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| Joined: | Tue Jun 7th, 2005 |
| Location: | Colorado Springs, Colorado USA |
| Posts: | 5214 |
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After serving and tasting and critiquing, Booj and I would recommend the following changes/ideas:
- Instead of slicing the keilbasa, dice it. That way, you don't get disks with a prominately different flavor in one bite, and none in the next. Spread the diced keibasa evenly over the roast pork to integrate the flavors better
- The keilbasa is a key flavor component in this. The smoked pork is excellent, but the keilbasa added both enough saltiness and a strong flavor note that makes it too important to leave out.
- Be careful not to boil the potatoes for too long. They're going to cook even more in the oven. You want them to hold together when you layer them into the cassarole. Don't be discouraged if you over-cook them though; the flavor will still be good, though the texture might be a bit softer than you wished.
This is a fantastic "mother" recipe, and you ought to be able to take it in many directions with variations on the theme. For instance:
- Substitute diced smoked chicken and fried panceta for the pork and keilbasa. Use the rendered fat from the panceta as part of the oil/butter in the butter/flour portion.
- Add "wild" mushrooms (shitake, porcini, etc) saute'd with the onions and garlic, to the chicken idea above.
- Substitute ham for the smoked pork
- "Kick up" the white sauce with some extra rosemary, paprika, or granulated garlic
- "Heat up" the white sauce with a bit of Sriracha pepper sauce
In any case, this was an excellent cassarole just "as is". The white sauce carried the flavors of everything else, and left a nice creamy texture. The Keilbasa brought a little punch, and the smoked flavor of the pork was nicely apparent.
On a rainy CA evening, this was definitely comfort of high degree!
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