Chef Noah » Country Cookin’

Fried Catfish and Hush Puppies

Chef Noah — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:39:20 +0000

As a youngster growing up during the Great Depression in the Tennessee hills, once in awhile we could count on having a mess of catfish and hush puppies for dinner. My mother fried them with her wood-burning kitchen stove in iron skillets. The deep-fried food can now be found at “Fast Food Restaurants.” But either way, fried food is delicious. The medical people tell us that fried food is not good for us. I say it taste good and I am 85 years old. None of us can expect to live forever. I also say; “enjoy what you like while living on Earth. We never know which way we will go after death.” We also caught trout, pike and perch from Saw Creek which was adjacent to our farm. My mama used the same frying method as she did with catfish.

FRIED CATFISH

1 cup white cornmeal

6 (1/2-pound catfish, fillets, washed in cold water and patted dry

Salt and pepper

Vegetable shortening

Lemon wedges, for serving

Melt enough shortening in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat to reach 3/4 inch.

Meanwhile, pour the cornmeal onto a platter or shallow dish. Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper, and then dredge in the cornmeal, shaking off any excess. Gently slide the fillets into the skillet when the fat is hot but not smoking, being careful not to crowd the skillet. Fry, in batches until crisp and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the fillets over and fry 4 minutes more. Transfer the fillets to clean paper bags or a paper towel-lined platter with a slotted spoon. Serve with the lemon wedges.

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Hush Puppies are to fried fish what butter is to a biscuit. You just can’t have one without the other. The story goes that “Hush. Puppies” is what camp cooks shouted to the yelping hound dogs when they tossed them the fried scraps from their skillets. Whatever their origin, they are easy as pie to make – just whip up the batter and drop it by the spoonful into piping-hot fat. I like to fry them in the same fat that was used frying the fish. In the old day, we used Lard which was a byproduct from butchering our hogs.

HUSH PUPPIES

1-1/2 cups self-rising white cornmeal

3/4 cup self-rising flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1 egg

1 onion, chopped

1 cup buttermilk

Vegetable shortening, for frying

Combine the cornmeal, flour, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the egg and onion and stir until combined. Gradually stir in the buttermilk, adding enough to make a thick batter that will easily drop from a spoon.

Meanwhile, heat enough oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven to reach 2-1/2 to 3 inches. When the fat is hot enough (about 375) degrees on a deep fry thermometer), drop in the batter by the teaspoonful. Fry, turning occasionally, until the Hush Puppies are golden brown. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve warm.

Chicken and Dumplings

Chef Noah — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:53:53 +0000

Chicken and Dumplings

(3-pound) stewing hen

2-1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 onion, peeled and left whole

1/4 cup chopped celery leaves

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons vegetable shortening

3/4 cup milk

1.) Combine the chicken and 2 teaspoons of the salt with 2 quarts of water in a Dutch oven. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pepper, onion, and celery leaves. Simmer the chicken until the meat falls away from the bone.

2.) Remove the chicken and onion from the pot, and strain out the celery leaves. Discard the onion and celery leaves, and set the chicken aside to cool.

3.) When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and cut into 1-inch pieces. Set aside. Discard the skin and bones. Meanwhile, raise the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil.

4.) Combine the flour, baking soda, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the shortening with a fork and knife or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Gradually stir in the milk until the dough is moist. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly knead for about 5 minutes. Roll out to 1/2-inch thickness and cut unto 1-1/2 inch squares. Drop the pieces of dough into the boiling broth. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir gently. Add the chicken back to the pot, stir, and cook until the chicken is heated through, about 8 minutes. Serve warm – Serves 6.

Nassau Grits

Chef Noah — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 07:38:36 +0000

Nassau Grits

In Pensacola, Florida, you’ll find The Coffee Cup, the place where cops and attorneys, drywall hangers and artists, dilettantes and debutantes gather to eat grits and eggs in the morning.”

An adaptation of The Coffee Cups’ grits recipe appears in Edge’s Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover’s Companion to the South, and that recipe in itself is a riff on one passed on to The Coffee Cup through many hands. Now, it passes to you.

If you’d like to read more about The Coffee Cup and other Southern delights, grab a copy of Southern Belly for yourself.

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 cup ground or finely chopped ham (about 6 ounces)
1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
3/4 cup uncooked white grits
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedures

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, turning once, until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Once cooled, crumble into bits and set aside.
Pour off all the bacon drippings except for 2 to 3 tablespoons. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute until the onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the ham, stirring to mix well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the grits as directed on the package instructions. When they reach a creamy state, stir in the ham and tomato mixture. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large serving bowl and crumble the bacon over the top. Serve immediately.

Collard Greens with Bacon

Chef Noah — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:23:29 +0000

Collard Greens with Bacon

Chef Noah’s tip: Don’t overcook the bacon. It should be barely brown around the edges and still somewhat raw-looking in the middle. If you like potatoes, throw about 4 into the pot when you add the uncooked collard greens.

Ingredients

4 strips thick-sliced bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Several dashes hot sauce
1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
2 pounds collard greens, stems removed, sliced into 3-inch-wide strips (can substitute kale or chard)
1 cup chicken broth (or water)

Method

1 Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Cook the bacon in the skillet until it just begins to brown around the edges, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and cook until they have softened and are just starting to brown.

2 Add the garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and hot sauce. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute. Add the vinegar, bring to a simmer, and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

3 Add the collard greens and the chicken broth (or water) and bring to a simmer. Reduce the temp to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the collard greens have wilted and have lost their brightness. Season to taste with additional vinegar and hot sauce. Serve with some of the pan juices from the pan. A hoecake of Southern made white cornbread will complete your supper.

Serves 6 to 8.

Shrimp and Crab Gumbo

Chef Noah — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:01:14 +0000

Gumbo is a native dish of Louisiana, and it is perhaps the most famous dish. Gumbo means, “all together” or “all at once” as in the expression gumbo ya-ya means everyone talking at once. The term evolved from the African “kingombo” or “ngombo,” okra, a vegetable used to thicken and flavor the dish.

SHRIMP AND CRAB GUMBO

2/3 cup oil or bacon drippings
Worcestershire sauce
1 cup flour
3 pounds okra, cut
3 large onions, chopped
2 cans (8 ounce size) tomato sauce
1 dozen raw crabs, cleaned
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
1/4 large bell pepper, chopped
3 pounds raw shrimp, peeled
2 pounds crab meat
2 quarts water
Oysters
3 bay leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
Tabasco, to taste

In skillet make roux using oil and flour. Cook until it is chocolate brown color. Add chopped vegetables and stir until wilted. Transfer to large gumbo pot (not iron, as iron will make okra turn black). Add water and bring to a boil. Add seasonings, okra, and tomato sauce. Boil for approximately 1 hour. Add crabs, green onions, and parsley; continue boiling for about 20 minutes. Add scrimp 2-3 minutes after crabs. Just before serving add crab meat and oysters. Serve over hot fluffy rice in gumbo bowls.

Variation: Omit okra or tomato sauce. Instead of seafood, use large hen, wild ducks, geese, turkey carcass, or other type meat. Cook until tender.

Serves 15.

Cheese and Grits Casserole

Chef Noah — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 21:28:31 +0000

Grits are a common breakfast plate in the Southern US states where they are usually eaten with salt or cheese and never sugar unless you want a firm talking-to from the locals or an accusation that you don’t appreciate or understand the wonders of grits. Grits are also common, however, in East Africa where it is called Ugali and in southern Manchuria where it is called Gezi. The word “grits” is a derivative of the Old English word “grytta,” which means a coarse meal of any kind. No matter the name, grits are a wonderful and delicious way to start the day.

Grits are basically coarsely ground corn that makes a sort of maize porridge. They are prepared simply by boiling the grits into a porridge or until enough water evaporates to leave them semi-solid, depending on your preference.

CHEESE AND GRITS CASSEROLE

4 cups boiling water
1 cup quick cooking grits
1/4 stick butter
6 to 8 ounces of shredded sharp cheese, according to taste
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk

Bring water to boil, slowly add the grits, stirring until done, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and cheese and thoroughly melt. Place eggs in measuring cup and fill with milk to make 1 cup. Beat and add to grits mixture. Pour into greased casserole dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.

New Orleans Style Jambalaya

Chef Noah — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 21:16:25 +0000

New Orleans is famous for a lot of different meals – chief among them is the traditional rice dish known as Jambalaya. While various ingredients in Jambalaya can vary from chicken, sausage, seafood, or any mixture of the three, the bold flavor and perfect spice is always present. The Dictionary of American Food and Drink states that the dish was born late one night when a traveler arrived at a New Orleans Inn long after dinner had been served. According to the story, the inn’s cook, a man named Jean, was told to “balayez,” or “throw something together” to feed the man. The results were delicious and the name later evolved to “Jambalaya.”

NEW ORLEANS STYLE JAMBALAYA

2 pounds smoked sausage, 1/4 inch slices
1 large diced onion
1 medium diced green pepper
4 stalks celery, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
3 cups white rice
1 package dried onion soup
2 tablespoons Tabasco
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
Dash cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
5 cups water

Cook sausage until browned. Add onion, pepper, celery, garlic, and saute’ until tender. Stir in rice, soup mix and seasonings. Add water and cook until rice is tender, about 45 minutes.

Serves 6.