Mortadella Bread

December 9, 2022 by Molly Baz Leave a Comment

Mortadella Bread

SERVES: 8

This recipe is a spin off/reinterpretation of lard bread, a classic Italian American bread typically made with prosciutto and other cured meat scraps. I’ve chosen to use mortadella here because….I love it a lot! If you’d rather use pepperoni, soppressata, or another cured meat, by all means! Mortadella is pretty mild in flavor, so I’ve called for 6 ounces here–if using something cured and salty like the aforementioned meats, cut them into smaller chunks, and reduce the overall quantity of meat to 4 ounces.

Active Time: 30 Mins

Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins

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Produce

6 garlic cloves

Pantry

1 teaspoon fennel seeds
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 ½ teaspoon sugar
310 g all purpose flour (2½ cups)
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
Flaky sea salt

Dairy

6 ounces provolone cheese (in one large piece, not sliced)
2 ounces grated parmesan cheese

Protein

6 ounces mortadella (in one large piece, not sliced)
1 large egg

1. Prep the fillings:

Cut 6 ounces provolone cheese into ½” dice.
Cube 6 ounces of mortadella, into about ½” pieces.
Lightly smash and peel 6 garlic cloves.
Coarsely chop or grind 1 teaspoon fennel seeds.

2. Make the garlic oil:

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat. To the still hot oil, stir in the ground fennel, and a LOT of freshly ground black pepper–(like, a teaspoon or two). It should be very fragrant and pepper-y smelling. Finely grate 6 garlic cloves into the still warm oil. Set aside and let cool.

3. Make the dough:

In the bowl of stand mixer, whisk together 1½ teaspoons of active dry yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and ¾ cup of warm tap water (it should be warmer than room temp–around 85-90 degrees). Let sit for 5 minutes until foamy bubbles begin to form on the surface.
Outfit the stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Pour the garlic oil into the yeast mixture and whisk to incorporate.
Add 310 grams (2 ½ cups) of flour to the bowl and mix on low speed until a shaggy sticky dough forms, scraping down the bowl with a spatula if necessary, about 2 minutes.
Add 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, increase the speed to medium and let the dough knead for 8 minutes, scraping down the dough hook if need be occasionally. At this point the dough should be tacky, smooth, and firmer, and should bounce back slowly when pressed with the pad of a finger. *** (If not using a stand mixer, you can do this all by hand–but you’ll need to knead for 12-14 minutes instead.)
Add all of mortadella, provolone, and 2 ounces (about ⅔ cups) grated parm and mix on low until some of the mix-ins begin to work into the dough, 1 minute. You’ll see many of them fall to the bottom of the bowl. At this point, transfer the contents of the bowl to your work surface and knead the dough by hand for a minute or so in order to encourage the cheese and meat to work their way in. Shape the dough into a ball. Lightly grease the bowl it was in and return it to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours.

4. Shape, rise, bake:

Once doubled in size, swiftly dump the dough back onto your work surface. Use your fingers to gently press any air bubbles out of it as you stretch it into a 15” by 6” rectangle (roughly). Fold one long side of the dough up to meet the middle of the rectangle, then do the same with the second, so they meet together. Use your fingers to pinch the seam to seal it.
Gently roll and stretch the log of dough until it reaches about 20” in length (slightly longer than the long side of a half baking sheet). Twist the dough into a rope by grabbing both ends and twisting them in opposite directions for a few rounds.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the dough to the parchment, forming a circle with the rope. Use your fingers to pinch and seal the two ends together.
Lightly cover with plastic wrap and let rise until puffed but not quite doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough proofs, preheat the oven to 425.

5. Wash and bake:

Lightly beat one egg with a splash of water until homogenous. Once the dough is puffed, brush the surface with the egg wash. Season with flaky sea salt and more black pepper.
Bake, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through, until golden brown and the cheese has oozed out and formed lacy frico at the edges, about 30 minutes.
Let cool,10 to 15 minutes and eat warm!!

Filed Under: Pork, Snack Attack

Squash Toast

December 2, 2022 by Molly Baz Leave a Comment

Squash Toast

SERVES: 2

This is fall's answer to the beloved tomato toast. Tomatoes get subbed out for a more seasonally appropriate vegetable– squash, which when caramelized and glazed in a sticky, spicy apple cider vinegar and butter sauce, really and truly shines bright. Any kind of winter squash will work, just know that some varieties must be peeled first–Delicata is an exception.

Active Time: 15 Mins

Total Time: 15 mins

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Produce

½ large Delicata Squash
½ Fresno chili or ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
5 garlic cloves
1 sprig thyme

Pantry

Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
2 1” thick slices sourdough bread
3 tablespoon cold butter

Dairy

½ cup labneh or whole milk yogurt

1. Do some prep:

Slice ½ large Decliata squash crosswise into ⅓” thick rings–you’ll need about 8 rings total so use as much of the squash as you need. Don’t bother picking out the seeds, they’ll either fall off or get crispy as we cook the squash.
Thinly slice ½ Fresno chili crosswise–if you like things really spicy, slice the whole thing.
Smash and peel 5 garlic cloves.

2. Cook the squash:

Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the squash in a single layer, season the tops with salt and cook until caramelized underneath, 2-3 minutes. Flip the squash, season the second side and cook until caramelized on second side as well.
Add ¼ cup water, ½ cup apple cider vinegar (careful- it will bubble vigorously!), 1 tablespoon honey, 3 tablespoons cold butter, 1 tablespoon mustard seeds, 4 smashed garlic cloves (reserving one for the toast), 1 sprig of thyme. Reduce to medium/medium low to maintain a simmer and cook until it has reduced substantially and is thick and viscous. If you over-reduce the sauce and it starts to look split and oily, no worries, just add a splash or two of water and shake the pan vigorously to re-emulsify the sauce. Remove from heat.
Taste and re-season with salt if needed.

3. Assemble:

Preheat the broiler. Place two 1” thick slices sourdough bread under the broiler, and toast on both sides, until well toasted.
Rub the tops of both slices with the remaining raw garlic clove, drizzle with olive oil and season the toasts with salt. Cut the toasts in half crosswise.
Shmear a big dollop of labneh or yogurt on each piece. Top with a few pieces of squash, and spoon the pan sauce over them. Season with flaky salt and serve!

Filed Under: So. Many. Veggies, Snack Attack

Leftovers Pot Pie with Greens and Corn Pudding

November 25, 2022 by Molly Baz 2 Comments

Leftovers Pot Pie with Greens and Corn Pudding

SERVES: 6-8

This pot pie will work with any leftover cooked meat, OR you could double the veg and leave it vegetarian. The whole point of this dish is the “crust” anyway–a cheesy, greens-flecked corn pudding topper in place of the more traditional pie crust or puff pastry.

Active Time: 30 Mins

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins

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Produce

2 (10-ounce) bags frozen corn
1 large or 2 medium onions
1 large fennel bulb (about 12 ounces)
1 ¼ pounds any root vegetables (carrots, turnips, parsnips, and/or rutabaga)
6 garlic cloves
6 ounces sturdy greens (kale, collards, swiss chard)
1 bunch sage
¼ cup lemon juice

Pantry

Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¾ cup white wine
⅓ cup all-purpose flour

Dairy

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing pan
3 ounces parmigiano-reggiano
4 ¼ cups milk
3 large eggs

Protein

1 pound leftover turkey or chicken meat (4 cups)

1. Do some prep:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a 9” x 13” pan with butter.
Defrost 2 (10-ounce) bags frozen corn and place in a colander set over a bowl or in the sink. When the corn is fully defrosted, squeeze to expel as much excess water from the kernels as possible.
Peel and chop 1 large onion. Chop 1 large fennel bulb, including any tender stalks and fronds. Peel (if necessary) and roughly chop 1 ¼ pounds of root vegetables. Peel and finely chop 6 cloves garlic.
Destem 6-ounces sturdy greens. Discard stems and rip leaves into large pieces.
Coarsely chop enough sage to measure 3 tablespoons.
Grate 3 ounces of parmigiano-reggiano.
Tear 1 pound of leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken into bite-sized pieces.

2. Make the filling:

Warm a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 5 tablespoons butter and swirl to coat. Add the chopped onions and fennel. Season with salt and pepper and saute, stirring occasionally, until aromatics are softened and ever so slightly golden on the edges, about 6-8 minutes. Adjust heat as necessary to prevent burning.
Add the root vegetables, garlic, sage, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper and continue to saute, stirring, until root vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes more. Add ¾ cup white wine and cook until nearly evaporated, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze, 3-4 minutes.
Add ⅓ cup flour and stir to coat. Cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Gradually add 4 cups of milk and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced and thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in ¼ cup lemon juice and the chicken or turkey. Season the filling to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer filling to prepared pan. Scatter the torn greens over the top of the pudding.

3. Make the corn pudding topper:

Melt 5 tablespoons butter. Add to the bowl of a blender, along with 3 eggs, 1 ¼ teaspoon salt, the remaining ¼ cup milk, and half the thawed corn. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as necessary. Add the remaining corn, 3 ounces (about ½ cup) grated parmesan cheese and pulse just once or twice to incorporate so it is still chunky. Do not overblend.
Scrape contents of blender over the greens in the pan spread to incorporate. Using a spoon, gently fold the corn mixture into the greens, so that the two components begin to combine, but still retain their own identity. That is to say, don’t overmix! Finding pockets of greens and pockets of corn custard among the more incorporated portions of the skillet is what will make for the most dynamic eating experience!

4. Bake:

Transfer pan to the oven and bake until bubbling and golden brown all around the edges, about 40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before scooping and serving.