Bouja Recipes

BOOYAH

Steps:

• Pat beef and chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and black pepper.
• Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown beef on all sides, about 10 minutes; transfer to plate. Cook chicken until browned all over, about 10 minutes; transfer to plate. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard it.
• Pour off all but 1-1/2 teaspoons fat from pot. Add onions and celery and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits. Add beef, beef bones, and chicken, and bring to boil.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until chicken registers 175° F, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to bowl. When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size pieces, discarding bones. Cover chicken and refrigerate.
• Continue to simmer stew until beef is tender, about 1-1/4 hours longer. Transfer beef to plate. When cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size pieces, discarding fat. Remove beef bones and bay leaves; discard.
• Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer; discard solids. Allow liquid to settle, about 5 minutes, then skim off fat and return liquid to pot.
• Add shredded beef, cabbage, tomatoes, rutabaga, 1-1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to liquid and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until rutabaga is translucent around edges, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in potatoes and carrots and cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add chicken and peas, and simmer until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

MIDWEST LIVING'S BOUJA / BURGOO

Steps:

• In a large cooking pot, cook the chicken in 1 tablespoon hot cooking oil until no pink remains; remove the chicken from the pot, cover and chill but reserve the drippings in the pot.
• Brown the cubed beef chuck in the remaining drippings in the pot, adding more oil if needed.
• Add the water, chopped onion, instant bouillon granules and the dried thyme to the pot; bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the cooking pot and stir to combine; return the mixture to boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes more, or until vegetables and meat are tender.
• Stir in the cooked chicken and heat through; season to taste with some salt and some additional pepper, if you like.

RIEDER'S BOUJA

Steps:

• Boil chicken and beef in a heavy kettle until tender.
• Use enough water to cover.
• Remove meat and cut into small bite-sized chunks.
• Discard fat and skin.
• To broth, add celery, cabbage, onions and boil until almost tender.
• Add remaining vegetables according to taste and desired thickness.
• After vegetables have cooked a short time together add meat and simmer until meat breaks apart.
• Stir occasionally with a wooden paddle.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Put (VERY IMPORTANT) dry pickling spice in a strong cloth bag and tie firmly with string so it won't come apart.
• Drop the bag into simmering bouja plunging it in and out after a short time, tasting as you go until it tastes right.

BOOYAH THE SOUP

Steps:

• Remove all the meat from the cooked chicken. Discard the skin. You can reserve the bones for making stock. Chop the meat into bite size pieces. (1/2 inch cube). Refrigerate the meat until needed.
• Cut the beef chuck roast into 1 inch cubes and put into a resalable plastic bag. Add 1 Tbsp of flour to bag and shake until all the meat cubes are coated. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in 8 qt pot. When hot, add the meat and brown on all sides. Remove browned beef with a slotted spoon and reserve, repeat with remaining beef cubes.
• Cut kielbasa into strips and cube (1/2 inch). Add to hot pot and cook over medium high heat until browned. Remove with slotted spoon and add to beef. Do not drain fat from pot.
• Add onion, celery, red bell pepper, carrots, and the turnip to the pot. Sweat the vegetables over medium high heat until the onions are translucent. Add the Italian spice blend and the hot pepper flakes. Cook for 2 more minutes.
• Add can of diced tomatoes. Stir and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
• Add reserved chicken, beef, and sausage to pot. Bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 10 minute.
• Drain diced potatoes and add to pot along with barley. Cover and simmer all for 10 more minutes.
• Add frozen peas and corn. Add salt and pepper. Simmer 1 more minute. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Just before serving add beer.

BOUJA RECIPE

Steps:

• Stew whole chicken until tender with onion and celery. Cut up chicken after it is cooled off. Put back in broth with all other ingredients. Simmer until tender, remove spice bag, mash through a potato masher a few times. You can use more vegetables and spice if you like. Serve this as a thick soup.