AN INVENTIVE TAKE ON A CLASSIC
CHEF MATT JENNINGS MAKES NEW ENGLAND CUISINE MORE APPROACHABLE
‘The best food in the world speaks to relationships and it speaks to a sense of place,” chef Matt Jennings says. “If you can achieve that through the food that you make, then as a chef you’re doing your job as a storyteller.”
Jennings’s debut cookbook, Homegrown ( Artisan Books), honours the cuisine of New England. It’s a celebration of the history, landscapes and flavours that make his home region unique.
“New England c uisine is ever- evolving,” Jennings says. “In Boston, ( I’m influenced) by the different cultures that come through the city as a gateway to the U. S. Embracing … what that adds to the fabric of food is a huge part of what I do.”
In Homegrown, baked- in- acan brown bread calls for doenjang ( Korean soybean paste). Jennings’s nouveau clam chowder — complete with a briny hit of seaweed and shards of squid ink crackers — is followed by his mother’s classic “chowdah.”
“A lot of my food hearkens back to food that I either grew up with or that influenced me,” he says. “It comes from a place that’s a little bit more personal. It’s driven by family, tradition and culture.”
CHEDDAR AND SQUASH DUMPLINGS For the dough:
5 to 5 1/2 cups (1.25 to 1.40 L) allpurpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup (250 mL) whole milk
1 cup (250 mL) cold water
1 egg
2 tbsp (30 mL) sour cream
For the filling:
1 lb ( 454 g) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut i nto 1/4-inch (6-mm) cubes
1 tbsp ( 15 mL) extra- virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 oz ( 113 g) aged cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbsp ( 30 mL) whole- milk ricotta
1/2 tsp ( 2 mL) freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon
6 tbsp (90 mL) unsalted butter
1/4 cup ( 50 mL) finely chopped fresh chives, for garnish
2 tbsp ( 30 mL) toasted sunflower seeds, for garnish Pure maple syrup, for drizzling Sour cream, for serving 1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine 5 cups of the flour, the milk, water, egg, and sour cream. Stir until the mixture comes together in a ball, adding more flour if the dough is sticky. Turn the dough out onto a wellfloured work surface and knead gently with your fingertips, lifting the dough off the counter and dropping it down (the dropping technique is key for delicate and pliable dough). If the dough seems very sticky, add additional flour by the tablespoonful.
2. Knead until the dough is smooth on t he outside and slightly sticky when poked, 2 to 5 minutes. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature while you make the filling.
3. Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 400° F ( 200° C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
4. Put the squash in a medium bowl, add the olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange the squash in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast, stirring frequently, until the squash is tender but not browned, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor. Add the cheddar cheese, ricotta, nutmeg, and cinnamon and process until puréed. Transfer to a bowl, season to taste with salt and pep- per, and let cool.
6. Form and cook the dumplings: Preheat the oven to 250° F ( 130° C). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Unwrap the dough and cut it into six even pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time ( keep the remaining pieces under a clean, damp kitchen towel so they don’t dry out) and using a well-floured rolling pin, roll the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (6 mm).
7. Using a 2- inch ( 5- cm) round cutter, cut out circles from the dough. Spoon a small amount of the filling into the middle of a dough circle and, with a pastry brush, brush the edge of the dough with water. Carefully fold the dough over to form a halfmoon, enclosing the filling inside. Crimp the edges with your fingers to seal. Set the dumplings on a baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough and filling have been used, gathering up and rerolling the scraps of dough as needed.
8. Add the dumplings to the boiling water and cook for about 90 seconds, until they float. Use a slotted spoor or spider to transfer them from the water to a rimmed baking sheet and let cool.
9. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add some of the dumplings and fry, turning frequently, until lightly browned on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to an ovenproof platter and keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining dumplings.
10. Just before serving, sprinkle with chives and sunflower seeds, and drizzle with maple syrup. Serve with sour cream on the side.
Makes: about 50 dumplings; serves 6 as a main course MUSSELS WITH RED CURRY BROTH AND LEMONGRASS
4 lb (1.8 kg) mussels, rinsed and debearded 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil 1 tbsp (15 mL) toasted sesame oil 3 shallots, thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 stalk lemongrass, top and bottom trimmed and outer leaves discarded; bottom third of stalk thinly sliced
8 oz ( 225 g) sweet Italian pork sausage ( if cased, removed from casing) 1 large yellow onion, julienned 5 tbsp ( 75 mL) prepared Thai red curry paste 1 cup (250 mL) dry white wine 2 cups (500 mL) fish or shellfish stock 3 tbsp (45 mL) fish sauce 1 tbsp (15 mL) oyster sauce 2 tbsp ( 30 mL) gochujang ( Korean chili paste)
3 tbsp (45 mL) shoyu (white soy sauce) 1 tbsp (15 mL) honey 2 (14- ounce/440-mL) cans fullfat unsweetened coconut milk Kosher salt Cilantro leaves, for garnish Baguette or crusty bread, for serving
1. Pick through the mussels and discard any that have open shells.
2. In a large high-sided skillet or pot, heat the canola and sesame oils over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallots, garlic, and lemongrass and cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage and onion and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the chunks of sausage as it cooks, until the sausage is no longer pink and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste, then pour in the wine and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock, fish sauce, oyster sauce, gochujang, shoyu, and honey. Pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine, then season to taste with salt and add the mussels. Cover the pot and cook until the flavours have married and all the mussel shells have opened, about 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open.
3. Divide the mussels among six serving bowls. Pour the liquid from the pot over each dish and garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately with a crusty baguette alongside to sop up the juices.
Serves: 6 as a main course
EVIE’S PUB CHEESE
1 1/2 lb (680 g) finely grated Colby cheese
1 cup (250 mL) mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann’s 1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream 1/2 cup ( 125 mL) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 small white onion, grated on a box grater
2 t bsp ( 30 mL) f i nely minced red bell pepper
2 tbsp ( 30 mL) minced cornichon pickles
2 tbsp ( 30 mL) cornichon pickle juice 1 scallion, finely chopped 2 tsp (10 mL) onion powder 1 1/2 tsp ( 7 mL) Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp (5 mL) sweet Spanish paprika 1 tsp (5 mL) Dijon mustard 1 tsp (5 mL) ground turmeric
1 tsp ( 5 mL) celery seed, crushed 1 garlic clove, minced 10 dashes of hot sauce Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Crackers, for serving In a large bowl, combine the Colby cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, onion, bell pepper, pickles and pickle juice, scallion, onion powder, Worcestershire, paprika, mustard, turmeric, celery seed, garlic, and hot sauce.
Fold together with a rubber spatula until well mixed; season to taste with salt, black pepper, and hot sauce.
Serve the spread at room temperature with crackers alongside. The cheese can be made up to 4 days ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before serving.
Makes: 4 cups ( 1 L); serves 8 to 10 as a snack