Mistakes are my specialty. Sometimes things work, but often they don’t. Usually, it’s when you most need a win that you take an L. Food history is full of miscalculations and spectacular blunders. Kitchen lore brings us success stories like that of the tired cook who accidentally drops a ravioli in hot oil instead of water, or the poor schlub who leaves his cherry soda outside overnight only to find it frozen into a “popsicle” the next morning.
We make and smoke our own andouille sausage at the restaurant, and it’s been a staple since we opened. Sausage making isn’t rocket science, but a lot can go wrong in the process. A sausage is essentially an emulsion, not terribly different from making a vinaigrette. So when that harmony breaks, it sucks. Maybe your grinder blade was too dull or your pork fat wasn’t cold enough. Either way, having something go haywire with sausage is no fun, and once you’ve mixed it, there’s no going back.
A few summers ago, I made a batch of andouille that looked and felt great; I really thought I had a winner. We cased it and loaded it into the smoker as usual, and this time I happened to be smoking an eggplant puree as well. When I opened up the door a couple hours later, I noticed the sausage emulsion had broken and there was just a shriveled, sad excuse for a link and a pile of glistening orange fat sitting on top of my eggplant puree. While not psyched about the andouille, I had a good hunch that the smoked eggplant was going to be tasty — and it was.
Obviously I don’t want to go to the trouble of making ill-conceived sausages just to extract fat. So one day I decided to smoke some lard and use the spice mix we use for andouille. The result was a dead ringer for the real rendered product, so it became a quick staple in our kitchen. Flavored fats are a great cheat for home cooks to have in their arsenal. You can sneak them into scrambled eggs, roasted vegetables or soup bases for a unique flavor bomb.
This recipe is a great way to use up the very end of your lingering summer fruits and vegetables. I always find myself in the same spot in mid-to-late October — with a bunch of eggplant left in the fridge and nowhere to put it. So this eggplant dip is an easy, fast way to use it. Pair it with a homemade giardiniera, and you’re utilizing the best items of late summer and early fall in one dish.
Start by peeling the eggplant. Slice the eggplant in half, vertically. We like to use Japanese eggplant or any long and thin variety for quicker, even cooking. Toss the sliced eggplant in a neutral oil like canola and salt to taste. Place on a super-hot grill or griddle and char until dark, dark brown on both sides. All the flavor comes from those sugars caramelizing, so don’t be scared if it looks a little burned.
Transfer hot eggplant to a food processor, add andouille fat, sugar and cider vinegar and puree for a couple minutes or until completely smooth. Press through fine mesh strainer set over a mixing bowl.
Serve it simply with sweet pickles, spicy giardiniera and toasted bread from Hungry Ghost.
Smoky Eggplant Dip
We love to use eggplant from Kitchen Garden Farm in Sunderland.
4-5 eggplants, peeled and sliced vertically
2 tablespoons room-temperature andouille fat (recipe below)
Salt to taste
Pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
To make the andouille fat:
4 cups lard (if you don’t want to render your own lard, Northampton’s Sutter Meats sells it)
1 tablespoon Colman’s mustard powder
1 tablespoon Cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, sliced
Put lard, garlic, onions and spice mixture in
a pan and smoke on stovetop or on the grill. (We like to use hickory or applewood.) Smoke for 2-3 hours, then let cool. Mix 2 tablespoons with the dip recipe above; save the rest for next time.
David Schrier is the chef at The Alvah Stone in Montague.