Spicy Lamb and White Bean Chili

Chili never wins any beauty contests. This week I was still attracted to this recipe from the New York Times. It's easy to find mince lamb in England and I do love beans--in this instance, I used a mixture of butter, haricot, and cannellini beans. Poblano peppers, on the other hand, are not something you can find even in the most exotic supermarket in the UK. I modified the peppers in the recipe to include a bell pepper (to replace the poblano), a green chilli, and a small piece of Scotch bonnet (chopped as tiny as you dare to imagine.)

I also believe that good chili has depth of flavour. To bring that out, I added 2 Tbsp of white wine vinegar at the beginning and the juice of half a lime just before serving. The importance of the lime, coriander, and yogurt for this recipe cannot be overstated. The yogurt in particular does not diminish the spice so much as spread it out evenly along your palate.

As for preparation, I made mine a day in advance and refrigerated it in my dutch oven until I was ready to serve it. Chili only gets better the longer the ingredients get to know each other.

Fried Cornbread

Last week I bought a couple of kilos of cornmeal and have been looking for something to do with it. Yesterday afternoon, I thought about another distinctly Southern dish from my childhood: fried cornbread. They're super simple.

Ingredients

• 1 c. cornmeal
• 1/2 c. self-rising flour (add 1/2 tsp salt if you are in the UK)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• milk
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced or one finely chopped Scotch bonnet (optional)
• diced onions, shallots or scallions (optional)
• 50g grated cheddar cheese

1. Combine cornmeal, flour, egg, and vegetable oil in a bowl. Add enough milk to make a batter. (Just mix in a little bit at a time and pay attention to the consistency.) Stir in your jalapeños and onions.
2. Heat a skillet with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat.
3. Using a 1/4 c. measure (or thereabouts), spoon out the batter into the skillet.
4. When the cornbread starts to look dry around the edges, they're ready to flip.

These are great with something that has a broth with them (beans, etc.) We often have them around New Years with black-eyed peas and collard greens.

Gambas al Ajillo

An excursion to Di Bruno Bros. awakened a latent passion for this Spanish classic. For many years gambas al ajillo had been a personal favourite of mine at Dali Restaurant and Tapas Bar in Somerville, Massachusetts. The dish was such a delight that I never forwent ordering it--despite the effects of consuming large quantities of garlic--simply for social niceties. But now, left to our own devices many miles from Boston, we were guided in our 'at-home' version by the fine folks at Cooks Illustrated. Here's how we did it:

Ingredients:
14 cloves of garlic (2 minced, 4 sliced, and 8 sliced)
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and vein removed
6 Tbsp and 2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 bay leaf
3-5 crushed red chillies (and 1-3 whole for garnish)
1 tsp sherry vinegar or 2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp fresh parsley

1. Place the 1 lb of shrimp, kosher salt, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a bowl. Toss and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
   
   
2. Gently cook 4 cloves of sliced garlic in 6 Tbsp of olive oil in a 12" skillet on medium low. When the slices are a light golden colour, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon. This will infuse the oil with a sweet garlic flavour. Place the pan aside until the shrimp have finished marinating.
   
   
3. Slice the remaining 8 cloves of garlic and put them into the skillet on low heat with a bay leaf and the red chillies until the slices are tender, not brown. Increase the heat to medium low and add the shrimp. Cook until the oil bubbles gently (about 2 minutes) and then flip the shrimp over and cook for another 2 minutes. Then turn the heat up to high. Add the vinegar or lemon juice and the fresh parsley. Cook until boiling vigorously (15–20 seconds). Serve immediately.

*Do note that long after the shrimp are gone, the remaining oil and golden pieces of garlic are simply divine on a fresh piece of bread--have some on hand.