Recipe Revisit: Chickpea Stew with Apricots

This was one of those recipes that I made once, thought was wonderful, and then never made again. I couldn’t recall why this stew wasn’t something I wanted to make often, except, perhaps that it has a lot of parsnips in it, which I only tend to use in the deepest of winter, when there’s not such exciting produce to choose from. I did report having some trouble getting the chickpeas cooked properly using the method of the original recipe, so I sort of rearranged things to improve that.

For starters, I cooked the chickpeas first and separately. I think there was too much acid in the stew to cook the chickpeas along with everything else. That may have been what caused them to stay too firm, no matter how long I cooked the stew. This worked well, and also allowed the stew to be cooked in shifts, each taking a little less time than cooking everything all at once. (My schedule demands this!)

The rest of my adjustments involved streamlining the process, making it more like I make other soups and stews: sauteeing vegetables, stirring in spices, stewing the vegetables with the cooked beans, adding the final touches and seasonings, and adjusting the flavors to taste.

This recipe makes a big, big pot of stew, and could probably be halved. It also makes a subtly flavored stew, slightly sweet from all those parsnips with some fruity and floral notes from the apricots. It’s hearty and satisfying. It’s got a healthy nutritional profile with good doses of protein and fiber. It’s also vegan, if that happens to matter to you.

With its fairly mild flavor profile, this stew has plenty of room for other taste improvisations. The natural sweetness makes me think you could add cinnamon and allspice to the seasonings. Lots more spice, in the form of more chile, or curry powder or paste would be good. Other vegetables, such as bell peppers, could replace the parsnips in other seasons. Add some greens, like spinach or arugula.

Overall, this recipe revisit was a success. I made the necessary changes to make the process more approachable. I got more ideas on how to vary the flavors satisfactorily. And, most importantly, I made a big pot of comforting stew to warm us from the inside in this winter that will not end.

Chickpea Stew with Parsnips and Dried Apricots

If you start with cooked chickpeas, you will need 3 ½- 4 cups.

I think you could cut the recipe quantities in half would good results. You could also adjust the spices and seasonings to your personal taste.

If you get your chickpeas (or any dried beans) very fresh, you may not need to soak them before cooking. I usually have good results with a 6-8 hour soak.

12 ounces dried chickpeas

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

2 cups chopped carrot, about ½ inch dice

2 cups chopped parsnip, about ½ inch dice

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

6 cups water

2 bay leaves

1 cup finely chopped dried apricots

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Chopped fresh parsley for serving

1. Rinse the dried chickpeas and sort out any debris or chickpeas that don’t look good. Place the chickpeas in a large pot or bowl. Cover with at least 2 inches of water. Let stand 6-8 hours.

2. Drain the soaking chickpeas. Return them to the pot and cover with a few inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cook the beans at a low boil until they are soft but not yet falling apart. This could take up to an hour, and can be done a day or two ahead. Drain the cooked chickpeas and set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large (6 quart or larger) pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot and parsnip. Cook, stirring often for about 10 minutes, or until the onion appears softened and translucent.

4. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, cumin, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook about one minute, stirring frequently. Add the cooked chickpeas, bay leaves and water.

5. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover. Cook at a gentle boil until the vegetables are very tender, about 35-45 minutes.

6. Stir in the apricots and cook until they are soft. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste the stew for seasonings and adjust as desired, especially for salt and acid. Garnish each serving with chopped parsley.

Makes a big pot of stew, probably about 8 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Split Pea and Vegetable Curry, Stewed Beans with Bacon and Caramelized Onions, White Bean Stew with Tomatoes and Rosemary

One year ago: Curry Carrot Soup

Archive Recipe of the Week: Beef and Guinness Stew or Pot Pie

St. Patrick’s Day is just a week away and I have nothing to report that is either green or Guinness-y. That just leaves me the perfect opportunity to give some love to this Beef and Guinness Stew that I tend to serve every year.

In the past, I’ve presented this as a pot pie because I served it in individual stew bowls with a puff pastry lid. You wouldn’t have to do that. Well, you wouldn’t have to, but I highly recommend it. In fact, you could do that with just about any thick stew. Just give it a pastry covering of some kind and you have pot pie.

This is just such a good stew/pot pie, however, that I don’t want you to miss out on it’s fabulous beefy and peppery flavors just because you don’t have pastry skills or some kind of frozen or refrigerated pastry on hand. It’s usually pretty easy for me to pass up a beef dish, but when that beef is flavorfully slow-cooked, I’m in trouble. It’s also easy for me to pass up a bottle of beer, but when you give the dark, rich flavor of Guinness to a slow cooked beef stew, we’re talking about something different entirely. Something so good it’s worthy of a celebration.

Don’t let the brined green peppercorns in the ingredient list scare you. They’re just black peppercorns in a younger stage bottled in brine. They’re delicious and if you haven’t tried them, I’d recommend getting your hands on a bottle to use in this stew. In fact, I can’t think of any other recipe I use them in and I still find them to be worth the purchase. You can find them near the capers (and pickles, etc.) in supermarkets.

And – trust me – it’s worth saving out one bottle of Guinness just to make this stew. Celebrate responsibly!

Beef and Guinness Stew or Pot Pie
Modified from Gourmet magazine

Making this stew into a pot pie is optional, but really good.

2 lb boneless beef chuck
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 Tbs canola or vegetable oil, divided
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ Tbs tomato paste
1 ½ cups beef broth
1 (11.2 ounce) bottle Guinness or other Irish stout
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp drained brined green peppercorns, coarsely chopped
2 fresh thyme sprigs or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound peeled potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ (17.3 ounce) package puff pastry (1 sheet) (or more if needed), thawed

1. Pat the beef dry with paper towels if it is damp on the surface. Cut the beef into 1-2 inch cubes. Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cubed beef and toss to coat with the flour mixture.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the beef in one layer and cook, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the browned beef from the pot and place in a clean bowl or on a clean plate. Repeat with the remaining beef, adding more of the oil as needed.

3. When all the beef has been browned, add the onion to the pan. Cook over medium heat 3 minutes. Add garlic and ½ cup beef broth. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the beef and any juices that may have accumulated in the bowl. Add the remaining 1 cup broth, Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, brined green peppercorns and thyme.

5. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Add the potatoes. Simmer about 1 hour more or until the beef is very tender. Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes to thicken the stew if desired. Remove the stems from the thyme sprigs if you used fresh thyme. The stew can be made ahead of time or served without a pastry covering at this point.

6. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Spoon stew into 4 oven-proof single-serving crocks or soup bowls. Cut the puff pastry sheet into 4 squares. (You can cut it smaller or larger, or use more than one sheet, depending on the size of the bowls you are using.) Place 1 sheet of puff pastry on top of each filled bowl. Gently press to adhere to the sides of the bowl. Cut 2 to 3 slits in the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape as it bakes.

7. Place the pot pies on a baking sheet for easy transfer to the oven. Bake at 450 F 10-15 minutes or until the puff pastry is well browned. Remove from the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes. The stew under the pastry will be very hot.

Makes about 4 servings

Other recipes like this one: Beef Stew with Red Wine and Mushrooms, Beef stew with Tomatillos and Poblano Chiles, Beer Cheese Soup with Bratwurst

One year ago: Orange Butter Cookies

Carne Thurday: Beef Stew with Mushrooms

Both my husband and I grew up in homes in which the guidelines of Lenten fasting were pretty strictly enforced. While neither of us celebrate the tradition of a pre-Lent Fat Tuesday binge, we seem to have involuntarily drifted into a tradition that we now refer to as Carne Thursday. Since Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent are supposed to be free of meat eating (although fish doesn’t count…I’ll withhold my opinion on that subject), the Thursday after Ash Wednesday has us feeling almost compelled to eat meat. There’s nothing quite like being told you can’t have something to make you want it more.

This year for Carne Thursday, I made a beef stew. This one was relatively simple, flavored with red wine and mushrooms, both of which are quite compatible with red meat. I based it on a recipe in Cooking Light magazine that I had clipped ages ago, but I took out most of the process of the original recipe. That original process involved wrapping up fresh herbs in cheesecloth and marinating the beef along with those herbs in red wine. I figured that since a stew cooks low and slow for so long, I’d let the braising process itself make the flavor happen and skip the marinating step. Besides, it seemed like it would be especially messy, even for me.

I also cut down the size of the recipe, partly to avoid an inundation of leftovers (although this was great a couple days later), and partly to keep the cost of the meat more manageable. I’ve started buying a locally-raised grass-finished beef when I can, and the farm that sells theirs locally has a very nice stew beef. As it is for most people, buying more sustainable foods requires a bit of a sacrifice for me, so I try to buy less but better. You could use whatever stew meat you like, or cut up a chuck roast, which is something I often do for stew.

This stew was rich and delicious with an earthy complexity contributed by the red wine and an unhidden mushroom flavor. I used an inexpensive (very) Cabernet-Merlot blend for the wine, which I thought would work well here, but I also knew I would like to have some of the rest of the bottle in a glass to accompany the stew. I had the pleasure of using locally grown cremini mushrooms in my stew as well, and they were fabulous.

For me, a meal of stew, on Carne Thursday or otherwise, isn’t complete without biscuits on the side. In fact, I usually find myself enjoying the biscuits at least as much as the stew. That’s probably because I usually make them from a fabulous buttermilk biscuit recipe that came from Harry’s Southern grandmother. You (or perhaps y’all) just can’t beat ‘em. I’ll have to tell you about them soon!

Beef Stew with Red Wine and Mushrooms
Based on a recipe in Cooking Light, July 2008

The amount of added salt needed for this recipe will likely depend on the amount of salt in the beef broth you use. Taste the stew and decide how much it needs.

2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
1 pound beef stew meat (or chuck roast) cut into 1-2 inch pieces
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper, divided
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cut into quarters
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup dry red wine
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups beef broth

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef, ½ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside in a bowl.

2. Add the onion and carrot. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms and cook 3 minutes more, stirring frequently. Add the garlic. Cook and stir about 1 minute more.

3. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Cook and stir until the flour has coated everything. Add the wine. Cook and stir about 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

4. Add the browned beef and any juices that have accumulated in the bowl. Add the thyme, bay leaf and beef broth.

5. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and boil gently for about 1 ½ hours or until the beef is very tender. Lift the cover and stir occasionally. Tate the stew for salt and adjust if needed. (This will probably depend on how much salt is in the broth you use.)

Makes about 4 servings. Serve with biscuits and the rest of the bottle of red wine.

Other recipes like this one: Beef and Guinness Pot Pie, Beef Stew with Tomatillos and Roasted Poblano Chiles

One year ago: Parsnip Souffle with Gruyere

Two years ago: Naan with Whole Wheat Flour

Beans with Bacon and Onions

This simple bean dish is a big fat phony. It lies right to your face with its homeliness. It threatens to turn you away with a suggestion of boredom, as if it was just another bowl of beans. Its simplicity lures you into making it anyway, though, and that’s where the magic begins. The magic of bacon and onions, that is.

Yes, this is a simple bean dish, something that uses up the rest of a pot of beans you may have cooked up for something else (you can use canned beans, too), and the last few onions, and that leftover chicken broth still in the refrigerator. It’s warm and comforting on chilly nights. It lends itself to endless substitutions, tweaks, and flavor enhancements. All of those things are great characteristics of a go-to weeknight or lazy weekend recipe. But what really sold me on it was the bacon and caramelized onions. They’re magic.

This recipe is from The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider, so, as the book’s title may suggest, it comes complete with carte blanche for the cook and you really could do whatever the heck you want with it. I’ve made this many times, and probably made some kind of improvisation each time I made it. Recently, I used pinto beans, which is what I happened to have cooked and ready, but I think you could use just about any kind of bean. I used some of my homemade red wine vinegar instead of the balsamic in the printed recipe. I also elected to keep the bacon out of the stewing process because I like it to remain crisp, and sprinkled it on top of my bowl of beans at the end.

I wrote up the recipe below to reflect the way I put it together this month, but who knows what I’ll do with it another time. You certainly can take it and do what you want with it as well. Just don’t underestimate it. It might just seem like a pan of beans, but there’s nothing quite like the aroma of onions frying in bacon fat to make you believe in magic.

Stewed Beans with Bacon and Caramelized Onions
Adapted from The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider

4 ounces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
1 pound yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
½ teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
2 medium-size garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 cups cooked pinto beans (drain and rinse the beans if using canned)
2 dried bay leaves
1 ½ cups reduced or low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings.

2. Return the pan to the heat and add the onions and salt. Stir the onions in the pan until all are coated with the bacon fat. Cover and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until they appear juicy in the pan. Uncover and continue to cook until the onions are very tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. This should take about 20-25 minutes.

3. Remove about half of the onions and set aside. Add the beans, garlic, bay leaves, chicken broth, vinegar and sugar to the onions in the pan. Stir well, scraping any browned bits that are on the pan. Bring to a low boil and cook until the liquid is thick and the mixture has the consistency of a stew, about 20 minutes.

4. Remove the bay leaves and add the pepper to taste. Taste for seasoning (especially salt) and adjust as needed. Spoon into bowls and top with the reserved bacon and onions to serve.

Makes about 4 servings.


Other recipes like this one: Soup Beans; White Bean Stew with Tomatoes and Rosemary; White Bean Soup with Bacon, Squash, and Kale; White Beans with Sage and Garlic

One year ago: Yogurt Tortillas with Whole Wheat Flour

Two years ago: Black Bean and Corn Croquettes with Cilantro Cream Dipping Sauce

White Bean and Tomato Stew

These last few days, we’ve had a not-so friendly reminder that Winter is still the boss of January. The wind and the snow are throwing their weight around. The sun dares to shine pretty regularly, but only in protest. One almost feels inclined to complain.

What I’m trying to say is that it got really cold here. Like below the 0 degrees Fahrenheit line with unspeakable wind chills. Time to raid the pantry and make something hot and comforting. I went with white beans flavored with carrots, celery and bay leaf, then re-simmered with canned (of course…it’s January) tomatoes and a little sprig of rosemary.

This dish is based on a recipe I clipped from a Martha Stewart Living magazine so long ago that I don’t have any idea of its publication date. In the original, the beans were cooked with large chunks of carrots, celery and onion which were removed after the beans were cooked. I gave myself a bit more chopping and left the vegetables in for the final stage of simmering with tomatoes. I also went with diced tomatoes to save myself the step (and the dish-washing) of chopping whole tomatoes in the food processor as was suggested in the original recipe.

I wish I would have cooked the beans a little longer, since they do not really get softer in the presence of the acidic tomatoes, but otherwise this was a delightfully flavorful and comforting dish. It’s hot and hearty and savory and the little hint of rosemary flavor gained by cooking the beans and tomatoes with a whole sprig that is removed before serving is just right. Rosemary can be rather assertive, but if you like it, you could probably put in more.

I served this stew over polenta. I’m woefully inexperienced with polenta, so don’t have much advice or even a recipe to recommend. You should be able find one pretty easily in cookbooks or with the Google machine in front of you. I will say that the recipe I did use (or rather modified) simply called for “stone-ground cornmeal” which I happened to have, rather than insisting on something labeled “polenta,” which I didn’t. It seemed to work just fine and tasted like a cornbread pudding. Even more comfort for a cold, cold day, or rather series of days. While the cold kept coming, this recipe made plenty of leftovers.

White Bean Stew with Tomatoes and Rosemary
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living magazine

1 pound small dried white beans, such as Navy or Great Northern
1 medium onion, finely chopped, divided
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium celery stalk, diced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt, plus more to taste
2 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (about 4-5 inch) sprig fresh rosemary
½ cup water
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)

1. Rinse the beans and remove any stones, dirt or broken beans. Place the beans in a large pot or bowl. Cover with water by several inches. Cover and soak overnight (or at least 8 hours).

2. Drain the beans. Place the beans in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add half of the onion, the carrot, celery and bay leaf. Cover with water by at least 4 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and boil gently until the beans are tender, but not yet falling apart, about 1 hour.

3. Drain the beans and vegetables. Discard the bay leaf. Rinse and dry the cooking pot.

4. Pour the olive oil in the pot and heat over medium heat. Add the remaining onion and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook and stir until the onion is tender but not browned, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir about 30 seconds more.

5. Add the cooked bean mixture, rosemary, water and tomatoes (do not drain the tomatoes, but add the entire contents of the can). Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until the tomato sauce has thickened slightly. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig. Taste for salt and stir in more if desired.

Makes 8 or more servings. This is good served over polenta.

Other recipes like this one: White Bean Soup with Bacon, Squash and Kale; White Bean Soup with Fresh Herbs

One year ago: Garlic-Salt Paste (Technique)

Two years ago: Spaghetti Squash Salad with Greek Flavors

Kicking off the Season

I have neither a ticket to the hometown game (be it football or late-season baseball), nor a pickup truck in which to celebrate it, so I do my tailgating in the comfort of my own living room. This means that while I enjoy a pre-kickoff meal of grilled bratwurst or burgers as much as the next fan, I can also make a long-cooking beef stew.

I know, stew again. Yes, I just posted a stew recipe, and it was kind of ugly. Well, this one went a little better. This time the crust that formed on the bottom of the pot earned the label of fond as revered by French chefs (or “black stuff,” as it is affectionately known by Harry and his brothers). It was the dark and rich foundation of a tangy beef stew.

Not only did I want to prove that I could make a stew without burning it, but I wanted to post this before the weekend arrived, in case you needed some inspiration for your own tailgate party, whether it takes place in your home or in a stadium parking lot. I made this Beef Stew with Tomatillos and Poblano Chiles to celebrate the kickoff of the NFL season on Thursday night.

I was not only inspired by the beginning of the autumn sporting season, however, but by a lovely bunch of tomatillos in our CSA box. Tomatillos are kind of like a green tomato, although they’re actually related to gooseberries. Since I know next to nothing about gooseberries, however, I tend to treat them more like tomatoes. They taste and smell like a cross between under-ripe tomatoes and Granny Smith apples, and they’re great as a base of salsas or in chili and stew.

Tomatillos need to have their papery husks removed and a sticky coating scrubbed off of their skin before they’re ready for the stew pot. In this recipe, they are then chopped up and added to the stew to cook away and form a tangy base for the beef, potatoes and peppers. The poblano peppers in this stew are significantly spicier than, say, a bell pepper, which they resemble, though they are darker green in color. They do not come close to the intensity of the smaller chiles, however, such as jalapenos or serranos. I grilled them and peeled them using the method I would use for a red bell pepper, as I did in this post. (Since my hands tend to burn hours later when handling even mild chiles, I used rubber gloves to handle the poblanos.) The resulting tender flesh sort of melts into the stew, giving it a slow burn of chile spice.

This stew does take a long time to make, but most of that time is hands-off. It might even be a good candidate for a make-ahead slow-cooker meal. I used some of my waiting time to make cornbread and pico de gallo as well as to get acquainted with my new blender and whip up a couple of margaritas to accompany the stew. Now it’s a party, tailgate or no tailgate.

Beef Stew with Tomatillos and Roasted Poblano Chiles
Adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light magazine.

2 poblano chiles
1 pound tomatillos
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, divided, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into about 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic (depending on their size), minced
1 (12-ounce) bottle dark beer (such as Negra Modelo)
2 cups beef broth (I used reduced sodium)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped into about 1-inch cubes

1. Preheat a broiler or grill. If using the broiler, place the whole poblano chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil or grill, turning the peppers as each section gets charred until the skin of the peppers is blackened and blistered all over.

2. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. The peppers will steam themselves, allowing the skin to be removed. Let stand for 20 minutes or until the peppers are cool enough to handle easily. Remove the peppers from the bowl and peel off the blackened skins. Use rubber gloves if your hands are sensitive to chile peppers. Remove the stem, seeds, and membranes from the peppers. Chop and set aside. You can do this up to a few days ahead and store the roasted peppers in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3. Remove the papery husks from the tomatillos. Wash them well and scrub off any sticky residue on their skin. Chop and set aside.

4. Mix together the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper on a large plate or a shallow bowl. Dredge the stew meat in the flour mixture to coat.

5. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the stew meat in a single layer and brown on all sides. Remove the browned meat from the pan and set aside. You will need to do this in at least two batches. Add an additional tablespoon of oil as needed.

6. When all of the meat has been browned, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the onion and green bell pepper and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. The onions will begin to appear translucent.

7. Stir in the garlic. Add the beer and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the beef broth, oregano, cumin and coriander. Stir in the beef, tomatillos and roasted poblanos. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat. Boil gently for 1 hour.

8. Uncover the pan and add the potatoes and remaining teaspoon salt. Boil gently, uncovered for about 1 hour and 30 minutes more, or until the potatoes and beef are tender. Taste them to determine if they are done. Also taste for salt and add more if desired.

Makes about 6 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Chorizo and Chipotle Chili, Beef and Guinness Pot Pie

One year ago: Bean Dip with Sour Cream, Salsa and Cheese

Adapted from The Original

I had set aside a recipe for a pork stew with dried apricots to try soon. Actually, what attracted me to the recipe was neither the pork nor the apricots, but the generous amount of parsnips for which it called. I’ve been carefully storing parsnips from our CSA (okay, so they’re jammed somewhere amongst the other long-storing root vegetables on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator) for a few months and wanted to use them up.

I don’t remember exactly how it came to me, probably from reading Indian and vegetarian cookbooks, but I thought perhaps I could replace the pork with chickpeas. I had more dried chickpeas in the cupboard (a couple bags from the bulk bins totaling roughly three pounds) than I did pork in the freezer (roughly none), so this seemed to be the simplest (and most frugal) thing to do.

Since I was using dried chickpeas, I decided to cook them along with the other vegetables (onions, celery, carrots and parsnips). For me, the key to working with dried chickpeas is soaking them for plenty of time, at least overnight and usually for 12 hours or so, so that they are fully rehydrated. Only when they can be popped in my mouth and chewed like a vegetable rather than breaking my teeth like a rock do I put them to the heat.

I’ve heard from and read in many sources that beans should not be cooked with salt or acids until near the end of the cooking time. The beans can become tough and will never reach the creamy state we’re looking for. While I’ve never tested this myself, I’m sacrificing nothing by going along with conventional wisdom in this case (not always my preferred practice). I resisted the temptation to salt the vegetables while they sautéed, and waited until the chickpeas were nearly cooked to add the tomato paste.

The pork may not be essential to this pork and apricot stew, but the dried apricots sure are. They add a sweet and tangy fruitiness that I enhanced with some lemon juice. I like to use California dried apricots as opposed to the Turkish variety. They are darker in color, more leathery, and less plump, but they are also more tart, fruity and flavorful. I think the Turkish apricots, which are probably both easier to find and more economical, would also work in this stew. The result is likely to be a little sweeter.

After I replaced the sage, thyme and black pepper with a little oregano, lots of cumin and some hot red pepper flakes, this dish no longer much resembled the original inspiration recipe. After a few spoonfuls, however, my interest in the pork stew diminished to mere fleeting curiosity. The chickpeas are hearty and the broth is sturdy but light and a little tangy. The carrots, parsnips and chewy bits of apricot make it a little sweet, but by no means cloying. I served it with a homemade naan flatbread (a recipe I hope to post later this week) that was great for dipping in the yummy broth and sopping up all the last little puddles at the bottom of the bowl. This recipe makes a huge pot of stew, and I’m looking forward to revisiting it a few more times this week. I don’t expect the pork to show up any time soon.

Chickpea Stew with Dried Apricots

12 ounces dried chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups chopped peeled parsnips (about 1-inch chunks)
2 cups chopped peeled carrots (about 1-inch chunks)
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup chopped dried apricots (preferably California apricots)
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1. To prepare the chickpeas, rinse them well, remove any debris or bad-looking chickpeas and place in a large pot or bowl. Fill the vessel with water to cover the chickpeas by a few inches. Cover and let stand at room temperature at least 8 hours (no more than 24 hours). When the chickpeas are completely rehydrated, drain them well and discard the soaking water.

2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, parsnips and carrots. Saute until the vegetables begin to soften and the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring often.

3. Add the drained chickpeas, 6 cups water, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover and cook at a low boil for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chickpeas are almost tender.

4. Add the tomato paste, apricots, 2 teaspoons salt, cumin, oregano and red pepper flakes. Return to a boil and cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until the broth has thickened somewhat and the chickpeas and vegetables are very tender.

5. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste the stew for saltiness. Add more salt if desired. Remove the bay leaves. Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

Makes about 8 servings.