98 MARCH 2020
medium-low until flavors are infused,
dashi has a light smoky flavor, and liquid
has reduced to about 4 cups, 12 to 15 min-
utes. Remove from heat; pour through a
fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl,
reserving shiitakes for quick-pickled shii-
takes (recipe follows).
MAKE AHEAD Dashi can be kept in an
airtight container in refrigerator up to 3
days.
Quick-Pickled Shiitakes
ACTIVE 10 MIN; TOTAL 20 MIN
MAKES ABOUT 1^1 / 2 CUPS
Leftover hydrated shiitakes from making
dashi are full of flavor and are perfect for
tossing with this mild soy-sherry pickling
liquid. Serve with hot pot or as a condi-
ment for soups or sandwiches.
9 oz. rehydrated shiitake mushroom
caps (from Shiitake Dashi) (about 2
cups), rinsed
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
Slice mushroom caps into^1 / 8 -inch-thick
pieces. Whisk together sugar, soy sauce,
and vinegar in a small bowl until sugar is
dissolved. Add mushrooms, and toss to
coat. Let stand 10 minutes.
MAKE AHEAD Mushrooms can be kept in
an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1
week.
Clay Pot Red Chile Beans
PHOTO P. 87
ACTIVE 40 MIN; TOTAL 3 HR 25 MIN
SERVES 6 TO 8
The alkaline nature of a micaceous clay
pot, essential for this recipe, balances the
acid in the spicy, earthy red chile sauce
and makes for a sweeter pot of beans. Any
leftover red chile sauce is delicious as a
marinade for pork or beef or spooned over
fried eggs.
1 lb. dried pinto beans (such as
Rancho Gordo), soaked overnight
6 cups filtered water
4 oz. dried Hatch or Anaheim chiles
(about 18 chiles)
(^1) / 2 oz. guajillo chiles (about 5 chiles)
(^1) / 8 oz. chiles de árbol (about 5 chiles)
4 cups boiling water
5 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. granulated sugar
(^1) / (^2) tsp. dried Mexican oregano leaves
2 Tbsp. kosher salt, divided, plus
more to taste
- Drain beans, and combine with 6 cups
filtered water in a 4-quart micaceous
bean pot. Cover and cook over low, gently
scraping bottom of pot with a wooden
spoon occasionally, until beans are tender
and creamy, 2 hours and 15 minutes to 3
hours. - Meanwhile, stem, seed, and tear Hatch
chiles, guajillo chiles, and chiles de árbol
into 2-inch pieces. Cook chiles in a large,
dry cast-iron skillet over medium, stirring
often, until fragrant and slightly softened,
about 4 minutes. Transfer chiles to a
medium-size heatproof bowl; add 4 cups
boiling water. Weight chiles with a plate to
keep them submerged; let stand 30 min-
utes. Return skillet to heat over medium,
and add garlic cloves. Cook, turning occa-
sionally, until blackened in spots and
slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Let
cool 5 minutes; peel. - Drain chiles, reserving 1 cup soaking
liquid. Combine soaked chiles, garlic, vin-
egar, cumin, sugar, oregano, reserved 1
cup soaking liquid, and 1 tablespoon salt
in a blender. Process until smooth, about
1 minute. Pour mixture through a medium
mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing solids
with back of a spoon to extract liquid; dis-
card solids. - Stir remaining 1 tablespoon salt into
beans. Let beans settle in cooking liquid.
(There should be enough cooking liquid to
cover beans by^1 / 2 inch. If not, stir in up to
11 / 2 cups very hot water,^1 / 2 cup at a time.)
Stir 1 cup of the red chile sauce into
beans. (Reserve any remaining chile
sauce for another use). Cover and cook
over low, scraping bottom of pot occa-
sionally, until flavors meld, about 30 min-
utes. Season with salt to taste, and serve.
MAKE AHEAD Red chile sauce can be kept
in an airtight container in refrigerator up
to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Beans can be cooked up to 5 days in
advance.
Lamb and Butternut Squash
Tagine with Apricots
PHOTO P. 92
ACTIVE 25 MIN; TOTAL 4 HR 35 MIN
SERVES 4 TO 6
The natural juices from the lamb and
onion create steam that bastes the meat
as it cooks over a low flame. The gentle
heat ensures that the environment inside
the tagine remains moist and does not dry
out or burn. Savory lamb, salty olives, and
ras el hanout (a North African spice blend
of coriander, cumin, and warming spices)
are balanced by sweet butternut squash,
apricots, and a touch of honey.
2 lb. well-trimmed boneless lamb
shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
(from about 3^1 / 2 lb. untrimmed
meat)
11 / 2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. ras el hanout,
divided
31 / 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 large yellow onion, peeled and
halved, divided
21 / 2 cups cubed (about^3 / 4 -inch pieces)
peeled butternut squash
1 Tbsp. wildflower honey or orange
blossom honey
(^1) / 2 cup dried apricots
(^1) / 3 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives,
torn
2 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. small mint leaves
Cooked couscous, for serving
- Toss lamb with 1^1 / 2 tablespoons ras el
hanout and 2^1 / 2 teaspoons salt in a
medium bowl until evenly coated. Let
stand at room temperature 1 hour, or
cover and chill up to 2 days. - Grate 1 onion half on largest holes of a
box grater; set aside remaining half. Place
grated onion in a clean dish towel or piece
of cheesecloth, and squeeze over sink to
remove as much liquid as possible. Stir
together lamb and grated onion in base of
a 2-quart tagine. Cover and cook on a gas
stovetop or a diffuser over an electric
range over very low until lamb is cooked
through but not yet tender and juices are
pooling in tagine, about 1 hour and 30
minutes. - Thinly slice remaining onion half. Add
sliced onion to tagine; stir to combine.
Cover and continue cooking on stovetop
until lamb is tender, about 1 hour. - Preheat oven to 300°F with oven rack
in upper third of oven. Toss together but-
ternut squash, honey, remaining 2 tea-
spoons ras el hanout, and remaining 1
teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add but-
ternut squash mixture and apricots to
tagine; stir to combine, making sure apri-
cots are submerged in pan juices. Trans-
fer tagine, uncovered, to upper third of
preheated oven. Increase oven tempera-
ture to 425°F. Bake until squash is tender,
about 30 minutes. - Remove tagine from oven, and sprinkle
with olives, pine nuts, and cilantro. Cover
and let stand 5 minutes. Garnish with
mint leaves, and serve with couscous.
WINE Darkly fruity, herbal Sardinian red:
2017 Argiolas Costera