HEN AND CHICKS: VARIATIONS
One neat thing to do with an everyday, basic, all-time-favorite recipe is to put spins on it, adding to or tinkering with it so it’s not only different, it’s exciting again.
I call this “hen and chicks”—the hen being the main recipe, the chicks its many variations.
For instance, you can take a classic hummus—plain ol’ garbanzo beans mushed up with garlic, lemon juice, tahini and olive oil, and vary it several ways. Mash ripe avocado and herbs into it; whip in some beet juice and ricotta cheese; or some puréed sweet potato and curry powder; or some mashed cooked carrot and pumpkin spice (a good turn for this fall.)
Today’s recipe is famed in the history of the food section of The Denver Post, former food editor Helen Dollaghan’s “Five Hour Stew.” It’s the “hen” here.
One chick, beef “burgundy”: Omit one potato; add a sprinkling of rendered pork lardons or bacon, 1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence, and 1 1/2 cups button mushrooms.
Two chick, sweet and savory: Add 1 cup dried, pitted prunes and 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh, plucked thyme leaves.
Three chick, Thai: Drop the potatoes; at the halfway mark, add 1 seeded and chopped serrano (or small hot red pepper), or more to taste, 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, a few leaves of Asian basil and 3 tablespoons lime juice.
Four chick, Indian: Substitute for the beef the same weight in cut-up, skinned chicken thighs; add 1 tablespoon garam masala and 1 teaspoon curry powder (or more of both to taste); swirl in 3/4 cup plain yogurt to finish.
Five chick, Middle Eastern: Substitute for the beef the same weight in cut-up, lean lamb; add 6 minced cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
To pull off “hen and chicks” in your kitchen, consider variations that add sweetness (such as dried fruit), or savory that add aromatics and flavor notes (such as herbs or grated cheese), or that capture cooking from other cultures (Greek? Lemon juice and oregano. Asian? Lime juice, chilis, green herbs. South American? Corn, chilis, lime juice).
What follows this beef stew recipe is a stew made with pork shoulder, with its Caribbean twist and from the great New York Times cooking section. You can imagine a plain pork shoulder stew as the “hen” and this “Brown Stew Pork Shoulder” as its “chick.” By the way, it is terrifically delicious.
RECIPE: Five-Hour Stew
From “Helen Dollaghan’s Best Main Dishes,” recipe first published in The Denver Post Spring 1967
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless round steak, trimmed of fat and cut in 1-inch cubes
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Pepper to taste
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut in eighths
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut in 2-inch pieces
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
1/2 medium green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 slice white bread with crusts, torn into small pieces
Directions
Mix together steak, tomato sauce, water, salt, and pepper in a Dutch oven. Add all remaining ingredients and mix well. (Meat need not be browned first for this recipe.) Bake, tightly covered, in a preheated 250-degree oven for 5 hours or until meat is tender and vegetables are done. Stir once or twice. Serves 6 or more.
RECIPE: Brown Stew Pork Shoulder
From cooking.nytimes.com: "In the Caribbean, brown stew is a staple and this recipe showcases why it's a classic West Indian comfort food. The name comes from the dark hue, usually attained through the burned sugar essence, or browning, at its base. Here, the chef Ricky Moore of Saltbox Seafood Joint, in Durham, N.C., achieves the deep rich color from the inclusion of Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. The slow-simmered pork shoulder acquires complexity from sweet allspice, woodsy thyme and the fruity fire of Scotch bonnet. Lively bursts of pungency from the addition of ketchup and apple cider vinegar, plus pockets of sweetness from carrots and bell peppers complete this rich, well-rounded stew." Serves 8.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 large carrots, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 bell peppers (any color), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 Scotch bonnet pepper (whole)
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup sliced scallions (about 3 scallions)
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, allspice, black pepper and 1 tablespoon salt until combined. Add the pork, rubbing all over to ensure that each cube is coated with the marinade.
In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high until shimmering, then add the meat and sear until all the sides are well browned. (You may need to work in two batches.) Transfer the seared pork to a plate.
Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until they are soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Return pork and any juices to the pot and add the carrots, bell peppers, Scotch bonnet pepper, bay leaves, thyme, ketchup, vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour the chicken stock over the stew and stir to combine, taking care not to break the Scotch bonnet pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the pork is fork tender, about 2 hours.
Remove and discard the bay leaves and the Scotch bonnet pepper (it should be shriveled and wilted but still intact). Taste and adjust the amount of salt. Garnish with scallions.