Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders - Emeril Lagasse [38]
2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups veal stock or canned low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon whole allspice
5 whole cloves
Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks
4 bay leaves
1 habanero chile, pierced with the tip of a paring knife
1½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-to 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, combine the pepper, ground allspice, and 4 teaspoons of the salt. Season the oxtails all over with the salt mixture. Working in batches, add the oxtails to the Dutch oven and cook until well browned on all sides, adding a bit more oil if necessary, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the seared oxtails to a platter and repeat with the remaining oxtails.
3. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt to the Dutch oven and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits, until the vegetables are soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, green onion, and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Place the whole allspice, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in a small piece of cheesecloth and secure with twine. Add the spice bag to the Dutch oven along with the bay leaves and habanero. Return the oxtails to the Dutch oven, bring the liquid to a boil, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the oxtails are nearly tender, 2 to 2½ hours, turning them after 1 hour.
4. Add the sweet potatoes and cook until the meat and potatoes are fork-tender, about 1 hour longer. Remove the lid and discard the spice bag, bay leaves, and habanero chile (if desired). Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.
4 to 6 servings
BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHICKPEA TAGINE
A tagine is a slow-cooked North African stew, and it’s also the name of the traditional cooking vessel in which it is prepared. Typically made of earthenware, a tagine has a distinctive conical lid that ensures the simmering juices remain inside. Most often the dish is made of meat and vegetables, but here we have a slight twist: chickpeas and vegetables braise with raisins, apricots, and aromatic saffron. Don’t worry if you don’t have the traditional pot; it is easily made in your Dutch oven.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1½ cups small-diced onion
1 cup small-diced carrot
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
1½ cups peeled and diced sweet potato
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup small-diced dried apricots (about 4 ounces)
4 saffron threads, crumbled between your fingers
4 cilantro sprigs, tied together with twine
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
Two 14.5-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chopped Simple Preserved Lemons (Simple Preserved Lemons)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
½ cup small-diced red bell pepper
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Grated zest of 1 lemon
10 ounces couscous
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a tagine or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, and crushed red pepper and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the butternut squash and sweet potato and cook for 7 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, raisins, dried apricots, saffron, cilantro sprigs, 2 teaspoons of the kosher salt, and 2 cups of the stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Add the chickpeas and preserved lemon and cook for 30 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and sprinkle half of the parsley over the top. Set aside while you prepare the