Recipes with bay leaves

Whole red snapper stuffed with a Gulf Coast seafood dressing of crab, shrimp, celery and white wine. A showstopping coastal main course for dinner parties.

A slow-simmered tomato broth with white wine and clam juice, loaded with catfish chunks and shrimp. Garnished with fresh coriander and lemon. Hearty, soul-warming seafood stew for eight.

Brandy Beef Bourguignon: French-style braised beef with red wine, brandy, pearl onions, mushrooms, and herbs. Marinated for hours, simmered slow into silk-tender bites.

Pressure-cooker braised beef chuck with red wine, tomatoes, mushrooms, green olives, and a pinch of saffron. Sunday-style stew in 35 minutes instead of 3 hours.

French-style wild game pate layered with cognac-marinated duck and seasoned pork, wrapped in blanched bacon, and baked in a water bath. Slice it cold and serve with crackers.

A thick Kentucky-style burgoo loaded with chicken, beef shank, bacon, fresh corn, lima beans, okra, and tomatoes. Low and slow in a big Dutch oven for a crowd-feeding stew.

Flank steak soaked in a bold marinade of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, Dijon mustard with horseradish, and herbs, then broiled fast and sliced thin against the grain. Big steakhouse flavor from a cheap cut.

Old-fashioned split pea soup simmered for hours with 3 pounds of pork spareribs, leeks, carrots, and a bouquet garni. The kind of thick, rib-sticking soup your grandmother's kitchen smelled like all winter long.

Wild game sauerbraten made with elk or deer marinated 48 hours in vinegar with cloves, bay leaves, and peppercorns, then braised and served with tangy gravy.

Hearty beef stew with seared round steak, carrots, celery, peas, and brown gravy served over homemade baking powder biscuits. A complete comfort dinner with a from-scratch stew and flaky, golden biscuits.

Homemade Swedish Christmas sausage (julkorv) stuffed into natural hog casings with ground beef, mashed potatoes, allspice, and cloves. A treasured Scandinavian holiday tradition you can make ahead and freeze for the big day.

Charleston okra soup, the Lowcountry classic with simmered ham bone, fresh tomatoes, okra, bacon, and bell pepper. Ladled over rice for a true Carolina supper.

Old-world pickled beef brisket or tongue brined for 19 days with garlic, bay leaves, and pickling spices. A traditional Jewish deli-style corned beef you can make at home from scratch.

Authentic South Texas skirt steak fajitas marinated in beer, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and jalapenos for 6 to 8 hours. Grilled over mesquite for real Tex-Mex flavor.

Swedish pickled herring with a sweet-sour vinegar brine layered with red onion, carrots, ginger, and horseradish. A classic Scandinavian smorgasbord appetizer that only gets better after 2-3 days in the jar.

Thursdays at The Dove's Nest means Potpie Day, and our customers start calling early in the morning to reserve one in case we run out before they get seated. Most tell us that it's the best chicken potpie they have ever tasted.