WASILLA, ALASKA — A woman defense contractor in Huntsville, Ala., won the “Dangerous” Dining with Sarah Palin eBay auction — her bid was $63,500.
Auction details only allow the winning bidder to bring three friends to the dinner. Palin’s spokeswoman said “the former Governor and former First Dude Todd are thrilled that, above all, our wounded warriors are being recognized and honored, and will receive all of the leftover stew. It is a small token of appreciation for their sacrifices on behalf of our great nation.”
The dinner, likely to be served in Wasilla, Alaska, will feature the recipe that Palin has made famous over the years, and is known locally as The Wasilla Stew. Here’s the simple recipe — fair warning, you need a big freezer for the unused moose.
The Wasilla Stew
ex-Wasilla councilwoman, ex-Mayor, ex-Governor,
former US Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, Chef1/2 moose, skinned, cut into 1 inch cubes
(reserve other half moose for chili and taco recipes next week. Mount head and antlers on the wall.)
2 quarts shortening
1 lb cracked black pepper
1 lb paprika
1 bay leaf bush, root ball removed
10 lb salt, divided
20 gallons condensed beef broth, divided
1 case dry red wine, divided
10 lb large onions, diced
35-40 large carrots, peeled and sliced
100 small whole white onions, cleaned and peeled
2 20-lb sacks new potatoes, peeled & cubed
10 lbs butter, cut in 1-inch cubes
10 lbs all-purpose flour, sifted1.Sauté moose cubes in shortening in batches until brown on all sides. This will take most of the morning, so start early. Alternately, you can spit-roast the meat over a camp fire, basting with the shortening, to keep the moistness.
2. Add pepper, paprika, bay leaf, 5 lb of the salt, 10 gallons of the beef broth, 6 bottles of the red wine, onion, and carrots to a 50-gallon drum over a separate camp fire. When liquid is close to boiling, add the sauteed moose cubes.
This will need to be watched as you want to keep the broth and wine close to the boil at all times. As the broth reduces add one gallon of reserve broth and 1 bottle of wine + a pound of salt. Make sure the moose cubes stay covered.
3. Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 12 hours. Add extra broth and wine as directed.
4. Add whole small onions and potato cubes; cover and simmer for an additional 2 hours, or until the vegetables are barely tender.
5. Mix butter and flour into a paste. Drop into simmering stew, 1 lb at a time, stir until dissolved completely after each addition.
Cook, stirring, until stew bubbles and thickens. This will take approximately an hour.
Serve with side dishes of steamed rice or fried polenta, and a nicely crisp, green garden salad with fresh, seasonal veggies.
SALAD NOTE: In way-southern Alaska, fresh veggies available is the months of July and, usually, most of August. Mid-, more-, and far-north Alaska, check your supply plane as fresh veggies may not exist. To make this salad the rest of the year, use store-bought Bird’s Eye IQF veggies as they are the closest to fresh you can get up here. It’s best to thaw these veggies in the ‘frig overnight, as they will keep their original shape more recognizably (at this point, shape is all you’re gonna get).
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.,