Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders - Emeril Lagasse [81]
1 large smoked ham hock (14 to 16 ounces), skin scored
4 cups sliced yellow onion
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
One 12-ounce bottle amber beer, such as Abita amber
½ cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 3-inch lengths
1 pound bratwurst, garlic, or other fresh sausage, cut into 3-inch lengths
1 pound new potatoes (about 2 inches in diameter), halved (quartered if large)
Coarse-grain mustard, for serving (optional)
Crusty bread, for serving (optional)
1. Taste the drained sauerkraut; if it is excessively salty, rinse briefly under cool running water and drain. Transfer to the crock of a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet and add the bacon and ham hock. Cook until the bacon is crisp and the fat has rendered, about 4 minutes. Add the onion, pepper, and salt to the hot skillet and cook, stirring the onion and turning the hock occasionally, until the slits in the hock have opened up and the onion is golden around the edges, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer the hock and bacon-onion mixture to the slow cooker, nestling the hock down into the sauerkraut. Return the hot skillet to the heat and deglaze the pan with the beer, scraping to release any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the beer and any browned bits over the sauerkraut-onion mixture in the slow cooker. Add the stock and bay leaves, cover the slow cooker, set the temperature to high, and cook, undisturbed, for 1½ hours.
3. While the sauerkraut is cooking, return the same skillet to the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the casings of the sausages on both sides. When the oil is hot, brown the sausages, on both sides, in batches if necessary, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover lightly, and set aside until ready to use.
4. When the sauerkraut has cooked for 1½ hours, remove the lid and stir briefly, then add the potatoes and nestle them down into the sauerkraut. Top with the browned sausages, cover, and cook, undisturbed, for 2½ hours longer, or until the ham hock and potatoes are fork-tender and the sauerkraut is flavorful. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Transfer the sausages and hock to a serving platter. (Pull the meat off the hock for serving if desired.) Remove the bay leaves. Serve the sauerkraut and sausages together, with a dollop of coarse-grain mustard and pieces of crusty bread.
6 to 8 servings
BRAISED MEATBALL AND CHICKPEA PITA WITH YOGURT-GARLIC SAUCE
A sandwich from a slow cooker? Now that’s different! Assemble and brown the meatballs, toss them in the slow cooker, and go run your errands. It’s a perfect no-work weekend meal in a snap. And I don’t have to tell you how good this is.
¼ cup vegetable oil
One 10-ounce bag prewashed spinach
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
2 slices white bread
½ cup whole milk
1/3 cup minced onion
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1½ teaspoons chopped garlic
1½ teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
¼ teaspoon cayenne
2 pounds lean ground beef or lamb
Two 14-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
6 pita breads, warmed, for serving
Thinly sliced red onion, for serving
Yogurt-Garlic Sauce (recipe follows), for serving
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the spinach, black pepper, and ½ teaspoon of the salt and cook for 1½ minutes (the spinach should not be fully cooked). Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir the spinach for 30 seconds longer, until nicely wilted. Set the spinach and the juices in a strainer set over a bowl and allow the spinach to drain. When the spinach is cool enough to handle, chop it and set it aside. Add the reserved juices and stock to