Braising Again!

Categories: Cookbooks

Yeah, another braising book but I had to get this in before the weather heats up and it is too hot to use the oven. Braise: A Journey Through International Cuisine is by celebrity chef Daniel Boulud (with the able assistance of Melissa Clark). 

Boulud may be a huge star in the culinary world but he pays homage here to this most humble of cooking styles. He asserts it is a common feature of cuisines world wide and adapts his own classic French style to global cuisines of Europe,  Asia and the New World to illustrate his point.  So you get traditional Indian lamb and Cuban pork(and American Brunswick stew) but with the Boulud spin on them.

Many of the recipes require marinating overnight so you have to plan ahead but the results are well worth it.  The simple beef shoulder with red wine and bacon was great though it was not clear what to do about the bacon pieces used in the marinade so I just fried them up and threw them in the braise.  And though I hesitated to use a cast iron Dutch oven (since I don't own an enamel-coated one), nothing seemed to go wrong with combining red wine and the cast iron.

I have had pretty good luck with most of the recipes I've tried, with the exception of the cod braised in tahini sauce.  Maybe my tahini had been lurking in the back of the fridge too long.

What's nice about this book is the substitution chart featured in the front of the book. Can't find brisket at Kroger?  Use a rump roast or boneless veal shoulder for the recipe.   Along with meat cuts, Boulud offers seafood, game and poultry trades such as cod cheeks for scallops (though around here, you probably aren't going to find too many cod cheeks).

There are also some simple fruit braises for desserts and a dozen vegetable dishes, including one with tofu, so everyone is happy. 

Before you fire up the grill for the summer, try some more braising recipes like these and freeze extras for delicious dinners later this spring when it's cold and rainy.  And if you find cod cheeks anywhere in town, let me know.