Southern Green Beans

This is a classic "low and slow" Southern dish. The beans are cooked over a low simmer, not boiled. This recipe is a great to make in advance, since these beans are far better on the second day. This is thanks to the magic of pot liquor (aka pot likker), the broth produced during the stewing process.

DO NOT substitute canned or frozen green beans - they'll just turn to mush.

Southern Green Beans
serves 4-6

Combine in a large stock pot:
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
1/3 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into roughly 2" squares
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 tsp. salt
1.5 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
enough cold water to float the beans

Cover the pot. Bring it to a boil, then immediately reduce to a very low simmer. Simmer covered for 1 hour, then adjust the salt level and simmer for about another 30 minutes.

Partially drain the beans, retaining 1-2 cups of liquid.

Finish with 1 tbsp. of butter (or rendered bacon fat if you have it).

Shopping list:
2 pounds fresh green beans
1/3 pound bacon
1 yellow onion

Improved Chicken & Dumplings

This is a classic Southern recipe. The version I learned from my grandmother in North Carolina was stripped down simple: just a whole chicken, boiled in "stock" made from water and Campbell's condensed chicken broth, and dumplings made from flour and Crisco. It was my go-to comfort food as a child, but these days I find myself wanting more out of this dish. I decided to amp it up by treating the first half of the recipe - boiling the chicken - like making chicken stock, and the second half - boiling the dumplings - like making chicken soup.

First, I picked up the classic chicken soup veggies: onions, celery, and carrots. Then I took the leftover bits from the vegetable mis en place and added them to the boiling stockpot while the chicken cooked - waste not, want not! I also added in the spices typically found in stock recipes: whole black peppercorns, thyme, and a bay leaf. Finally, I switched out Campbell's condensed chicken stock for Better Than Bouillon. For the second half, I updated the dumplings to include leavening and swapped the water for milk, then added the chopped veggies in with the dumplings to cook side by side.

Bring to a boil in a large stock pot:
12 cups of water
4 tbsp. "Better Than Bouillon" chicken base, reduced sodium

Add:
1 bay leaf
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 large spring of fresh thyme, whole
1 whole head of garlic, sliced in half horizontally
celery: about 1 stick worth of tops and bottoms
top and bottom of 1 onion
tops, bottoms, and peels of 4 medium carrots
4-5 lb chicken
* Remove the giblets from the chicken's cavity and toss them in as well.  Include the heart, gizzard, and neck if you have them, but discard the liver - it will add off flavors to the broth.

Boil covered for 45-60 minutes, rotating the chicken once about half way through. When finished, set the whole chicken aside to cool in a large bowl.

Strain the stock to remove solids, then pour it back into the pot and return to a boil. Meanwhile, make the dumplings.

Dumplings
Mix in a food processor:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder

1.5 tsp. salt
0.5 cups cold Crisco solid vegetable shortening

Add and process just to combine:
~1 cup milk (or cold water), as needed (just enough to bring the dough together)

Roll out dumplings about 1/8” thick on a floured counter top. Cut into ~2" squares (a pizza wheel is excellent for this).

Add to boiling stock for 20 min:
dumpling squares

Simmer covered over medium low heat, about 20 minutes until pastry is mostly cooked. Leave the lid slightly ajar to avoid boil over. Stir once or twice to redistribute the dumplings floating on top. 

Add and boil a further 20 min:

1 white onion, diced
4 medium carrots, diced
3 sticks celery, chopped
4 springs of fresh thyme, tied together

To finish, pick all the meat off of the chicken carcass and return it to the pot.  Squeeze one half lemon into the pot. Adjust salt & pepper to taste. 

Shopping list
4-5 lb. whole chicken
fresh thyme
whole head of garlic
1 white onion
4 medium carrots
celery (3 stalks)

lemon

Check the pantry
Better than Bouillon chicken stock base, 4 tbsp.
Crisco vegetable shortening, 1/2 cup
all purpose flour, 3 cups
bay leaves
whole black peppercorns

Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is a delicious Southern staple, and often makes an appearance at Thanksgiving.  However, most recipes for it are cloyingly, tooth-achingly sweet. This recipe actually has the proper ratio of pecan flavor to sugar! It comes to me via my friend Kathleen, who modified it slightly from the Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis.

If you want to create a decorative pie, leave the pecans whole and arrange them in the pie shell in whatever pattern you desire. However, a pie made with whole pecans is harder to eat.  If you don't possess a food processor, you can easily buy crushed pecans and mix the pie filling by hand with a whisk.

Not-So-Sweet Pecan Pie

Ingredients
1.25 cups whole pecans
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup (e.g. Karo brand)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pre-baked pie shell

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Briefly pulse 1.25 cups of whole pecans in a food processor to break them down slightly. Set aside.

Blend in a food processor until thoroughly combined: 
3 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup

And and blend until smooth:
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Pour the pecans in an even layer in the pre-baked pie shell. Carefully pour the blended egg mixture over them, transfer the pie to a baking sheet, and place it in the bottom third of the oven. Bake the pie at 350 for ~35 minutes until the filling is set. Remove it from the oven and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack before serving.

Mardi Gras king cake

If anyone knows how to make a proper king cake for Mardi Gras, it's Southern Living! Their recipe has a sour cream base for the dough and cream cheese for the filling, which is critical for keeping the cake moist and gives it a nice tang.  The dough requires serious stirring power, especially if you use bread flour.  We burned out the motor on our small hand mixer one year trying to make it, so beware.

The filling is a plain base to which you can add many different flavors.  I recommend using extracts and liqueurs, and trying flavors such as amaretto, raspberry, or orange.  Since the dough recipe makes two cakes, you can divide the filling base in half and make two different fillings.  Get creative and have fun with this part - the recipe is very forgiving.

King Cake
makes 2 cakes; each yields 10-12 slices

Ingredients list
2 0.25-oz. envelopes active dry yeast
3 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
7 tbsp. butter
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese
16 oz. sour cream
6-6.5 cups bread (or AP) flour
1.5 cups granulated sugar
3 cups powdered sugar

2 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. lemon juice
3-4 tsp. flavoring extracts or liqueurs of your choice

Dough (for two cakes)
Yeast prefers a temperature similar to the human body, so the liquids below should be about the same temperature as your hand. If it's too hot for you to leave your finger in, it will kill the yeast and your dough won't rise.

Combine and let stand at least 5 minutes:
2 0.25-oz. envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tbsp. granulated sugar

Melt in a small sauce pan on low:
16 oz. sour cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt

Remove the sour cream mixture from the heat and let it cool down.

Beat at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric mixer until smooth:
yeast mixture
sour cream mixture
2 large eggs
2 cups bread flour (can substitute AP flour)

Reduce the mixer speed to low, and gradually add 4 to 4.5 cups more flour until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead until it's smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place it into a well-greased bowl, turning the dough ball to grease the top.  Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour (or until the dough is doubled in size).

Cream cheese filling (for two cakes)
Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Divide the filling in half and flavor each as you see fit. It should require about 1.5 tsp. of extract or liqueur, bumped up to 2 tsp. for chocolate.

Punch down the risen dough, and divide it in half.   Roll each portion into a 22x12 inch rectangle. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly on each dough rectangle, leaving 1-inch borders.  Roll up each dough rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, starting at a long side.

Place one dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends of roll together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Fit a small bowl into the center of the circle to help it hold its shape.  Repeat with second dough roll.  Cover and let the cakes rise in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes (or until doubled in bulk).

Bake at 375 for 14-16 minutes until golden. Cool cakes on pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes.

Glaze (for two cakes)
Stir together:
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp. butter, melted
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Stir in 2 tablespoons milk.  Add up to 2 more tablespoons, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the glaze is the right spreading consistency.

Drizzle glaze evenly over warm king cakes.  Sprinkle with colored sugars in purple, green, and yellow, alternating colors and forming bands. Let the cakes cool completely before serving.

Cornbread stuffing with sausage, apples, and bourbon

I don't have an Old Family Recipe for Thanksgiving stuffing, so one of my friends sent me theirs.  It sounded delicious, but involved making turkey stock and cornbread from scratch, and most of the quantities for spices were after-the-fact guesswork.  So I went hunting on the Food Network for a kissing cousin and found this recipe from the Neelys, who are Southern and therefore know a thing or two about cornbread.

Most of the flavor from this dish comes from the Italian sausage, so it pays to get a really good brand that packs a big punch.  (I used a spicy Italian turkey sausage.)  Also, stick to Granny Smith apples, since they don't fall apart during cooking.  Chop the apples on the medium to large side to provide texture in the finished dish.  (This is especially important if, like me, you're leaving out the nuts.)  As for the cornbread, you can either make it yourself, cube it, and dry it out, or buy pre-made cornbread stuffing from the grocery store.  I went with the pre-made stuff and it came out great.

Cornbread stuffing with sausage, apples, and bourbon
serves 6

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take the casings off 1 lb. of Italian sausage.  Break it down into smaller pieces, similar to hamburger, and brown until cooked through (5-7 min.) in a large skillet.

Add and saute until softened:
1 medium white onion, diced fine
2 stalks of celery, chopped

Add and saute for 2 minutes:
1 Granny Smith apple, diced medium
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
1 tsp. minced fresh sage

Add and simmer for 2-4 minutes until alcohol flavor is gone:
1/2 c. bourbon

In a large bowl, combine:
1.25 lb. cubed and dried cornbread
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
2 c. low-sodium chicken stock (or other stock of your choice)
2 eggs, beaten
optional: 1/2 c. chopped pecans or other nuts

Add the sauteed sausage and vegetable mixture to the bowl. Stir together until totally mixed. Pour into a large oven-safe casserole dish and bake uncovered at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Shrimp & Grits

A classic dish of the “low country”, most famously Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA.  Most versions use heavy cream in the grits and bacon fat in the shrimp.  My mother developed this lighter version, which is substantially less likely to give you or your loved ones a heart attack but remains delicious.  Although the recipe looks long, the grits themselves are trivial to prepare and can be done in parallel with the shrimp and pan sauce.

What's a "grit"?

Grits are made by coarsely grinding up corn, and are commonly served as a hot breakfast cereal (think "oatmeal") in the American South.  If you're familiar with Italian cooking, grits are very much like polenta; if that doesn't ring a bell, think of Cream of Wheat made with corn.  Grits can either be paired with sweet toppings like maple syrup or served with savory additions like cheese.  The simplest way to eat them is with salt and butter.

Shrimp and Grits

serves 4

Grits

Bring to a boil (uncovered, or milk will boil over):

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

Whisk in:

1 c. quick cooking grits (NOT instant)

1 c. additional chicken broth or milk

Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring, about 5 minutes until thickened.

Stir in:

1/2 tsp. Tabasco or to taste

1/4 tsp. white or black pepper

a pinch of paprika for color

one of the following cheese blends:

a) 3/4  c. shredded sharp cheddar & 1/4 c. Parmesan

b) 1/2 c. sharp cheddar & 1/2 c. pepper Jack

c) 1 c. smoked cheddar

d) 1 c. smoked Gouda

Set them aside, covered, to keep warm.

Shrimp

Toss in a plastic bag:

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled

1/4 c. flour

1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. Creole seasoning

Saute on medium:

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 tbsp.  butter

coated shrimp

Brown shrimp on both sides, then remove them from the pan and set aside.

Saute for 1 minute in the same pan:

1 c. sliced mushrooms

1/2 c. sliced green onions

1 small tomato, diced

Stir into pan to deglaze and finish cooking the mushrooms:

1/2 c. chicken broth

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. Tabasco

To assemble

Divide cooked grits among 4 large shallow soup bowls.  Arrange shrimp on the grits and spoon the mushroom pan sauce over top.

Recommended products:

Don't already have a box of grits in your pantry?  Go find yourself some Quaker quick grits.  Avoid the similar Quaker product "instant grits," as these have an undesirable texture.  If you can't find Quaker in your store, look for Albers quick grits.  It's an extremely similar product with identical cooking instructions.

Quaker Quick Grits

Albers quick grits

Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

Gumbo can have almost any protein in it, but this is my favorite combination.

Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

serves 4-6

Brown in a skillet on medium heat, then drain and reserve:

1 lb. smoked sausage, in 1/4" slices

Combine in a Dutch oven:

1/4 c. oil (neutrally flavored like canola or peanut)

1/4 c. flour

Stir roux continually over medium heat about 10-15 minutes until it browns; the traditional shade is the color of a copper penny.  Once the color starts to turn, it goes fast.  Be careful: roux is also known as "Cajun napalm", and it can spatter!

Add and simmer on medium low, stirring occasionally, about half an hour:

2 c. chicken broth

1 medium green pepper, diced

1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 bag frozen sliced okra, thawed

1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Tabasco to taste

the reserved sausage

At the end, add 1 lb. small raw shrimp, peeled.  Serve in bowls over scoops of cooked long grain rice.

Recommended product:

Sausage can vary wildly in its fat content, so pay attention to the labels at the store.  The traditional choice is andouille, a Cajun spicy pork sausage.  I use my slightly healthier stand-by, Jennie-O hot Italian turkey sausage.

 

Mrs. Jefferson’s Capitolade of Roast Fowl

Known simply around my house as "Mrs. Jefferson's", this is the best possible thing to do with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and gravy.  It comes from the Monticello Cookbook and was originally served at Thomas Jefferson’s home as a breakfast dish (no, thanks).

Mrs. Jefferson’s Capitolade of Roast Fowl

serves 4

Boil in salted water:

1/2 pkg. egg noodles

While noodles cook, saute briefly in a saute pan or stock pot:

2 c. cooked turkey, in bite sized pieces

2 tbsp. butter

Add and heat through:

1 c. leftover turkey gravy

1 tbsp. white wine or sherry

1/4 tsp. dried thyme or tarragon

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. paprika

Adjust the thickness of the sauce with a bit of broth if needed.  Either serve the turkey over the noodles or stir the noodles into the pot.

Chicken Slicks

This is a classic Southern recipe that has many names, including "chicken and dumplings" and "chicken and pastry". This particular version comes to me from my grandmother in North Carolina. It's typical poor farmer fare, designed to take one chicken and stretch it to feed an entire family. In terms of flavor, it's a kissing cousin to both chicken noodle soup and chicken pot pie. It's the go-to comfort food in my family.

These days, I have trouble finding the smaller 3-4 pound birds that this recipe calls for. About the smallest my grocery stocks are 5 pounds. But as long as it fits in your stock pot, a 5.25 lb. chicken will work just fine.

Chicken Slicks

serves 6-8

Chicken and Broth:

If there’s room in the refrigerator, this part is preferably done a day ahead to get the fat out of the broth and the meat off of the bones.

In a large stock pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and braise covered for about 1 hour:

One whole 3-4 lb. chicken

* Remove the giblets from the chicken's cavity and toss them in as well.  Include the heart, gizzard, and neck if you have them, but discard the liver - it will add off flavors to the broth.
3 cans Campbell’s condensed chicken broth

enough additional water to cover the chicken over the thighs

After 1 hour, remove cooked chicken from the broth. When it's cool enough to handle, take the meat off of the bones.  Tear the breast meat into medium sized pieces. Reserve meat in the refrigerator, covered.

Reserve broth separately from the meat if you're not cooking the dumplings right away.  Skim off the solidified fat before using.

Dumplings: 
Mix in a food processor:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. Crisco solid vegetable shortening

Add and process just to combine:

3/4 to 1 c. cold water as needed, just enough to bring the dough together

Bring the chicken broth back to a boil in the stock pot.

Roll out pastry about 1/8” thick on a floured countertop.  Cut into strips about 1x2” (a pizza wheel is excellent for this).  Drop strips into broth and simmer covered over medium low heat, about 1 hour until pastry is cooked all the way through.  Leave the lid slightly ajar to avoid boil over.  Stir once or twice to redistribute the dumplings floating on top.  Add another cup of water if needed.

When dumplings are done, return the reserved chicken to the pot and serve.

Recommended products:

Unusually for me, this recipe calls for Campbell's condensed chicken broth in a can, not Swanson low sodium chicken broth.  Can you make it with Swanson's?  Yes, but it's not quite as good.

When I was making this as a kid, Crisco only came in unwieldy tubs.  But these days, it comes in user friendly pre-measured sticks, much like butter.  Look for these 3-packs, which come with a resealable plastic tub to store opened packages in.  One half stick equals one half cup:

Pork Chops with Peach Chutney

Recipe courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.  As a proper Southern girl, I love my peaches.  And don't talk to me about Georgia: nothing but Chilton County's finest will do.  Obviously, this puts me in a bit of a pickle now that I live in California.  All we have available are white peaches, which even when ripe are more like softballs than a fruit.  For that reason, I've embraced the nectarine as a base for this recipe.  It takes a lot longer to cook down than a ripe yellow peach - on the order of 8 minutes versus 2 or 3 - so be prepared if you make the substitution.

Pork Chops with Peach Chutney
serves 4

Season 4 pork chops with salt and pepper.  Cook over medium high for 4-5 minutes per side.  While chops are cooking, make chutney.

Cook over medium until soft:
1 red onion, chopped fine
4 large yellow peaches or nectarines, chopped

Add and cook 4 minutes, until syrupy:
2 jalapenos, seeds removed and chopped very fine
2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
salt and pepper to taste

Serve chops with chutney.

Shopping list:
4 pork chops
4 large nectarines
2 jalapenos
2 inches fresh ginger

Check pantry:
brown sugar
apple cider vinegar
cardamom