Baeckeoffe Food

POTATO, TURNIP, AND SPINACH BAECKEOFFE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add mushrooms to pan, and sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add wine; cook 2 minutes. Add parsley, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and cook 6 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Remove from heat; discard thyme. Add cream cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Remove mushroom mixture from pan. Wipe pan clean with paper towels.
• Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium; continue cooking for 15 minutes or until deep golden brown, stirring frequently. Set aside.
• Coat a 6-cup baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange potato slices in dish, and top with spinach. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper evenly over spinach.
• Spoon the mushroom mixture over black pepper, and arrange turnip slices over mushroom mixture. Top with caramelized onions; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and tarragon.
• Pour whipping cream over tarragon, and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender and cheese begins to brown.

BAECKEOFFE (MEAT AND POTATOES CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• Place the meats in a large bowl with the onions, carrots and garlic. Add the thyme, bay leaves, parsley, cloves, peppercorns and salt. Pour the wine over and stir. Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate 12 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Peel and wash the potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Drain the meat, reserving the vegetables and the marinade. Arrange a layer of the potatoes in a 2 qt flameproof, earthenware pot with tight fitting lid. Scatter some vegetables from the marinade over the potato layer, then add a layer of meat. Continue alternating layers, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Pour the marinade over the potatoes.
• Lutage - This is the method of sealing the lid so that no evaporation can take place. In a small bowl, mix enough water with the flour to produce a smooth, thick paste. Roll it into a long sausage shape and place it around the edge of the pot. Place the lid firmly on the pot, pressing down to ensure a perfect seal.
• Bake for 3 hours. Remove the pot from the oven and break the circle of pastry. Carefully remove the lid. Serve the baeckeoffe directly from the pot with a loaf of crusty bread.

BAECKEOFFE

Steps:

• The day before:Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and put them in large nonreactive container with the pig's feet.Toss with the salt, pepper, herbs, garlic, celery leaves, and parsley. Moisten with the wine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.Assembling and cooking: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Select a large ovenproof casserole with a lid. Grease the bottom and sides with the butter lard. Lay the pig's feet on the bottom and cover with half the potatoes, onions, leeks, and carrots. Remove the meat from the marinade and add, covering it with the remaining vegetables, ending with the potatoes. Strain the marinade through a sieve and pour the liquid over the contents of the pot. If necessary, add some extra wine or water to bring the liquid barely to the top of the vegetables.Work the sealing paste ingredients into a dough and roll this out into a rope long enough to wrap around the casserole. Press it firmly against the join between the lid and the casserole. Put the sealed pot intro the oven and cook for 1 hour. At this point, reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue cooking for 1 1/2 hours more.For the most dramatic presentation, bring the casserole to the table, set it on a trivet, and break away the seal with the edge of a table knife. Otherwise, of course, this can be done in the kitchen and servings of the baeckeoffe brought to the table in shallow bowls. Serve with green salad, a loaf of crusty bread, and some of the same white wine used for making the marinade.

BAECKEOFFE / LAUNDRY DAY STEW OF BEEF, PORK, AND LAMB

Steps:

• In a large bowl or very large plastic bag with a secure seal, mix together the onions, leeks, carrot, garlic, bay leaves, juniper berries, thyme, parsley, wine, beef, pork, lamb, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Mix well, seal, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. Mix the meats and marinade occasionally; if they are in a bag, just turn it over once or twice.
• When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350°. Smear the olive oil all over the bottom of a 6- or 8-quart Dutch oven.
• Peel the potatoes if you like; using a mandoline, slice them thinly and season well with salt and pepper. Do not wash the potatoes after slicing. The potato starch thickens the broth. Cover the bottom of the pot with half of them. Strain the solids and meat from the marinade, reserving both separately. Spread the meats and vegetables on top of the potatoes and then top with the remaining potatoes. Carefully pour the reserved marinade over the potatoes. If the liquid does not cover the top of the potatoes, add more wine or water until they are just covered.
• Cover the pot and bring the stew to a gentle simmer on top of the stove. Place the pot in the oven and bake until the meats are very tender, about 3 1/2 hours. Serve, directly from the casserole, in warm, generously sized soup plates.