Read The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever Online
Authors: Susie Cushner
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3 pounds chicken bones, or 1 whole stewing hen, rinsed and cut up
1 large onion, quartered
1 carrot (leave skin on), cut into 1-inch chunks
1 rib celery, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme, or teaspoon dried thyme
3 quarts cold water
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
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For a deep, rich broth, roast the bones and vegetables before proceeding to step 2. A long, slow simmer of at least 3 hours is essential for a flavorful broth. For a clearer one, avoid boiling.
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3 to 4 pounds meaty beef bones, such as short ribs or shank, tail, and/or neck bones
1 large onion (leave skin on), roughly chopped (see
The Onion Skin
)
3 large carrots (leave skin on), roughly chopped
3 stalks celery, including leaves, roughly chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
8 whole black peppercorns
4 sprigs fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 cloves garlic (optional)
4 quarts water
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NOTE:
The onion skin will add color to the broth.
Vegetable broth is perfect for vegetarian dishes. If you wish, collect the ingredients in resealable plastic bags and freeze until you have time to make this flavorful broth. To further concentrate the flavor, simmer the finished broth until it is reduced to 4 cups. Add water, cream, or milk to thin it when you use it in a sauce.
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1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups potato peels from scrubbed potatoes
1 large onion (leave skin on), coarsely chopped (see
Basic Beef Broth
)
1 cup coarsely chopped mushrooms
2 stalks celery, including leaves, coarsely chopped
2 large carrots (leave skin on), coarsely chopped
1 bunch green onions (white and green parts), coarsely chopped
6 to 8 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch fresh parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
3 quarts water
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Many recipes suggest that you “serve over hot fluffy rice.” Here is a basic recipe that will provide four
1
/
2
-cup servings.
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1
3
/
4
cups water
3
/
4
teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil (optional)
1 cup white or brown rice
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Perfectly cooked wild rice is tender, but not entirely opened up. When wild rice is overcooked, it almost explodes into curly, white grains and gets mushy. Wild rice is the seed of a wild grass. It complements all sorts of main courses, from beef to fish. I seldom mix it with another type of rice because the cooking times will vary. In fact, the cooking time may vary from one package of wild rice to the next, depending on how the rice was processed, meaning how much the grain has been dried.
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2
/
3
cup wild rice
2
1
/
2
cups water
1
/
2
to 1 teaspoon salt
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You can use this recipe to cook any variety of beans. If time is short, use the “quick soak” method, but if possible, soak the beans overnight. Extra cooked beans can be frozen for later use.
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1 pound dried beans (about 2 cups)
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Quick method:
Rinse and sort the beans in a large pot and add 6 to 8 cups hot water, covering the beans by at least 2 inches. Bring to a rapid boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans and put them back in the pot. Add hot water to cover the beans by 2 inches, bring to a simmer, and simmer gently, with the lid tilted slightly, until the beans are tender, about 1
1
/
2
to 2 hours.
Overnight method:
Rinse and sort the beans in a large pot. Add 6 to 8 cups cold water or enough to cover the beans by 2 inches. Let stand overnight for at least 6 to 8 hours. Drain and rinse the beans. Put them back in the pot and add 6 cups hot water or enough to cover the beans by 2 inches. Simmer gently, with the lid tilted slightly, until the beans are tender, about 1
1
/
2
to 2 hours.
To make it easy to use the beans, cool them completely, separate into 2-cup batches, and freeze in plastic bags for later use.
Caramelized onions are delicious baked over chicken breasts (See
Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Onions
). They are also delicious on grilled hamburgers and open-faced sandwiches. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare them. A bit of brown sugar gives the onions a start on sweetness. Some cooks like to make a heaping skillet full of onions. They cook down as they brown. If you make these ahead of time so they’re ready to use, pack them in freezer bags or containers, marked with the date and amount.
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2 tablespoons butter
2 large sweet onions (about 2 pounds), thinly sliced
2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
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Including lemon juice and egg in the dough is an old-fashioned trick for making a flaky pastry. Use this recipe for pies with savory or sweet fillings. For a double-crust pie, double all of the ingredients except the egg; replace the egg yolk with 1 whole large egg.
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3
/
4
cup all-purpose flour
1
/
4
teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled butter or lard
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
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Variation:
Whole-Wheat Pastry: Substitute
3
/
4
cup whole-wheat flour for
3
/
4
cup of the all-purpose flour in the recipe.
Here’s how to cook eggs and avoid the green ring around the yolk.
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Large eggs
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NOTES:
To make chilled eggs easier to shell, bring some water to a boil in a saucepan. Plunge the eggs in the boiling water for 10 seconds, remove, and put them in ice water.
To shell the eggs, tap them on the countertop to crack the shells all over. Remove the shells, beginning at the flatter end of the egg.
One good reason to make your own taco seasoning mix is that you can control what is in it. If you wish, you can make it less spicy by reducing the cayenne pepper or more spicy by adding more.
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2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika