I love my EGG. My Big Green EGG and I got a thing going on. You will come to learn that I will cook many a dish on my EGG.
Tonight, I intended to smoke some chickpeas I had soaked for an Ameri-faux cassoulet. More traditionally, a French cassoulet would reference a stew of white beans and sausages with various meats of the duck and goose varietal. My version was a real nod to Americana and my opportunity to rid the fridge of some abundance. Today was a very damp day, always cloudy and threatening rain. Hopefully, one of the last appropriate for such a meal.
I brought the grill up very high to sear the chicken thighs and then dunked them into chicken stock with bacon ends and sausages. Cherry smoking chips were spread over the fire after a quick soak. When they started smoking nicely, I dropped the lid of the BGE to trap my cast iron treasure chest and its contents in the sweet, fruity haze. Now, to drop the heat, I put the plate setter in and let the EGG allow for the concoction to simmer away. This was my dinner. I freshened it up with lots of fresh dill and lemon juice. I ate this dish of Ameri-faux cassoulet and was mildly impressed.
After I had taken the Ameri-faux cassoulet off the EGG, I put on good old American brownies I had just mixed up and a fresh round of cherry chips. This was my salvation! While I had been slightly amused by my dinner, I was delighted by my dessert. Cherry-smoked black cocoa brownies. My good friend Susie had given me some black cocoa powder that I had been meaning to use. Nothing easier than melting butter and adding sugar and cocoa with just a bit of flour. Brownies are essentially cookies with less flour. The black cocoa created a richness that was really well rounded and left you wanting another bite. I baked this on the EGG as well. No need to fire up the oven when I already have one going outside. The EGG is great because I can control the temperature really well. So I bake on it often. The brownies were pretty delicious and perfectly smokey.
Tonight, I will sleep in the hoodie that I wore while I tended the EGG. Each night that I cook dinner on the EGG, hours later I can still smell of the most perfect meal cooking over an open fire. The sweetest lullaby.
Bangor Brownies
4oz. butter, melted + 2oz. Black Cocoa Powder
2 eggs + ¼ t. salt + 1c. sugar + 1t. vanilla extract, whisked together well
½ c. All-Purpose flour + ½ c. chopped nuts, your choice
Mix chocolate/butter mixture into egg/sugar mixture. Gently fold flour mixture into chocolate/egg mixture.
Pour into greased/floured pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes on the Big Green EGG.
Maria Willet Howard/Trained by Fannie Merritt Farmer
Created for Wibur M. Lowney Co., Chocolate Manufacutrer/Lowney Brownies
