Royally stuffed: Filled dishes offer elegance, autumnal flavor with ease
If my memory serves me correctly, my first encounter with stuffed mushrooms occurred in 1992. My college travel pal Cheryl and I were wandering the streets of Versailles when we both stopped abruptly, attracted by the heavenly scent of something earthy combined with grassy olive oil, garlic and melted cheese.
The door nearest to the aroma source was open. We brazenly poked our heads inside to find two college-aged guys sitting down to a platter of stuffed mushroom caps.
We hadn’t realized we’d traipsed into an apartment and apologized profusely for the unsolicited entry. Instead, they gestured for us to come in and share the fancy feast. We left royally stuffed. I felt like the Queen of Gourmet.
Nearly 30 years later, when I look to impress dinner guests, stuffed dishes still rank highly. They make the menu because they deliver a double dose of pleasure: visual and gustatory.
As we shift into cooler weather and the onset of the holiday season, stuffed appetizers, entrees, sides and sweets offer hearty bites with celebratory looks. Their elegance belies how easily they are accomplished (turducken, aside) and the minimal — often versatile — ingredients needed to whip them up.
Stuffed acorn squash is a fall classic. Fill the cavity with a mix of sausage, mushrooms, apples and herbs — perhaps crown it with breadcrumbs and Parm — and you’ve got a crowd-pleasing, albeit conventional, combination.
Leave it to the team at America’s Test Kitchen to shake up the stuffed squash ingredients lineup and streamline the process with Bulgur-Stuffed Acorn Squash with Ras el Hanout, a recipe that appears in their recently published “Five Ingredient Dinners: 100+ Fast, Flavorful Meals” ($29.99).
To shave time, the squash first gets zapped in the microwave instead of being roasted in the oven. Fine-ground bulgur made the cut because it doesn’t take long for it to soak prior to cooking. “The goal of this book project was time-saving,” said Dan Zuccarello, ATK’s executive food editor for cookbooks, during a recent phone interview. “If you use a more coarse-ground bulgur, it would take at least 30 minutes.”
Zuccarello noted that this acorn squash recipe can be tweaked to suit the contents of your cupboard. Instead of bulgur, use a different quick-cooking grain such as couscous. Lean on lentils. Or combine the two. Canned lentils — any canned bean, really — promises protein plus flavor in a jiffy, Zuccarello remarked.
“In this book, we relied heavily on rotisserie chicken. You could do shredded cooked chicken, definitely cooked ground beef, lamb or turkey. Plant-based meats, if someone is trying to keep this in the meatless realm — that’s another great option,” Zuccarello said. “Fresh herbs, scallions, cilantro, parsley or mint would go really well here.”
Leave stuffed poultry for Turkey Day. In the meantime, don’t overlook the possibilities of stuffed fish. Chef and now cookbook author Chris McDade has a stunner in his newly released “The Magic of Tinned Fish” (Artisan Books, $24.95). Ham-Stuffed Trout with Salsa Verde is a surf-and-turf combo that gets an umami boost from anchovies. “It’s a chef’s secret weapon,” said the Atlanta native, who cooked in Kevin Rathbun’s restaurants, among other local kitchens, before settling for good in New York, where he is chef-partner at Popina in Brooklyn.
“There are definitely (different) ways to stuff fish or use tinned fish to stuff things,” said the king of tinned fish in a phone interview. In the cookbook, McDade provides recipes for deviled eggs with sardines, and bell peppers stuffed with calamari and farro. Off the top of his head, he deemed a smoked oyster and cornbread stuffing ripe for Thanksgiving. For something more adventurous, he suggested an Italian dish with a kitchen hack: make a ravioli filling from tinned crab or lobster.
For years, Pati Jinich has brought the flavors of Mexico to home cooks in the U.S. with her PBS series “Pati’s Mexican Table.” Her new cookbook, “Treasures of the Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets” (Mariner Books, $35), to be released Nov. 23, features plenty of singular stuffed dishes — pickled chiles rellenos filled with canned tuna, sweet potato tamales stuffed with black beans, chile-masa quesadillas, and beef and potato chimichangas. Each recipe is explained with its sense of place, but the coyotas, caramel-filled pastries, is the one that will melt your heart.
“This is a really traditional dessert from Sonora,” Jinich said in an interview, describing how one neighborhood in the city of Hermosillo has upward of 30 bakeries that specialize in coyotas, which are typically made in wood or brick ovens. “They will ship them as far as Japan. People go crazy for these.”
The origins of the name, which means “female coyote,” are disputed. “There are different legends,” Jinich said. “One I heard: Little kids in the region were called ‘coyotas’ because they would sneak around.”
After making these pastries, which one taste-tester described as akin to a brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tart without the frosting, you will want to quietly sneak one before they are gobbled up.
The dough is simple: water, flour, salt, butter. Not all Sonoran bakeries use yeast, but Jinich recommends it. The fat doesn’t have to be butter. Vegetable shortening or lard would be traditional. However, she opts for butter for the flavor and texture. The dough can be mixed with a mixer or your own muscles, and shaped using a rolling pin, tortilla press, or by hand.
The filling calls for piloncillo, a type of raw form of pure cane sugar commonly used in Mexican baking. “It has the unprocessed flavor of Sugar in the Raw that almost tastes lemony,” Jinich described. Dark brown sugar won’t be the same, but it will suffice. You can experiment with other fillings, such as dulce de leche or even Nutella or jam — flecked with nuts or seeds.
However you fill the coyotas, they, like those stuffed mushroom caps I ate back in the early 1990s, will leave you feeling like the Queen (or King) of Gourmet.
Author appearance: From 1-2:30 p.m. Nov. 27, chef Chris McDade will demo recipes from his newly released cookbook, “The Magic of Tinned Fish,” at Eagle Eye Book Shop. Free admission. Signed books available for purchase. 2076 N. Decatur Road, Decatur; 404-486-0307, eagleeyebooks.com.
RECIPES
These stuffed dishes offer filling bites with fancy looks. Each is highly versatile to match the contents of your cupboard.
Bulgur-Stuffed Acorn Squash with Ras el Hanout
“Stuffed acorn squash is a great way to get a complete meal in one tidy package and this version doesn’t skimp on flavor with the addition of super savory ras el hanout and bright pomegranate molasses,” writes America’s Test Kitchen deputy food editor Stephanie Pixley in the recipe headnote. “Add to that some browned butter and pine nuts and you’ve got a deeply flavorful Mediterranean-inspired dinner.” Ras el hanout is a Moroccan spice blend. If it’s not in your cabinet, harissa seasoning works fabulously with the squash. But anything that has warm spice tones will suffice. For an added pop of color, flavor and crunch, garnish the broiled squash with pomegranate seeds.
- 2 acorn squashes (1 1/2 pounds each), halved pole to pole and seeded
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/2 cup fine-grind bulgur
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
- 2 teaspoons ras el hanout
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Sprinkle cut sides of squash halves with 3/4 teaspoon salt and place cut side down on large plate. Microwave until tender and offering no resistance when pierced with paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer squash halves cut side up to prepared sheet and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Using spoon, scoop flesh from each squash half into bowl, leaving about 1/8‑inch thickness of flesh; set flesh and squash shells aside. Pour 3/4 cup boiling water over bulgur and 1/2 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Cover and let sit until tender, about 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and set aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in 12‑inch skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling skillet constantly, until butter begins to brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 2 minutes. Add pine nuts and ras el hanout and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in reserved squash and cook until well combined and beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Fold into cooked bulgur in bowl, then mound mixture evenly in squash shells.
- Broil stuffed squash until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses and serve. Serves 4.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 428 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 7 grams protein, 59 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams fiber, 22 grams total fat (8 grams saturated), 30 milligrams cholesterol, 651 milligrams sodium.Excerpted from “Five Ingredient Dinners: 100+ Fast, Flavorful Meals” by America’s Test Kitchen. Copyright @ 2021. Reproduced with permission.
Ham-Stuffed Trout with Salsa Verde
For extra-flavorful fish, swipe some of the tangy, bright salsa verde on the flesh before stuffing it with the ham slice. Leftover sauce can be paired with roasted chicken or spooned over scrambled eggs.
- For the salsa verde:
- 1 cup (30 grams) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh marjoram or oregano, finely chopped
- 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons capers, finely chopped
- 4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
- For the trout:
- 2 whole trout (about 8 ounces/225 grams each), butterflied and pin bones removed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 slices country ham, serrano ham, or prosciutto
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- To make the salsa verde: In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, marjoram, jalapeno, capers, anchovies, garlic, olive oil, mustard, and lemon zest and give everything a gentle but thorough stir with a fork. You want to make sure the mixture is a harmonious blend of the ingredients.
- To prepare the trout: Lightly rinse the skin of the trout under a little running water and pat dry well with paper towels. Season the flesh with salt and pepper (you will season the skin right before cooking) and place 1 slice of ham in each fish. Close the fish and set aside on a plate.
- In a pan large enough to fit both trout side by side, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Add the remaining slice of ham and cook until it starts to become crispy, about 5 minutes. You’ll want to flip the slice of ham once or twice to ensure maximum crispiness.
- Remove the ham from the pan and drain on a paper towel.
- Season both sides of the trout with salt and pepper and immediately add both fish to the pan now containing the olive oil and ham fat. Cook the fish over medium heat or until the skin is crispy and the fillets are fully cooked, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- To serve, place each trout in the center of a plate. Spoon over as much or as little salsa verde as you’d like. Break half of the crispy ham over each plate, add a lemon wedge, and you’re good to go! Serves 2.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 533 calories (percent of calories from fat, 57), 56 grams protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 34 grams total fat (7 grams saturated), 163 milligrams cholesterol, 790 milligrams sodium.Excerpted from “The Magic of Tinned Fish” by Chris McDade (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2021.
Caramel-Filled Pastries / Coyotas
“With their light, crispy crust and sweet brown sugar filling, these round pastries, called coyotas, are one of the most loved desserts in the state of Sonora,” writes Pati Jinich in her new cookbook, “Treasures of the Mexican Table.” “The most traditional filling is grated piloncillo (unrefined whole cane sugar) mixed with some flour, which melts into a deep dark caramel as the coyotas bake.” Piloncillo is sold at Mexican and International grocery stories. If the piloncillo is very hard, use a knife to chisel bits off instead of grating it.
For the dough, you can use half vegetable shortening and half butter, or even all shortening. The dough can also be mixed by hand instead of in a mixer.
- For the starter:
- 1 tablespoon grated piloncillo or dark brown sugar
- 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- For the dough:
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, at room temperature (see note)
- For the filling:
- 1 3/4 cups grated piloncillo or packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- To make the starter: Combine the piloncillo or brown sugar, yeast and water in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to dissolve the yeast. Whisk in the flour to combine well. Cover and place in a warm, draft-free spot until foamy and bubbling, about 30 minutes.
- To make the dough: Add the 1/4 cup water, the flour, salt and butter to the starter. Attach the bowl to the mixer stand and fit it with the dough hook. Mix on low speed to combine, then increase the speed to medium and mix for 5 to 6 minutes, until the dough gathers around the dough hook, slaps against the sides of the bowl, and is very smooth.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and shape it into a ball. Divide it into 3 equal pieces, then divide each piece into 8 equal pieces (24 in all). Roll each piece into a ball and place on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between them. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 2 hours, until soft and slightly puffed.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, with racks in the upper and lower thirds.
- To make the filling and assemble the coyotas: Combine the piloncillo or brown sugar and flour in a bowl and mix well.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball on a lightly floured surface into a 5-inch round about 1/8-inch thick (set the baking sheets aside for the moment). If you want perfect rounds, you can trim the rolled-out rounds with a 4 1/2- to 5-inch biscuit or cookie cutter.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons of the filling onto the center of 12 of the dough rounds. Cover with the other 12 rounds and press the edges together to seal. Then crimp the edges with the tines of a fork.
- Place 6 coyotas on each baking sheet and make a 1-inch slit in the center of each coyota with the tip of a small knife.
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, switching the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the coyotas are golden brown and the filling is bubbling out of the slits on top. Cool on racks.
- The coyotas can be stored in an airtight container for about a week. Makes 12 pastries.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per coyota: 401 calories (percent of calories from fat, 35), 4 grams protein, 62 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 16 grams total fat (10 grams saturated), 41 milligrams cholesterol, 92 milligrams sodium.Excerpted from “Pati Jinich Treasures of the Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets,” copyright © 2021 by Pati Jinich. Photography copyright © 2021 by Angie Mosier. Reproduced by permission of Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
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About the Author
Ligaya Figueras is the AJC's senior editor for Food & Dining. Prior to joining the AJC in 2015, she was the executive editor for St. Louis-based culinary magazine Sauce. She has worked in the publishing industry since 1999 and holds degrees from St. Louis University and the University of Michigan.
