THERE'S NOTHING QUITE SO COZY AS a pot of soup or stew bubbling away on the stove. So celebrate cold weather-pull out your Dutch oven, and try one of these bountiful batches.
Simmer the ham hocks for hours to make the base for Pot Likker Soup. You'll get the nutritional goodness of a mess of greens bathed in lots of rich, smoky ham broth. Creole Shrimp and Grits, our twist on two regional favorites, would be great to serve at a casual dinner party. Red Wine Beef Stew offers the warmth of vegetables cooked in a delicious broth.
Best of all, these offer small families enough for leftovers. They're kind to the wallet and easy on your schedule. Prepare an extra batch or two to freeze, and life will be less stressful when you're too busy or tired to cook.
Pot Likker Soup
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS; PREP: 20 MIN.;
COOK: 4 HR., 3 MIN.; COOL: 30 MIN.;
CHILL: 8 HR.
This soup would be wonderful alongside a bowl of hoppin' John. Cooking the ham hocks the day before and chilling the broth overnight will allow you to skim the fat easily.
2 (1-lb.) smoked ham hocks
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, diced
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
½ cup dry white wine
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. dried crushed red pepper
1 (14.5-oz.) can vegetable broth
½ (16-02.) package fresh collard greens, washed and trimmed
Cornbread Croutons
1. Bring ham hocks and 8 cups water to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Boil 5 minutes; drain. Reserve hocks; wipe Dutch oven clean.
2. Sauté onion and carrot in hot oil in Dutch oven over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes or until tender; add garlic, and cook 1 minute. Add wine; cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes or until wine is reduced by half.
3. Add hocks, 8 cups water, salt, and crushed red pepper to onion mixture, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 3 hours or until ham hocks are tender.
4. Remove hocks, and let cool 30 minutes. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Transfer meat to an airtight container; cover and chill. Cover Dutch oven with lid, and chill soup 8 hours.
5. Skim and discard fat from soup in Dutch oven. Stir in meat and vegetable broth.
6. Bring mixture to a boil. Gradually stir in collards. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 to 50 minutes or until collards are tender. Serve with Cornbread Croutons.
Kitchen Express Pot Likker Soup: Omit ham hocks and salt. Prepare recipe as directed in Step 2, sautéing ½ lb. smoked boneless pork loin, chopped, with onion and carrot. Stir in 2 Tbsp. jarred ham soup base, broth, 8 cups water, and red pepper. Bring to a boil. Gradually stir in collards; reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until collards are tender. Prep: 20 min., Cook: 53 min.
Spanish Kale-and-White Bean Soup: Omit ham hocks, broth, salt, and red pepper. Sauté ½ lb. smoked chorizo, chopped, in Dutch oven over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes or until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon; wipe Dutch oven clean.
Proceed with recipe as directed in Step 2, sautéing 1 medium potato, cubed, with and carrot. Stir in 1 (48-oz.) container chicken broth. Proceed with recipe as in Step 6, substituting ½ (16-oz.) package fresh kale, washed and trimmed, for collards, and stirring in chorizo with kale. Stir in 1 (15.5-oz.) can white beans, rinsed and drained, and, if desired, 1 (14-oz.) can en broth during last 5 minutes of cooking. Omit Cornbread Croutons. This hearty makes a great meal by itself, or serve it with crusty bread and cheese (we like Manchego). Prep: 20 min.; Cook: 1 hr., 6 min.
Cornbread Croutons:
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS; PREP: 10 MIN.,
BAKE: 45 MIN., COOL: 1 HR.
2 Tbsp. bacon drippings or vegetable oil
1 cup self-rising white cornmeal mix
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
½ tsp. salt, divided
½ tsp. pepper, divided
1. Preheat oven to 450°. Coat bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan with bacon drippings; heat in oven 5 minutes.
2. Whisk together 1 cup cornmeal mix, buttermilk, egg, ¼ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper; pour batter into hot pan.
3. Bake at 450° for 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn out onto a wire rack; cool completely (about 30 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
4. Cut cornbread into 1 ½-inch squares. Place on a baking sheet; sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.
5. Bake at 325° for 30 to 35 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack; cool completely (about 30 minutes). Store in airtight container up to 1 day.
Creole Shrimp and Grits
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS; PREP: 30 MIN.;
COOK: 1 HR., 32 MIN.
The sauce starts with a roux, which is browning flour in oil. Be sure to get into the corners of the pan whenyou stir so the flour there doesn't scorch.
2 lb. unpeeled, medium-size raw shrimp (26/30 count)
¼ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1½ tsp. Creole seasoning
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2½ cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1½ cups uncooked quick-cooking grits
1. Peel shrimp, reserving shells; devein shrimp, if desired. Bring shells and 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes. Pour shrimp broth through a colander over a large bowl, pressing shells with back of a spoon; discard shells.
2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; stir in flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until flour is caramel colored (about 8 to 10 minutes). Add onion and next 3 ingrethents, and cook, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in 2 cups shrimp broth, tomato paste, and next 4 ingrethents. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Add shrimp, and cook 10 minutes, stirring in ¼ to ½ cup remaining shrimp broth to reach desired consistency.
3. Meanwhile, bring milk, 2½ cups water, and salt to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Gradually stir in grits. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Serve Creole Shrimp over grits.
-ANGELA JEFFERS, MONCKS CORNER, SOUTH CAROLINA
Red Wine Beef Stew
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS; PREP: 20 MIN.;
COOK: 3 HR. 6 MIN.
This recipe is pure comfort but it takes a while to prepare, so make it on a day when you have some time to spare. Serve it with crusty bread or over rice to capture every drop of the rich gravy.
1 (4-lb.) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
4 Tbsp. flour, divided
1¾ tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup dry red wine*
2 (14½-oz.) cans low-sodium beef broth
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 small turnip
1 (8-oz.) package fresh mushrooms
1 (16-oz.) package baby carrots
1. Cut beef into 2- to 2½-inch pieces; pat with paper towels to absorb excess moisture Combine 3 Tbsp. flour, 1 tsp. salt, paprika, and pepper in a bowl; toss beef with flour mixture.
2. Cook beef, in batches, in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring often, 4 to 6 minutes or until brown. Remove beef from Dutch oven. Add red wine, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of Dutch oven. Return beef to Dutch oven; add broth, thyme, bay leaf, and ½ tsp. salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, peel turnip, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Halve mushrooms. Add turnip, mushrooms, and carrots to stew. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 154 hours or until meat is fork-tender.
4. Whisk together remaining 1 Tbsp. flour and ¼ tsp. salt until blended; whisk ½ cup hot broth into flour mixture until smooth. Whisk flour mixture into stew until smooth. Cook, stirring often, 20 minutes or until thickened.
*Beef broth may be substituted.
Why We Love Dutch Ovens
Dutch ovens-Large heavy pots with tight-fitting lids-may be the perfect big cookware. These muscular, two-handled cooking vessels perform equally well when boiling water for pasta, making the sauce, frying hushpuppies, or roasting a pork butt. Enameled cast-iron versions are favorites for their ability to surround food with heat, allowing them to cook low and slow as weLL as searingly fast. This makes cast-iron Dutch ovens an excellent choice for browning meat such as a pot roast and then cooking it over very low heat on the cooktop or in the oven. Best of all, they come in a rainbow of colprs, so they are as enjoyable to look at as they are to use.
Slightly lighter models-stainless steel or anodized aluminum, for example-also work very well for any of these tasks. You likely have one if you purchased a set of cookware or received one as a wedding present. But most Dutch ovens can be purchased individually, and it can be useful to have two of them for those times when I you're cooking pasta sauce in one and want to cook the spaghetti to go along with it at the same time. ]ust be sure to choose one with a good, heavy bottom for even heat distribution.
Southwestern Soup
MAKES 6 SERVINGS; PREP: 15 MIN.,
COOK: 45 MIN.
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (16-oz.) cans light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes and jalapeños, undrained
1 (14-5-oz.) can diced tomatoes and mild green chiles, undrained
1 (14-oz.) can beef broth
2 cups frozen yellow and white whole kernel corn
1 (1-oz.) envelope taco seasoning mix
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Toppings: sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro
1. Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 to 12 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink and onion is softened; drain.
2. Stir in kidney beans, next 8 ingredients, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in cilantro just before serving. Serve with desired toppings.
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