Sourdough Oatmeal Rolls

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Sourdough Oatmeal Rolls

There’s few things in this world like freshly baked bread right out of the oven. I’ve been getting more and more into baking bread these days, especially having a sourdough starter hanging out in the fridge. Every Sunday morning when I “feed it”, I feel terrible throwing away half of it – I’ll try to pawn it off on friends, but I’ve pretty much run out of takers at this point, so I’ve resolved to baking something with it on Sunday.

These sourdough oatmeal rolls were one of those resolutions. They are a delicious savory dinner roll. Chewy and tender, with a hint of sweetness from honey, and plenty of texture from the addition of oatmeal in the bread – as well as sprinkled on the top of the rolls before baking.

It makes two pans of rolls, which was enough to us to enjoy with dinner on Sunday night – and a batch to stick in the freezer to enjoy on an evening soon. I love having fresh bread just waiting in the freezer. Plus, one less trip to the store with a toddler in tow is always a good thing! This is one we’ll be making again and again for sure, as I just loved the flavor and texture. Actually, I’m thinking a batch of our favorite ham & cheese sliders might be in order for lunch next weekend on these bad boys! 

Sourdough Oatmeal Rolls

1/2 cup warm water
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp active-dry yeast (or 1 package)
1 Tbsp molasses
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup sourdough starter
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup quick cooking oats (1/4 cup reserved for topping)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter, melted (for brushing tops)
Combine warm water and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Sprinkle yeast over the top of the water and let sit for 10 minutes.

Add the molasses, egg, sourdough starter, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup oats, and flour to the bowl. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough is formed. Switch to dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Place in well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled – about 90 minutes.

Grease the bottom and sides of 2 8-inch baking pans. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half. Equally divide each half into 7 pieces about the size of a golf ball (2 ounces each if you’re weighing). Gently roll into rounds and place in the pans, leaving about half an inch of space between them. Cover rolls with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for at least 30 minutes, or until they’ve expanded to fill the pan.

Preheat oven to 400º. Brush with each pan with half of the melted butter and sprinkle with half of the oats. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes 

Oyster Stuffing

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Oyster Stuffing

Oyster stuffing. I don’t know that you’ll find a dish more unanimously found on Thanksgiving tables here on the Eastern Shore. After a quick web search, it turns out it’s common in many other parts of the country as well – but especially down south around the Gulf, and up north around New England.

It’s basically a homemade stuffing – composed of dry bread cubes, sauteed onions and herbs, chicken stock, and fresh oysters. Some people used canned or smoked oysters – but, I can’t justify using those. Ever. Ain’t nobody got time for that! The oysters plump up in the stuffing, and release their delicious briny juices – adding a ton of flavor to the stuffing, and the bread just soaks it all right up! I loved the addition of nutmeg and clove too, it really made it taste like Thanksgiving.

This was actually my first time making this dish (hey, I am a “come here” after all!) and as I mixed it up before putting it in the casserole dish, I thought it wasn’t going to be something I enjoyed…as it wasn’t much to look at. But when it came out of the oven, and the top was nice and brown – I couldn’t wait to dig in! If you’re looking for something special to add to your Thanksgiving Day table, which is a cut above the standard cornbread stuffing (or my favorite, even though I’m ashamed to admit it – Stove Top!) get yourself a pint of oysters from the seafood market and make this stuffing. Maybe it will become a tradition for your family, as it has for so many others here on the Eastern Shore and elsewhere, on Turkey Day!

Oyster Stuffing

6 cups 1/2-inch cubed French bread
3 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
3 Tbsp butter, melted,
1/2 red onion, finely diced
2 ribs celery, finely diced
3/4 pint shucked oysters, liquid reserved
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp. madeira or port
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1/4 tsp hot sauce
pinch ground nutmeg
small pinch ground cloves
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Arrange bread cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake, stirring occasionally, until dried but not browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

Put bacon into a 12″ skillet; cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until crisp and its fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Add butter and heat. Add onions and celery, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add reserved liquid from oysters, stock, madeira or port, parsley, thyme, sage, hot sauce, nutmeg, cloves, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and stir in the bread cubes and oysters. Set aside to allow the flavors to come together for 10 minutes.

Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Transfer mixture to a buttered 2-qt. oval baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil, drizzle with remaining butter, and continue baking until golden brown and crusty, about 15 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Saveur, October 2008

Buttermilk-Chive Mashed Potatoes

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Buttermilk-Chive Mashed Potatoes

Have you guys started giving any thought to Thanksgiving yet? If not you need to get on it, it’s right around the corner! We usually keep things pretty traditional around here – roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce…you know the routine. But I like to make all those traditional things just a little bit more special on Turkey Day, if I can.

I found myself with some dwindling chives outside and an-almost-gone-container of buttermilk last week when I made my favorite all-beef meatloaf, so I thought I’d mix them into mashed potatoes to make them a little more fancy. The slight tang from the buttermilk and the mild onion flavor from the chives were just perfect in the creamy mashed potatoes – making them delicious enough to eat plain, but not too overpowering that a spot of gravy on them wouldn’t be a welcome addition as well.

I’m hoping to get another couple of Thanksgiving day favorites up before the big day, so keep checking back for more yummy ideas for your Holiday table.

Buttermilk-Chive Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp half-and-half
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup chives, chopped
freshly ground black pepper

Put the potatoes in a large pot. Add the 2 salt and enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, drain well in a colander, and return to hot pan to evaporate some more moisture.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the buttermilk, half-and-half, and butter. Heat until just warm and set aside.

Using a potato masher, ricer, or the lowest speed on your stand mixer to mash the potatoes well. Slowly add in the buttermilk mixture, continuing to mash and combine until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. Stir in the chives and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the potatoes to serving bowl and serve immediately.

This serves 4, but can easily be doubled or tripled to accommodate a larger crowd.

Black Truffle Macaroni & Cheese

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Black Truffle Macaroni & Cheese

This macaroni and cheese has been on my “to make” for years, since seeing a rendition of it on Top Chef Season 1. Dave made it, and I remember just being in awe of black truffles as an ingredient. I’d had black and white truffle oil, and loved the flavor it lent to dishes. But, a whole black truffle? I figured that I’d never have a chance to use them in my kitchen.

Then a few years after that, I discovered Wegmans. If you don’t know what they are (they are regional), it’s a high-end grocery store where you can find pretty much anything. Including fresh black truffles…just hanging out in the produce department like it ain’t no thang! Whenever I visited the store, I’d gawk over them – but due to the high price tag I was afraid to buy one. How much did one weigh? What if I got up there and it was $500? That’s definitely too rich for my blood…

I went ahead and took the plunge a couple weeks ago when my girlfriend and I visited a huge craft fair in the mountains at Thurmont, MD. Came home with all kinds of goodies – apples, fresh pressed cider, and one black truffle. It cost me $15.00 for one  pretty good-sized truffle. While expensive, definitely do-able as a treat once in a while. Was thinking I might like to try infusing my own truffle oil at some point!

So, the macaroni and cheese I’d been dreaming about for 7 years finally transpired. And it was worth the wait. Rich and earthy, yet not overpowering. The combination of white cheddar and Gruyere is a great combo that adds plenty of cheesy flavor, but still lets the truffles shine. Black truffle butter is easier to find than  whole truffles, and more affordable. That in combination with a drizzle of the truffle oil would be a good substitution. Or really this macaroni and cheese is delicious on it’s own – with no truffles!

But, it’s getting to be that special time of year where we love to splurge to make a meal a little fancier, or the ingredients a little more special for the Holidays. My mom always called it “the horn of plenty”, and it’s something that I look forward to every year. Can you guys believe it’s November already? Where has this year gone?

Black Truffle Macaroni & Cheese

8 ounces elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
1/2 white onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons finely chopped black truffles
8 ounces sharp aged white cheddar, shredded
5 ounces gruyere cheese, shredded
1 ounce parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp truffle oil (black or white)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
sliced fresh black truffles for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni to al dente (approximately 7 minutes). Strain and place on a lightly oiled sheet pan.

While the macaroni is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Continue to cook over low heat for 4 minutes stirring constantly. Add the milk, chopped truffles, onion and bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Turn off the heat and add 3/4 of the aged cheddar and all of the other cheeses. Add mustard and truffle oil as well. Season with salt and black pepper and fold in macaroni. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheddar.

Top with remaining shaved truffles. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven let stand for about 5 minutes.

Source: adapted from Wolfgang Puck