Sisters Portuguese Stew

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 Tbsp butter

  • 1 large white onion, chopped

  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped

  • 1 link Three Sisters Ranch smoked sausage, sliced

  • 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

  • 6 cups chicken stock

  • 1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes, quartered

  • 1 cup green beans, cut in 1/2 inch pieces, a can

  • 1 large carrot, cut in 1/4 inch coins

  • 8 oz peeled, deveined shrimp

  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste, dissolved in warm stock

  • 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes

HOW TO COOK:

  1. In a big Dutch oven or stockpot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Toss in the onion and cook, stirring now and then, until it's soft and translucent — about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and let it cook one more minute, just until fragrant.

  2. Stir in the sliced sausage. Since it's already smoked, you're just warming it through and getting a little color on it — about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and red pepper flakes, stir it all together, then turn off the heat and set the pot aside.

  3. In a separate stockpot, bring the chicken stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and let the stock come back up to a boil, stirring here and there. Once it's boiling, cook for 5 minutes. Add the green beans and cook 6 more minutes. Then the carrots, just until tender, about 2 minutes. Finally, the shrimp — 3 minutes, and that's it for that pot.

  4. While that's going, ladle about 2 Tbsp of the hot chicken stock into the sausage pot to deglaze it — scrape up all that good flavor from the bottom.

  5. Once your veggies and shrimp are done, reserve 1 cup of that chicken stock, then pour the rest into the sausage pot and stir everything together.

  6. In a small saucepan, combine your reserved cup of stock with the tomato paste mixture and the crushed tomatoes. Warm it for about a minute, stirring, then pour it into the big pot with everything else. Stir to combine, and serve it up.

    Serving Suggestion: Serve with crusty bread.

Diane Kahanek