Maryland Beaten Biscuits with Sausage Gravy
r You need a lot of patience and a heavy rolling pin for these small, doughy biscuits, which make a perfect vessel for creamy sausage gravy. Serves 4.
For the biscuits
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups cold water
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Sift the flour into a large bowl, and add the salt. Cut in the lard or shortening. Slowly drizzle in the water—add up to two cups—until a dough is formed. Using a heavy rolling pin, beat the dough for 30 minutes, or until the surface begins to blister. If your muscles just aren’t up to it, you can put the dough in an electric mixture and let it bully the dough for 30 minutes.
Pull off pieces of the dough and roll into small balls about the size of eggs. Poke holes in the top of the dough. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown.
For the gravy
1 pound pork sausage links, casing removed
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the flour, and then slowly add the milk and whisk until combined. Cook until the gravy is thickened, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over the biscuits.
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Apple-Scrapple Breakfast Sandwich
r Pay homage to our Delaware neighbors with this filling breakfast sandwich. Serves 4.
4 crusty rolls
2 apples, thinly sliced
1 pound Scrapple
4 slices cheddar cheese
Grainy mustard (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thinly slice the scrapple and fry it in a large skillet over medium heat. Layer the rolls with a slice of cheese, slices of apples, and two slices of Scrapple, along with a thin spread of mustard, if desired. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet and toast until cheese has melted.
Buttermilk Pancakes with Peach Topping
rCakes are so easy to make from scratch, you’ll never need to buy a boxed mix again. Serves 4
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 ¼ cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix in the milk, egg, and butter until smooth. Heat a griddle or pan over medium-high heat. Using a measuring cup, pour ¼ cup batter on the griddle. Cook until small bubbles begin to appear and the edges look dry, and then flip.
Peach Topping
If you froze any peaches this summer, this is a great way to use them.
2 cups peaches, chopped (frozen is fine)
½ cup sugar
¾ cup orange juice
¾ cup water
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup cold water
Heat the peaches in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar, orange juice, water, and spices, and bring everything to a simmer. Stir continuously without letting the mixture come to a boil. Combine the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk into the peach mixture and stir until the sauce has thickened. Serve over the pancakes.
Chesapeake Eggs Benedict
r Replace the Canadian bacon with a crabcake for a Maryland twist. Serves 4.
For the crabcakes
1 pound crab meat, picked over for shells
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, breadcrumbs, Old Bay, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Add the crab meat, folding it in gently. Shape into cake form. Sauté each crabcake in oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for five minutes on each side, or broil them for three to four minutes on each side until browned.
For the Hollandaise Sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice, warm
4 tablespoon boiling water, plus extra for heating the double broiler
3 egg yolks
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. When melted, turn down the heat to keep warm. In another small saucepan, boil the water. Place the top of a double boiler over the hot water, making sure the bottom of the boiler does not make contact with the water. Place in the eggs in the double boiler, whisking until they begin to thicken. Add one tablespoon boiling water, continuing to whisk the sauce. Repeat with remaining water, one tablespoon at a time. Add the lemon juice, and then remove the double boiler from heat. Continue to whisk the sauce while slowly pouring in the melted butter. Add the salt and cayenne pepper, and beat the sauce until thick.
For the eggs
4 eggs
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Decrease the heat until the water is simmering. Add the vinegar to the water, and then, working one egg at a time, crack and egg into a small bowl and slip it into the water. Once it begins to solidify, add another egg, until all four are in cooking. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let it sit for four minutes. To remove the eggs, gently lift it out with a slotted spoon.
To assemble the sandwich, toast four English muffins. Top the bottom of the muffin with a layer of spinach or romaine lettuce, if desire, then layer with a crabcake, poached egg, and drizzle with hollandaise sauce.
Corn and Crab Quiche
r1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
8 ounces lump crab meat
1 cup corn kernels
½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the pastry out into a pie pan. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, mayonnaise, Old Bay, eggs, flour, and parsley. Mix until thoroughly combined. Fold in the crab meat, corn, and cheddar cheese. Pour mixture into the pie shell. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Chesapeake Bloody Mary
r Make your brunch extra festive with this tomato-based cocktail. Serves 1.
1 ounce vodka
1 dash celery salt
1 dash Tabasco sauce
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Dash of lemon juice
Tomato juice
Old Bay seasoning
Celery stick for garnish
Combine first five ingredients in a low-ball glass that has been rimmed with Old Bay seasoning. Fill glass with tomato juice and garnish with a celery stick.
