The Dinner Pot : One-Pot Wonders

Casserole doesn’t have to be a dirty word. These wonderful-tasting recipes, collected and tested by Donna Deane, Times Food Stylist, all fit the current definition--without resorting to canned soup or potato chip crusts.

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The long, slow cooking of sauerkraut with pork spareribs and kielbasa mellow the sharp flavor of sauerkraut. Dark rye bread and a crunchy salad are all that’s needed to complete this meal.

CHOUCROUTE GARNI

3 pounds pork spareribs

Salt, pepper

2 tablespoons oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 (2-pound) jar sauerkraut, drained

1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

4 to 6 medium red potatoes, quartered

3/4 pound Polish kielbasa, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

Cut ribs between bones into single pieces. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Brown ribs in oil in large skillet. Remove ribs. Add garlic, bacon and onion to skillet and saute until onion turns golden, stirring occasionally.

Stir in sauerkraut, carrots and caraway seeds. Spoon sauerkraut into bottom of casserole to cover. Arrange half of ribs over sauerkraut along with potatoes and kielbasa. Spoon remaining sauerkraut over top of meat and vegetables. Top with remaining ribs. Pour over chicken broth and white wine. Bake at 325 degrees 2 to 3 hours or until ribs are tender. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

525 calories; 1,526 mg sodium; 91 mg cholesterol; 38 grams fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 23 grams protein; 1.87 grams fiber.

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Marge Powers, Food News Editor, converted her stove-top chicken paprikash to an oven dish--she wanted to simplify the recipe. She roasts the whole chickens in the oven rather than pan-frying them on top of the stove because, she says, the long, slow cooking makes lots of wonderful pan juices for gravy, and chicken so tender it falls off the bone.

MARGE POWERS’ OVEN CHICKEN PAPRIKASH

6 small onions, cut in half

6 whole cloves garlic

1 (28-ounce) can peeled, diced tomatoes

2 (3- to 4-pound) chickens

Salt, pepper

1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth

1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream

1 pound wide noodles cooked according to package directions, drained

Put onions, garlic and tomatoes in bottom of large roasting pan. Season chickens to taste with salt and pepper. Put chickens in roasting pan, breast side up. Sprinkle paprika over chickens. Pour over chicken broth. Cover with foil tightly and roast at 325 degrees 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until meat is falling off bone. Last hour of cooking, remove foil to allow chickens to brown.

When chicken is done, remove large pieces of meat from breast bone and discard all bones. Remove legs with thighs. Stir sour cream into remaining pan juices. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in cooked and drained noodles. Spoon onto serving plate. Slice chicken breasts and arrange atop noodles with chicken legs and thighs. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

718 calories; 662 mg sodium; 197 mg cholesterol; 36 grams fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 45 grams protein; 1.24 grams fiber.

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For this beef Burgundy, adapated from a recipe from the recently closed Pioneer Boulangerie in Santa Monica, we use beef shoulder because it makes for a moist, tender stew. Just brown the meat and saute the onions and garlic. Add everything else except the flour and butter and let it cook in the oven. Blend flour and butter and thicken the juices on the stove top. This is wonderful when served with noodles or small boiled potatoes.

BEEF BURGUNDY

3 pounds beef shoulder cut into 1 1/2-inch squares

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 sliced onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups mushrooms, cut into quarters

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon thyme

Dash Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 (750-ml) bottle Burgundy wine

4 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

Brown meat in olive oil in 5-quart Dutch oven. Add onions and garlic and cook 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, bay leaf, thyme, Worcestershire and pepper. Add wine and water.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees 2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender. In bowl blend together flour and butter. Stir into stew mixture. Heat to boiling. Then simmer until thickened. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

360 calories; 209 mg sodium; 108 mg cholesterol; 20 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 29 grams protein; 0.38 gram fiber.

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The technique of roasting the lamb on a rack over the vegetables allows the meat juices to flavor the vegetables. This one-dish oven meal from Patricia Wells is easy to prepare and needs only a bottle of wine and a loaf of bread to make it complete.

ROAST LAMB WITH POTATO, ONION AND PEPPER GRATIN

6 garlic cloves

2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced thyme

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 large onions, very thinly sliced

1/2 pound roasted sweet red peppers

1 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup olive oil

1 (6- to 7-pound) leg of lamb, bone in

Split 1 clove garlic. Rub bottom of 16x10x2-inch oval gratin dish with split clove of garlic. Arrange potatoes over bottom of pan. Chop together remaining 5 garlic cloves and thyme. Season generously to taste with salt, pepper and 1/3 of garlic-thyme combination. Layer sliced onions on top. Season to taste with salt, pepper and another 1/3 of garlic and thyme. Layer peppers on top of onions. Season to taste with salt, pepper and remaining 1/3 garlic and thyme. Pour over wine, then oil.

Trim excess fat from lamb. Season meat to taste with salt and pepper. Place sturdy oven rack directly on top of gratin dish. Set lamb on rack so that juices will drip into gratin.

Roast, uncovered, about 1 hour and 15 minutes for rare. Turn lamb every 15 minutes, basting with liquid from dish underneath. Remove from oven and let lamb stand 20 minutes before carving.

To serve, carve lamb into thin slices and arrange on warmed dinner plates or on serving platter with vegetable gratin alongside. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

454 calories; 175 mg sodium; 131 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 45 grams protein; 0.91 gram fiber.

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This lamb daube, a stew of meat braised with red wine, vegetables and herbs, comes from Patrick Healy, consulting chef at Xiomara in Pasadena. The casserole is sealed with a flour and water paste thick enough to hold onto the edges of the pot. An easy method of applying the paste is to spread it around the edges of the casserole, place the cover on the pot and then spread the paste over the edge of the cover to seal. This holds the moisture in the pot, allowing the meat to steam to a perfect tenderness. The flavor of the daube is spectacular and well worth the extra effort involved in preparation.

PROVENCALE LAMB DAUBE

1 lamb shank

2 1/2 pounds lamb breast

1 pigs foot

1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder

4 carrots

1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 head garlic, cut in half

2 sprigs thyme

1 large bay leaf

2 strips dried orange peel

1 1/2 (750-ml) bottles red Rhone wine

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon oil

1 quart brown veal stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Sealing Dough

2 cups pearl onions

1 pound white button mushrooms

2 tablespoons flour

Salt, pepper

1/2 bunch Italian parsley

Ask your butcher to cut lamb shank and lamb breast into 4 equal pieces and cut pig’s foot in half lengthwise. Remove excess fat from lamb shoulder and cut into 4 equal pieces. Coarsely chop 1 carrot. Layer cut-up carrot, celery, onion, garlic, 1 sprig thyme, bay leaf and orange peel in deep casserole with cut-up lamb shank, lamb breast, pig’s foot and lamb shoulder. Pour over red wine. Cover and refrigerate 2 days.

Drain marinating meat and vegetables, reserving marinade. Discard orange peel. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and oil in saute pan until very hot. Add lamb pieces and pig’s foot and brown on both sides. Discard pig’s foot. Remove meat from skillet to heavy oven-proof casserole. Add marinated vegetables to skillet and saute, then add to casserole with meat. Deglaze saute pan with some wine marinade. Scrape bottom of pan and pour over meat and vegetables. Stir in veal stock and tomato paste.

Spread Sealing Dough around top of rim of casserole and press cover firmly in place to seal tightly. Bake at 400 degrees 1 hour.

While casserole is baking, prepare vegetables to be added to casserole after initial baking. Peel pearl onions and lightly blanch in boiling water, then drain. Cut remaining 3 carrots into 1/4-inch thick slices. Remove stems from mushrooms and clean. Set aside until casserole is baked.

Remove dough from casserole, if necessary cracking it off with wooden mallet. Drain braising juices into saucepan. Bring juices to boil and reduce by one-half. Make roux by melting 2 tablespoons butter and blending in flour. Whisk roux into reduced juices. Bring to boil, stirring until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Return meat to casserole, discarding braising vegetables and herbs. Add reserved carrots, pearl onions and mushrooms. Pour over sauce. Stir in 1 tablespoon remaining butter and remaining sprig thyme.

Again seal lid with remaining Sealing Dough and return to oven 20 minutes.

To serve, break crust away using serving spoon. Serve meat and vegetables over fresh egg noodles or mashed potatoes and sprinkle with parsley. Each serving should contain each of 3 cuts of lamb. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

456 calories; 1,463 mg sodium; 115 mg cholesterol; 15 grams fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 35 grams protein; 1.15 grams fiber.

Sealing Dough

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

1 cup cold water

Blend water into flour and salt to make smooth, workable dough, adding more flour if necessary.

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This classic Transylvanian stacked potato recipe comes from Gabriella Rado, who was born in Nagyvarad (also known by its Romanian name, Oradea), Transylvania. For the flavor to be authentic, use a semi-dry Transylvanian-style sausage. We purchased ours at Tibor’s European Meat Market in West Hollywood. The soothing but tangy flavor of sour cream helps to balance the richness of the sausage. This simple one-dish meal is very substantial and will easily feed a family of six.

TRANSYLVANIAN STACKED POTATOES

(Erdelyi Rakottkrumpli)

Butter

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

4 large russet potatoes, cooked and peeled

Salt, pepper

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and sliced

3/4 pound Transylvanian-style sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices

2 cups sour cream

1/2 cup milk

Butter baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs.

Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange 1/3 of potatoes in bottom of 9x13-inch baking pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs. Sprinkle over 2 cups of cheese. Arrange sliced eggs in single layer over potatoes. Season to taste with salt. Sprinkle over 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, then 1/2 cup of cheese. Top with another layer of sliced potatoes. Arrange sliced sausage in single layer over potatoes. Top with remaining potatoes in single layer. Season to taste with salt. Then sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs and remaining cheese.

In bowl, blend together sour cream and milk. Pour over top of casserole. Shake casserole to settle sour cream mixture. Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes to 1 hour or until hot throughout. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each serving contains about:

600 calories; 815 mg sodium; 313 mg cholesterol; 44 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 25 grams protein; 0.30 gram fiber.