Vegetarian Brun Lapskaus

I've been excited about writing this particular blog post for quite some time. My friend and colleague Hannah, with whom I lead the (wonderful) organisation Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE), also has her own (also wonderful) food blog, The Locavore Experiment. Hannah's blog is a cool and innovative final project for her environmental studies class; it's a collection of recipes using either exclusively or predominantly locally-sourced ingredients. Sadly, at Gourmet Hipster Sister, we don't have the best carbon footprint, so I decided to take a leaf out of Hannah's book and try the local thing, at least for one meal. Another thing I've been wanting to do for a while is cook with beer. I've tried it out in the recipe for my Guinness chilli, but it's something I want to take on more earnestly. This recipe is a great place to achieve both of those missions! You can also check out the recipe on Hannah's blog!

I used to live in Norway, where I attended boarding school. The food definitely was not a highlight of my time in boarding school, but there was one dish that always took my fancy in our kantina - lapskaus. Lapskaus is a traditional Norwegian stew, generally prepared with beef or lamb, but in my school, there was a handsome veggie version - which comprised simply of turnips, carrots, onion and potatoes. It's a simple and gorgeous winter warmer, and is even better when it's homemade. There are many variations of lapskaus, according to the region of Norway you're cooking in and the ingredients at your disposal, but this recipe is a notably simple variation of brun lapskaus, or brown lapskaus. The innate brun-ness of this dish is something that comes about thanks to the beer. I selected Foolproof Brewing's Raincloud Robust Porter - brewed in Pawtucket, RI. This beer is locally produced, but its ingredients are not locally sourced. Regardless, it's a beautifully smooth and dark porter, without an overly malty character. It adds great depth to the lapskaus.

Simmering away with the beer added

The final product, served with Seven Stars cheesy bread

The ingredients, a necessary precursor to the
 onset of a delicious lapskaus

Ingredients:

1 large rutabaga/macomber turnip, diced

3 large carrots, diced

1 large white onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 small potatoes, diced (or one rather large russet/rooster potato)

2 vegetable stock cubes

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 12oz can porter

2-3 cups water

I am noticeably jolly when cooking with beer

Method:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. 

Add onions and cook until translucent. 

Add all other vegetables and stir until coated in oil. Allow to soften for about 5 minutes. 

Add vegetable stock, chilli powder and water and bring to the boil. 

Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for about 40 minutes at a low heat, adding more water as necessary. 

Serve immediately, or the next time you have a case of Norskstalgia