Culled from our recipe archives and restaurant collaborations of these many years, we present multiple courses that incorporate seasonal and local ingredients. Each recipe herein is a microcosm of Chesapeake-style dining. Most are fairly easy to make at home. All will impress your guests. Bon appetit or as we like to say ’round these here parts, “Y’all enjoy!”
Antoine's Stuffed Oysters Rockefeller
Courtesy Boatyard Bar & Grill ; 400 Fourth Street, Annapolis;; 410-216-6206; boatyardbarandgrill.com
All ingredients can be quickly rough chopped as we will puree mixture when its cooking is complete. We recommend a buttery rich Kendall Jackson Chardonnay as a paired wine. Makes 2–3 dozen oysters
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 3/4 cup peeled shallot, diced
- 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
- 2 whole carrots, shredded
- 2 1/2 pounds fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
- 1/2 cup Pernod (more or less to taste…may substitute Anisette or other anise flavored liquor)
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan-Reggiano cheese & mozzarella mix
- 2–3 dozen Chesapeake Bay oysters
In a large heavy sauté pan add butter and heat until bubbly; add shallot, celery, carrots and sauté until soft. Add spinach, basil, parsley and garlic and sauté ’til spinach is wilted. Carefully, as it is flammable, add liquor and reduce till almost dry. Pour this mixture into a mixing bowl and add breadcrumbs to absorb excess moisture. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. When cool, add small batches to food processor and pulse until ingredients are a rough/smooth consistency. Not too smooth. Let cool. Add another 1/2 cup of cheese. Shuck desired number of oysters and stuff each oyster with cooled spinach stuffing enough to almost cover oyster, don’t pack down. Place your oysters on a sheet pan, top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. (You may substitute the cheese and use a hollandaise or béarnaise sauce.) Place in 400-degree oven or under broiler until oysters are cooked and cheese and spinach mix are just brown. Serve oysters over rock/Kosher salt with fresh lemon wedges and your desired wine or Champagne.
Maryland Cream of Crab Soup
Courtesy Carrol’s Creek Café; 410 Severn Avenue, Annapolis;; 410-263-8102; carrolscreek.com
Serves at least eight bowls, with more in reserve
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. jumbo lump crabmeat
- (pick clean of shells)
- 1/2 gallon milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 yellow onion (sliced)
- 1/2 cup sherry
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 2 Tbsp. crab base
- (substituted for crab stock)
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 Tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 5 oz. melted butter
- 5 oz. flour
In a medium saucepan, whisk the butter and flour over low heat for 5 minutes. Set aside. In a large heavy gauge pot, combine all the other ingredients (except crabmeat) over low medium heat. When the soup is hot to the touch, turn heat to low and whisk in the butter/flour mixture (roux). Stir every few minutes until the desired thickness is reached. Be careful not to bring to a boil. Strain into another pot and stir in the crabmeat. Enjoy.
Butternut Squash Bisque with Pumpkin Butter
Courtesy Treaty of Paris; iconic/beloved Annapolis; restaurant that closed in 2019
Serves 2
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil spray
- 1 two-pound butternut squash
- (cut in half lengthwise)
- 2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- 1 cup of half and half
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 jar of pumpkin butter
- Chopped pistachio nuts
Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Place the squash halves, cut side down, in the prepared dish. Pierce the skin sides several times with a fork. Bake until the squash is tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Using a large spoon, scrape the flesh from the cooked squash into a food processor. Discard the skins. Add 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth, cinnamon, marjoram, thyme, and nutmeg, and puree until smooth. Transfer the puree to a large saucepan. Whisk half and half into the soup over medium heat. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add the remaining broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Top with a dollop of pumpkin butter and sprinkle with chopped pistachios before serving.
Rockfish Topped with Crab Imperial
Courtesy Captain’s Ketch Seafood Market ; 316 Glebe Road, Easton; 410-822-7177; captainsketchseafood.com
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon creamy Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon parsley (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco
- 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 pound lump Maryland backfin crab meat
- 2 pounds Rockfish fillets (skin on)
Imperial Sauce Ingredients
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and place fillets on pan, skin side down. Mix first eight ingredients together in a separate bowl. Gently fold crab meat into mixture. Spread mixture over fillets. Bake for 25 minutes, or until flaky. Top with Imperial sauce. Bake for an additional 3 minutes.
Honey Rosemary Chicken
Courtesy Julie St. Marie Catering & Event Coordination; juliestmarie.com
Serves 2
This is a stress-less chicken dish. These simple, flavorful chicken breasts are one of our most popular lunch entrees.
Ingredients
- (2) 8-ounce air-line chicken breasts
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt and freshly
- ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon Montreal Steak seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
Preheat oven to 300F. Mix olive oil and honey together; set aside. Mix remaining ingredients together and season the chicken with them. Marinate seasoned chicken for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator (Add more oil as needed). Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place chicken on the pan and cover with excess marinade. Place chicken in preheated oven and bake 30 minutes. Increase heat to 350F and bake an additional 15–20 minutes until golden brown.
Fordham Brats and Mash
Courtesy Rams Head Tavern; 33 West Street, Annapolis; 410-268-4545; ramsheadtavern.com
Serves 1
Ingredients
- 2 Fordham bratwursts
- 8 ounces mashed potatoes
- (recipe below)
- 4 ounces sauerkraut
- 3 ounces pickled red cabbage
- Garnish: 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard gravy
- (mustard + gravy)
- pinch minced fresh parsley
Grill the bratwursts. Sauté sauerkraut and pickled cabbage until hot. Put mashed potatoes in bowl, top with sauerkraut, pickled cabbage, and bratwursts. Ladle mustard gravy over the top and garnish with a pinch of minced parsley.
Mashed Potatoes
Serves 4
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes
- 5 tablespoons butter,
- at room temperature
- 1/4 cup milk, hot
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, hot
- 1/2 tablespoon Kosher salt plus freshly ground black pepper
Scrub, peel, and cut potatoes into large pieces. Steam until tender enough to mash easily. Drain and dry them on a sheet pan in the oven until no more steam rises from them. While the potatoes are still hot, whip them in a mixer. Add the butter and mix into the potatoes until just incorporated. Add the milk and cream (small amounts at a time), salt, and pepper and whip until smooth and light. Taste. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Apple Crumble All in One
Courtesy David’s Natural Market; 871 Annapolis Road, Gambrills; 410-987-1533; davidsnaturalmarket.com
Serves 3
Ingredients
- 3 large apples
- 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided use
- 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon
- brown sugar, divided use
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup flour, divided use
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
- and caramel for serving
Preheat the oven to 375F. Peel, core, and dice one apple. Place it in a small skillet with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, lemon juice, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Turn the heat to medium high, stir, and cook until the apple dices start to soften and release their juices, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, and then stir in 2 tablespoons of the flour until dissolved. Let cool. Meanwhile, slice the tops off the remaining two apples, and core them, but do not go all the way through the bottom. Remove most of the inside of the apple but leave enough intact so that the apple still stands up on its own. Stop about 1 inch above the bottom of the apple. Fill the apples with the cooled apple mixture.
Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal & Toffee Cookies
Courtesy Doris Wisner, who won “Most Creative Cookie” in What’s Up? Media’s 2018 Cookie Contest
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups quick oatmeal
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup toffee bits (Skor or Heath Bar bits)
Mix together flour and baking soda. Separately, beat together butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar; add egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture. Add quick oatmeal, chocolate chips, and toffee bits. Divide into 3 parts and roll into 3 logs about 1 1/2” diameter in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour and preferably overnight. Remove from refrigerator and slice 1/4” to 3/8” thick and bake on a greased baking sheet for about 10 minutes until light brown at 350 degrees. Enjoy!
