Monday, September 17, 2007

Recipe from C in DC: Caldo Verde

It is possible that I might make C in DC a frequent commentator / contributor to Order from Chaos. When I reported that I had no recipe to post last Monday, she sent me one. She actually has done this before so she's got some cooking skills. So here it is. Let's hear those comments if you want some additional commentary other than my own. There's certainly enough fun to go around.

Caldo Verde
(from Sophie Grigson, Travels a La Carte, Network Books, 1994)
  • 1 lb. potatoes
  • 1 clove garlic, sliced
  • 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
  • salt & pepper
  • 8 oz. couve (curly kale, spring cabbage, or Savoy cabbage may be substituted)
  • 4 oz. chourico (Portuguese sausage), sliced (Spanish chorizo, linguica, or andouille sausage may be substituted)
  • 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Peel and slice the potatoes. Place in a *large* saucepan with the garlic, onion, salt and pepper, and enough water to cover generously. Simmer until tender. Pass through the fine blade of a mouli-legume or mash to a smooth puree. (I find that a hand-held drink blender works well.) Add a little more water if necessary to thin to a soupy consistency. Return to the pan and adjust the seasoning, adding plenty of pepper.

While the potatoes are cooking, cut the stalks from the kale, then roll up the leaves and shred very finely (the resulting threads of cabbage should be about 1/8 inch thick). Bring the soup back to a boil. Stir in the couve (hence the large pot) and sausage and simmer for 5 minutes. Ladle into 4 soup bowls, pour a tablespoon of olive oil over each one and serve.

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