Back to basics

COMFORT FOOD. For a lot of us, that means meat and potatoes. And when the months start ending in “ber” those cravings for simple pleasures get stronger. Mashed potatoes, slow-roasted meat and warm, buttery rolls to sop it all up with. Yup, it’s time to get back to basics. And this month’s recipes delve straight into the meat of the matter. Enjoy.

Our Dutch oven boule is back but this time with a secret ingredient—roasted potatoes!

3 cups unbleached flour 2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp quick-rise yeast 1 1/2 cups cool water 3/4 cup leftover garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes, cubed Place the flour, salt and yeast in a large bowl, and mix them together. Add the water, and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a messy, shaggy dough. Stir in the roasted potatoes, cover and let sit 14 to 24 hours. Punch down the risen dough, form it into a ball and place it on a well-floured dinner plate. Generously dust the top with more flour, and loosely cover with waxed paper. Let rise for 2 hours. Place a large cast-iron pot (with lid) in the oven, and heat to 450˚F. Remove the heated pot from the oven and gently centre the risen dough inside (bottom side of dough up). Cover the pot with the lid, and place it back in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, and bake 15 minutes more. Place the boule on a rack to cool.

The name alone should tell you these fries are delicious. Salty and sweet with a perfect kick of mustard—pour a glass of red, and call it dinner.

1 large unpeeled sweet potato, sliced into wedges or fries 5 large unpeeled potatoes, sliced into wedges or fries 6 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp mustard 2 tbsp chopped rosemary 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp sea salt 2 tsp freshly cracked pepper Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Mix together the olive oil, mustard, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add the sliced potatoes, and toss until coated. Spill the potatoes out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and distribute them into an even layer. Bake them in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes (a smidge longer if they’re cut thicker). Just keep an eye on them after the 40-minute mark—the sugar in the sweet potatoes will start to burn.

At the risk of inviting error, it’s actually hard to mess up this recipe. The marinade does most of the work, and the oven takes care of the rest. All that’s left for you is the credit.

Pork rib roast (about 6 chops) 1/2 cup red wine 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/3 cup grainy mustard 1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses 1 tsp sambal oelek 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 3 tbsp, freshly chopped rosemary Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste Place the wine, Worcestershire, mustard, sugar, pomegranate molasses, sambal oelek, garlic and rosemary in an extra-large re-sealable bag, and give it a swish. Add the roast to the bag, squeeze out the air, seal the bag, and place in the fridge overnight (5 to 17 hours). About 2 hours before you plan to eat dinner, remove the marinating roast from the fridge and let it sit on the counter to remove the chill. After 1 hour, preheat the oven to 400˚F, remove the roast from the marinade to a plate and season it all over with lots of salt and pepper. Heat a little oil in the bottom of an ovenproof pan, sear the roast on all sides then transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Roast for 1 hour, and then check for doneness. Remove from the oven, let rest 15 minutes, then slice into chops and serve.

No time to cook? Guess again. This deliciousness is ready in just 25 minutes.

8 chicken drumsticks (or 4 drums with thighs attached) 1 cup orange juice 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup water 2 tbsp honey 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger 1/2 tsp sambal oelek (or more)

Zest of 1 orange

Sliced scallions, to garnish To a large pan or skillet, add all of the ingredients except for the sliced scallions. Bring the chicken and sauce to a boil over medium heat; then turn down the temperature to low so that the sauce is just simmering (too high a temp and the sugary sauce will burn). Let the chicken and sauce cook for about 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes along the way. Check for doneness, and serve over rice with a garnish of scallions.

There’s nothing boring about this ham sandwich. Tangy cranberries, creamy fontina and homemade potato bread, buttered and grilled to perfection.

2 slices potato bread (see recipe) 2 tbsp butter 1/4 cup cranberry sauce (or fig preserves)

Mustard, to taste

Sliced (or grated) fontina cheese

Thickly sliced ham

Baby arugula leaves Butter the bread slices as you would for a grilledcheese sandwich, and assemble your sandwich so that the ham and arugula are in the middle, and the cranberries, mustard and cheese are closest to the bread. Grill the sandwich over medium-high heat in a panini pan or an ordinary skillet until the bread is crusty and golden and the cheese is hot and melted. Slice on a diagonal, and devour.

These scrumptious mashed potatoes are loaded with big flavour and heaps of— wait for it—protein! That’s right. Dry cottage cheese has 22 grams in every half-cup serving. And we added 2 cups!

12 large potatoes, peeled and halved 2 tbsp salted butter 1/2 cup milk 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp freshly cracked pepper 2 cups dry cottage cheese 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (medium or sharp) 1 cup plain yogourt Thinly sliced scallions (optional) Boil the potatoes in lots of salty water until fork tender. Drain the water, and return the pot to the turned-off burner. Add the butter, milk, salt, pepper, cheeses and yogourt. Mash until smooth, then taste and adjust the salt to your liking. Stir in some sliced scallions to finish.

These potato rolls go with everything. But, mostly, they go quickly.

1 1/4 cups 2% milk 2 tsp instant dry yeast 1 large egg 1 cup mashed potatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper 5 tbsp honey 1 1/2 tsp salt 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups bread flour 6 tbsp unsalted butter at room temp 3 scallions, sliced thinly 1 egg 1 tbsp water

Fresh thyme, chopped (to garnish)

Coarse sea salt (to garnish) In the microwave, warm the milk in a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl until the chill is removed and the milk is slightly warmer than body temperature. Stir in the yeast, and let sit for 10 minutes. Next, whisk in the egg, mashed potatoes, honey and salt. Stir in all the flour, and turn the shaggy dough onto a work surface. Knead the dough for a few minutes, adding the butter 1 tbsp at a time until wet but incorporated. Knead the dough for 5 minutes more, then place back in the bowl and let rest covered with plastic wrap for 2 hours. Punch down the rested dough on a floured work surface, and then roll out into rectangle. Sprinkle the surface with scallions, and then roll the dough into a long log. Slice the log into 12 pieces, and gently shape each into a round bun. Space the buns 3 cm apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise 1.5 hours. Prepare an egg wash by whisking the water and egg in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the risen buns, sprinkle with salt and thyme and bake in a preheated, 400˚F oven for 20 minutes until perfectly glossy and golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack, then dig in while still warm. t8n