1/2 cup dried black beans*
1 ham hock
1 1/2 tbsp chinese fermented blk. beans
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup julienne of fresh fennel
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup hot salsa
1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp bucheron or montrachet*
8 thin slices french bread
28 snails (available in cans)
1/4 cup julienned roasted red pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
*Note: Dried black beans should be soaked overnight in cold water to
cover. Amount of Bucheron or Montrachet may be increased to 1-1/2
times amount given.
Drain the beans and put them in a 2-quart saucepan with the ham hock
and fermented black beans. Add cold water to cover ingredients by 2
inches. Bring the water to a boil, skimming of any froth that rises
to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, until
the beans are tender. Remove and discard the ham hock. Reserve the
beans and about 1 cup of the liquid, or enough to give the beans a
stew like consistency.
Preheat the broiler.
Heat the butter in a large skillet. Add the fennel and cook over
moderate heat, for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the beans, the
bean liquid, the garlic, salsa and vinegar and stir. Cook over low
heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Spread the goat cheese on the bread slices. Place under the broiler
for 1 to 2 minutes, just until golden.
Taste the beans and adjust the seasonings if needed. Add the snails
and cook for 5 minutes, until they are heated through. Remove the
beans from the heat and stir in the roasted peppers.
Divide the ragout among 4 serving plates and sprinkle with cilantro.
Place 2 cheese-topped croutons at the sides of each plate.
Source: Chef Jimmy Schmidt. From "American Bistro" an Irene Chalmers
book, Contemporary Books, Inc.
Servings: 4 servings
Black Bean Ragout With Snails Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bean; Meat; Vegetable
The History of Recipes
Academics have proved the existence of recipes way back into the far past, at least as far back into recorded history as the ancient Egyptians, and quite possibly further than that. Interesting though that is, sadly, these ancient cookbooks were just very basic pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing meals.
Fascinatingly, the oldest recipe in existence, according to experts are a few ancient tablets in ancient Sumerian which show the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel `blissful`. As we move into The time of the roman empire 25BC a roman called Apicius assembled a collection of scripts describing recipes prepared by his fellow Romans. In his scrolls, he describes how the meals were separated into hors d`oeuvre, main course and dessert, something we still use today. He also informs us how the cooks of Roman times were skilled in the use of a good variety of aromatic flavours, including a few you will know for example basil, fennel and parsley. In the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought back many spices and herbs from Arab cooking, including spices like coriander, basil and rosemary. These new foods and tastes prompted an increase in publications on food, most of which still exist in academic collections. By the arrival of the twentieth century, cooking books are in great demand, mostly due to more people being able to read, people having increased free time and disposable income. The introduction of television brings us TV cookery programs and the accompanying recipe books. And that neatly brings us to the present day and the invention of the internet, allowing everybody to access thousands of recipes such as those found on our site. |
We hope you enjoy this Black Bean Ragout With Snails recipe.
