veehive

Last Sunday my cousin Johnathan and I ventured over to Ballard for brunch at Bastille followed by some vegetable shopping at the Ballard Farmers Market. But in addition to the veggies I also picked up some fresh chorizo. For the past few days I wondered what to do with it. Really wanted to make some type of clam and chorizo dish but I have to confess. Cooking clams, mussels, oysters scare me. I worry about cleaning them properly so to date have yet to enjoy any of them at home. Perhaps this summer I will overcome this ridiculous apprehension. So what to make? The weather, as it often does for me, ruled the day. The sunny skies have been replaced with grey and clouds. Looking in my fridge also provided inspiration. Soup! Besides the chorizo, everything else in this soup was already in my kitchen…so no need for a run to the store. Perfect since I was feeling a little lazy. I did a quick search on the internet for some recipes and found one on Bon Appétit, which called for pureeing a portion of the soup to make it creamy. I wanted a less thick soup, so here is my adapted recipe with some additional ingredients, most notably corn, which brings a nice sweet crunch to the soup. 

White Bean, Corn + Chorizo Soup
serves 6

1 lb. dried cannellini beans
8 cups water
3 tbsp. extra-virigin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, 2 smashed, 2 minced
1 rosemary sprig
1 dried bay leaf
Kosher salt

1 large yellow onion, diced  
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
fresh ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock
2 chorizo sausages
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup frozen corn kernels

Place beans in a large pot, filling with enough water to cover beans by 3 inches. Cover and let soak overnight on the counter. 

Drain beans and return to same pot. Add 8 cups of water, 1 tbsp. of the oil, the 2 smashed garlic cloves, rosemary and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until beans are tender; about 1 hour. Season to taste with salt. 

Discard garlic, rosemary and bay leaf. Drain the beans using a bowl to retain the cooking liquid. Set both aside.

In the large pot, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Saute until the vegetables start to soften; about 10 minutes. Do not brown; reduce heat if necessary. Add garlic, half the thyme; salt and pepper to taste.  Add 2 cups of the bean cooking liquid and the chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let cook semi covered for 20 minutes. 

While soup is cooking,  remove sausage from its casing and saute in a skillet over medium heat until cooked; about 5-8 minutes. Transfer sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain the cooking fat. 

Add beans, chorizo, remaining thyme, cream and corn to the soup. Stir well to incorporate and let cook for 10 minutes. Divide among bowls and serve.  

I don’t know what’s going on in your neck of the woods but here in the Northwest, March is not going out like a lamb, despite the fact the calendar is telling us it’s spring. Sigh. While I’m dreaming of sun I am looking forward to spring’s bounty…asparagus, peas, ramps and lots of fresh halibut. People around here go crazy when Copper River salmon becomes available but for me, it’s halibut. This is one of my favorite recipes to make because it’s light and refreshing. If you want more starch in this entree try doubling the broth recipe and serving this on a bed of soba noodles or chunks of toasted tofu along with the vegetables. Hope you like this as much as we do. Besides fun in the sun, what do you look forward to each spring?

Halibut with Miso Broth
serves 4

¼ cup white miso
¼ cup mirin {this time I used a Yuzu vinegar – gift from a friend}
¼ light soy sauce
¹ tsp. minced ginger
6 dashes sesame oil
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 halibut filets
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
12 baby bok choy heads
¾ lb oyster mushrooms – lobes only

In a small saucepan, combine first six ingredients over medium-high heat whisking to fully incorporate. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer; cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and using a fine sieve or cheesecloth, strain sauce into a bowl then return to saucepan and place over lowest heat setting. Cover to keep warm.  

Bring a pot of water with a steamer basket inserted to a boil.

In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil over medium high heat.  Pat the halibut filets dry.  Salt and pepper to taste. Place filets, flesh side down. Cook for 4 minutes then flip and cook 4 minutes more, skin side down. 

Add bok choy and mushrooms to the steamer basket and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Divide among four deep plates or open bowls. Remove fillets from heat and place on top. Spoon miso broth around fish and vegetables and serve.