nemo@rochester.UUCP (Wolfe) (03/13/86)
In article <333@hropus.UUCP> jin@hropus.UUCP (Jear Bear) writes: (in re: Maggi Seasoning) >I have seen it in my East coast supermarkets. ... >... I vaguelly remember a recipe that called for roasting carrots, >onions, celery, and probably something obnoxious like turnips (:-) until >brown then adding liquid and probably spices and herbs and cooking until >reduced. Then you would strain the result and use as a commercial stock >intensifier (which is what Maggi Seasoning is). > Jerry Natowitz A superior stock/sauce intensifier I like to make is similar to this. I used to call it mirapoix, but this is not right - mirapoix is not cooked to caramel like this. I don't know the right name, but it really adds a "deep", subtle flavor to sauces and soups. Grate about 4 cups carrots, finely chop 1 cup celery and 3 cups onion. (These are all relative ratios - the stuff keeps well in the refridgerator, so I make about this much in a batch, but you can scale it to your needs. The relative quanities may vary widely too, but keep carrots prominent and don't put in too much celery). Add about 2 Tbsp olive (or other) oil to a large cast iron frying pan (the cast iron pan is best for the even, slow heat that this requires) and heat to medium temperature (a piece of carrot should sizzle, but not too much). Add shredded veggies and stir. Cook on medium for about 5 min. until they have wilted, stirring occaisionally to prevent sticking. Turn down heat to medium low or low and cook for another hour or two (yes, I mean hours), stirring periodically (say every 10-20 min) to prevent sticking or scorching. When the veggies begin to homogenize and brown, you know you're halfway there. Continue to cook until they turn a rich brown color - you want to caramelize the sugars in them but not burn them. It may not be completely uniform, but when it is a brown sort of paste, it is done. Remove to a clean jar or cool and put teaspoon-sized pieces in a plastic bag. These may be put in the freezer for long storage. A jar in the fridge will keep for several weeks, provided it is sufficiently dehydrated. Use a tablespoon or so per quart of soup/stock/sauce, stirring in well before serving time. Use more if you like. It will make a quick tomatoe sauce taste like it has been simmering all day, and add body to vegetarian soups. I have not tried it with turnips, but I would bet that they would do quite well. On to black bean soup. Makes me homesick to think of it - ah, a few fried ripe plantains, some crusty Cuban bread, some Mooros y Christianos (Moors & Christians = black beans and rice). Sigh. The key ingredients are onions, garlic, beans, cumin, salt, and smoked pork (ham or bacon is ok, chorizo or another spicy smoked sausage is better). I like a bay leaf or two in mine, and some folks like to cook a whole (intact) orange in theirs (remove before serving). It is best the next day. To thicken, mash a few of the beans and stir. It is *critical* that you sort and wash the beans. Almost invariably there is a pebble or two mixed in with them, and you don't want to break a tooth on it. Use some chicken stock for a fuller flavor, after the initial boil/soak/drain. When serving, include a small bowl of finely chopped onions (white or green or yellow are all fine) in some vinegar to spoon on top. For the fried plantains, take a plantain or two that has turned black (they aren't ripe until then) and peel it. Cut the fruit into 2" segments, then slice these lengthwise into two to four pieces (should be 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick). Fry in butter over medium heat until browned on both sides (cast iron pan is best). Serve hot. Enjoy, Nemo PS - As long as we're getting personal, I'm 6' and 180 lb. My wife and I both enjoy cooking - she is best at baking, while I am better on the stove top. Our tastes are extremely ecclectic, in part because of my old man, who was serving me stir fry, gumbo, boliche, coq au vin, sauer bratten, lobster cantonese, flan,indonesian rice, and a host of vegetables (some of which I *still* don't know the name of, but one was yucca) when I was a tad. You see, he did most of the cooking in our house, which caused me a certain amount of gender-role confusion. I used to love to watch/help him cook, but my sisters were less interested. When I was eight, I was chased out of the kitchen and my sisters herded in because Dad wanted them to learn to cook. I started to cry, and asked why, I responded, "How can I get a girl to marry me if I can't cook?" Later I realized that if I wanted the variety and quality of chow I got at home, I had better learn to do it myself. I still feel that way, and don't consider male cooks rare at all.