Food, like fly fishing, tends to break down barriers and make compadres out of folks you’d never imagine getting together.
Here at team Chi Wulff we’ve had a hell of a lot of fun chatting with all sorts of people from all sorts of places about our Friday Feast posts over the years. Hey, we all have to eat and most of us appreciate tasty, innovative food that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg or cut into the fishing or booze budgets.
This week’s recipe is a great illustration of this principle, sent with this email from Savannah chef Scott T-
Hey guys. I’m a professional chef in Savannah who was lucky enough to spend time in Whitefish, Missoula and Livingston in years past. I’ve been a long time fan of the blog and while I miss the fishing reports from years back you guys are part of my weekly routine to stay in touch with Montana and her waters.
You guys have spent time in Texas, the supposed birthplace of chili, though I’d argue that the South is really now the place where the most innovative food is being created and served today. The coupling of down-home southern standby foods, like the blackeyed peas in this recipe, with other regional cuisines (chili) has brought forth some masterpieces worthy of mention.
There’s some damned respectable trout fishing in northern GA and TN and I think, if you’ll try this recipe you’ll find it’s a damned respectable southern styled chili. Texas red this ain’t.
The bison is a great touch and brings to mind one of your favorites – the ‘Mouth of the South’ bison mogul Ted Turner….
Scott, appreciate the shout and the recipe; It’ll be on the stove this afternoon.
I’d have to agree that the south might just be the world’s epicenter of comfort food and that southern fusion (with all sorts of regional cuisines) has been and is producing some of the most mouthwatering food around of late.
As to Ted T., hells bells, we’re huge fans; he’s been awfully quiet lately….
1 lb. dried blackeyed peas
2 medium carrots, diced medium
2 celery stalks, diced medium
1 large onion, diced medium
6 juniper berries
2 bay leaves
8 cups water
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 fennel bulbs, sliced thinly
6 shallots, fine dice
4 cloves garlic, fresh, fine dice
2 lb. ground bison, browned and drained
6 dried ancho peppers, seeded, crushed
6 dried guajillo peppers, seeded, crushed
2/3 tsp. ground cloves
1 generous tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground mace
2 quarts beef stock
Cook the peas. Grab your big stockpot and throw in the blackeyed peas, carrots, celery, onion juniper berries, bay leaves and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours or so until the peas are tender.
Drain the peas, remove the bay leaves and return the peas to the pot.
Sauté time. Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat; when hot add the fennel, shallots and garlic; sauté for 5 to 7 minutes. Dump into the pea stockpot.
Make it chili. Now add the browned bison, chile peppers, cloves, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, mace and beef stock. Bring to a simmer and let roll along for an hour or so, stirring occasionally. Salt to taste and thicken with a bit of masa if needed.
Enjoy.
