chapter begins with a recipe. I find great pleasure and special warmth in recreating her lovely recipes as if you are present in the storytelling and living her sharing of a culture heritage she wants to preserve.

 

Yellow Lentil Soup Recipe

 Here I am making the Red Lentil Soup from Chapter two. I used Yellow Lentils and searched out the Nigella Seeds from a local spice store. Nigella Seeds are now a new favorite in my spice rack so I recommend experimenting with them if you can find them. Pepper can be substituted but not the same.

2 Cup dry (red) or yellow lentils

7 large onions, chopped

7 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

4 teaspoons ground cumin

Olive oil

7 Cups chicken broth (vegetable broth can be substituted)

3 Cups water

Salt

2 teaspoons nigella seeds

I found the author, Marsha Mehran’s directions worked perfectly and there is not anything I would do differently to this delightful soup.

“Place lentils in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook uncovered, for 9 min. Drain and place aside.”

 

Yellow Lentils cooking

In a large stockpot, fry 6 of the chopped onions, garlic, turmeric, and cumin in olive oil until golden.

 

Lentil Soup Broth

Transfer lentils, broth, and water to the pot. Add salt, nigella seeds or pepper to taste. Bring soup to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.

 

Lentil Soup Cooking in Claypot

Fry the remaining onion in olive oil until crisp but not blackened. Add as a garnish…”

 

Fried Crisp Onion

Recipe adapted from Chapter 2 recipe Pomegranite Soup by Marsha Mehran, Random House.

Clay pots I used were from La Chamba Colombia for the chicken broth and serving bowel. The  soup was prepared using a lidded clay Pomaire Chilean pot.

D’Artagnan Wild Boar Sausage Gravy and Organic Stone Ground Blue Grits Recipe

D’Artagnan Wild Boar Sausage Gravy and Organic Stone Ground Blue Grits Recipe


This is an homage to my very French mother raising her family in Texas. She was never a fan of grits and of southern style pan gravy so I did a twist on this recipe that would have made her a convert to this classic southern combination of grits and gravy.


First I searched out the best pork sausage I could find. Wild Boar sausage appealed to my love of using indigenous New World ingredients and hearing that D’Artagnan uses Texas wild boars it seem like a local (if in Texas) wild boar sausage to try.

D’Artangnan Wild Boar Sausage


I found this sausage to have a softer and less black musky flavor than others I have found using more expensive boar sausages at butcher counters such as Dean & Deluca. Interesting as these other Boar sausages were they seem too rugged for this rendition of a classic breakfast dish but could be substituted if you desire a more gamy flavor.I also liked that Wild Boar D’Artagnan sausage is made with meat from feral swine raised without hormones and antibiotics. And in the manufacturing process D’Artangnan used sage (another New World ingredient) shallots, sherry, dry mustard and garlic to add a continental gentleness to the flavor. These seasonings became the inspiration for this sausage gravy recipe. Hence I highly recommend ordering online or seeking out this D’Artagnan’s sausages. If you do not eat pork there are some gently flavored sausages with apple and chicken that would work well with this simple recipe and be less greasy than main stream sausage brands.

As for Grits… I love my grits…  I am grit picky southern girl.

McEwen & Sons grits
If you are in the mood for classic and gourmet stone ground grits first stop would be McEwen & Sons of Wilsonville, AL. Every flavor I have tried is fabulous. I love the Organic Blue Grits for it’s stone ground texture, unusual color, and taste. The blue corn grits also adds a little exotica using this rare variation of this new world food and looks interesting on the plate and generates conversation. Any slow cooking grits could be used and both the gravy and grits can be made simultaneously.

I highly recommend watching the Stan Woodward’s documentary “It’s Grits” particularly the new anniversary addition. Fascinating and very sensitive (brought tears to my eyes)… the little clips on the web do not do it justice get the DVD at http://www.stanwoodward.com/itsgrits.htm  An American Classic! Youtube clip.

Clay pots!!! I really like cooking both these dishes in Clay for the following reasons. I think it makes the grits creamer as it plumps and softens the grits. Plus the clay holds the warmth making a great stove to table way of serving the grits.  As for the gravy. The gentle even heat of the stove top safe clay pot offers a method to make a velvety sauce that if monitored will not boil much and minimize lumps. The gentle warmth is great for serving at the table as well. I used my Ancestral la chamba chicken pot skillet because it is great size for the sauce and has a fun chicken theme for breakfast if you chose to serve eggs on the side of these dishes for a brunch and a nice round small lidded Olla pot for the grits.

Great ancestral la chamba olla for grits


Recommended timing. First step… put the water for the grits to boil and sauté the sausage. Once boiling put the grits in the boiling water and crumble the cooked sausage (can be done ahead as long as you save the sausage drippings). Then make the gravy.

Quick option tip - You can alway remove the casings and crumble the uncooked sausage first and start cooking the crumpled sausage and jump into making the gravy with the pieces of sausage in the pan, quicker and a makes a bit more rustic style, equally tasty, but not as velvety a sauce.

Serves 3 to 4


Wild Boar Sausage Gravy Recipe

4 links of D’Artangnan Wild Boar Sausage

1 Tablespoon of Olive oil
3 Tablespoons of Flour
1 1/4 Cups of organic whole milk
1/4 Cup of dry sherry
2 Tables of fresh roughly chopped sage (save additional full leaves of sage for garnish)
1/2 t of salt
1/2 t of fresh ground white or black pepper


Sauté and cook throughly 4 links of sausage in 1 T of olive oil.

D’Artangnan wild boar sausage in a La Chamba chicken pot


This D’Artangnan sausage is very lean if you are using another sausage you might be able to omit the olive oil. Remove the sausage and the pan from the heat, save the sausage drippings. we will be using this same pan and the dripping for making the gravy.  After the sausage has cooled a little remove what of the outer casing you can easily remove and crumble or chop up the sausage meat and put aside for adding to the gravy later.

Take the milk and flour and put in a plastic bag and shake well (a Texas cooks trick)… or you can put the flour and milk in a bowl and mix well, set aside.

Here comes the cooking, stirring part, which is easy just don’t try to use to high a heat, stir constantly and have all your ingredients handy.


Return the pan with the dripping back to the stove on medium heat for about 20 seconds and add the dry sherry to deglaze the pan, stir constantly. Once deglazed (sherry and pan drippings blended) add the milk flour mixture and keep stirring over medium low heat, approx another thirty seconds, until it starts to thicken, reduce heat to low.

Cream gravy with sausage in a clay pot


The thickening happens quickly so be prepared to keep stiring while quickly adding the crumbled sausage and sage. before it gets too close to your desired thickness.

Sausage mixed in the cream gravy made in a chamba clay pot


The clay pot will hold the heat and continue to thicken the velvety sauce so you don’t have to make it super thick. You can thin the gravy by adding a little extra milk at this point over the heat if necessary. Seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Blue corn grits with sausage gravy

Serve immediately with the grits.  Garnish with the full sage leaves.

Cooking the grits


1 Cup of uncooked stone ground blue corn grits
4 Cup of water
2 Tablespoon of butter
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

Bring the water, salt, garlic powder and butter to a boil add the grits. Stir well and return to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling again, cover and reduce the heat to low for 25 mins. Check the grits periodically and stir to minimize sticking and loosen grits from bottom of the pot. Add pepper when done and serve.

Thanks to Matt Timm’s Grit Cookoff  at the NYC Food Film Festival, 2010 for allowing this grit recipe, one of a series of three - All American Grit Trilogy - Red White (more recipes to follow) and Blue Grits with Wild Boar Sausage to be a part of the competition.  A shoot out by Sam Woodward at the awards, as to the originality of my grit combo, made my year!

Caring for Your Colombian La Chamba Blackware Clay Pot

Care and cooking in Colombian La Chamba Black Claypots

I wrote this article a while back and wanted to share this overly detailed and overly cautious description on how to care for your La Chamba Clay Pot. While this is all sound advice I find just clean well, avoid too much soap and don’t use a scratchy scouring pads and start cooking in your La Chamba clay pot is the best method. I use them daily. La Chamba cookware holds up and cooks very well. I will add to this article in the near future (so please register for updates) and I will also write about caring for many other different types of Clay cookware. I highly recommend Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Clay Pot cookbook which  has a wonderful primer on claypots that is very informative.

Care Instructions for La Chamba Cookware

The pottery from La Chamba, Colombia requires very limited initial preparation before normal usage. The first time you will want to clean your pot in water with a light non abrasive sponge to remove any dirt or residue left from the firing process.  At this point you could choose to start using your pot immediately on your stove, oven or microwave. If you want to take some extra step preparing your vessel or dinnerware here are some methods that have been used for centuries to treat clay cookware.

Some porous clay pottery requires or can benefit from being filled with water approx 3/4 full and placed in a 400 degree Fahrenheit over for 30 min. La Chamba usually does not need this step, particularly if you purchase a finer quality vessel like this one, but if you have a pot from a village market and you were not aware of the step and care taken in the preparation you might feel more comfortable doing the water heated process first before regular daily use. Some international clay manufactures recommend milk in place of water to seal your clay pot. This again is an extra step that does not seem to be necessary for top quality La Chamba.

Regular use of your pot will naturally develop a well seasoned cooking surface. Using wooden utensils verses un-coated metal utensils will also help protect your cookware.

With proper handling you can use your Chamba pot or dinnerware directly on the stove, in a microwave, on a grill and in the oven.

Chamba clay cookware on coals

Like any cooking surface, these clay pots should not be exposed to excessive temperature changes. If your pot is very cold from the refrigerator you should not pour in boiling liquids. If your pot is very hot you should not put in ice cold liquids. The idea is to avoid extreme thermal stress.

Clay pots are very practical for daily cooking. They can be filled with cold liquids and be heated over a strong heat without a problem. The clay will also hold heat well. If your food is boiling, your dish may continue to boil for a while after you remove it from the heat, so use caution when moving your vessel. The advantage of your lidded clay pot retain a nice level of heat is that your food can stay nicely warm at the table for upward of an hour.

Cleaning:

Ancestral Chamba Cookware is very easy to clean. Just scrub a little, rinse and dry. Since the clay is porous we do not recommend using detergents, particularly at first, before the pot is cured. If you have stubborn food on your pot just soak an half an hour. The food should be easy to remove with a non abrasive sponge. Repeat if necessary. Boil some water in really hard to clean vessels. There are very good non abrasive, bacteria resistant scrubbers on the market. Metal scouring pads will scratch and are too abrasive for the hand burnished surface of your vessel.

A Recommended purple scrubber

You can clean you La Chamba in the dishwasher even though it is not recommended. The dish washing soap can remain in the porous clay and it can reduce the luster and natural seasonings of your piece.

Clay is a natural surface, not a non stick surface. With time your vessel, with care, will develop a very lovely cooking surface where only limited use of oils or cooking sprays will seem necessary.

Storage:

You should always dry your La Chamba ware well in a well vented space before storing. In very humid climates you will want to take special care to make sure your clay gets properly dried so mold spores will not develop. Proper washing and drying and prevent this from happening. You can air dry your pieces or to quickly dry place your La Chamba pieces directly on low heat to remove the excess moisture and allow to cool. Many cooks like to place their pieces in a warm oven for 10 min.

 

Happy Cooking and enjoying your heirloom clay cooking pot!!

 

Contemporary Irish Clay Cooking Pots

As it is a beautiful St Patrick’s Day here in NYC it seemed a yummy time to point out a fine tried and true Clay Pot Corned Beef recipes contributed to this blog last holiday  http://creativeclaycooking.com/?cat=28

This stirred and inspired an investigation about clay pot cooking traditions in Ireland.  Just scratching the surface…here are two quick finds I would like to enthusiastically share and hope to encourage more exploration…

Gourmet Pots Schull Cork Ireland South

An Irish Gallery - Gourmet Pots

A store dedicated to Handmade pots from potters who have thought seriously about what is required of a ceramic piece that will be used to prepare, cook or serve food and drinks.  Located on Main Street, Schull, Co Cork, Republic Of Ireland - hopefully more photos in the near future.

http://www.discoverireland.com/gb/ireland-things-to-see-and-do/listings/gss/product/?fid=FI_75055

Anthony O Brien Irish Ceramic Artist

Anthony OBrien

http://www.anthonyobrienart.com/index_home.html

A fabulous 5th generation Irish Artist Anthony OBrien, who in addition to creating lovely stoneware, earthenware pottery is reviving traditional designs of medival Irish Ceramic. His workshop is located in Shivlagh, Bunowen Louisburgh, Co. Mayo, Ireland.

Replica Medival Redware clay pots

Replica Medival Redware clay pots by ceramic art Anthony OBrien

Contemporary Clay Bird Bowl by Anthony OBrien

 Jun- Glazed serving bowl by Anthony O’Brien

More research to follow… hopefully on location… Please share what you know about Irish clay pots and clay pot cooking!

Kitchen Fusion Soup Recipe - like a new love encounter

Fusion Soup ingredients

This recipe is about using the ingredients on hand… lets say you don’t want to leave the house… your pantry is full of odds and ends… and its okay that likely this recipe will never be duplicated again, completely unique.

I like to look at this type of cooking as finding an unlikely new love encounter. So rich in flavors that no one ever knew existed before.

Why use a clay cooking pot, in this context of cooking? Clay pots adds style, exotica, encourages creativity, gently cooks the complex fusion of flavors and finally offers a serving ambiance that is earthy and beautiful.

This recipe is based on a passion for collecting exotic ingredients. With a well (or oddly) stocked pantry and following your basic cooking and flavor mixing instincts, its not hard to create some very unique food fusions. Lessons I have learned, relax, play, smell, taste, mix, saute and enjoy. If I hadn’t tasted some of the mind blowing dishes, a very adventurous cook and pantry collecting friend, Rich, had recently created right before my eyes, I don’t think I would have had the gumption to mix so many odd ingredients. Hence, here, I include this recipe to give you a wild guideline, and mostly courage to cook beyond your day to day taste buds and create a dish that is uniquely your own kitchen fusion.

Warning, likely, you will not have these exact recipe ingredients on hand or would I recommend going on a grocery store scavenger hunt to duplicate each component. Use this recipe as a guideline to inspire your own special multi-cultural Kitchen fusion soup.

Fusion soup in a clay pot

Okay … ingredients on hand. In order of how they came in too the clay cooking pot.

2 Shallots chopped - now I had to commit… sesame oil… or another oil… I chose…

1.5 T of Sesame Oil

— saute until transparent

1.5 good size links of Spanish Chorizo sliced thin and cut in half - I like the DeSpana brand I had in the freezer.

1 Organic Maitake (Hen in the Woods Mushroom) Japanese Grocery Store chopped

- - Then throw in and lightly saute with the past ingredients

1/2 C Seasoned Menma Bamboo Shoots, rinsed

1/2 C Boiled Royal Fern in Water (specially selected) - chopped into 2 in strips

Add

4 Cups of Water

1 Chicken Broth Cube

2 T of (Tiparos) Fish Sauce

1.5 t of Organic Seasoned Rice Vinegar Dressing

3 T Soy Sauce

1 T of Roland Chinese Curry Paste

2 T of Crushed Chinese peppers with Peanuts - Sorry no name in English

8 Pieces of Blue Colored Picked Eggplant chopped into half inch pieces

1 can of drained corn kernels

3 cloves of garlic chopped

- - Then desperate for an exciting flavor boost… to the rescue and a total surprise…

2 T of Indian Coriander chutney

— Bring to a Boil

add half a package Thai Thin Rice Noodles about 5 oz.

When noodles are ready serve.

approx 30 mins total cooking time.

Serves 3 to 4 people.

Fusion Soup in clay bowl

Results a soup of mixed ingredients probably impossible to bring together 50 years ago. The idea of having Japanese picked Eggplant with Indian Cilantro chutney and Spanish Chorizo in the same cooking pot is wonderfully odd and surprisingly very tasty.

Archealogist in Plymouth makes Clay Ovens in her Backyard

I have always wondered if being an archaeologist and handling 1000’s of pieces of Pre-Columbian clay contributed to my life long passion for cooking in clay. It was a happy surprise today to find this Boston Globe article about Paula Marcoux, a Plymouth archaeologist who makes Clay Ovens.  I am so inspired!

http://www=.boston.com/news/local/articles/2011/02/20/plymouth_archeologists_work_sparks_a_fervor_for_outdoor_ovens/?camp=misc:on:share:article

Paula Marcoux’s Clay O

Super easy tomato, beer, chipotle chicken stew recipe in a claypot

“Quick I needed a no fuse main course for a casual gathering!” Almost embarrassed to post but its so easy and a very popular comfort food.

Spicy chicken beer stew in a clay pot from chamba

Ingredients

Chicken legs and thighs

2 onions chopped

2 green peppers chopped

4 cloves of garlic chopped

1/2 a lg can of fire roasted chopped tomatoes

2 to 4 chopped chipotle peppers from a can

3 T Cilantro

1 T Chili Powder

Salt and Pepper

Can or bottle of beer

Start with a Stove to Table Cooking Pot - trusty oval clay Chamba pot that cooks perfectly and looks great for serving.

No Thought Basics - 2 small chopped onions, 2 chopped green pepper and 4 chopped cloves of garlic all roasting in 2T of olive oil.

Need for Meat -  Quick defrost a package of good value chicken thighs and legs you hopefully have in the freezer.

Flavor -  half a big can of chopped Fire Roasted Tomatoes, 2 to 4  Chipotle Peppers from a can with about 2T of Adobe sauce (gives a big kick to the dish… make to taste) , 3 T of chopped cilantro leaves and stems, 1 t pepper, 1 T salt and 1 T Chili powder.

Novelty - men seem to always like it when you say there is beer in the dish, so dug out that can of Tecate (any beer will do) from the back of the Fridge and hence the Mexican favor flair. Add half the can of beer to the pot and drink the other half while you cook and chop… Ole.

Relax - Put the combination on low, covered for about an hour, stirring occasionally and you will have a tasty, filling, and spicy dish that is good with beans and/or rice, over pasta, with fries, couscous, pearl couscous, boiled potatoes… any starchy side dish should do.

No Knead Bread with Beer Recipe Baked in a La Chamba Clay Pot

I had heard from a few sources that the New York Times, Jim Lahey, No Knead Bread recipe could be improved upon by adding beer. I found this to be definitely true. I like the slightly lighter crust and the flavor of this recipe which also includes some white vinegar. This recipe came from Breadtopia and also has some excellent videos (one at bottom of this post) on making this bread. In the video he also features other unglazed clay bread bakers by Sassafras. These I have used for breads and had good results as well. Look for a posting on these bread bakers in the future.

No knead bread with beer baked in a La Chamba Clay stew pot

I wanted to try baked this bread in a black clay pot from Colombia. Proud owners of Chamba cookware have been telling me how wonderful these pots are for making bread. I have a few different Chamba pot shapes that I am anxious to try for bread making. For the first try I used a nice flat bottomed stew pot. Next time I will try a round Olla shape.

No knead beer bread fresh out of the oven

The recipe from Breadtopia.com is very close to the original but uses less moisture which I found to be a very good option. I did add fresh rosemary to my recipe and you might see small green flex in the photographs of the bread baking processes.

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 tsp. of salt

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs.water at room temp
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. mild flavored lager
1 Tbs. white vinegar

2 T of chopped Rosemary leaves.

Mix the dry ingredients together they pour the liquids on top of the flour mixture. Mix until incorporated.

Mixed ingredients for the no knead beer bread

Cover the dough with plastic and set aside for a min of 8 hours and up to 18 hours.

Preparing for the second rise no knead bread

Then take the raised dough and very lightly knead the dough.. 10 to 14 times and place on a greased piece of parchment in a flat bottomed pan or bowl. Pinch up the dough to form a ball. (The video below shows all this very well) Spray non stick oil on top of the bread and set aside covered with plastic for 2 hours. An hour and a half into the second rising heat your intended cooking pot at 500 degrees. I heated up my Chamba pot which can easily handle this high heat. After 2 hours using the parchment paper to carefully move your bread to the heated pot.

No knead bread scored and ready for the oven

Score and lightly flour the bread. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 425. But the lid on the clay pot and bake in over for 30 mins. After 30 mins. remove the lid and cook for another 10 to 15 mins. Check the bread using a thermometer to see if the interior of the bread has reached near to 220 degrees and your bread is ready to be removed from the oven. Lift the parchment and bread out of the pan and cool on a rack.

Loaf of no knead bread with beer baked in an earthenware clay pot

You should have a beautiful round loaf of bread. Enjoy!

Clay pot Bean and Chorizo Stew with Sage & Cheese Coutons

Chorizo Bean Stew made in a Claypot

The Stew - serves four

2 T olive oil

1 medium onion chopped fine

4 medium size peeled carrots chopped into small bite size pieces

1 good size parsnip chopped into small bite size pieces

4 C of chicken broth

2 Cans of rinsed Beans - Pintos or your choice

4 slender long links sliced of a spicy chorizo - like Chistorra of Despana Brand Foods. Thicker chorizo could be used just cut up into small bite size pieces.

1/2 t ground smoky paprika

1 sprig of fresh rosemary

1 dried pepper like a Nora pepper - looking for a pepper with a smoky quality

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Coutons

1/8 C of olive oil

1 large clove of garlic minced

6 large fresh sage leaves

3 slices of bread cut into bite size pieces - sourdough, whole grain work well

1/8 C of grated hard Spanish cheese like a Machego

40 mins to prepare - stove to table.

In your clay pot heat the olive oil with the onions and saute to trasparent. I used a Chilean Pomaireware or you could use a Chamba soup pot, an Emile Henry Crockpot, any heavy ample soup pot.

Chorizo Bean Stew in a Clay Chilean cooking pot

Next add the cut up vegetables and chorizo, sauté for a minute more then add the broth, rosemary, paprika. Take half of one of the cans of rinsed beans and put in a heavy bowl and slightly mash the beans and add to the broth and vegetables. Cook the mixture until the vegetables are tender and then add the remaining beans and continue to simmer. Feel free to add more broth/water to get your preferred consistency.

While the soup is simmering make the coutons.

claypot crispy fresh sage leaves

Heat the olive oil and chopped garlic in a open clay pan. I used a small oval casserole. When the olive oil gets hot add the full sage leaves to the oil and crisp.

The garlic should be roasting but not getting brown. Remove and drain the crisped sage leaves on a paper towel and put in the pieces of bread to toast in the garlic olive oil.

Coutons with sage and garlic

When the bread is nicely toasted drain on the same paper towel as the sage. Remove from heat and drain out the excess olive oil from the clay casserole and return the coutons to casserole, sprinkle with grated cheese and top with the crispy sage leaves.

Take the soup and coutons in their respective clay cooking pots right to the table nice and hot. Serve the soupy stew in wide mouth bowls with a few of the cheese coutons floating on top.

Great cold weather dish with wine or beer. Add a wild green salad and have a very filling meal.