Inspired by Maryland-style crab chowder, that is so popular in this region, here's my take on the recipe.
First, make the broth:
Get one large dungeoness crab or a few clusters of king crab legs and remove all the meat. Set this aside for later. Rinse off all the crab shells if necessary, remove the dead-mens fingers from the whole crab, and place them in a sauce pot. Add three carrots, roughly chopped, 3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped, 1 onion cut into quarters, a few crushed garlic cloves, 1 tbsp. of black peppercorns, 1 tsp. of salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cover this all with cold water -- have the water come no more than an inch or so over the top of all the ingredients.
Bring the water slowly up to a low boil, cover, and set the heat to low. Let it simmer for two hours. Then strain out all the veggies and shells, and let the broth sit so any remaining sediment falls to the bottom of the pot. Place all the clear, sediment free liquid back into a pot, and begin to build your chowder.
Add 2-3 tbsp. of tomato paste to the broth and stir it well until it dissolves. Add the crab meat, and then whatever veggies you like. They should all be chopped into small bite-sized pieces. I love using spinach or kale, zucchini, string beans, carrots, and whatever else I happen to have lying around the fridge.
Let this boil slowly for 30-45 minutes so the flavors meld and the broth reduces a little (which concentrates the tomato flavor). Before serving, taste to make sure there's enough salt (don't add anymore until this point -- the reduction of the broth will concentrate the salt that you've already added and that is in the tomato paste) and pepper. You can garnish with a dollop of pesto if you'd like.
Enjoy!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Kale Pesto
I can't believe I didn't think of this on my own, but my great co-worker Claire suggested it to me yesterday as I was waxing rhapsodic about my current love affair with kale. So easy to make -- it's even more flavorful than basil pesto, has a bit of that great bitter tang that I love about kale, and is so packed with nutrients from my favorite superfood. Plus, takes 3 minutes to make.
In a food processor, add:
4 cups of kale (take out the stems)
6 large cloves of garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts (walnuts would work too)
zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 cup of olive oil.
Turn on the processor and once it gets going, slowly drizzle in enough extra olive oil so that it forms a smooth, brilliant green paste. Remove from processor and if you want, stir in 1/3 cup of grated parmigiana cheese (don't add this to the processor because the cheese becomes kind of gummy when processed into the sauce this way).
Serve as a dip, toss with pasta, use as a sauce for meat, fish or seafood, or add a dollop to your favorite soup.
YUM!
In a food processor, add:
4 cups of kale (take out the stems)
6 large cloves of garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts (walnuts would work too)
zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 cup of olive oil.
Turn on the processor and once it gets going, slowly drizzle in enough extra olive oil so that it forms a smooth, brilliant green paste. Remove from processor and if you want, stir in 1/3 cup of grated parmigiana cheese (don't add this to the processor because the cheese becomes kind of gummy when processed into the sauce this way).
Serve as a dip, toss with pasta, use as a sauce for meat, fish or seafood, or add a dollop to your favorite soup.
YUM!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Braised Kale and Sausage
8 cups of kale (remove the thick stems and rough chop)
4 links of Italian Sausage (chicken sausage can be a good substitute)
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of minced pancetta
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (red is nice, but white or yellow are fine)
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/4 tsp. of fresh cracked black pepper
a pinch of salt
1/3 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup grape tomatoes, cut into half
Saute the pancetta, sausage and onions in the olive oil and when the pancetta is starting to crisp, add the garlic, fennel seeds, pepper and salt. After the garlic has sauteed for about a minute, add the kale and salt, and thoroughly toss it all together so the kale is coated with the oil. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth, cover the pot tightly, and turn the heat to medium-low. Let it braise for 5 minutes, toss it all thoroughly, and let it saute for another 5 minutes, covered tightly.
Then remove the cover and turn the heat to medium. Saute until all the broth evaporates and then serve.
Optional -- garnish with a bit of grated parmigiana cheese AND/OR, as the last of the broth evaporates, add a splash of red wine vinegar for a little extra tang.
4 links of Italian Sausage (chicken sausage can be a good substitute)
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of minced pancetta
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (red is nice, but white or yellow are fine)
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/4 tsp. of fresh cracked black pepper
a pinch of salt
1/3 cup of chicken broth
1/4 cup grape tomatoes, cut into half
Saute the pancetta, sausage and onions in the olive oil and when the pancetta is starting to crisp, add the garlic, fennel seeds, pepper and salt. After the garlic has sauteed for about a minute, add the kale and salt, and thoroughly toss it all together so the kale is coated with the oil. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth, cover the pot tightly, and turn the heat to medium-low. Let it braise for 5 minutes, toss it all thoroughly, and let it saute for another 5 minutes, covered tightly.
Then remove the cover and turn the heat to medium. Saute until all the broth evaporates and then serve.
Optional -- garnish with a bit of grated parmigiana cheese AND/OR, as the last of the broth evaporates, add a splash of red wine vinegar for a little extra tang.
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