Bouja Recipes

Steps:

• Remove all the meat from the cooked chicken. Discard the skin. You can reserve the bones for making stock. Chop the meat into bite size pieces. (1/2 inch cube). Refrigerate the meat until needed.
• Cut the beef chuck roast into 1 inch cubes and put into a resalable plastic bag. Add 1 Tbsp of flour to bag and shake until all the meat cubes are coated. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in 8 qt pot. When hot, add the meat and brown on all sides. Remove browned beef with a slotted spoon and reserve, repeat with remaining beef cubes.
• Cut kielbasa into strips and cube (1/2 inch). Add to hot pot and cook over medium high heat until browned. Remove with slotted spoon and add to beef. Do not drain fat from pot.
• Add onion, celery, red bell pepper, carrots, and the turnip to the pot. Sweat the vegetables over medium high heat until the onions are translucent. Add the Italian spice blend and the hot pepper flakes. Cook for 2 more minutes.
• Add can of diced tomatoes. Stir and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
• Add reserved chicken, beef, and sausage to pot. Bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 10 minute.
• Drain diced potatoes and add to pot along with barley. Cover and simmer all for 10 more minutes.
• Add frozen peas and corn. Add salt and pepper. Simmer 1 more minute. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Just before serving add beer.

Steps:

• Boil chicken and beef in a heavy kettle until tender.
• Use enough water to cover.
• Remove meat and cut into small bite-sized chunks.
• Discard fat and skin.
• To broth, add celery, cabbage, onions and boil until almost tender.
• Add remaining vegetables according to taste and desired thickness.
• After vegetables have cooked a short time together add meat and simmer until meat breaks apart.
• Stir occasionally with a wooden paddle.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Put (VERY IMPORTANT) dry pickling spice in a strong cloth bag and tie firmly with string so it won't come apart.
• Drop the bag into simmering bouja plunging it in and out after a short time, tasting as you go until it tastes right.

Steps:

• In a large cooking pot, cook the chicken in 1 tablespoon hot cooking oil until no pink remains; remove the chicken from the pot, cover and chill but reserve the drippings in the pot.
• Brown the cubed beef chuck in the remaining drippings in the pot, adding more oil if needed.
• Add the water, chopped onion, instant bouillon granules and the dried thyme to the pot; bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the cooking pot and stir to combine; return the mixture to boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes more, or until vegetables and meat are tender.
• Stir in the cooked chicken and heat through; season to taste with some salt and some additional pepper, if you like.

Steps:

• Stew whole chicken until tender with onion and celery. Cut up chicken after it is cooled off. Put back in broth with all other ingredients. Simmer until tender, remove spice bag, mash through a potato masher a few times. You can use more vegetables and spice if you like. Serve this as a thick soup.

Steps:

• Make croutons:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F.
• Arrange bread slices in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and brush both sides with oil. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes. Rub 1 side of each toast with a cut side of garlic.
• Make soup:
• Plunge lobster headfirst into a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling water, then cook, covered, 2 minutes from time lobster enters water. Transfer lobster with tongs to a colander and let stand until cool enough to handle. Discard hot water in pot. Put lobster in a shallow baking pan. Twist off claws with knuckles from body, then crack claws with a mallet or rolling pin and separate claws from knuckles. Halve body and tail lengthwise through shell with kitchen shears, then cut crosswise through shell into 2-inch pieces. Reserve lobster juices that accumulate in baking pan.
• Cook tomatoes, onion, and garlic in oil in cleaned 6- to 8-quart pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Stir potatoes into tomatoes with fennel fronds, bay leaf, saffron, sea salt, and pepper. Add stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add thicker pieces of fish and cockles to soup and simmer, covered, 2 minutes. Stir in mussels, shrimp, lobster, including juices, and remaining fish and simmer, covered, until they are just cooked through and mussels open wide, about 5 minutes.
• Stir 3 tablespoons broth from soup into rouille until blended.
• Arrange 2 croutons in each of 6 to 8 deep soup bowls. Carefully transfer fish and shellfish from soup to croutons with a slotted spoon, then ladle some broth with vegetables over seafood.
• Top each serving with 1 teaspoon rouille and serve remainder on the side.