Anne Mahle, chef/captain aboard the Maine windjammer J&R Riggin kindly shared three recipes from At Home At Sea, the new edition of her first cookbook. Read more about Annie Mahle in my Five Questions series, here.
Baking Powder Biscuits
Makes 12 biscuits
This is a recipe my grandma passed on to me through my mom. My grandmother used shortening, and maybe even lard. Currently, shortening is out and butter is in, but to honor the history of the recipe, I’ve left shortening as an ingredient. It is a one to one replacement to substitute butter.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup whole milk
Preheat oven to 450°F. Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt into a sifter set in a medium bowl. This is an important step because you want to add air to the mixture so the biscuits are as fluffy as possible. Use a pastry cutter to cut the shortening into the mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Stir in any additional dry ingredients here (page xx). Add milk and any additional wet ingredients, stirring until a soft dough forms. It is important to not overmix; you’ll hard tack instead of fluffy biscuits. Turn out onto a floured board and knead 10 times, then STOP! Roll or pat out the dough until it is 1/2-inch thick. Cut with a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter. Transfer the biscuits to an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Variations
• Lemon and Herb Biscuits
To the basic recipe add:
1 tablespoon lemon zest; about 1 lemon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons of fresh herbs such as chives, chive blossoms, lemon thyme, thyme, rosemary, and/or lavender
• Parmesan and Black Pepper Biscuits
To the basic recipe add:
several grinds fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese; about 1 cup lightly packed
1 large egg
a little extra milk if needed
• Roquefort and Walnut Biscuits
To the basic recipe add:
4 ounces crumbled Roquefort cheese; about 1 cup
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 pinch paprika
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Jack and Jalapeno Biscuit
To the basic recipe add:
2 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese; about 1 cup
1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeno pepper
• Poppy Seed and Orange
To the basic recipe add:
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 tablespoons orange zest; about 1 orange
***
Chicken, Roasted Red Pepper, and Couscous Salad
Serves 4 to 6
3 strips bacon, sliced crosswise
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup couscous
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
several grinds fresh black pepper
1 large red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
4 ounces baby spinach
Heat a small skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon to a paper towel. Bring water and salt to a boil in a medium sauce pan over high heat. Add the chicken and reduce the heat until the liquid is ever so slightly simmering and cook gently for 15 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to cool. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the liquid and save the remaining liquid for another recipe. Bring the reserved liquid to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in the couscous, cover, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the olive oil, mustard, soy sauce, vinegar, and black pepper in a small bowl. Slice the cooled chicken and combine with the vinaigrette mixture, red pepper, scallions, and bacon in a medium bowl. Fluff the couscous with a fork. To plate, layer the spinach, couscous, and then the chicken mixture and serve immediately.
***
Tomato, Mascarpone, and Kalamata Olive Fettuccine
Serves 4
8 ounces fresh or dried fettuccine
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic; about 3 cloves
2 cups peeled, seeded, and diced plum tomatoes; about 4 to 5 tomatoes
1 1/2 cups Kalamata olives, pitted
8 ounces Mascarpone cheese; about 1 cup
2 tablespoons white wine
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
several grinds fresh black pepper
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese; about 1 cup lightly packed
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Meanwhile heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and olives and toss lightly, sautéing for a minute or so. Add the wine, Mascarpone, salt, and pepper and sauté until the cheese is melted. This whole process should not take long at all, maybe 1 minute. The point is not to stew the tomatoes, but have them retain their fresh taste. Arrange the pasta on a platter, sprinkle with Parmesan, and spoon the sauce on top. Garnish with the parsley.
