Recipe: Brunswick Stew

I admittedly only make this recipe a few times a year because it requires the aforementioned pulled pork to make it work - something that I don't take the opportunity to make very often. Technically, you could do this recipe with an equivalent amount of pulled chicken - about the amount of chicken you'd get from 2 BBQ'ed or rotisserie whole birds. Very often in the south such substitutions are made when someone gets a hankerin' for this recipe yet doesn't have the necessary pulled pork on hand - it's just how we roll in true southern cooking :) The recipe has its origins with one of the deacons and close family friends at the Baptist church I grew up attending in the small town of Lizella, Georgia. I've taken the roots of the recipe my mother could remember and combined those up with modifications I've made over the years (mostly due to ingredients on hand being very different in California) to land on this particular recipe. I've got a few more vegetables in mine because, well, I like the vegetables. However, feel free to make whatever substitutions or additions you'd like in that department - in general, I end up putting whatever I have on hand in the freezer or canned in the pantry in it.

Brunswick Stew

Ingredients

Main

All pork from oven-roasted pulled pork recipe

1 16 oz. can or frozen package of butter beans

1 16 oz. can or frozen package of sweet corn kernels

1 16 oz. can or frozen package of sweet peas

1 16 oz. can or frozen package of cut green beans

1 16 oz. frozen package of chopped collard, mustard, or other bitter greens

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

Stew Broth

5 cups water

4 cups low salt chicken broth

1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, diced (about 2 cups)

1 stalk of celery, stems removed, diced (about 2 cups)

2 large carrots, diced (about 2 cups)

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 cups ketchup

1 cup Djion mustard

1/2 c. dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or similar)

1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

5 tbsp. minced garlic (approx. 15 cloves)

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. liquid smoke

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp ground black pepper

1/2 tbsp ground white pepper

2 tsp cracked red pepper

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

2/3 cup brown sugar

Directions

Put all of the ingredients for the stew broth together in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes to allow flavors to combine, stirring occasionally. 

Add pulled pork. Bring back to a simmer and simmer an additional 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, add all remaining frozen/canned vegetables. Bring back to a low simmer and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Because of the number and amount of ingredients, the final consistency should be that of a thick, hearty stew. If not thick enough to your liking, use a corn starch slurry (2 tsp corn starch whisked into 2 tbsp of water) to thicken up, adding additional slurry every 5 minutes or so to get to desired consistency. I do not recommend using a roux as a thickener for this stew given the amount of retained fat from the pulled pork. 

Makes enough servings to feed a small army :).

Recipe: Southern Corn Pudding

This is one of my favorite side dish recipes. It is put together easily like a casserole, but will come out with the consistency of a soufflé. In some parts of the south, it is made with a good bit more cornmeal and comes out a bit cakier - akin to British-style puddings. That version is commonly called "spoon bread" - more popular in the mid-Atlantic south. This version has a little more French Creole influence and is more popular in the deep south where I grew up. "Creamed corn" also derives from this dish.

Southern Corn Pudding

Ingredients

8 pieces of thick slab bacon, diced

1/2 of a large onion, diced

4 tbsp. unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

1 bunch of scallions, diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

8 oz. of Gruyere cheese, grated

4 oz. of Parmesan cheese, grated

1 lg. package of frozen corn kernels (16 oz.), preferably sweet white corn

2 cans (12 oz. each) of yellow corn kernels, drained

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp of all purpose flour

1/2 cup of sugar

4 tbsp corn meal

8 large eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cracked red pepper

Directions

In a large skillet, cook the bacon in the unsalted butter over medium heat until the bacon begins to brown. Add the onion and cook until translucent and the bacon finishes browning. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a blender or large food processor, add the frozen corn, 1 cup of whole milk, and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Blend at high speed until the mixture forms a creamy paste. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl, using a spatula to scrape out all of the corn mixture into the bowl.

Add all of the other ingredients to the mixing bowl, including the bacon and onion mixture cooked earlier (make sure all pan drippings go into the mixing bowl). Use a large whisk to mix all of the ingredients thoroughly, ensuring there are no lumps from the flour. Coat a large casserole dish with cooking spray and transfer the mixture from the bowl to the baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 - 55 minutes until the dish has risen about half an inch, is brown on top, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 16 - 20 side dish servings.

Recipe: Cauliflower and Parsnip Gratin

This recipe is a fusion of knowledge and flavors from several southern casserole recipes that have been favorites in my family throughout my life with some classical French ingredients and technique. One of the things I've concentrated on over the past several years of cooking is technique - and that has led to great improvements in many of my recipes. This recipe is admittedly quite rich and is best served in as a side dish. As you can see, I served it recently with a grilled New York strip steak seasoned simply with salt and pepper.

Cauliflower and Parsnip Gratin

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, florets separated

3 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 3/4" chunks

1 1/2 cup of milk

2/3 cup of heavy cream

1/2 cup of dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or similar)

1 cup of grated gruyere cheese

2/3 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

4 tbsp of unsalted butter

2 large shallots, minced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp Wondra flour (or well sifted all-purpose flour)

2 tsp white sugar

1 tsp of fresh lemon zest

1 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp ground sage

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 sleeves of Ritz crackers (or other butter crackers), crumbled (approx. 3 cups)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9" x 13" casserole dish with cooking spray.

Fill a large pot 2/3 of the way with water and heat until boiling. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium. Add chopped parsnips. Simmer parsnips for 5 - 7 minutes. Add cauliflower and continue simmering for 4 - 5 minutes. Drain the vegetables in a colander and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is fully melted, add the shallots. Cook the shallots until they begin to brown and are softened, stirring frequently (approximately 5 minutes). Stir in the garlic. Using a whisk, add the Wondra flour and mix into the butter, onion, garlic mixture until fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup of the milk and the white wine. Whisk until any flour lumps disappear. Continue to whisk constantly for approximately 3 - 4 minutes. Add remaining milk and all of the heavy cream. Raise heat to medium high. Continue whisking fairly frequently until the mixture begins to bubble and simmer. Reduce heat to low and add all shredded cheeses, the sugar, lemon zest, and all dry spices. Continue to whisk until the mixture becomes smooth and all the cheese is melted and incorporated (approximately 6 minutes).

Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with 1/2 of the crumbled Ritz crackers. Put vegetables into the casserole dish and spread out into an even layer. Pour cheese sauce over all of the vegetables, coating evenly. Use the back of a spatula to smooth out the mixture as much as possible. Spread the remaining crumbled Ritz crackers all over the top. Place into the oven and bake for 35 minutes until the top crust has browned and the casserole is very bubbly. Take out of the oven and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 16 - 20 servings as a side dish.

Recipe: Zucchini and Eggplant Casserole

I know it has been quite a while since I have posted one of my great recipes up here... life just has this persistent tact of getting all in the way of blogging. But, hey, at least y'all know I haven't completely disappeared! I made this recipe last night. My roommate and friend both really liked it. Hope y'all enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, cut into 1 inch chunks

4 large zucchini, cut into 1 inch chunks

3 cups of wild mushrooms (oyster, trumpet, shitake, etc.)

1 large sweet onion

6 slices of thick slab bacon, diced

1/2 stick of unsalted butter

1/2 cup of heavy cream

3 large eggs

1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup of shredded Asiago cheese

2 tbsp. of Herbs de Provence

1 tbsp. of sea salt

2 tbsp. of garlic powder

1 1/2 tbsp. of white pepper

1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs

Cooking spray

Extra sea salt (to sweat eggplant)

Directions:

Place cut eggplant into a large colander. Coat generously with sea salt. Cover colander with a plate and press down to apply some pressure. Let sit in the sink for at least 4 hours to allow the eggplant to sweat out most of the bitter juices.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a large 9" x 13" casserole dish with cooking spray. In a large, deep skillet, turn the heat to medium high and melt the butter. Once butter is melted, add the diced bacon. Cook until bacon is slightly crisped. Loosely chop the mushrooms and onion and place into a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add to the skillet with the butter and bacon and stir with a wooden spoon to evenly distribute. Add the sweated eggplant, zucchini, salt, white pepper, garlic powder, and Herbs de Provence. Stir to combine well. Cover the skillet and cook for 25 - 30 minutes until the zucchini and eggplant are very tender and can be mashed apart with the wooden spoon, stirring every few minutes. Once the mixture is tender and mushy, turn off the heat and add the cheeses and stir in to combine evenly. Transfer the entire mixture to the greased casserole dish.

In a small bowl, whip the eggs into the heavy cream. Pour the egg mixture over the casserole and stir in to distribute the egg mixture evenly throughout the casserole. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top of the casserole. Place in the preheated oven and bake first for 20 minutes. Take out from the oven and generously spray the bread crumbs on top with a layer of cooking spray (this will help brown the top). Place back in the oven and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 as a main course or 12 - 14 as a side dish.

Recipe: Easy Fried Okra

Don't cut up the pods like almost every other recipe for this does. They get gooey and force more of the batter than you want to stick to the vegetable and also cause the pieces to stick together. It's so much easier to do it "tempura style" like I recommend here.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. of fresh okra pods

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1 cup of corn meal

4 cups of lowfat buttermilk

1 tbsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. onion powder

Sea salt to taste

4 cups of canola or other neutral oil for frying

Directions:

Mix the flour, corn meal, buttermilk, and spices together well to create a batter a little thicker than the consistency of pancake batter (add more flour/corn meal or buttermilk in equal parts to get the right consistency). Put all the okra pods in the batter and allow to sit for about 30 minutes.

Use a wok for the frying. Heat the oil in the wok over high heat. Working in batches, place the battered pods into the oil one at a time. Cook until the crust turns lightly brown. Scoop the okra out with a wire strainer and place onto a brown paper sack or paper towels to drain off excess oil. Season generously with salt. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe: Georgia Fried Chicken

This is about as close as I can get to the way my grandmas make fried chicken since I can't get them to write down a recipe... but it's good... so there... ;)

Ingredients:

4 half-breasts of chicken, bone-in, skin on
4 chicken thighs, skin on
1 quart of buttermilk
Sea salt
Black pepper
2 cups of all-purpose flour
3 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
3 cups of peanut oil (for frying)

Directions:

Place the chicken in a big bowl. Coat generously with sea salt and pepper on all sides. Pour buttermilk into the bowl until the chicken is covered and fully submerged. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

In a plastic 1 gallon re-sealable plastic bag, place the flour and all of the spices, adding 2 tsp of sea salt and 1 tsp of black pepper. Close the bag and shake to mix the ingredients thoroughly.

Heat the peanut oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Place the buttermilk soaked chicken pieces into the plastic bag with the flour mixture (2 pieces at a time) and shake to fully coat the pieces. To determine if the oil is hot enough, sprinkle a tiny bit of the flour into the hot oil. If the flour immediately bubbles and floats to the top, the oil is ready. Place the chicken into the hot oil. Work in batches, no more than 4 pieces in the cast iron skillet at a time. Fry for approximately 6 - 8 minutes on one side, turn, fry for an additional 6 - 8 minutes. Place the chicken on a brown paper bag to drain off excess oil. Repeat the process for the remaining chicken. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 very hungry people (1 breast + 1 thigh) or 2 Georgia boys and 1 sneaky dog ;).

Cocktail: Atlanta Iced Tea

Ingredients:

1 part Maker's Mark bourbon
2 parts Lemonade
2 parts Iced Tea (Unsweetened)
Maraschino cherries for garnish

Directions:

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in the bourbon, lemonade, and iced tea. Stir with a cocktail stirrer. Top with a couple of cherries. Drink on your front porch while rockin' in the swing... with a gnat swatter by your side ;).

Recipe: Kitchen Sink Soup

OK... this is based on one of my grandma's recipes. You can actually throw whatever veggies you have around into this and it still comes out good...

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
25 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 cups of green beans
1 1/2 cups of white corn kernels
1 1/2 cups of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups of black-eyed peas
1 1/2 cups of okra, diced
4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp. of cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. of kosher salt
1 tbsp. of garlic powder
1 tbsp. of onion powder
1 tbsp. of savory
6 cups of water

Directions:

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and chicken breasts to the water and reduce heat to medium. Poach the chicken breasts for 8 minutes. Add the shrimp to the water and poach for an additional 5 - 6 minutes. Drain. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts and put the meat back into the pot along with the cooked shrimp.

Add the vegetables, chicken broth, and all other spices back to the pot. Return heat to medium and simmer for 25 minutes.

Makes 6 - 8 servings.

Recipe: Scalloped Tomatoes Provencal

Yeah, it's a Sunday, so I'm in a cooking mood... this is dinner :)

Ingredients:

5 - 6 large heirloom tomatoes
1 orange or yellow bell pepper
1 French baguette, cubed
2 tbsp. of olive oil
4 oz. of pancetta, diced
2 tbsp. of butter
2 tbsp. of minced garlic
1 tsp. of black pepper
1/2 tsp. of white pepper
2 tsp. of Herbs de Provence

Directions:

Spread baguette cubes out on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and bake at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes or so to toast.

In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the diced pancetta and garlic. Cook until the pancetta browns, about 7 - 8 minutes.

Reduce heat on the oven to 325 degrees. Dice the heirloom tomatoes and bell pepper and put into a large bowl. Add the baguette croutons, pancetta in butter and garlic, and the other spices to the bowl. Mix thoroughly. Coat a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour the tomato mixture into the casserole dish, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 50 - 55 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 - 8 servings.

Recipe: Baked Spiced Chicken

This is a twist on a baked “fried” chicken recipe I’ve been making for years. I changed up the spice mixture to reflect more of a West coast versus Southern take on the recipe.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. of boneless/skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breast halves)
1 pint of reduced-fat buttermilk
3 tsp of garlic powder
3 tsp of Chinese five spice powder
3 tsp of chipotle chili powder
3 tsp of paprika
1 cup of cornflake crumbs
1 cup of unseasoned bread crumbs
Cooking spray

Directions:

Place chicken in a large bowl and coat with all of the spices. Add the buttermilk. Using hands or a big spoon, mix everything around until the spices are fully mixed into the buttermilk, the chicken is fully coated, and the chicken submerges almost completely in the buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375. Foil a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Fill another large bowl with the cornflake and bread crumbs. Take chicken out of the buttermilk mixture and roll in the crumb mixture to fully coat. Place chicken on baking sheet and put into oven. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes until cooked through and the crumb crust is nice and brown.

Makes 4 servings.

Restaurant Review: Maverick

I have been going to Maverick for quite a long time (an eternity by San Francisco dining standards ;))... my first time was two months after it opened a little more than two years ago and at least once every 4 - 6 weeks since. I can’t help it... I absolutely love the place. It was started by two friends: one, a chef from Cincinnati named Scott Youkilis (yes, he’s the brother of that more famous “Youkilis”) and the other, a self-professed oenophile named Mike Pierce from New Jersey. How these two got to San Francisco I do not know, but I am very glad they did.

The cuisine can be described as “Kentucky meets California by way of the Wild West.” Obviously for a southern boy like me, any restaurant that ventures into the flavors I grew up with is going to at least get some props. But what Mr. Youkilis does with the traditional southern flavors is just consistently so good to me. The only thing that is always on the menu is his fried chicken which is honestly the only fried chicken I can admittedly say I love outside of a) my own and b) my mother’s. The fixin’s underneath it change often (cheesy white corn grits and collard greens are there for winter), but it is just always so good. Their mac ‘n cheese is also one of the best I’ve had and is also one of the menu stalwarts.

I admittedly have been twice over the past several weeks because I had friends visiting from out of town and I love to “show the place off” because everyone I’ve taken there has loved it. As a starter on the first occasion, I had the house-smoked trout salad. It reminded me of a dish I had when I was in Stockholm back in 2006 - slices of perfectly cured fish with fish eggs and creme fraiche over a bed of simple greens. Of course, in Stockholm, they used local salmon - but the preparation was virtually identical. For entree I had the rabbit “three ways” - braised rabbit loin, rabbit leg confit, and rabbit liver served with a sweet potato and turnip hash. I don’t get rabbit that often, but when I do, it’s a treat - and that sir was a treat. As a side I had Scott’s mustard greens. They were cooked very differently than what I grew up with - slightly sauteed in olive oil with cracked red pepper and garlic, but so good (I’m used to boiling the sh*t out of them in salt pork, garlic, and hot sauce... thems good too :)). I skipped dessert ‘cause I was too full!

My next visit was just last week. This time I had the Baltimore crab fluffs in a spicy remoulade sauce. “Why they gotta fly that crab all the way in from Baltimore when we’ve got amazing dungeness crab here” was my first thought. But, then I realized the dungeness would have been too sweet in this particular preparation - so then I got it. For a main course I had the braised short ribs over creamy grits - talk about 100% pure comfort. That was SOOOO good... and so filling I was surprised I had room for dessert! But the second our server said, “there’s a Meyer lemon pie for dessert that’s not on the menu,” I knew I was doomed. For those that know me, I have more of a tart/savory tooth than a sweet tooth and I love anything tart for dessert. Oh, and she had to mention that the pie was made with buttermilk... oy, totally doomed! My friend and I decided to share it. Perfectly creamy and tart, great crust (forgot what it was made out of)... oh, such a lovely end to the meal!

OK... so I think I’ve made it clear that I love this place. If you’re ever in San Francisco, just call me up and I will take you... I promise! Now, on to the wine selection. This wine selection was not made by Maverick, by the way, but is from my own collection here at home that I opened yesterday. I do almost all of my wine shopping by traveling up to Sonoma and Napa so that I can taste the wines. Not only does it allow me to “try before I buy,” I’m also able to get ahold of wines that never show up in the stores or restaurants from small, family-owned producers. I do apologize if you can’t find some of the wines I will talk about on my blog - it just unfortunately sucks that you don’t live here! ;)