French Fries and a French Stew

Before a night out at the local pub, it's always a good rule of thumb to fill up on some good, hearty food. Last Saturday night, I prepared one of my favorite French stews (my recipe is inspired by one of Julia Child, whom I totally admire) and a lovely plate of russet and sweet potato fries. Jay and I invited our friends, Abby and Will, over for dinner and drinks before going out. Filled up and ready for a good time, we all enjoyed very nice night out.

Russet and Sweet Potato Fries with Spicy Caper Aioli and Chipotle Ketchup

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, stir together 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teapoon ancho chile powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; set aside. Place 3 medium russet potatoes and 2 large sweet potatoes in the preheated oven. Bake for 45  minutes, or until a bit soft but not totally cooked through. Cool for about 15 minutes or until easy to handle.

2. Meanwhile, make the dips: For the aioli, in a small bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 heaping tablespoon tiny capers, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, and 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce (or more if you like it really spicy). On your cutting board, mince 1 clove garlic. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt overtop the minced garlic, then use the side of your knife to mash the salt and minced garlic into a paste; add to mayonnaise mixture. Cover and chill until ready to serve. For the ketchup, in small bowl, stir together 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (minced) and 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar,  1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 shallot (minced). Cover and set aside until ready to serve.

3. When the partially-cooked potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into wedges and place them on a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle 2 or 3 tablespoon olive oil  and sprinkle the seasoning mixture over top the potato wedges; toss to coat evenly. Return the potatoes to the 375 F oven, and bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until they are browned and crispy. Serve with the ketchup and aioli. 

Annie's Ragout de Porc 

You don't brown the meat first for this stew, so it has a really subtle but complex flavor. And if you use lean pork, it's really quite healthy. You will need to marinate the pork for 4 hours and then cook the stew for 3 to 4 hours, so it is necessary to plan ahead for this one.

1. In a large bowl, combine about 2 cups white wine, a splash of dry sherry, a couple splashes brandy, a good dollop olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, 3 bay leaves (slightly crumbled), 3 cloves of garlic (chopped), onion (halved and sliced), 3 large carrots (sliced), 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Add 2 to 3 pounds of pork shoulder, sirloin, or loin pieces (1 inch cubes). Cover, chill, and marinate for 4 hours.

2. After marinating, preheat the oven to 325 F. Drain the liquid from the meat and the vegetables using a sieve; reserve the liquid for later. Fill a shallow bowl or pie plate with about 1 cup flour. Pick out each piece of pork from the marinade, dredge it in flour, shake off excess, the place on a large pice of waxed paper. (This is kind of a tedious process but well worth it.) Pour the vegetables into a large bowl. Stir in one 28-ounce can finely diced tomatoes, 1 large leek (sliced), and 8 ounces of cremini mushrooms (sliced). Into a Dutch oven layer the floured meat then the vegetables in 3 layers each. Top everything with 3 slices of pancetta or bacon (or 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil), then fill the Dutch oven with the remaining marinade and enough chicken or beef stock to just reach the top of the meat and vegetables (about 2 to 3 cups). Cover and place in the preheated oven for about 2 hours. 

3. After 2 hours of cooking, stir the stew and lower the oven to 300 F. Cook for 1 to 2 more hours or until the meat is very tender. Remove any large bay leaf pieces that still remain.