New Year's 2013

The end of the year has come and with it we need to get our greens and black-eyes peas cooking. We all could use a little luck next year! In looking for a green recipe I happened to hear about a lady at our church named Madeline who has become famous with her spinach recipe that was published in the River Roads Cookbook, published by the Junior League of Baton Rouge in 1959. The recipe was created at Green Springs Inn in St. Francisville, Louisiana by Madeline Neville Wright. This dish is served as a side dish, or stuffed in a tomato as a main dish. Madeline wanted a sophisticated name and decided to use her own!

I bought a copy of the River Roads Cookbook the other day and after 50 years it is still being reprinted. The late food writer, Craig Claiborne, praised this cookbook saying, “If there were an Academy Awards for cookbooks, the Oscar for the best performance would go hands down to River Roads Recipes.” This was long before the James Beard awards.

Now Spinach Madeline has some gooey Velveeta cheese, but I decided to use the Velveeta cheese with jalapeño peppers, and added some fresh jalapeño peppers also. Originally Madeline made the recipe with a rubbery roll of jalapeño cheese, but that is no longer made by Kraft. I am sure you could use some better cheese, but why not just try the original just once.

 

Spinach Madeline

Served 5-6

2 packages frozen chopped spinach

¾ teaspoon celery salt

4 tablespoons butter

¾ teaspoons garlic salt

2 tablespoons flour

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons chopped onion

6 ounces Kraft Velveeta

½ cup evaporated milk

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh jalapeño peppers

½ cup vegetable liquor

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Red pepper to taste

Cook Spinach according to directions on package. Drain and reserve liquor. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat.

Add flour, stirring until blended and smooth, but not brown. Add onion and cook until soft but not brown. Add liquid slowly, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.

Cook until smooth and thick; continue stirring. Add seasonings, peppers, and cheese which has been cut into small pieces. Stir until melted. Combine with cooked spinach.

This may be served immediately or put into a casserole and topped with buttered bread crumbs. The flavor is improved if the latter is done and kept in refrigerator overnight. This may also be frozen.

This works well as a dip for that New Year’s Day party as well. Spread it on your favorite cracker.

 

After your Spinach Madeline, make a wonderful black-eyed pea and barley broth. This soup is simple and low in calories. I found this recipe in a new cookbook called, Southern Comfort, by Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing. They met working in New Orleans but went to New York to hone their skills in the restaurants there. They have come back to the Bayou state to open Longbranch in Abita Springs and then Mila in New Orleans. This new cookbook is a collection of recipes they have created and developed along the way.

 

Black-Eyed Pea and Barley Broth

Makes 4 servings

8 cups water, divided

½ cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight

½ cup barley

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup shiitake mushroom caps, sliced ¼-inch thick

¼ cup finely diced carrots

¼ cup diced shallot

¼ cup diced celery

6 cups Mushroom Stock, recipe follows

¼ cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 cup thinly sliced green onion

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil over high heat. Add black-eyed peas, and simmer about 30 minutes or until tender, skimming off foam that forms on the surface as needed. Strain peas, and set aside.

In the same saucepan, bring remaining 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add barley, and simmer about 20 minutes or until tender. Strain barley in a colander, and rinse well under cold running water. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over high heat until it smokes. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrot, shallot, and celery, and sauté for another minute. Add Mushroom Stock, cooked peas and barley, soy sauce, salt, and pepper, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in green onion, and serve.

Mushroom Stock

Makes 8 cups

1 pound button mushrooms (can use a combination of different mushrooms)

10 cups water

Wash mushrooms well, and place in a large saucepan. Add 10 cups water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 1 hour or until liquid is dark and flavorful. Strain mixture, discarding solids, and let cool.

Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 6 months.

Happy New Year!

 

 

Christmas Ham

Christmas Ham

Now is the time to make some decisions about cooking Christmas dinner. I have never done a Christmas ham but decided this was the year to be a little more traditional. The goose last year was not a big hit. It was expensive and did not have a lot of meat for leftovers. But I gave it a shot and don’t have to revisit the goose any time soon.

All over the world, cured port is a celebrated feast food. It is a simple pleasure but can be complicated in its own way. Most people grow up eating the sweet, juicy, pink hams with a caramelized crust. Think Honey Baked! Then there are the salty, complex, country hams which taste so different. I grew up with the salty country hams. My father was really good at curing hams and they were wonderful and I miss them.

Smithfield is where American ham began and where its evolution has played out for the past four centuries. Jamestown, site of the earliest English colony in North America, is just a few miles upriver; the settlers who brought pigs to the New World started confining hogs on a nearby island, called Hog Island, to raise them for ham, and in 1779, a sea captain named Mallory Todd started to ship hams from Smithfield to the British West Indies. The Virginia trade eventually spread to England, where Queen Victoria placed a standing order for 6 a week.

Smithfield had all the right conditions for ham making. It had the hogs; a flavorful, fatty razorback variety. It had cheap feed, peanuts, which grew in abundance and gave the hogs a uniquely nutty flavor. It had access to the sea (for salt) and to the James River, which allowed for easy transport. And it had the perfect climate; hot during the day and cool at night, with the four seasons necessary for hams to undergo a proper cutting.

In the 1930s and 1940s, ham production, and ham itself, started to change. With the advent of refrigeration, temperature-controlled aging rooms could replicate the changing of the seasons, so country hams could be produced year-round. More important, refrigeration allowed for the production of lightly cured “city” hams, which were injected with brine to speed up the curing process and shipped in refrigerated railcars. Americans fell in love with the sweet flavor of city hams, and producers churned them out in great numbers. So over time, Smithfield became the pork capital of the country. Now this company is called Smithfield Foods and processes some 20 million hams a year, and only 45,000 are the dry-cured, hickory-smoked Genuine Smithfield hams.  Edwards Virginia Tradition hams in Surry, Virginia is another source as is Trigg County hams in Cadiz, Kentucky and Benton’s hams in Madisonville, Tennessee.

A few tips in buying your ham: Check the label. Products labeled simply “ham” are of the highest quality grade and the costliest. Those labeled “ham in natural juices” can be a good value; they contain extra water and remain juicy when baked. Avoid products labeled “ham and water product”; they contain as much water as can be pumped into the ham and have a diluted bland flavor. A whole bone-in ham delivers the best flavor, texture, and value. A semi-boneless ham has a portion of the bone removed for easier carving and cooks much faster than a bone-in ham. Many semi-boneless hams come pre-sliced or “spiral cut,” which makes for easier slicing.

I went to Whole Foods and got a small ham to use for my Christmas meal. I was somewhat late to order from Smithfield Foods. I am going to add a glaze to the ham and then also use the ham for Christmas morning biscuits. The biscuit recipe comes from the Old Chickahominy House in Williamsburg, Virginia. They sell about 600 biscuits every day and roll the dough thin and cut in rectangles so the country ham can shine through.

Taken from ‘Saveur’ Magazine, December 2009.

Apricot-Ginger Glazed Ham

1 7-12lb. half semiboneless ham

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger

½ cup apricot preserves or jam

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

Heat oven to 350ᴼF. Wrap ham in foil; transfer to a roasting pan. Bake until a thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the ham reads 145ᴼ, about 12-20 minutes per pound.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger; cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add preserves, sugar, and vinegar; cook, stirring, until mixture becomes a syrupy glaze, about 10 minutes.

Unwrap ham and brush with some glaze; raise oven to 500ᴼ. Bake, brushing occasionally with remaining glaze, until browned, about 20 minutes more. Let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Country Ham Biscuits

Makes 12 biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour

4 tbsp. lard or butter

1 cup buttermilk

4 oz. thinly sliced cooked country ham

Heat oven to 425ᴼF. Sift flour into a large bowl; mix in lard or butter until the mixture has the consistency of cornmeal. Using a wooden spoon, stir in buttermilk to form a dough. Transfer dough to a floured work surface; knead briefly until smooth. Roll dough into a ¼ “-thick rectangle. Cut dough into twelve 4”x3” rectangles, transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Cool slightly. To serve, slice biscuit and stuff with ham.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

White Chocolate

Perhaps many of us say white chocolate is not “real chocolate.” Some say that it is way too sweet, Nowadays, with the flood of high-percentage cacao bars on the market, the consensus seems to be that the darker the chocolate the better.

I have never cooked with white chocolate that much but decided I really would like some macadamia white chip cookies so I got some white chocolate and went to work. White chocolate is really good in buttercreams, ice creams and goes with zesty spices which as ginger, citrus and cardamom. White chocolate contains butter, milk, sugar, and vanilla it can be used in recipes instead of butter. People are not sure the origins of white chocolate, but powdered milk seems to have played a major role it is popularization. Nestlé, who many credit with developing white chocolate, began making it in the 1930’s, apparently in response to a powdered milk surplus; during World War I, when powdered milk was in high demand, they bought up companies that manufactured the product. When the war ended and consumers returned to fresh milk, the Swiss chocolate giant looked for new used for the powdered kind. One of the many new products launched during this time was white chocolate bar called “Galak.”

White chocolate is tricky to work with because the main ingredients are two fats that melt at different temperatures. To avoid the chance of lumpiness, chop the chocolate into small pieces and stir constantly to ensure quicker and more even melting. As white chocolate separates and burns easily, melt it in a bowl over hot water, or in the microwave for 30-second increments and make sure the temperature of chocolate does not exceed 120 degrees.

By the 1990s, white chocolate had entered the canon of American dessert flavors; at the iconic Palace Café in New Orleans, it enriched the custard base for bread pudding, an innovation on a classic. I have done white chocolate bread pudding and it is terrific. Also in New Orleans, the restaurant Mat & Naddie’s, have a panko-fired version of white chocolate bread pudding with bruléed bananas.

So get some white chocolate and make some Christmas cookies to give. This recipe is from ‘Saveur’  2012. These cookies are on the cover, and they are hard to resist.

White Chocolate-Macadamia Nut Cookies

Makes about 5 dozen

2 cups flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar

1 ½ cups sugar

16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ lb. roughly chopped white chocolate

1 lb. roughly chopped roasted and salted macadamia nuts

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl; set aside. In a large bowl, beat sugars and butter on medium speed of a hand mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until smooth; beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients, and beat until just combined; stir in chocolate and nuts.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Using a 1-oz. ice cream scoop or 2 spoons, portion and shape dough into balls, and place balls 2” apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 14 minutes.

This next recipe would be a wonderful Christmas dessert which could be made ahead. The cream cheese adds stability and a pleasing tang, which balances the sweet white chocolate without overpowering it. This recipe is also taken form ‘Saveur’ December 2012 issue.

White-Chocolate-Cream Cheese Mousse

Serves 4-6

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved

½ cup heavy cream

½ tsp. kosher salt

3 egg whites

¼ cup sugar

8 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped

Place cream cheese and vanilla seeds in a large bowl, and beat on medium-high speed of a hand mixer until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add cream, and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes more; set aside. Place salt and egg whites in another bowl, and beat on medium-high speed of a hand mixer until soft peaks form; while beating, slowly add sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form; set aside.

Place white chocolate in a medium bowl over a 4-quart saucepan of simmering water, and cook, stirring constantly, until just melted; remove from heat, and let cool for 5 minutes. Pour white chocolate into cream cheese mixture, and fold with a rubber spatula until almost combined; add beaten egg whites, and fold gently until just combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a ¾ “ tip, and pipe into serving glasses; refrigerate until set before serving, at least 2 hours.

 

 

Ham and Turkey Leftovers

What to do with all those Thanksgiving leftovers?  This is hoping all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  The best leftover dish is the first sandwich you make from what’s left of the turkey with good bread and mayo and cranberry sauce.

Perhaps you can make a good ham sandwich. As we travel across the south we listen to books on CD and we have been listening to Creole Belle by James Lee Burke. He writes stories of Louisiana and I have read many of them in the past. He mentions fixing and eating ham and onion sandwiches in his books, and I began to wonder if this was a Louisiana thing. After researching this I have found that no one really knows anything about a tradition of eating ham and onion sandwiches in the bayou. As one reader said of the question about ham and onion sandwiches, “It is just fiction.” Anyway I got some good ham, a sweet onion, some good white bread and some mayo and made these sandwiches for days. They are really good! Some neighbors came by while I was making them and had some and really liked them. So give them a try! One of them had had them as a child in western North Carolina.

As far as other uses for the turkey I think I have something as good as a turkey sandwich. That is turkey and risotto.  This recipe uses your turkey broth, risotto, leftover turkey, and some wonderful wild mushrooms with some nutty tasting cheese. The rice becomes plump with the turkey broth and the richness of the meat will help you recall the wonderful Thanksgiving meal that is now a memory.

From the November 2012 issue of ‘bon appétit’.

Turkey and Mushroom Risotto

8 cups Day-After-Turkey-Stock (recipe to follow)

4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 cups assorted fresh mushrooms (preferably wild, but white buttons will do) thinly sliced

2 cups Arborio rice

1 cup shredded leftover turkey meat

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Bring stock to a simmer in a medium pot over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, Cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a large pot over medium heat until it begins to foam. Add onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent and just beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally until soft, and any liquid released has evaporated, 5-7 minutes.

Add rice; stir to coat. Add ½ cup warm stock and stir constantly until liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock by 1/2-cupfuls, stirring constantly, until rice is tender but still firm to bite, about 20 minutes.  Add leftover turkey meat; stir to combine and to warm through, adding a little stock or water if necessary to keep mixture creamy, about 3 minutes.

Stir in Parmesan and remaining 1 Tbsp. butter into risotto. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among warm bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Serves 4-6.

Day-After Turkey Stock

You can use this rich stock, made from the turkey carcass, for risotto or soup. You can also freeze it for the New Year.

Combine 3 chopped celery stalks; 1 chopped onion, 1 turkey carcass (broken into pieces), and water to cover (12-14 cups) in a stockpot. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until broth is reduced to 1/3, about 3 ½ hours. Strain; discard solids. Let cook; cover and chill. Do Ahead: Stock will keep chilled for 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Makes about 9 cups.

 

 

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

When thinking of Thanksgiving desserts, one does think of pumpkin, pecan, or sweet potato pie. Being not so fond of either, I thought it was time to find me another Thanksgiving dessert. I have done pumpkin cheese cake in the past as opposed to the usual pumpkin pie.

Bread pudding came to my mind as an easy and delicious dessert for Thanksgiving. Bread pudding is a dish with very old roots. It evolved as most of us know as a use for stale bread. Cooks from many countries did not want to waste bread and used it in both savory and sweet dishes. Bread pudding today tends to be far more luxurious than its humble origins. Modern bread puddings often utilize fresh, gourmet breads, such as brioche, and include expensive ingredients such as vanilla beans, bourbon, gruyere cheese or pecans. Sweet bread puddings may also be served with a variety of sauces.

In addition to bread pudding, cooks also used stale bread to make stuffing, thickeners and edible serving containers. Although the Romans did use eggs as binding agents in various recipes, custard was not invented until the Middle Ages, so early bread puddings were probably made simply from milk, stale bread, fat and perhaps a sweetener. Bread puddings were not only made by the Romans. Ancient versions of bread pudding include Om Ali, as Egyptian dessert make from bread, milk or cream, raisins and almonds; Eish es Serny, a Middle Eastern dish made from dried bread, sugar, honey syrup, rosewater and caramel; and Shahi Turka, an Indian dish made from bread, ghee, saffron, sugar, rosewater and almonds.

Today, bread puddings are not as popular as they used to be. You can usually find them in New Orleans restaurants but seldom anywhere else. They are still frequently consumed in the United Kingdom, Mexico, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Belgium and France.

So this year I am doing pumpkin bread pudding for my Thanksgiving dessert. It can be done ahead and reheated upon serving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

From ‘Martha Stewart Living’ November 2012.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Gingered Crème  Anglaise

Serves 8-10

4 cups white bread, cut into cubes

4 eggs

3 egg yolks

1 ½ cups milk

1 ½ cups heavy cream

¾ cup canned pumpkin purée

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. rum or brandy

¼ tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. cloves, ground

2 Tbsp. butter, cold, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350ᴼF. Grease a 13x9x2-inch pan. Dry bread cubes on cooking sheet in oven 10-15 minutes. Place bread cubes in pan. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all pudding ingredients except butter. Pour mixture over bread cubes. Let sit 10 minutes until bread is fully soaked. Dab butter over top. Bake 40-50 minutes. (The pudding should be set in center, but should not be dry.)

Gingered Crème Anglaise

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. vanilla

5 egg yolks

½ cup granulated sugar

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring milk, cream, ginger and vanilla just to a slight boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat immediately. While mixture is heating, whisk yolks and sugar until smooth. Slowly pour 1/3 cup of hot milk mixture into egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Gradually add egg yolk mixture back to remaining milk mixture in saucepan; continue whisking. Return to heat, stirring constantly, until crème coats the back of a spoon. Transfer crème to serving bowl. Pour over warm bread pudding. Serves 8-10.

 

 

Wild Shrimp and Feta

I have the luxury to live fairly close to a fish market and I love getting to buy some local wild caught shrimp. They are in season and I always buy at least two pounds, one to freeze and one to cook right away. These gulf shrimp are good in dressings, stuffed mirlitons, and in pasta dishes.

For years I have being doing shrimp with feta and fine it to be an outstanding combination of flavors. I discovered this dish on a soccer trip years ago in Greensboro, North Carolina, and do it still quite often. While reading the November 12, 2012 issue of bon appétit I found some information that made me rethink my original shrimp and feta from 30 years ago.

Someone asked about the shrimp and feta dish served at the Lord Bryon restaurant on the Island of Ios in Greece and wanted the recipe. Well this got my attention. The answer came that the shrimp dish was called Shrimp Saganaki, a traditional Greek preparation named after the dish it is prepared in, and is best served straight from the skillet, with plenty of toasted bread for scooping up the savory tomato sauce. They also suggested that you use wild American shrimp and good feta cheese.

I could not resist trying this version and it was wonderful because of the taste tomato sauce and the use of the anise flavored liqueur. You do not need the special Greek pan to cook this recipe in, just use a large skillet. Also, since most of us do not have ouzo on hand, I used Pernod since you can get that in the local liquor store. I am giving you both versions. It is an easy dish to prepare and guests will love it.

Shrimp Saganaki

4 appetizer servings

1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 scallions, white part only, minced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup drained diced canned tomatoes

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup vegetable broth

2 Tbsp. ouzo or other unsweetened anise-flavored liqueur (Pernod)

1 tsp. chopped flat-leafed parsley plus more for garnish

1 tsp. chopped fresh dill plus more for garnish

Pinch of dried oregano, preferably Greek

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 medium shrimp (preferably wild caught) about ½ lb. peeled, deveined (head on if desired)

1 4-oz. block feta

Slices of country-style white bread, toasted

Heat oil in a medium heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add scallions and garlic, cook stirring often, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until reduced by half, 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat; add wine, broth, ouzo, 1 tsp. parsley, 1 tsp. dill, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until tomato mixture is reduced by one-third, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to skillet, arranging around edges. Place block of feta in center of skillet. Cover and simmer until shrimp are cooked through and feta is warm, 4-5 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat. Transfer shrimp and feta to a large shallow bowl, if desired. Garnish with parsley and dill. Serve with toast alongside.

Connie’s Take on Feta Shrimp (Given in the September 8^th, 2007 issue of the Andalusia Star News)

1 pound shrimp, peeled

8 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced

¾ cup feta cheese

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon thyme

Salt, pepper, and red pepper flaked

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

In an oven proof casserole dish put the shrimp, tomatoes, garlic, and crumble feta over the mixture. Add the spices evenly over the dish. Add more red pepper flakes if you would like a spicier dish. Pour the oil evenly over the mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. This is usually served with rice.

Serves 4.

 

 

Chicken and Lemons

I had to take a little time off from my Christmas preparations this week when my husband got the flu. I hear it is a bad year for the flu and it has come early. Take it from me my husband has been sick for a week and still coughs and cannot talk. On the up side, he has lost 10 pounds. He really was not hungry but seemed to want some soup.

Instead of working on Christmas food I went in search of food for the sick and thought of chicken and rice soup. Believe it or not Martha Stewart had a whole article in her January 2013 issue of’ Martha Stewart Living’ on chicken with rice and the use of lemons. I have lots of home grown lemons to use so this was for me. Our home grown lemons are so much more juicy than those in the store. Think about it for next year.  We grow them in large pots and only bring them in the garage if the temperature is to be down in the 20’s.  They are not quite as hardy as satsumas and kumquats.

I went to the local store and got a big fat chicken and cut out the back. This technique is called spatchcocking when you split and flatten out the chicken and expose more of the chicken skin and this really crisps up at high temperatures. I did this and it was really wonderful how well the chicken cooked. You slip the lemons under the skin and the meat is permeated with a citrusy brightness. I had enough bird to eat by itself and enough for the soup. This would not be only for the sick person but a great fresh food for trimming of the tree or when friends come by to visit.

Roast-Spatchcocked Lemon Chicken

Serves 4

1 whole 4-pound chicken

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 lemons, thinly sliced, divided

6 small shallots (6 ounces), peeled and quartered lengthwise

Preheat oven to 425⁰F. Place chicken, breast side down, on a work surface. Starting at thigh end, cut along 1 side of backbone with kitchen shears. Turn chicken around; cut along other side. Discard backbone or save for stock. Flip chicken, and open it like a book. Press firmly on breastbone to flatten.

Rub chicken with 1 tablespoon oil, and season with 1 tablespoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Brush 1 tablespoon oil in the center of a rimmed baking sheet slightly larger than the size of the chicken, and place half the lemon slices in a single layer on top of oil. Place chicken, skin side up, on lemons. Beginning at the neck end of breast, carefully loosen skin from flesh of breast and thighs with your fingers. Slide remaining lemons under skin in a single layer.

Roast chicken 20 minutes. Toss shallots with remaining teaspoon oil, and scatter around chicken. Continue to roast chicken until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast reaches 165⁰, 25-30 minutes more.

Transfer chicken to a carving board, and let rest 10 minutes. Cut chicken into 8 pieces, and serve with roasted lemons, shallots, and pan juices. If using chicken for soup, let chicken cool completely. Remove and discard skin, lemon under skin, and bones, and shred meat into bite-size pieces. Chicken, roasted lemons, shallots, and pan juices can be refrigerated up to 2 days. Store meat and pan juices in separate containers; lemons and shallots can be stored together.

Roast Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup

Serves 4-6

For a thicker soup add two egg yolks and the juice of one lemon into the soup just before serving.

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 2/3 cup water

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups shredded chicken form the chicken recipe above

Roast lemons, shallots, and pan juices from above chicken recipe

Coarsely chopped fresh dill, for garnish

Bring rice, water, lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir once, reduce heat to low, and cover.

Simmer until rice is cooked and water evaporates, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

Bring stock to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in rice, chicken, lemons, shallots, and pan juices, and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper.

Divide soup among 4-6 bowls, and season with lemon juice and dill. I didn’t have any dill but cilantro adds a nice touch as garnish as well as flavor.

Mirliton Dressing

It is that time of year to begin thinking about Thanksgiving dinner. I have been looking at all the magazines on how to cook the turkey, the many sides possible, and of course the desserts. I generally go back to most of the things I have done for years, but always want to try at least one new thing.

My husband came in from the garden and told me he had some mirliton in the garden and what could I do with them. Most people know that mirliton are squash and are also known as chayote. The mirliton is an inexpensive and versatile staple of Louisiana. This unusual gourd contains one large seed and is a member of the cucurbit family--think cucumbers and watermelon--similarly mild and fibrous and distinctive for the vine like growth of its plants, many of which bear edible fruit.

These squash are pale green and pear shaped with ridges along the skin. Their flavor is delicate, and once you start cooking mirliton they almost melt away. They work well with crabmeat and shrimp and are most often served roasted and stuffed with a mixture of seafood.

You can often find mirlitons (more often called chayote) in the grocery but they grow well in our deep South climate and are perennial in our garden. Mirlitons are so easy to grow that many cultivate them in backyard gardens. All you have to do is stick the end of the fruit in the ground at a 45-degree angle (after the ground has warmed up in the spring) and give it lots of water, and a wild and vigorous vine will clamber over a fence or a trellis, producing a crop in early fall. The vines really do need a lot of support.  If you are thinking of planting a mirliton next spring just save one from the grocery.  They generally sprout before planting time.  You can place in a pot and put it out later when the weather is more favorable.

So in honor of the mirliton in my garden I am doing a mirliton dressing for Thanksgiving. Diced day-old bread is the best to use in this recipe. Mirliton dressing is too loose for a stuffing, so it is always served as a side dish.

From John Besh’s  My New Orleans, The Cookbook

Mirliton and Shrimp Dressing

Serves 10

4 mirlitons, halved and peeled

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme

Leaves from 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

Leaves from 1 sprig fresh sage, chopped

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled deveined, and finely chopped

½ cup crabmeat, picked over

4 cups diced day-old French bread

2 cups basic chicken stock

½ teaspoon basic Creole spices

1-2 dashes Tabasco

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350ᴼ. Rub the mirlitons with oil. Place them on a baking sheet cut side down and bake until they are fork tender and easily peeled, about 45 minutes. Set the mirlitons aside to let rest until they are cool enough to handle, then peel and cut them into 1-inch pieces

Melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Increase heat to medium-high, add the fresh herbs and shrimp, and stir frequently, until shrimp are must cooked, 3-5 minutes, Stir in the crabmeat. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the diced mirlitons and the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.

Spoon the dressing into a large buttered baking dish and bake until golden brown, 20-30 minutes.

I like to add some Tabasco just before eating.

Although this would be a side at Thanksgiving, the mirliton dressing makes a good main dish for dinner.

 

Hot Tamales (Miss-Mex! not Tex-Mex)

I have been eating tamales lately and have a semi-fondness for them. They look hard to make so I think I will be eating them instead of preparing them. I had some delicious ones at Fat Mama’s Tamales in Natchez this past week. They do not make them in the restaurant anymore but out-source them and bring them in frozen and cook them in boiling water as needed. At a wildlife festival this past weekend, I had some wild hog tamales. They were actually spicy and really good.

How did hot tamales get into Mississippi? Many think that tamales made their way to the Mississippi Delta in the early 20^th century when migrant laborers were brought in from Mexico to work the cotton harvest. The basic tamale ingredients, cornmeal and pork, were easily adapted by the African Americans who shared the fields. Others say that the Delta’s history with tamales goes back to the U.S. Mexican War 100 years earlier, when soldiers from Mississippi traveled to Mexico and brought tamale recipes home with them.

Today, African Americans are the primary keepers of the tamale-making tradition in the Delta. Through slavery and sharecropping, tamales have proved to be a viable support system, financially and nutritionally, to rural communities throughout the area.

No two people make hot tamales exactly the same way. Pork is traditional, but some cooks use beef, while others prefer turkey. Some boil their meat, while others brown it. Some people use masa, while others prefer the rough texture of cornmeal. Most wrap in corn shucks, while a few have turned to parchment paper. Some season the tamale in just one way, while others will season the meat and the meal, as well as the water used to simmer the rolled bundles. Some eat theirs straight out of the shuck, while others smother them in chili and cheese. I do know that in the Delta tamales are served with crackers and a cold beer! Why crackers? Got me. I thought it was a mistake when we got a bowl of crackers with our tamales at Fat Mama’s.  I heard of one person who always eats hers with crackers and ranch dressing!

Many people say that the best time to eat hot tamales is during the winter months, but tamales are sold year round. The RED HOT TAMALES are in fact bright red in color. This visual is the result of spices added in all stages of tamale preparation and cooking.

Even though making tamales are time consuming, they perhaps are worth doing. Below are the steps in preparing tamales, so you can have this recipe on hand if you decide to make some. Fortunately they are readily available here in southwest Mississippi even though this is not the Delta.

Mississippi Delta Tamales

Makes 7-8 dozen (If you are going to the trouble, might as well make a few.  One can easily eat a dozen. They are usually sold by the dozen or half dozen.)

Meat Filling

6-8 lbs. boneless meat (pork shoulder, chuck roast, or chicken)

¾ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup chili powder

2 Tablespoons paprika

2 Tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cayenne

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Cut the meat into large chunks and place in a large, heavy pot. Cover in cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot, and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until meat is tender, 2-2 ½ hours. Remove the meat and reserve the cooking liquid. When the meat is cool enough to handle, remove and discard any skin and large chunks of fat. Shred or dice the meat into small pieces. There should be 10-12 cups of meat. Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a heavy pot. Stir in the chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin. Add the meat and stir to coat with the oil and spices. Cook, stirring often, until the meat is warmed through, about 7-10 minutes. Set aside.

Corn Husks

While meat is cooking, soak the husks in a large bowl or sink of very warm water until they are softened and pliable, about 2 hours. Separate into single leaves, trying not to tear them. Wash off dust and discard any corn silks. Keep any husks that split to the side, since two small pieces can be overlapped and used as one.

Corn Meal Dough

8 cups yellow corn meal or masa mix (can be found in most stores)

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

 1 2/3 cups vegetable oil or lard

6-8 cups warm meat broth (from cooking of the meat)

Stir the corn meal, baking powder, salt and lard together in a large bowl until well blended. Gradually stir in enough warm liquid to make soft, spongy dough that is the consistency of mashed potatoes. The dough should be quite moist but not wet. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth.

Assembling the tamales:

Remove a corn husk from the water and pat dry. Lay husk on a work surface. Spread about ¼ cup of dough in an even layer across the wide end of the husk to within 1 inch of the edges. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture in a line down the center of the dough. Roll the husk so that the dough surrounds the filling and forms a cylinder or package. Fold the bottom under to close the bottom and complete the package. Place the completed tamales in a single layer on a baking sheet. Repeat until all dough and filling is used.

Cooking the tamales:

To simmer: Stand the tamales upright, closed side down, in a large pot. Place tamales together in the pot so that they do not fall down. Carefully fill the pot with enough water to come just to the top of the tamales, trying not to pour water directly in the tamales. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the dough is firm and pulls away from the husks easily and cleanly, about 1 hour.

To steam: Stand the tamales upright, closed side down, in a large steamer. Cover the tamales with a damp towel or additional husks. Steam the tamales over simmering water until the dough is firm and pulls easily from the husks, about 1-1 ¼ hours.

Serve tamales warm, in their husks. Remove husks to eat.

Sweet Potatoes 2012

We just received the October 15 ‘Mississippi Market Bulletin’ featuring sweet potatoes.  Sweet potatoes give Mississippi a number 2 national ranking with 22,500 acres in sweet potatoes (It’s nice to see Mississippi near the top of a list, rather than the bottom); North Carolina is first with 64,000 acres. Harvest started in August and was 46 percent harvested by late September. The majority of the state’s sweet potatoes are grown within 40 miles of Vardaman in Calhoun County in the northeastern part of the state. The bulletin notes that Americans now consume about 5.7 pounds of sweet potatoes per person each year.

All Southern states produce sweet potatoes commercially so they are readily available this time of year. And they are quite healthy: rich in fiber; fat and cholesterol free, large amounts of Vitamin C, a respectable dose of Vitamin E and A, and folic acid, iron, copper, calcium and beta-carotene; they also have anti-tumor, anti-HIV, anti-muscular dystrophy, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-hypertensive and ant-diabetic effects.  However, most people eat their sweet potatoes with an added dose of sugar which is not so healthy.

The market bulletin had a page of ‘sweet’ sweet potato recipes but my husband only wants to eat them in savory dishes.  And as we began our own harvest of sweet potatoes I found this savory Vietnamese soup recipe in Louisiana Cookin’. This soup is a winner. It won first prize as a main dish at a contest at Delgado Community College in New Orleans.

Sweet Potato Vietnamese Soup

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 pound ground pork

1 small onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)

¼ cup chopped fresh basil, divided (It’s still growing in pots on our patio.)

1 (3-inch) piece lemongrass (I finally got to use some of the lemon grass we have been growing for years.)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)

1 quart chicken stock

1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk

Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro, jalapeño pepper slices and basil

In large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add pork, onion, 2 tablespoons basil, lemongrass, garlic, jalapeño, ginger, cumin, cardamom, and nutmeg. Cook until pork is browned and onion is soft, about 10 minutes.

Add sweet potatoes, chicken stock, and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until sweet potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover, remove lemongrass, and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with remaining basil, cilantro, and jalapeño. The soup gets better with standing and the second day I used small red Thai chilies as a garnish.

In the same magazine was a sweet potato side dish that was a winner also. Using sweet potatoes with macaroni sounds like a dish just made to savor.

Cheesy Sweet Potato Mac

Makes 8 servings

8 ounces macaroni (about 2 cups)

1 (15-ounce) can sweet potatoes (use fresh ones this time of year.)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup whole milk

1 cup shredded fontina cheese

½ cup soft bread crumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup chopped pecans (Picking those up now also. This looks to be a good year for pecans here.)

1 tablespoon pecan oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions, and drain. Return to pot, and add sweet potatoes.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in cream and milk; cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in fontina ¼ cup at a time. Stir cheese sauce into pasta.

Transfer macaroni and cheese to a 2-quart baking dish. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, pecans, and oil; sprinkle over pasta.

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

Biryani

Recently I had a party for my choir, sixteen people. What to cook for this crowd? I wanted to do something they do not get normally and I decided on biryani. What in the world is that? Biryanis are grand, festive casseroles in which partially cooked rice is layered over cooked meat. Orange saffron milk is dribbled over the top, thereby coloring some grains yellow while leaving others white. (But today even in India, saffron is so expensive they use yellow food coloring mixed with water). I used the food coloring also. Soaking the rice in salted water for 3-24 hours is a trick the Persians used to get the rice grains as white and as separate from each other as possible.

 

A biryani is a meal in itself but may be eaten with some accompanying dishes: a yogurt dish, a carrot salad, or tomatoes with ginger. I used all three to go with the biryani and made naan  (an Indian bread) and it was a wonderful meal. I did have a good Indian dessert with ground cardamom served over ice cream. So this choir had something to SING about!

 

A long recipe but worth it! I did it three times so it took most of the morning. I could have done with only two but I had some left over to freeze for a quick meal sometime when I need one.

 

From Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking

Serves 6-8.

 

15 oz. long grain rice

3½ pints plus 3 tablespoons plus 6½ pints water

About 3 tablespoons salt

1 teaspoon saffron threads (if using) or 2 teaspoons yellow food coloring and 2 teaspoons water for substitute

2 tablespoons warm milk (if using saffron) to mix

3 medium-sized onions, peeled

4 cloves garlic, peeled

¾ inch fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 tablespoons blanched, slivered almonds

13 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 tablespoons raisins

1 ½ lb. boned lamb from the shoulder (I used chuck from grass-fed beef)

8 oz. natural yogurt

5-6 cloves

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

½ teaspoon cardamom seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 inch stick cinnamon stick

about 1/6 nutmeg

¼ cayenne pepper

1 oz. butter, cut into 8 pieces

3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and at room temperature

 

Wash the rice in several changes of water. Drain it and put it in a large bowl. Add 3½  pints water and 1 tablespoon of the salt. Mix and soak for 3-24 hours.

Put the saffron threads (if using) in a small, heavy frying pan. Toss the threads until they turn a few shades darker. Crumble them into the warm milk and soak for three hours.

 

Cut 2 of the onions in half, lengthwise, and then cut the halves into fine half-rings. Set these aside. Chop the remaining onion very coarsely. Put this chopped onion, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the almonds and 3 tablespoons water into the container of an electric blender. Blend until you have a paste.

 

Put 6 tablespoons of the oil in a 10-inch skillet, preferably nonstick, and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the onion half-rings. Stir and fry them until they are brown and crisp. Remove them with a slotted spoon and spread them out on a plate lined with paper towels.

 

Put the raisins into the same oil. Remove them as soon as they turn plump--which happens immediately. Put the raisins in another plate lined with a paper towel. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons almonds into the oil. Stir and fry them until they are golden. Remove them with a slotted spoon and spread them out beside the raisins. Set aside for use as the garnish.

 

Now, put the meat cubes, a few at a time, into the same hot oil and brown them on all sides. As each batch gets done, put in a bowl.

 

Add the remaining 7 tablespoons of the oil to the frying pan and turn heat to medium. When hot, put in the onion-garlic-ginger-almond paste from the blender. Fry, stirring all the time, until the paste turns a medium-brown color. If it sticks slightly to the bottom of the pan, sprinkle a little water and keep stirring. Return the meat and any accumulated juices to the pan. Add the yogurt, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well between each addition. Now put in 1¼  teaspoons of the salt and 5 oz. of water. Mix and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

 

While the meat is cooking, put the cloves, peppercorns, cardamom seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon and nutmeg into the container of a spice-grinder or a coffee-grinder. Grind finely.

 

When the meat has cooked for 30 minutes, add all the spices from the spice-grinder as well as the cayenne and mix well. Cover again and continue to cook on low heat for another 30 minutes. Remove cover, raise heat to medium, and cook stirring all the time until you have about 7 oz. thick sauce left at the bottom of the pan. The meat should be pretty well cooked by now.

 

Spread out the meat and sauce in the bottom of a heavy casserole. Cover and keep warm.

 

Pre-heat the oven to 300°F.

 

Bring 6 pints water to a rolling boil in a large pan. Add 1 ½ tablespoons salt to it. Drain the rice and rinse it off under running water. Slowly, scatter the rice into the boiling water. Bring to a boil again and boil rapidly for exactly 6 minutes. Then drain the rice.

 

Work fast now. Put the rice on top of the meat, piling it up in the shape of a hill. Take a chopstick or the handle of a long spoon and make a ½ inch wide hole going down like a well from the peak of the rice hill to its bottom. Dribble the saffron or food coloring in streaks along the sides of the hill. Lay the pieces of butter on the sides of the hill and scatter 2 tablespoons of the browned onions over it as well. Cover first with aluminum foil, sealing the edges well, and then with a lid. Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven.

 

Just before serving, quarter the eggs, lengthwise. Mix the contents of the rice pan gently. Serve the rice on a warmed platter, garnished with the eggs, remaining browned onions, raisins, and almonds.