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12/29/2011 National Pepper Pot Day Spicy Sausage, Bean and Red Pepper Pot with a Puffed Cheesy Topping

Source of Recipe

Cathedral City


Recipe Introduction

Today we celebrate National Pepper Pot Day in honor of pepper pot, a thick spicy soup first created on December 29, 1777. During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Army was experiencing an exceptionally harsh winter in Valley Forge. The soldiers were running very low on food because the farmers in the area sold all their food to the British Army for cash rather than the weak currency that the Continental soldiers could offer. Christopher Ludwick, the baker general of the Continental Army, gathered whatever food he could find to in order to feed the frail soldiers. The chef was able to find scraps of tripe, meat, and some peppercorn. He mixed the ingredients together with some other seasonings and thus created the hot spicy soup. It was called by some as "the soup that won the war." To celebrate this historic dish, try making your own pepper pot soup today! It will be perfect to warm you up on a cold December day.

List of Ingredients

HOME COOKIN¡¯ 12/29/2011 National Pepper Pot Day Spicy Sausage, Bean and Red Pepper Pot with a Puffed Cheesy Topping




Spicy Sausage, Bean and Red Pepper Pot with a Puffed Cheesy Topping


400g pack pork sausages
3 onions, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 sticks celery, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons of sweet chili powder
1 teaspoon of thyme
400g can cherry tomatoes
400g cannellini beans, drained
400g red kidney beans, drained
Handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
Topping
15g butter
15g plain flour
150ml milk
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
125g Cathedral City Mature yet Mellow
2 eggs, separated


Recipe



Preheat oven to 200¢ªC. Dry-fry the pork sausages in a large frying pan, until they are brown all over. They do not need to be cooked through. Remove to a plate on the side, and when cool enough to handle, cut into 2cm slices.

Add the chili powder and thyme to a saucepan, and cook for 1 minute before adding the tomatoes and sausages. Bring to the boil. Cover tightly and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. In the same pan, fry the onion and garlic until soft and golden. Add the celery and peppers and stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes. Uncover, stir in the beans and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add seasoning to taste, pour into an oven-proof dish, and leave to cool.

Whilst the bean pot is cooling, start the topping. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the milk and bring to the boil, then stir over a low heat until thickened. Remove from the heat and beat in the mustard, Worcester sauce, grated Cathedral City Cheddar and egg yolks. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the cheese mixture. Spoon the topping onto the bean and sausage mixture, working as lightly and quickly as possible. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 minutes until puffed up and golden. Serve immediately, sprinkled with flat leaf parsley.