Bring all pickling ingredients to a boil and allow to cool.

Place raw fennel in a large pot and cover with cooled pickling liquid. Bring to a simmer.

Simmer for 15 minutes.

Allow to cool on the counter top.

Refrigerate.

Must age at least one week.

Edward Lee is the chef and owner of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, KY, a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast and winner of a November 2010 episode of Iron Chef America on The Food Network. His style of cooking is famous for combining the best of Southern cuisine with his Korean heritage and Brooklyn roots.

We were lucky enough to snag a recipe from him at the Garden and Gun Chef’s Roundtable, presented by Le Creuset, when he served as a roundtable participant. See below for his mouthwatering Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Black Eyed Peas.

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Black Eyed Peas

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the roast on all sides, about 8 minutes on all sides. Place shoulder into a large roasting pan. Pour chicken stock, white wine, black eyed peas, onions, garlic and leeks. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover, and bake for 4 hours. Raise the temperature to 425 degrees F and roast 1 hour more.

Take out pork, slice and place into a bowl.  Ladle the broth and veggies over the pork and serve immediately.

Created for the Enameled Cast Iron Pâté Terrine.

Adapted from “The Cast Iron Way to Cook” by Sue Cutts.

This coarse country pâté provides a true taste of regional France. It is perfect for an appetizer or a light meal. Turkey can be substituted for chicken. The recipe freezes well for up to one month. Thaw completely before use.

Lay the four bay leaves along the bottom of the pâté terrine.  Place the bacon slices on a work surface and, using the dull side of a table knife, flatten and lengthen each slice. Center each slice in the bottom of the terrine (side by side) and drape ends up the sides of the dish leaving the ends on either side of the terrine.  Preheat the oven to 300°.

Put the ground pork, chopped chicken thighs, and chopped chicken livers into a bowl with the other ingredients.  Stir together thoroughly (use your hands) and transfer the mixture to the bacon-lined pâté terrine.  Arrange the bacon ends over the contents to enclose the mixture. Use additional bacon pieces to cover, if necessary.

Put the lid on the terrine and place the terrine into a larger roasting pan. Place on the oven rack and then fill the larger pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the terrine to form a water bath.  Bake the pâté in the oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices in the middle of the terrine run clear when pierced with a toothpick.

Carefully remove the pâté terrine from the water bath and set aside to cool completely. Unmold onto a large serving dish, trimming away any meat solids or fat that have escaped and solidified. Remove the bay leaves and discard.  Cut into even slices with a very sharp knife and serve with small toast rounds and tiny French cornichon pickles.

Serves 4-6

Soup:
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 leek white, chopped
4 oz of unsalted butter
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 quart of clementine juice or substitute orange juice
1 cup of heavy cream
2 cups of water
Salt to taste

Cream:
1 cup of heavy cream
½ cup of coconut milk
¼ cup of confection sugar

Method of Preparation:
Sauté the first three ingredients until translucent.
Add squash and cook until slightly tender.
Add all three liquids and bring to a boil and cook until squash is very tender.
Puree in blender and pass through a strainer, then season with salt.
For the cream: add all 3 ingredients into mixing bowl and whip to stiff peaks.

Chef’s Note:
I like to peel the left over clementines and use the segments to garnish each soup.

Recipe by: Spencer Thomson, Executive Chef & Partner, Devereaux’s