Potato Stew with Olives, Mushrooms, Bacon & Onions...

Inspired by a Recipe from Michel Richard's Happy in the Kitchen


I don't like stew. I don't like wet stew. I don't like photographs of stew. But you, ugly, dry stew, I do like you. You are my easier, less fussy, slightly healthier version of Michel Richard's Potato Stew and I do love you. You are the stew where I use small potatoes instead of wasting time and vegetable turning larger potatoes into spherical rounds. You are the stew where I use slices of bacon cut lardon-style instead of a slab because it's not only easier to find, it disperses itself more equally through the dish as well. You are the stew where I decide that at $10 per mushroom I am not going to use Porcinis because cheaper King Trumpets and Portobellos taste quite delicious instead. You are the stew where I can easily leave out the sugar and cut down on the oil so you fit in with my healthier eating plan. You are the stew who tastes more savoury and meaty than a mere two rashers of bacon would ever have you believe. You are the stew who is a perfect foil to cold, wet, miserable weather. You are the stew I make again and again. You, stew, are the stew for me. Are you the stew for you too?

Ingredients
2 lbs small potatoes (substituting half these potatoes for sun chokes works too).
3 oz tasty black pitted olives
1/2 lb portobello mushrooms
1/2 lb king trumpet mushrooms
2 rashers of good, thick bacon (add much more bacon if you like!)
1 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch Madras curry powder (I made mine using this recipe from Coconut & Lime)
1/2 cup shallots
A few sprigs of time
12 large garlic cloves, peeled,
1/2 cup reduced chicken, goose or duck stock
Freshly ground black pepper
Fleur de Sel

Method:
- Heat up your your oven to 325F.
-Peel potatoes (and sunchokes if you are substituting any of the potatoes with them) and put aside in a bowl of cold water.
- Put pitted olives in a small pan, cover with cold water and then bring to the boil.
- Drain, rinse, repeat.
- Cut Portobellos into thick slices and King Trumpets into halves.
- Cut bacon into lardon style pieces.
- Peel the shallots
- Find out a frying pan or skillet large enough to fit all the mushrooms without any overlap, if possible.
- Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over high heat. Add the bacon lardons and fry for a couple of minutes to render out some of its fat.
- Remove the bacon from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
- Add all the mushroom pieces cut-side down into the hot frying pan, sprinkle with madras and leave without turning for 3-4 minutes until they are golden brown on one side only.
- Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set the aside on a plate too.
- Turn the heat down to low and add the shallots to the pan. Cook gently until caramelized on the outside.
- Drain the potatoes and pat them dry with paper towel.
- In a large Le Creuset or oven proof casserole dish with a lid, put the drained olives, mushrooms, bacon, potatoes, thyme, garlic, stock, salt and pepper.
- Close the lid and cook in the 325F oven, centre shelf for one hour.
- Open up the lid and baste all of the vegetables and meat in their own juices before returning to the oven with the lid on for a further 45 minutes.
- When the vegtables are glazed and tender and the liquid has reduced, the stew is cooked. Leave it in a warm place to allow the flavours to mingle before serving with fleur de sel and pepper to taste.


This healthier version of M. Richard's stew serves 4 people at a cost of 7 WeightWatcher [WW] Points per person.




?Have YOU made any recipes from Happy in the Kitchen? If yes, how did you get on with Michel Richard's book?

In addition to the Potato stew [page 26], I have had enormous success with the Leek Tartare [page 97] and the Thyme Glazed Baby Back Ribs [page 210] all of which I have made several times. Despite being somewhat expensive to make, the 'shroomwhich [page 56] was a hit at the first ever Samanda dinner party. And although they didn't turn out quite as large as I expected, the Orange Cheesecake flans [page 264] which I made a lighter version of, without crust, went down extremely well when I served them up for a friend's birthday dinner. There are several other recipes in the book I can't wait to try, too. How about you?


Local Resources
Bacon and Duck stock from The Fatted Calf
Potatoes from David Little
Shallots from Dirty Girl
Garlic from Chue's Farm
Thyme from Eatwell
Olive Oil from Bariani
Mushrooms from Far West Funghi

Other people cook from Happy in the Kitchen
Happy in the Kitchen experiences on Chowhound
Chicken Faux Gras by Little Bouffe
Thyme Glazed ribs also by Little Bouffe
An Entire Happy in the Kitchen feast including Low Carb-o-nara by The District Domestic
Happy Kid Pudding by MaiaPapaya
Foie Gras Brulee from Veronica's Test Kitchen
Filet Mignon with Simple Syrah Sauce by Other People's Food
Carrot Ribbon Salad with Aromatic Spices, Mint, and Oranges from Jumbo Empanadas
Lamburger by Other People's Food
Chicken Faux Gras by Jaden's Steamy Kitchen
Reconstructed Lemon Egg by Wine & Dine

More Michel Richard
Q&A: Michel Richard [Washington Post]
His Collard Greens and Lentils by the Wednesday Chef



Archives
2007 | Overheard at the Fancy Food Show
2006 | The Hungry Hedonist
2005 | Moshi Moshi visit #1

© 2008 Sam Breach

Potato Stew with Olives, Mushrooms, Bacon & Onions...