OK. Time to get things moving along here. (I actually had forgotten I had a blog until the other day; time to start using it).
Today's subject is: Cholent. What it is, how to make it.
Basically, "cholent" is a type of stew, for want of a better word. Depending on who makes it and what is in it, it can be watery like a soup, or thick like a stew. I'll give my basic recipe below; there are tons of recipes out there in cyberspace - I've even seen recipes for CHOCOLATE cholent (which I am assuming is similar to - drat, can't think of the name of that recipe, but it's a chicken recipe that uses chocolate in it and is really good). Once you've seen my recipe, you'll pretty much understand what it is. Most recipes feature dried beans, although I know of some that do not use beans at all (the "local" rabbi - about 2 hours drive from here - doesn't like beans, so his wife makes theirs without). It is a Jewish dish, and DELICIOUS!!! Make it in a crock pot prior to Shabbat starting, and it's ready for after services. It's just not Shabbat without cholent! Good, filling, stick-to-your-ribs food.
And now, my recipe:
Depending on the size of your crock-pot and how many people will be eating, adjust accordingly.
chicken thighs
potatoes, peeled and cubed (or cut in bite size pieces)
diced tomatoes
dried beans, about a half bag
baby carrots
sweet potato (same as potatoes)
onion (slice and dice)
bay leaf
chicken boullion
soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
garlic powder AND minced garlic
onion powder
basil
pepper
The night before making, soak dried beans in a big bowl of water.
Boil chicken thighs with chicken boullion, bay leaf, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder until chicken is done and tender. Remove from broth and let cool. When it is cool enough to handle, shred the meat into bite size pieces.
While chicken is cooling, rinse and sort soaked dried beans (a lot of times there are little rocks and dirt clods mixed in with the beans). Put beans in crock pot. Add in peeled, cubed potatoes, sweet potato, baby carrots and onion. Mix after every addition of new food because it will fill quickly and you want it mixed well. Add in a large can of diced tomatoes (flavored is fine, or you can use plain). Add chicken and mix well. Crock pot should be fairly full by this point. Pour chicken broth over mixture in crock pot until it reaches the top. Add in soy sauce, Worcestershire, minced garlic, and basil to taste. You can also add in some more powdered garlic and powdered onion if you like. Cook on "Low" setting overnight. The house will be filled with delicious smells when you wake up in the morning, and is ready to eat by lunchtime, or after services (if you go).
You can use any hard root vegetable that you like. I have tried adding like a broccoli/cauliflower mixture to it, but it didn't hold up well at all, and basically disappeared into the broth. You don't have to use chicken, you can use any meat and broth combination, or go vegetarian. You can use savory spices; you can use sweet spices. It's all up to you. YOU are the cook; YOU are the one that has to eat it. YOU know what you like, and what you don't like.
Use my recipe as a base if you like, and build it into something that your family will love for years to come. My family loves my cholent. They also know that each time I make it, it's a crap shoot - it never turns out the same way twice. This is probably because 1) I never measure anything, I cook by sight; and 2) I don't get to make it that often, so I always forget if I put something in it or not the last time. See, even *I* use my recipe as a base!
Love and Light,
~ Shadow ~
