Cocido is a big multi-ingredient feast that will feed an army—soup, meat, vegetables—and still leave leftovers. The ingredients list and instructions might look involved, but there's not much more to it than throwing a bunch of stuff in a pot.
Scale up the recipe according to how many lobster shells you have; sauté them in batches if necessary.
Ingredients
The version below features a slightly abridged but still authentic roster of meats. Most of them can be found at a good Hispanic butcher shop, though a German or Polish butcher is also a good bet for smoked meats. If you can't find dried beef or beef jerky, sue corned beef, soaked in cold water for 2 hours and drained. I include a kale recipe but omit the farofa since mandioc meal is too difficult to find in this country.
Adapted from A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider (Artisan, 2001). Copyright 2001, Sally Schneider.
Ingredients
For this recipe you must put bay's association with stews and stocks out of your mind. The flavor of the fresh leaves is full of sweet spice. When I was dining at a small restaurant in Sussex, England, I had a wonderfully subtle bay leaf custard for dessert, and I learned there is a long history of bay being used to flavor sweet custards or rice pudding before vanilla was widely available. I like to use both. Fresh bay gives the custards a warm comforting flavor with hints of nutmeg and citrus and perfectly complements the crisp caramelized topping. Most important, it's subtle enough to be respectful of this classic dessert's simplicity.
Ingredients
Few foods are as satisfying as a steaming bowl of hot homemade broth. Make this once every several months, freezing in varied sized containers. Enjoy on its own simply seasoned with salt, or in soups, for quick pan sauces, or instead of oil in dressings. You haven't experienced risotto until you've tasted it with this quality of stock.