Wales

Wales (#45) Welsh Cawl (Lamb and Leek Stew)

 
Cawl is the national dish of Wales.  It is traditionally made with lamb but is also made with beef.  Since this blog has been all about exploring new and different cuisines from around the world, I decided to cook this with lamb.  The lamb shank is browned in bacon fat and cooked with onions, leeks, carrots, and swedes.   What are swedes?  I didn’t know, but a quick google search revealed that they’re Swedish turnips also known as rutabagas.  The lamb and vegetables are covered with cold water and simmered along with a bay leaf and a few thyme sprigs for several hours.  Traditionally, the broth is eaten as a first course, then the lamb and vegetables are eaten as the main course.  I served this with a plate of Coastal British cheddar imported from Ford Farm in the UK.  Here is the website for cheese lovers. http://www.fordfarm.com/default.aspx?p=cheesecoastal.  This was a nice Sunday dinner and would be especially good on a chilly day. 

Korea

Korea (#44) Saewu Jun (Fried Shrimp)

 
I’ve had this recipe bookmarked in my Craig Claiborne New York Times International cookbook for quite awhile, and I finally made it.  This is the first time I have ever made fried shrimp and it won’t be the last.  It’s the Korean version of Japanese shrimp tempura.  The recipe is simple.  Peel and devein jumbo shrimp leaving the tails intact.  Then dredge in flour and dip in beaten eggs, and fry in sesame oil for a few minutes.  Serve with a dipping sauce of four parts light soy sauce with one part vinegar.  I loved this so much I’m planning on making it again soon. 

Andorra

Andorra (#43) Trinxat (Potatoes and Cabbage with Bacon)

I almost forgot about this tiny little country nestled between Spain and France which is now on my bucket list.  This recipe kept surfacing when I researched Andorran cuisine.  The dish is hearty and simply made, consisting of just three main ingredients – potatoes, cabbage and bacon.  The potatoes and cabbage are cooked together until soft, then mashed with a little garlic infused olive oil.  The mixture is placed in a skillet over bacon that has already been fried, then cooked until golden, and garnished with more crispy bacon.  I love mashed potatoes and bacon so this dish was right up my alley. 

Indonesia

Indonesia (#42) Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice)

When I lived in Indonesia for six months during my college years, I lived on nasi goreng.  The difference between Indonesian fried rice and Chinese or Thai fried rice is the ketjap manis and the fried egg served on top of the rice.  Ketjap manis is a sweet soy sauce used in many Indonesian dishes.  I sautéed a mixture of garlic, shallots and Serrano chilis with jasmine rice, then added the ketjap manis and stir-fried for about 10 minutes.  Top with a fried egg and green onions, and serve with sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, for a healthy vegetarian dinner. 

Austria

Austria (#41) Schweinekotelett auf Sauerkraut (Pork and Sauerkraut)

 
When I was in Austria, I ate some of the best food ever, and I especially recall the pork and sauerkraut dishes.  This one brought back memories and was exactly as I remembered.  I love one-pot dishes cooked all day on the stove or in the oven.  For this dish, I cooked onions and tart apple slices with chopped bacon, then added the sauerkraut and lots of white wine and some water and a big heap of caraway seeds and let it simmer.  In the meantime, I browned the pork loin chops and nestled them into the sauerkraut mixture and cooked in the oven for about two hours.   I served this with small boiled potatoes.  This was a wonderful hearty dish that has me longing to go back to Austria.  I’m also going to tackle making schnitzel in the next few weeks. 

Brazil

Brazil (#40) Pastelzinho de Carne com Quejo (Meat and Cheese Empanadas)

I looked through my cookbooks and on-line to find an empanada recipe and the choices were endless.  They're very popular throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.  The Brazilian version of an empanada is a pastel and is typically eaten served as bar food.  The filling was made of ground beef, onions, tomatoes and a sliver of cheese.  I used Gouda which according to the recipe is the best substitute for the Brazilian Prato cheese.  I found an Argentinian empanada recipe that included raisins, olives and hard-boiled eggs.  Interesting combination and I’ll be making it in the coming weeks.  I made my own dough but the next time I’m going to use puff pastry.  My dough making skills admittedly aren’t all that great.