Aaaah, November 8th, it’s finally here. I am SO happy it will be over soon. I suppose I shouldn’t really be too happy just in case I end up in the internment camp one of our presidential candidates wants to send me and all my kind. Let’s hope they have WiFi and I’ll let you know in my next post.
All jokes aside, it really has been an ugly and offensive campaign all around. It’s a little embarrassing in that, one of these two is the best we can do to represent the great United States. Of course, I really can’t talk, look at the state of the United Kingdom, we’ve got our very own clowns running the country. ****SIGH****
I’ll just be happy that I don’t have to receive 10 mud slinging fliers every day in the mail telling me this and that. Honestly, they’re like a bunch of kids whining about or telling on each other. I teach my children to not be whiners and tattle tales but here we have grown ups doing the very same thing!
ANYWAY, I have managed to keep politics out of my blog all year and I’m not about to start now. Of course, if I get whisked away and locked up, I may need you all to fight for my release 🙂
So, this stew…delicious.
I first had something similar in a restaurant in Houston where the lovely Turkish man who owned the restaurant went out of his way to make everything special for us.
This was a few years ago when my cousins were still studying in the University of Houston, unmarried and without kids and family. We spent a lot of time together and if they’re weren’t at my house, we’d be out trying a new restaurant or having picnics at the parks.
My children were still young at the time and spent a lot of time with their uncles. My children were great bait for young, single women and my cousins used that to their benefit!
My cousins first discovered this little Turkish gem and wanted me to try it out. The owner was a lovely man. I asked his opinion on what to try and he told me he’d make this special dish for me. I agreed and I remembered it came out in a little clay bowl, hot and bubbly with the greatest aroma ever.
The flavour was rich and tomatoey with a garlicky, spicy smokiness from the soujouk. I remember enjoying every morsel spooned over some perfectly cooked and buttered, white Basmati rice.
If you are not familiar with soujouk (or sujuk or soujuk) it’s a semi dried, semi hard sausage originating from Armenia. It’s popular in Turkey and in other Mediterranean countries. It can be mild or spicy and has a great garlicky flavour and chewy texture. As you know, I’m not a big sausage fan but I like soujouk. I can’t always find it and even if I can, I don’t always buy it. I try, usually, to steer clear from nitrites and sulphites but once in a while to satiate a craving or nostalgia, I’ll buy some.
Soujouk is great just sliced up and fried along with breakfast but it lends well to stews because it’s so highly flavoured.
I cooked this in a clay pot but you can just use a regular dutch oven or pot. I remember my dish at the restaurant was cooked and served in an individual clay pot. I’m not entirely sure if that added any flavour, but since I have a clay pot, I thought I would use it to add that “authentic” flavour and look 🙂
Rating
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8 servings
- 1 pound/455g Soujouk sausage, spicy or mild
- 1 cup/160g onion, finely chopped (1 small onion)
- 2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 cups/470g gold potatoes, small cubes
- 8-10 oz/275g frozen butter beans or other tinned white beans
- 2 cups/475ml water
- 15oz/425g tin crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste, mild
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper/Pul Biber
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley to garnish.
- Slice the soujouk sausage in slices or chunks, your preference.
- Heat a sauté pan, dutch oven or clay pot on medium heat and add the sausage.
- Let the fat render from the sausage and brown.
- Once the sausage is browned, remove from the pan and take out all but a tablespoon of the fat.
- Add the onions and saute until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to remove the "raw" flavour.
- Add the cumin powder and paprika.
- Add the cubed potatoes and the butter beans and toss with the spices and oil to coat.
- (NOTE: if you are using tinned beans, add them closer to the end of cooking time.)
- Fry a couple of minutes and then add the 2 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover.
- Simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tin of crushed tomatoes, the harissa paste, the Aleppo pepper and sugar.
- Add ½ cup more water if needed.
- Mix through, cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
- If you are using tinned beans, add them 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
- Serve with hot, buttery Basmati rice and a fresh, lemony green salad.
If you are able to find the soujouk sausage, I hope you’ll give this a try. It’s really quite delicious.
I have been quite under the weather the last couple of weeks with a cold, migraines and bouts of severe nausea. It’s a combination of a change in weather, sick kids and trying new cocktails of medications. I haven’t been able to make my blog rounds so I do apologise. I am on the mend so hope to catch up with my reading this week.
Since I started this post off with kind of a depressing scenario, I will end with some happy news. My husband and I celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary next week and so we’re off to celebrate the weekend up in Cheyenne Mountain. I would’ve loved a trip around the world but our jobs and kids don’t permit that kind of time away. I’m happy with a weekend in a resort in the mountains.
I’m really excited, not just because of the weekend but because of our milestone. It isn’t easy to get along with one person for 20 years, but he’s such a laid back, easy guy that I haven’t even felt the years go by. We just get along and we’ve made sure to make time for each other throughout the years.
So, Trump or Clinton, I don’t care at this point. I have the love of my life, my kids, you guys and my weekend away. I’m happy.
Happy anniversary! This is a big bowl of comfort food indeed, I haven’t heard of a soujouk sausage before, I shall certainly be keeping my eyes peeled at markets for them!
All That I’m Eating recently posted..Marshmallow Rice Krispie Yule Log
It is very similar to Philippine’s Adobo, I wonder if the taste of the two is same.
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It was indeed ugly Nazneen, and ended up even worse. I’ll try to be happy as you are and look and the bright side and I am sure God knows best and he only makes the best for us. I love soujouk, I cannot always find it in the Int’l market but I love it. I miss the Egyptian version as it is even spicier ..yummm. Happy anniversary dear, you look amazing and I cannot believe you have been married for 20 years, Mashaa Allah :).
Amira Ibrahim recently posted..Moist Coffee Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream
Well, the only thing worse than that long and ugly campaign was its outcome. But good food goes a long way to soothe the soul in troubled times. And now more than ever, we need good food!
I know :(.
I was trying to be optimistic and hoping that all his ugliness was just to win votes. Well it seems, looking at his choices for his cabinet…things are not getting any better. I will probably put on 200 lbs over the 4 years 🙁
Happy Anniversary Nazneen!!! A very wonderful milestone indeed. Love this stew, looks like a real beauty full of all kinds of flavor. Glad you are feeling better.
cheri recently posted..French Country Cooking, A Cookbook and Comté, Ham and Walnut Feuilleté
Thank you Cheri! I appreciate your kind words!
20 years! This is beautiful! Happy Anniversary to both of you Nazneen!
Thinking of you all Americans. We do see this from afar and it looks horrible…
Love this tasty recipe. The color, will need to check the taste as soon as I have time to spend in the kitchen.
Enjoy your weekend!
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Thank you, Marie! I do feel bad for the Americans…at least I can leave and go back to England where we have our own problems. But I can go somewhere. Everyone else is kinda stuck. Its been a horrendous campaign and looks like its not getting better anytime soon.
Congratulations! A great milestone and I hope you have a fabulous weekend. We’ve seen the Presidential race on TV here and it has staggered me in some of the vitriol and some of the proposed policies. Let’s hope sense and kindness prevails. GG
Thank you, GG! We had a great weekend even though the food was less than satisfactory, as usual.
The elections have been horrible and unfortunately, its just getting uglier. I may have to move back home soon and put up with our ridiculous govt.
Really ugly campaign. Glad it’s behind us, but wonder what’s ahead of us. Anyway, great recipe! Such a nice stew, perfect for the weather we’re having. Thanks!
John/Kitchen Riffs recently posted..Green Chile Cauliflower ‘n Cheese
Thanks, John. Yeah….kinda worried about the days ahead.
First off, Nazneen – congrats on 20 years together – and happy, happy Anniversary! I hope y’all have a wonderful anniversary weekend!
By the way, this is my first time hearing about soujouk (or sujuk or soujuk) – it sounds so delicious and this stew looks amazing – so hearty – so aromatic – perfect for these cold days (anything over 60 is freezing for me but am in the South)
Also, did you revamp your blog? Maybe it’s cos I haven’t visited in a bit but It looks wonderful!
xx
Thank you Shashi! We had a great time on our weekend away. I haven’t done anything to my blog recently. It was redone back in February. I hope you like it!
I wish I didn’t care about this election – but I really do, and I fear for all of us. Maybe I will see you at the camp….
This sounds amazing but I think won’t on my plate anytime soon unless we can think of a garlic-free sausage to use instead! Any ideas??
Stay well, and congrats on 20 years! xo
David recently posted..Beautiful Broth & Fabulous Fish
Well, if you’re in the camp with me…all will be fine. We’ll eat well and have great conversations!! Thank you for the wishes too, David!
I was thinking about your while making this. I dont think there’s anyway around a non garlicky version…that’s the main flavour of the sausage! But maybe if we increased all the other spices…I’ll have to do some research for you!
What a day! You have your priorities right because all that matters is family and friends and a belief that conquers all. Jeez – I’m actually lost of words which is a rarity. Comfort food is required and you’ve provided a bowl full – thank you! Happy anniversary – 20 years definitely requires a celebration xx
Nancy | Plus Ate Six recently posted..Fudgy flourless chocolate and hazelnut meringue brownies
Thanks, Nancy! I don’t know. I thought his ugliness was all an election ploy but looking at his cabinet advisors…I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, I need to renew my passport.