Recipes with bay leaves

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.

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.

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.

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.

Escargot and chanterelle stew simmered in white wine and chicken stock with herbs, finished with an egg yolk and cream liaison for a silky, rich French-inspired broth.

Hearty slow cooker beef vegetable soup loaded with potatoes, carrots, stewed tomatoes, and herbs. Six hours on low builds a broth that warms you from the inside out.

Creole or red jambalaya includes tomatoes while the Cajun style does not. Either way, it is a spicy and robust dish that epitomizes the soul of New Orleans. Here's my recipe for Cajun style jambalaya.

This recipe is SO savory and SO beefy, it can be a meal in itself.

Pressure cooker cabbage soup with caraway seeds, apple cider, tomatoes, and rice. Central European flavor in 30 minutes with deep, sweet-tart complexity.

A killer no-bean Texas-style chili with coarse-ground chuck, beer, tequila, whiskey, and six whole jalapeños. Not for the faint of heart.

Brined for 48 hours in brown sugar and spices, then coated in a crushed juniper and black pepper rub and roasted low and slow. Homemade turkey pastrami that rivals any New York deli counter.

Elegant Maryland cream of crab soup infused with cloves, bay leaf, and nutmeg, finished with dry sherry for restaurant-quality depth.

Braised wild boar marinated for two days in red wine, cider vinegar, and juniper, then simmered tender with carrots, onions, and celery. Finished in a rich currant-jelly gravy and served with chestnut puree.

A tender and juicy beef roast dish that makes a delightful Sunday dinner with family or friends.

Vegetarian party pate made from pinto beans, TVP, and shiitake mushrooms with mirin and mace, baked in a water bath and served cold on crackers.

Slow-simmered Italian tomato sauce with ground beef, San Marzano-style plum tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, and oregano. Rich, thick, and built for pasta night.

Meatless red beans and rice simmers dry red beans with onion, garlic, and a clever pinch of fennel seed that echoes sausage, cooked down to a thick, creamy gravy and spooned over rice. Vegan comfort, no meat needed.

Pickled hot red peppers: whole small chilies canned in vinegar brine with garlic, allspice, peppercorn, and bay leaf. Topped with olive oil and processed for shelf-stable storage.

Classic French country pate with veal, pork, chicken livers, and duck breast marinated in white wine and baked in a terrine. A two-day charcuterie project worth the wait.

Tender squid braised in red wine, vinegar, and warm spices like cinnamon and cloves, Cyprus style. A Mediterranean appetizer that's equally stunning served warm or at room temperature.

Pescado a la Tipitapa, a Nicaraguan pan-fried fish in toasted cornmeal with a tomato, sweet pepper, and white wine sauce. Crispy cornmeal crust under a savory, tangy vegetable sauce.

Grilled Caucasian shashlik from the Russian Tea Room: lamb kebabs marinated overnight in lemon, dill, garlic, and bay leaf, skewered with tomatoes, onions, and peppers. Served over rice.

Lamb vindaloo, the fiery Goan curry with vinegar-marinated lamb, toasted whole spice paste, and 14 cloves of garlic. Punchy, tangy, and intensely aromatic.

Tender braised pot roast with Mediterranean spices, olives, and tomatoes. This aromatic one-pot dinner fills your kitchen with the warm scent of cumin, cinnamon, and garlic.

Transform herring fillets into tender, tangy pickled bites with this simple two-day marinade. A classic Polish holiday tradition that takes minutes of hands-on work.

Easy bean, sausage and barley soup for your slow cooker.

French-style escargots baked on mushroom caps with a white wine, garlic, parsley, and butter sauce. A classic bistro appetizer served with crusty bread for sopping up the pan juices.

Slow cooker chicken cacciatore simmers bone-in chicken pieces with tomatoes, wine, and Italian herbs for 6 hours until fork-tender and swimming in rustic sauce.

Microwave lamb stew delivers tender, herb-scented lamb with carrots and potatoes in a thickened gravy, all from the microwave. Faster than a stovetop braise, with the clean, comforting flavor of a classic lamb stew.

Hearty German cabbage soup with bacon, potatoes, rutabaga, and carrots simmered low in chicken broth. Finished with grated Parmesan for a savory, warming bowl.

A creamy and delicious soup that everyone will enjoy!

Andouille was a great favorite in nineteenth-century New Orleans. This thick Cajun sausage is made with lean pork and pork fat and lots of garlic. Sliced about 1/2 inch thick and greilled, it makes a delightful appetizer. It is also used in a superb oyster and andouille gumbo poplular in Laplace, a Cajun town about 30 miles fromNew Orleans that calls itself the Andouille Capital of the World.

Pressure cooker black bean soup with smoked ham hock, leeks, and beef stock pureed silky smooth with a splash of dry sherry. Hearty, smoky, and ready in under an hour.

Packed with flavor utilizing a myriad of spices and seasonings this garlic Andouille sausage is a winner.

Creamy navy bean soup simmers soaked navy beans with carrots, celery, tomato puree, and thyme, then finishes with cream and milk for a silky high-fiber bowl. A vegetarian, gluten-free comfort soup.

An easy and delicious dish that can be simmered all day to create a wonderful aroma in your kitchen.

Wild duck breasts draped in bacon and braised in spiced wine with mushrooms, onions, and herbs. Warm cinnamon, cardamom, and clove notes make this a hunter's table showpiece.

Add a sophisticated look and taste to dinner with this scrumptious recipe that will become one of your favorites.