This thing was truly a bottom-of-the-barrel dish that came out way better than I had imagined it would, so much so that I thought I’d share it. It had been almost two weeks since I’d gone shopping, and there was, seemingly, NOTHING in the fridge. But, it’s amazing what can happen when you have a few stray carrots, onions, and mushrooms if you mince the hell out of them and throw enough umami at it. The shrooms were not at their peak, shall we say, but oddly, this seemed to add to their deliciousness. This thing just popped with flavor, and I’ll be making it again and again, of that I’m sure.
Here’s what I put into my claypot:
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 carrots, peeled and minced
- 3 cups crimini mushrooms, minced
- 1/2 cup dried tomatoes, sliced
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground star anise
- about a quarter pound of (grass-fed) ground beef, though this could easily be omitted)
- 2 eggs
- some frozen persimmon puree I found deep in the freezer, thawed
- freshly made bread crumbs
Saute onion, carrots, shrooms, tomatoes, and star anise in olive oil for about five minutes, until they soften. Add the beef, if using, and plenty of s&p. While that cooks, whisk together the eggs and persimmon puree (not everyone has persimmon puree in their freezer, including me most of the time. An excellent substitute would be dried fruit — apricot, figs, plums, maybe papaya — softened in boiling water, then blended to a puree). Add that to the pot, mix well, and liberally toss on some seasoned breadcrumbs, made in the spice grinder by blending a small piece of stale bread, some optional freshly ground coriander, black pepper, and salt. Bake at 400 (no lid) for about 20 minutes. If the breadcrumbs aren’t toasty-crispy on top — though they should be — put it under the broiler for a minute or two, which will definitely crisp it up. Really nice with a glass of ancient vine zin.
