Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Taste of the South

IN THE SOUTHERN KITCHEN, there are certain things that never go out of style. A few of those cherished constants include flaky biscuits, hot pans of cornbread, and crispy fried chicken, but there is one thing that they all have in common and that periodically gets shunned. It’s lard. In this issue’s Southern Staples (page 77), we explore a few ways to use this time-honored-yet-sometimes-taboo ingredient. Lard has less saturated fat than butter and a high smoke point (375°), which makes it ideal for frying, and if you don’t currently cook with lard, you should give it a try with these buttermilk biscuits, chess pie, and Cajun fried chicken sandwiches. With the warmest weather behind us, I look forward to dusting off my favorite Dutch ovens and cooking some heartier…

Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole MAKES ABOUT 6 SERVINGS Use rotisserie chicken in this recipe if you’re short on time, and cook and refrigerate the rice and broccoli the night before you plan to make this casserole so it comes together quickly. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter1 (8-ounce) package fresh baby portobello mushrooms, sliced1 medium onion, chopped (about ¾ cup)4½ cups chopped cooked chicken2 cups chopped cooked broccoli florets2 cups cooked long-grain rice1⅓ cups whole milk1¼ cups sour cream1 cup shredded carrots1 (10.75-ounce) cream of mushroom soup1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimiento, drained well⅔ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided¼ teaspoon kosher salt1 teaspoon ground black pepper1 sleeve buttery round crackers, crushed (about 30 crackers)¼ cup unsalted butter, melted 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. 2.…

Pepper Jelly Parker House Rolls MAKES 24 A spicy and buttery glaze on top makes these bites almost too good to be true. 5 cups all-purpose flour, divided⅓ cup sugar1 tablespoon kosher salt2¼ teaspoons instant yeast¾ cup whole milk⅔ cup water¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed1 large egg, room temperature6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided2 tablespoons pepper jelly 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1½ cups flour, sugar, salt, and yeast at medium-low speed until well combined. 2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, heat milk, ⅔ cup water, and cubed butter in 30-second intervals until butter is melted and an instant-read thermometer registers 120° to 130°. Add warm milk mixture to flour mixture; beat at medium-low speed for 1…

50/50 Biscuits MAKES 8 (photo on page 78) Work as quickly as possible when incorporating the bacon drippings and butter so that they stay cold, which creates the distinct biscuit layers we all know and love. 3 cups self-rising flour, plus more for dusting¼ cup bacon drippings, chilled and cubed¼ cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives1 cup whole buttermilk, chilled1 large egg1 teaspoon water¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1. In a medium bowl, add flour. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut bacon drippings and butter into flour until lard is in pea-size pieces. Stir in chives. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 475°. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. 3. Make a well in center of mixture. Add buttermilk, stirring until…

IN SO MANY SOUTHERN KITCHENS, chicken and dumplings recipes are deeply cherished and passed down through the generations. However, the origin of the dish has long been disputed. Many believe its roots can be traced back to the Great Depression in the 1920s, when quick and easy meals that stretched scrapped food rations were ideal for feeding a family. Others think its history goes back further still to the South’s poverty-stricken days following the Civil War. But it’s likely the dish can be traced back centuries further, and we can credit the base version we know and love to enslaved Africans and, later, African American servants who cooked and perfected it. Today, there are countless restaurants around the South that claim to have the best recipe, but The Bear’s Den…

MANY COOKBOOKS THAT EMERGE from the Crescent City are conceptually similar. You’ll usually find recipes for rich gumbo that starts with a 45-minute roux, Monday-night red beans and rice, crawfish étouffée, or spicy jambalaya. These are the dishes New Orleans is known for, but most every cookbook is missing one noodle soup that the city has been secretly slurping longer than anyone can remember. Nicknamed Old Sober for its healing abilities, ya-ka-mein is a soul-warming concoction of chopped beef (and other times pork, chicken, or seafood); spaghetti or linguine; a hard-cooked egg; green onion; and a savory, salty broth (known as the “juice”) that tastes sort of Asian-inspired, presumably from the soy sauce, and sort of not, thanks to a kick of Creole spices. It’s a staple comfort food among…

When she started her first restaurant job—a server at her local IHOP—at the age of 15, Tiffany Derry hoped to end up in the kitchen one day. Her wish came true one fateful night when a cook didn’t show up for work, and she hasn’t looked back since. She’s pushed through every barrier in her way and into some of the most esteemed kitchens in the Lone Star State before being named one of the best chefs in Dallas and earning a spot on season seven of Bravo’s Top Chef. Since then, Tiffany has launched her own company, opening two restaurants in the Dallas area. But her family’s unending support is the foundation of all those feats. This is how they’ve helped to shape her journey. What first got you…

GROWING UP, my daddy worked two jobs just to provide for our family. He worked all day at our family’s filling station and then he would come home, eat supper, and sleep a couple of hours before he worked the night shift at the Hunt Refining Company in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Before we moved to Tuscaloosa, we lived in Pickens County, Alabama. Daddy was a farmer in Pickens County. To say that we were poor when we lived in Pickens County would be an understatement. Mama did her best to cook what Daddy grew. Daddy did his best to grow enough to provide for us. Despite their best efforts, sometimes we had a lot of beans and potatoes and rice because they were all cheap foods to prepare. And just because…

Spicy Honey-Rum Slow Cooker Ribs MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS Let your slow cooker do the work on these sticky, sweet, and spicy bites. RIBS 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar2 teaspoons kosher salt1½ teaspoons dry mustard1 teaspoon smoked paprika1 teaspoon ground black pepper½ teaspoon garlic powder1 rack baby back ribs (about 2 pounds), cut in half to fit in slow cooker2 tablespoons olive oil½ cup spiced rum GLAZE ½ cup spiced rum½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar¼ cup seeded chopped red Anaheim chile peppers½ teaspoon lightly packed lime zest2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Garnish: lime zest, lime wedges, green onions 1. For ribs: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, dry mustard, paprika, black pepper, and garlic powder. Remove membrane from ribs and pat dry; rub ribs…

Butternut Squash, Coconut, and Shrimp Bisque MAKES ABOUT 8 CUPS Rich, creamy, and spicy, this bisque is a can’t-miss dish for fall. 8 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 2-inch pieces (about 2 squash)1½ cups ½-inch-thick sliced sweet onion4 cloves garlic2 tablespoons olive oil1 tablespoon plus ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided4 cups chicken broth1 teaspoon curry powder1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)1 teaspoon ginger paste1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk2 tablespoons fresh lime juice¾ pound peeled and deveined large fresh shrimp, choppedSpicy Sriracha Cream (recipe follows)Garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds, crushed red pepper (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 450°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray foil with cooking spray. 2. In a large bowl, toss together squash, onion, garlic, and oil. Sprinkle with 1…

THE ASCENT FROM GEORGIA into western North Carolina slowly becomes a dizzying stream of narrow, two-laned roads where gaps in trees offer panoramic mountain scenes that, in October, seem to shift from bright green to gold, crimson, and fiery orange overnight. This region is part of a much broader place called Appalachia, where autumn is arguably the most spectacular season. Pumpkins and crisp apples replace melons and tomatoes at roadside farm stands, and the ever-present morning chill grows cooler as the calendar creeps forward. Venturing through all of Appalachia would take weeks, maybe even months, but an escape through Georgia’s Rabun County and into Highlands and Cashiers, North Carolina, makes for a spectacular old-fashioned weekend road trip where rich history, charm, and rustic elegance merge. A cultural region stretching through…

Classic Caramel Cake MAKES 1 (9-INCH) CAKE This traditional recipe takes a little more technique and is so worth the effort. 2½ cups White Lily all-purpose flour1½ cups sugar1 teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon baking soda½ teaspoon kosher salt¾ cup unsalted butter, softened and cubed1 cup whole buttermilk, room temperature2 teaspoons vanilla extract4 large egg whites, room temperatureCaramel Frosting (recipe follows)Garnish: crushed hard caramels 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line the bottoms of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with baking spray with flour. 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt at low speed until combined. Add butter; beat until mixture looks sandy, about 1 minute. Add buttermilk and vanilla; beat until…

IF YOU WERE A SHOPPER at downtown Charleston’s old Meeting Street Piggly Wiggly during the 30-plus years that she worked there, you'd likely remember my mom, Thu-Ha—or as she was called there, Miss Ha. That Piggly Wiggly gave my mom her first job after my parents, with three of their nieces and nephews and my two older brothers, fled Vietnam the years following the Fall of Saigon. She didn’t speak much English, but she could count money. However, soon everyone got wind of my mom’s Vietnamese cooking, and she was doing a lot more than just counting change. At the grocery store’s deli, my mom began making old-school Vietnamese dishes like her famous egg rolls and her fried rice, which had people lining up every week on Thursdays at 11…

BREADS 50/50 Biscuits 83 Bacon and Caramelized Onion Focaccia 48 Garlic–Green Onion Twin Rolls 52 Pepper Jelly Parker House Rolls 47 Pimiento Cheese Loaf 52 Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Streusel Loaf 28 Sweet Cornbread Muffins 49 DESSERTS Bacon Fat–Oatmeal Cookies 84 Butternut Squash Caramels 28 Chocolate-Caramel-Pecan Pie Bars 34 Chocolate Chess Pie 84 Classic Caramel Cake 76 Coconut-Pecan Tart 36 Pecan Pie 33 Pecan Pie Bundt Cake 37 Pecan Pie Pinwheels 37 Rice Pudding 20 MAINS Braised Short Ribs with Collard Greens and Cheese Grits 66 Butternut Squash, Coconut, and Shrimp Bisque 24 Cajun Fried Chicken 83 Campanelle with Vodka Sauce 56 Cauliflower Fried Rice 88 Cheesy Chicken 17 Chicken and Dumplings 62 Country Captain with Ham and Bacon 86 Coush-Coush 74 Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole 29 Ham Hock and White…