Exhibit Recipes - push the button
Recipes from exhibit: African Roots of Southern Cooking
Southern Fried Okra
A Classic and Southern Fried Okra Recipe -- the flavor is amazing, and the fresh okra comes out with a beautiful golden-brown color with a perfectly crunchy texture! This is one of the best okra recipes around!!!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Minnie Blanchard’s Shrimp Creole
History:
Minnie Caldwell came to Punta Gorda to marry Joseph Blanchard on 4 October 1920. They were married by Minister H. G. Lyons and were witnessed by friends, Mr. Henry W. Walker and Mrs. Sybil Hadley. Minnie was a mail order bride from New Orleans and she brought her Creole based recipes to her Punta Gorda community.
Ingredients
3 lbs shrimp
Water to cover
½ cup butter
¼ cup flour
1 cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp white pepper
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 whole bay leaves
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp salt
½ tsp basil
½ tsp Tabasco sauce
1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned - ok)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ cup onion rough chopped
½ cup celery rough chopped
¼ cup rough chopped green bell pepper
Peel and devein the shrimp, cover and refrigerate. Melt the butter in a pot on medium heat. Stir in the flour and make a medium brown colored roux. Add finely chopped onion, celery and bell pepper, stir to mix. Cook vegetables until soft and start to turn brown. Stir pot often. Add the sugar and spices, the Tabasco the chopped tomatoes and tomatoes sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Stir often to get the spices off the bottom of the pot. While sauce is simmering, heat the olive oil over high heat in a skillet. Add the roughly chopped onions, celery and green peppers and stir fry for about 3 minutes. Add it to the sauce along with the shrimp. Return to a gentle boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes being careful to not overcook the shrimp. Serve over rice.
Leah Chase’s Shrimp Clemenceau
(as served at Dooky Chase Restaurant)
Ingredients
1 stick butter
2 medium potatoes (peeled and diced small)
2 lb. small shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 cup button mushrooms
1 cup green peas
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup white wine
salt and pepper
Directions
Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan. Add potatoes. Cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook until shrimp are tender. Add peas, parsley, and wine. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes. Yield 4 servings.
Callaloo
This mineral-rich leafy green is a staple in the Jamaican diet; sauté it with onions, scallions, and thyme to make a healthy vegetable side dish. If you can't find callaloo, Swiss chard or mustard greens make an excellent substitute. From the book Lucinda's Authentic Jamaican Kitchen by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Wiley).
Ingredients
Directions
(Source: https://www.marthastewart.com/632496/callaloo)
Gullah Luv Seasoning
(Makes 1 Cup)
Gullah is the name for the African-American culture of the Carolina Low Country—the region in and around Charleston and the coastal islands. Season your shrimp, fish, and chicken with this seasoning developed to complement Gullah cuisine. Try this version for fried foods.
This recipe is adapted from Gullah Cuisine, by Charlotte Jenkins and William Baldwin. Gullah Cuisine restaurant is in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.
Ingredients
1/4 c. ground celery seed
1/4 c. paprika
1/4 c. granulated garlic or garlic powder
1/4 c. granulated onion or onion powder
1/4 c. ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground bay leaf
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. mace or allspice
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
1 tsp. salt
Directions
Combine all ingredients. Store in a tightly closed container. Will keep for 3 months in a dark cool place or in the freezer for up to a year.
(Source: https://www.delish.com)
Collard Greens - Soul Food Style
Ingredients
1 ham hock
1 Tbsp chopped onion
4 lbs collard greens
¼ cup cider vinegar
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
About 1 tsp sugar
Salt and black or cayenne pepper
Scrub and clean your ham hock with a vegetable brush under cold running water. Place it in a pot with cold water to cover. Add the red pepper flakes, put on the lid, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add more water if necessary.
During this time triple wash the greens. Collards have such large leaves that they need to be prepared in one of several ways. One is to fold a bunch in half, then fold again and cut; then again, until you have pieces of a palatable size. Another way is to slide a knife down the main stem to remove the leaves and then tear them up.
When the hock is done, add the greens and remaining ingredients to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer until tender, which usually takes 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir occasionally during this time.
Season to taste and serve with extra vinegar and hot sauce o the side, and a little chopped raw onion if you like.
(Source: Sheila Ferguson’s Soul Food, Classic Cuisine from the Deep South)
Shrimp Etouffee
You can use shrimp, crawfish or crab for this recipe interchangeably.
Ingredients
Optional Shrimp Stock:
Étouffée
Method
1 Pour 2 quarts of water into a pot and add all the remaining stock ingredients. Bring to a boil, drop the heat down and simmer the stock gently for 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into another pot set over low heat. You will have extra stock, which you can use for soup, risotto, etc. It will last in the fridge for a week.
2 To make the etouffee, start by making a roux. Heat the vegetable oil or lard in a heavy pot over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the flour well, making sure there no clumps. Let this cook, stirring often, until it turns a pretty brown; this should take about 10 minutes or so.
3 Add the celery, green pepper, jalapeño and onion, mix well and cook this over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
4 Slowly add the hot shrimp stock, stirring constantly so it incorporates. The roux will absorb the stock and seize up at first, then it will loosen. Add enough stock to make a sauce about the thickness of syrup, about 1 pint.
Add the Cajun seasoning, celery seed and paprika and mix well. Add salt to taste, then mix in the shrimp. Cover the pot, turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 10 minutes.
5 Add the green onions and hot sauce to taste. Serve over white rice with a cold beer or lemonade.
(Source: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/shrimp_etouffee)
Cornbread Wisdom:
"If God had meant for cornbread to have sugar in it, he'd have called it cake"
- Mark Twain
Cornbread
(Civil War vintage)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
10" cast-iron skillet
2 cups stoneground yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups buttermilk
2 medium eggs (well-beaten)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoonful salt
2 tablespoonsful unsalted melted butter (slightly cooled)
1 level teaspoonful baking soda (dissolved in 2 teaspoonfuls of whole milk)
1 tablespoonful of unsalted butter for skillet
Mix the cornmeal and flour together in a large bowl with a whisk, gradually add the buttermilk, then 2 tablespoonsful slightly cooled melted butter.
Next, whisk the sugar and salt together in a small bowl, add this to the mixture. Then add the beaten eggs. And lastly, add one level teaspoonful of baking soda dissolved in 2 teaspoonfuls of whole milk. Whisk all ingredients together quickly.
Place 1 tablespoonful of unsalted butter in the bottom of the cast-iron skillet. Place the skillet in the 450-degree preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and carefully tilt the skillet to coat the sides and bottom of the pan with the melted butter.
Pour the cornbread mixture immediately into the hot pan. Level the mixture carefully.
Bake at 450 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cornbread. Serve warm with a dollop of fresh butter.
If you are not going to eat your cornbread immediately, let it cool on a wire rack in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack. This keeps the bread from becoming soggy.
(Source: http://civilwarcooking.blogspot.com)
George Washington’s
Mount Vernon Cornbread
Ingredients3/4 cup cornmeal (yellow or white)
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted shortening (butter, margarine or oil)
1 cup flour
3 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup milk
1 egg, well beaten
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl: cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add milk, egg and shortening. Mix together. Pour into a greased, shallow baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve warm with butter, honey or jam.
(Source: “What was Cooking in Martha Washington’s Presidential Mansions?” Cooking Throughout American History by Tanya Larkin)
Black-Eyed Peas
Black-eyed peas came from Africa. They are a healthy food that people eat to become strong. Some African Americans believe that if you eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, you will have good luck for the New Year.
Ingredients
1 pound black-eyed peas
4 cups water
1 medium onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cubed ham (option substitutes: 2 polish sausages, 2 hot sausage links, or bacon)
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper (optional)
Directions
Pick and wash the black-eyes peas. Place in slow cooker or, if you wish to cook them on the top of the stove, a large Dutch over. Combine with salt, pepper, onion, water, and ham or other meat. You can add crushed red pepper if you like spicy food. simmer on the top of the stove or turn slow cooker to high and allow peas to cook 3 to 4 hours.
Cathead Biscuits
Ingredients
Directions
(Source: SECRETS OF THE SOUTHERN TABLE © 2018 by Virginia Willis)
Palaver Sauce
Palaver sauce or palava sauce or plasas is a type of stew widely eaten in West Africa, including Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The word palaver comes from the Portuguese language and means a talk, lengthy debate or quarrel. It is unclear how this led to the name of the stew. One theory is that when the stew was first made, with long, ropey greens, people would start quarrels by slapping each other with the greens from their stew. Another is that the spices used in the stew mingle together like raised voices in an argument. It has been thought of as having the power to calm tensions, or to cause them. Other names for the dish include Kontonmire, Kentumere, Nkontommire and pla'sas.
It has regional variations and can contain beef, fish, shrimp, pepitas, cassava, taro (cocoyam) leaves, and palm oil. It is served with boiled rice, potatoes, garri, fufu or yams. Outside of Africa, spinach is often used as a substitute for other greens. The leaves used to make this soup in Liberia are called Molokhia or Mulukhiyah leaves.
Ingredients
2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 smoked pork hocks
1 cup water
2 lbs fresh spinach, torn into pieces
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon gingerroot, grated (may use 1 tsp ground ginger)
1 -2 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
hot cooked rice (optional)
Directions
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine beef, pork hocks, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover; simmer about 50 minutes, or until the beef is just tender.
Remove pork hocks; cool slightly. Cut meat from the bones; discard the bones and return the meat to the Dutch oven.
In a large covered saucepan simmer the greens in a small amount of water for 5 minutes; drain well.
In a large skillet, cook onions, garlic, tomatoes, gingerroot, and ground red pepper in hot oil until the onion is tender but not brown.
Stir the onion mixture, drained spinach, and chopped eggs into the meat mixture. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, serve over hot cooked rice in soup bowls.
(Source: https://www.geniuskitchen.com)
Southern Fried Chicken
Southern Fried Chicken – classic Southern chicken recipe that is crunchy and crusty on the outside and juicy and flavorful on the inside; infused with spices and seasonings and soaked in buttermilk to amp its flavor. A great addition to your chicken recipe collection!
Ingredients
Chicken Coating
Instructions
Frying the Chicken
(Source: https://www.africanbites.com/southern-fried-chicken)
Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Smoked cheddar cheese can be found in grocery stores in the specialty cheese section, not with the shredded, common cheeses. I get mine from Walmart. Do not over bake! Mac and cheese may be a tad jiggly when removed from oven but it will firm up as it cools. Feel free to use other cheeses, but that smoked cheddar is a MUST!
(Source: http://divascancook.com/southern-baked-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe)
Southern Baked Candied Yams
Ingredients
Instructions
(Source: http://divascancook.com/southern-baked-candied-yams-recipe)
Southern Fried Catfish
Ingredients
Directions:
Heat the peanut oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Adjust the heat to maintain the temperature.
Whisk the cornmeal and flour together in a shallow dish. Combine the seafood seasoning, kosher salt, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Season the catfish fillets evenly on both sides with the spice mixture. Pour the buttermilk into another shallow dish. Dip each fillet into the buttermilk, flip once to coat both sides, hold over the pan and allow the excess to drip off. Coat both sides of the fillets in the cornmeal mixture. Set the coated fillets on a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.
Gently add the fillets, 2 at a time, to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the fried fillets to a cooling rack set over a newspaper-lined half sheet pan. Repeat method with remaining fillets. Arrange the catfish on a serving platter and serve immediately.
(Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/southern-fried-catfish-recipe-1918997)
Jefferson's Ice Cream Recipe
(actual translation of Jefferson’s original handwritten recipe)
Ice Cream.
2. bottles of good cream.
6. yolks of eggs.
1/2 lb. sugar
mix the yolks & sugar
put the cream on a fire in a casserole, first putting in a stick of Vanilla.
when near boiling take it off & pour it gently into the mixture of eggs & sugar.
stir it well.
put it on the fire again stirring it thoroughly with a spoon to prevent it's sticking to the casserole.
when near boiling take it off and strain it thro' a towel.
put it in the Sabottiere
then set it in ice an hour before it is to be served. put into the ice a handful of salt.
put salt on the coverlid of the Sabotiere & cover the whole with ice.
leave it still half a quarter of an hour.
then turn the Sabottiere in the ice 10 minutes
open it to loosen with a spatula the ice from the inner sides of the Sabotiere.
shut it & replace it in the ice
open it from time to time to detach the ice from the sides
when well taken (prise) stir it well with the Spatula.
put it in moulds, justling it well down on the knee.
then put the mould into the same bucket of ice.
leave it there to the moment of serving it.
to withdraw it, immerse the mould in warm water, turning it well till it will come out & turn it into a plate.
(Source: https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/ice-cream)
Easy Cajun Jambalaya
Jambalaya is a Louisiana-origin dish of Spanish and French influence, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. Traditionally, the meat always includes sausage of some sort, often a smoked sausage such as andouille, along with some other meat or seafood, frequently pork, chicken, crawfish, or shrimp.
Ingredients
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1 tsp. dried oregano
6 oz. andouille sausage, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 c. low-sodium chicken stock
1 (15-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 c. long grain rice
2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and bell peppers and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then stir in chicken and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook until the chicken is golden, about 5 minutes, then stir in andouille sausage, garlic, and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
Add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, rice, and Old Bay. Reduce heat to medium low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is almost absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Add the shrimp and cook until pink, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in green onions just before serving.
(Source: https://www.delish.com)
Gumbo
Gumbo is a stew popular in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and that state's official state cuisine. Gumbo consists primarily of a strongly-flavored, roux-based stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and what Louisianians call the "Holy Trinity" of vegetables, namely celery, bell peppers, and onions.
Ingredients
Directions
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool.
Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add 4 cups hot water and bouillon cubes, whisking constantly. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add the green onions, shrimp and chopped parsley.
(Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/gumbo-recipe-1916887)
Charleston Red Rice
Charleston red rice or Savannah red rice is a rice dish commonly found along the Southeastern coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina, known simply as red rice by natives of the region. This traditional meal was brought over to the U.S. by enslaved Africans originating from the West Coast of Africa.
Ingredients
Directions
(Source: https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/charleston-red-rice-238319)
Hoppin’ John Recipe
Note that many things may affect the cooking times of the black eyed peas. They could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to cook to tenderness, depending on their age, where they were grown, and the water you are using.
Ingredients
Method:
1 If you are using bacon, cut it into small pieces and cook it slowly in a medium pot over medium-low heat. If you are using a ham hock, heat the oil in the pot.
Once the bacon is crispy (or the oil is hot if you are using a ham hock and not bacon), increase the heat to medium-high and add the celery, onion, and green pepper and sauté until they begin to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir well and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
2 Add the black-eyed peas, bay leaf, thyme and Cajun seasoning and cover with 4 cups of water. If you are using the ham hock, add it to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes to an hour, or longer if needed, until the peas are tender (not mushy).
3 While the black-eyed peas are cooking, cook the rice separately according to package instructions.
4 When the peas are tender, strain out the remaining cooking water. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the peas for salt and add more if needed. If using a ham hock, remove it from the pot, pull off the meat, and return the meat to the pot.
Serve the dish either by placing a ladle-full of black-eyed peas over steamed rice, or by mixing the two together in a large bowl. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve with collard greens, kale, beet or turnip greens.
(Source: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/hoppin_john)
Enjoy!
A Classic and Southern Fried Okra Recipe -- the flavor is amazing, and the fresh okra comes out with a beautiful golden-brown color with a perfectly crunchy texture! This is one of the best okra recipes around!!!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fresh okra cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon paprika optional- go up to 1/4 teaspoon if you like spicy foods
- Oil for frying
- Season okra with salt and pepper.
- Add eggs to a separate small bowl.
- Combine flour, cornmeal, seasoned bread crumbs and paprika into another small bowl and whisk together.
- Begin by dipping okra into cornmeal and flour coating.
- Next add okra to eggs coating on all sides.
- Lastly dip back into the coating and set aside okra on baking sheet.
- Repeat dredging process until all okra is ready.
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.
- Fry okra until golden brown and drain on paper towels.
- Serve warm.
Minnie Blanchard’s Shrimp Creole
History:
Minnie Caldwell came to Punta Gorda to marry Joseph Blanchard on 4 October 1920. They were married by Minister H. G. Lyons and were witnessed by friends, Mr. Henry W. Walker and Mrs. Sybil Hadley. Minnie was a mail order bride from New Orleans and she brought her Creole based recipes to her Punta Gorda community.
Ingredients
3 lbs shrimp
Water to cover
½ cup butter
¼ cup flour
1 cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp white pepper
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
2 whole bay leaves
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp salt
½ tsp basil
½ tsp Tabasco sauce
1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned - ok)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ cup onion rough chopped
½ cup celery rough chopped
¼ cup rough chopped green bell pepper
Peel and devein the shrimp, cover and refrigerate. Melt the butter in a pot on medium heat. Stir in the flour and make a medium brown colored roux. Add finely chopped onion, celery and bell pepper, stir to mix. Cook vegetables until soft and start to turn brown. Stir pot often. Add the sugar and spices, the Tabasco the chopped tomatoes and tomatoes sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Stir often to get the spices off the bottom of the pot. While sauce is simmering, heat the olive oil over high heat in a skillet. Add the roughly chopped onions, celery and green peppers and stir fry for about 3 minutes. Add it to the sauce along with the shrimp. Return to a gentle boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes being careful to not overcook the shrimp. Serve over rice.
Leah Chase’s Shrimp Clemenceau
(as served at Dooky Chase Restaurant)
Ingredients
1 stick butter
2 medium potatoes (peeled and diced small)
2 lb. small shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 cup button mushrooms
1 cup green peas
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup white wine
salt and pepper
Directions
Melt butter in 2-quart saucepan. Add potatoes. Cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook until shrimp are tender. Add peas, parsley, and wine. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes. Yield 4 servings.
Callaloo
This mineral-rich leafy green is a staple in the Jamaican diet; sauté it with onions, scallions, and thyme to make a healthy vegetable side dish. If you can't find callaloo, Swiss chard or mustard greens make an excellent substitute. From the book Lucinda's Authentic Jamaican Kitchen by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Wiley).
Ingredients
- 2 pounds callaloo
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 whole scallions, chopped
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup water
Directions
- Remove the small branches with leaves from the main stem and submerge the callaloo into a bowl of cold water. Let soak for a minute and remove, discarding the water. Repeat 2 more times. Finely chop the leaves and branches and set aside.
- Heat the oil and butter in a medium-size skillet over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the onion and scallions, stirring until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the callaloo, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Mix all of the ingredients together, add the water, and cover. Cook over medium heat until the stems are tender, about 8 minutes.
(Source: https://www.marthastewart.com/632496/callaloo)
Gullah Luv Seasoning
(Makes 1 Cup)
Gullah is the name for the African-American culture of the Carolina Low Country—the region in and around Charleston and the coastal islands. Season your shrimp, fish, and chicken with this seasoning developed to complement Gullah cuisine. Try this version for fried foods.
This recipe is adapted from Gullah Cuisine, by Charlotte Jenkins and William Baldwin. Gullah Cuisine restaurant is in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.
Ingredients
1/4 c. ground celery seed
1/4 c. paprika
1/4 c. granulated garlic or garlic powder
1/4 c. granulated onion or onion powder
1/4 c. ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground bay leaf
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. mace or allspice
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
1 tsp. salt
Directions
Combine all ingredients. Store in a tightly closed container. Will keep for 3 months in a dark cool place or in the freezer for up to a year.
(Source: https://www.delish.com)
Collard Greens - Soul Food Style
Ingredients
1 ham hock
1 Tbsp chopped onion
4 lbs collard greens
¼ cup cider vinegar
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
About 1 tsp sugar
Salt and black or cayenne pepper
Scrub and clean your ham hock with a vegetable brush under cold running water. Place it in a pot with cold water to cover. Add the red pepper flakes, put on the lid, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add more water if necessary.
During this time triple wash the greens. Collards have such large leaves that they need to be prepared in one of several ways. One is to fold a bunch in half, then fold again and cut; then again, until you have pieces of a palatable size. Another way is to slide a knife down the main stem to remove the leaves and then tear them up.
When the hock is done, add the greens and remaining ingredients to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer until tender, which usually takes 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir occasionally during this time.
Season to taste and serve with extra vinegar and hot sauce o the side, and a little chopped raw onion if you like.
(Source: Sheila Ferguson’s Soul Food, Classic Cuisine from the Deep South)
Shrimp Etouffee
You can use shrimp, crawfish or crab for this recipe interchangeably.
- Prep time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
Optional Shrimp Stock:
- Shells from 2 pounds of shrimp
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- top and bottom from 1 green pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 5 bay leaves
Étouffée
- 2 pounds shrimp, shell on (remove shells for use in the shrimp stock, if not making your own stock, you can get shrimp already shelled)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil or lard
- Heaping 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
- 1 large celery stalk, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 pint shrimp stock (see above), or clam juice or pre-made fish or shellfish stock
- 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 Tbsp sweet paprika
- Salt
- 3 green onions, chopped
- Hot sauce (Crystal or Tabasco) to taste
Method
1 Pour 2 quarts of water into a pot and add all the remaining stock ingredients. Bring to a boil, drop the heat down and simmer the stock gently for 45 minutes. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve into another pot set over low heat. You will have extra stock, which you can use for soup, risotto, etc. It will last in the fridge for a week.
2 To make the etouffee, start by making a roux. Heat the vegetable oil or lard in a heavy pot over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the flour well, making sure there no clumps. Let this cook, stirring often, until it turns a pretty brown; this should take about 10 minutes or so.
3 Add the celery, green pepper, jalapeño and onion, mix well and cook this over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
4 Slowly add the hot shrimp stock, stirring constantly so it incorporates. The roux will absorb the stock and seize up at first, then it will loosen. Add enough stock to make a sauce about the thickness of syrup, about 1 pint.
Add the Cajun seasoning, celery seed and paprika and mix well. Add salt to taste, then mix in the shrimp. Cover the pot, turn the heat to its lowest setting and cook for 10 minutes.
5 Add the green onions and hot sauce to taste. Serve over white rice with a cold beer or lemonade.
(Source: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/shrimp_etouffee)
Cornbread Wisdom:
"If God had meant for cornbread to have sugar in it, he'd have called it cake"
- Mark Twain
Cornbread
(Civil War vintage)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
10" cast-iron skillet
2 cups stoneground yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups buttermilk
2 medium eggs (well-beaten)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoonful salt
2 tablespoonsful unsalted melted butter (slightly cooled)
1 level teaspoonful baking soda (dissolved in 2 teaspoonfuls of whole milk)
1 tablespoonful of unsalted butter for skillet
Mix the cornmeal and flour together in a large bowl with a whisk, gradually add the buttermilk, then 2 tablespoonsful slightly cooled melted butter.
Next, whisk the sugar and salt together in a small bowl, add this to the mixture. Then add the beaten eggs. And lastly, add one level teaspoonful of baking soda dissolved in 2 teaspoonfuls of whole milk. Whisk all ingredients together quickly.
Place 1 tablespoonful of unsalted butter in the bottom of the cast-iron skillet. Place the skillet in the 450-degree preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and carefully tilt the skillet to coat the sides and bottom of the pan with the melted butter.
Pour the cornbread mixture immediately into the hot pan. Level the mixture carefully.
Bake at 450 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cornbread. Serve warm with a dollop of fresh butter.
If you are not going to eat your cornbread immediately, let it cool on a wire rack in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack. This keeps the bread from becoming soggy.
(Source: http://civilwarcooking.blogspot.com)
George Washington’s
Mount Vernon Cornbread
Ingredients3/4 cup cornmeal (yellow or white)
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted shortening (butter, margarine or oil)
1 cup flour
3 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup milk
1 egg, well beaten
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl: cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add milk, egg and shortening. Mix together. Pour into a greased, shallow baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve warm with butter, honey or jam.
(Source: “What was Cooking in Martha Washington’s Presidential Mansions?” Cooking Throughout American History by Tanya Larkin)
Black-Eyed Peas
Black-eyed peas came from Africa. They are a healthy food that people eat to become strong. Some African Americans believe that if you eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, you will have good luck for the New Year.
Ingredients
1 pound black-eyed peas
4 cups water
1 medium onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cubed ham (option substitutes: 2 polish sausages, 2 hot sausage links, or bacon)
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper (optional)
Directions
Pick and wash the black-eyes peas. Place in slow cooker or, if you wish to cook them on the top of the stove, a large Dutch over. Combine with salt, pepper, onion, water, and ham or other meat. You can add crushed red pepper if you like spicy food. simmer on the top of the stove or turn slow cooker to high and allow peas to cook 3 to 4 hours.
Cathead Biscuits
Ingredients
- 4 cups White Lily or other Southern all-purpose flour, or cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for rolling out
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes and chilled
- 2 cups buttermilk
Directions
- Heat the oven to 500 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. (You can also bake the biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet.)
- In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Pour in the buttermilk and mix until just barely combined. It will be a shaggy mass. (Alternatively, you can mix the dough in a food processor: Pulse to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.)
- Add the butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal. Pour in the buttermilk through the feed tube and pulse until just barely combined. (It will be a shaggy mass.)
- Turn the shaggy mass out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly, using the heel of your hand to compress and push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself. Give the dough a small turn and repeat four or five times. (It's not yeast bread; you want to just barely activate the gluten, not overwork it.)
- Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out 1 inch thick. Cut out rounds of dough with a 3 1/2-inch round cutter dipped in flour; press the cutter straight down without twisting so the biscuits will rise evenly when baked.
- Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. If the biscuits are baked close together, the sides will be tender. If the biscuits are baked farther apart, the sides will be crisp. (I always say biscuits are like people: If you are close to your neighbor, you will be tender, and if you aren't close to your neighbor, you will be crisp!)
- Once you've punched out the first round from the dough, you can reroll the scraps. However, do not simply roll them into a ball; this will create a knot of gluten strands. Instead, place the pieces one on top of the other in layers. Then roll out and repeat punching out the biscuits.
- Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool just slightly. Serve warm. Makes about 9 biscuits.
(Source: SECRETS OF THE SOUTHERN TABLE © 2018 by Virginia Willis)
Palaver Sauce
Palaver sauce or palava sauce or plasas is a type of stew widely eaten in West Africa, including Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The word palaver comes from the Portuguese language and means a talk, lengthy debate or quarrel. It is unclear how this led to the name of the stew. One theory is that when the stew was first made, with long, ropey greens, people would start quarrels by slapping each other with the greens from their stew. Another is that the spices used in the stew mingle together like raised voices in an argument. It has been thought of as having the power to calm tensions, or to cause them. Other names for the dish include Kontonmire, Kentumere, Nkontommire and pla'sas.
It has regional variations and can contain beef, fish, shrimp, pepitas, cassava, taro (cocoyam) leaves, and palm oil. It is served with boiled rice, potatoes, garri, fufu or yams. Outside of Africa, spinach is often used as a substitute for other greens. The leaves used to make this soup in Liberia are called Molokhia or Mulukhiyah leaves.
Ingredients
2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 smoked pork hocks
1 cup water
2 lbs fresh spinach, torn into pieces
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon gingerroot, grated (may use 1 tsp ground ginger)
1 -2 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
hot cooked rice (optional)
Directions
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine beef, pork hocks, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover; simmer about 50 minutes, or until the beef is just tender.
Remove pork hocks; cool slightly. Cut meat from the bones; discard the bones and return the meat to the Dutch oven.
In a large covered saucepan simmer the greens in a small amount of water for 5 minutes; drain well.
In a large skillet, cook onions, garlic, tomatoes, gingerroot, and ground red pepper in hot oil until the onion is tender but not brown.
Stir the onion mixture, drained spinach, and chopped eggs into the meat mixture. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If desired, serve over hot cooked rice in soup bowls.
(Source: https://www.geniuskitchen.com)
Southern Fried Chicken
Southern Fried Chicken – classic Southern chicken recipe that is crunchy and crusty on the outside and juicy and flavorful on the inside; infused with spices and seasonings and soaked in buttermilk to amp its flavor. A great addition to your chicken recipe collection!
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken cut into 10 pieces
- 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons salt adjust to preference
- ½ -1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 3-4 garlic crushed
- 2-3 teaspoons creole seasoning
Chicken Coating
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1- 1 1/2 tablespoon dried herbs Thyme, Oregano, Parsley
- 4 cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Place chicken in a large bowl or Large ziploc. Then seasoned with salt followed by all the crushed garlic, hot sauce and creole seasoning.
- Pour buttermilk in the marinated chicken, transfer the chicken to a gallon-sized zipper-lock freezer bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, herbs and white pepper.
- Remove all the marinated chicken from the buttermilk. Then dredge in flour mixture, shaking any excess flour. You may use a Ziploc bag for this process, too.
- Double dip the chicken in the remaining buttermilk (add fresh buttermilk as needed) followed by the flour mixture - shake off any excess flour. Let the chicken rest for about 10-15 minutes while preparing oil. This will help the coating to stay on better.
Frying the Chicken
- Heat oil in a deep fryer or cast-iron skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Temperature will drop once you add chicken.
- Using a tong and carefully and slowly place the chicken in the hot oil. Work in batches. Do not overcrowd the skillet.
- Fry the chicken until golden brown, turning once every 10 to 20 minutes - depending on the size of the pieces. Chicken is done when it is no longer pink inside and its juices run clear. You may do a test by piercing the chicken with a fork.
- Drain the chicken on paper towels and then transfer them on a wire rack. (see notes)
- Repeat with remaining chicken pieces; let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
(Source: https://www.africanbites.com/southern-fried-chicken)
Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 cups macaroni, uncooked
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1½ cups milk
- salt & pepper
- paprika (optional)
- 1 cup smoked cheddar cheese, shredded (a must)
- 6-8 oz. Velveeta, shredded (feel free to cut back on the Velveeta if you don't want it to be super creamy)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar (can use less if you don't like a sharp taste in your mac n cheese)
- 1 cup Colby & Monterey Jack, shredded (cheese blend)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Cook macaroni until just al dente or a little under al dente. (Look on the back of the box to see how long you need to cook your pasta for it to reach al dente.) Be careful not to overcook.
- Drain pasta and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add milk, heavy cream & cheeses (except for the smoked cheddar).
- Stir to combine.
- Taste the milk mixture and add salt & pepper until it has a good taste. You can also add in other seasonings like onion, paprika, etc. Tasting will help avoid having a plain, bland bake macaroni & cheese. Yuck!
- When you are content with the taste, add the eggs.
- Stir well until combined.
- Butter a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Add macaroni to the baking dish.
- Pour cheese mixture over macaroni.
- Make sure the cheese distributed well.
- Top with smoked cheddar cheese. (I add a little more Colby jack as well.) Sprinkle with paprika and/or black pepper, if desired.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes. Do not overbake. It may be a bit jiggly when you take it out of the oven. It will firm up as it cool.
- Let cool for about 10-15 minutes or until fully set.
Notes
Smoked cheddar cheese can be found in grocery stores in the specialty cheese section, not with the shredded, common cheeses. I get mine from Walmart. Do not over bake! Mac and cheese may be a tad jiggly when removed from oven but it will firm up as it cools. Feel free to use other cheeses, but that smoked cheddar is a MUST!
(Source: http://divascancook.com/southern-baked-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe)
Southern Baked Candied Yams
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 cups white sugar
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 ½- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- couple dashes ground clove
- 1 ½ - 1 tablespoon real maple
- ½ tablespoon real vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Wash and dry yams
- Cut off the tips of yams.
- Peel the yams.
- Slice yams into ½ thick circles
- Place into a 12 x 9 casserole dish. Set side
- In a medium size pot, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add sugar and stir until well blended
- Add whipping cream and stir until creamy.
- Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, maple, and vanilla extract.
- Taste the mixture and make sure it tastes good. Add more spices if needed.
- Pour mixture over yams.
- Cover with foil and back for 40 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.
- Plate and spoon syrupy sauce over the yams. Serve immediately.
(Source: http://divascancook.com/southern-baked-candied-yams-recipe)
Southern Fried Catfish
Ingredients
- 1 quart peanut oil
- 1 cup stone-ground fine cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 (7 to 9-ounce) US farm-raised catfish fillets, rinsed and thoroughly patted dry
- 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
Directions:
Heat the peanut oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Adjust the heat to maintain the temperature.
Whisk the cornmeal and flour together in a shallow dish. Combine the seafood seasoning, kosher salt, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Season the catfish fillets evenly on both sides with the spice mixture. Pour the buttermilk into another shallow dish. Dip each fillet into the buttermilk, flip once to coat both sides, hold over the pan and allow the excess to drip off. Coat both sides of the fillets in the cornmeal mixture. Set the coated fillets on a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.
Gently add the fillets, 2 at a time, to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the fried fillets to a cooling rack set over a newspaper-lined half sheet pan. Repeat method with remaining fillets. Arrange the catfish on a serving platter and serve immediately.
(Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/southern-fried-catfish-recipe-1918997)
Jefferson's Ice Cream Recipe
(actual translation of Jefferson’s original handwritten recipe)
Ice Cream.
2. bottles of good cream.
6. yolks of eggs.
1/2 lb. sugar
mix the yolks & sugar
put the cream on a fire in a casserole, first putting in a stick of Vanilla.
when near boiling take it off & pour it gently into the mixture of eggs & sugar.
stir it well.
put it on the fire again stirring it thoroughly with a spoon to prevent it's sticking to the casserole.
when near boiling take it off and strain it thro' a towel.
put it in the Sabottiere
then set it in ice an hour before it is to be served. put into the ice a handful of salt.
put salt on the coverlid of the Sabotiere & cover the whole with ice.
leave it still half a quarter of an hour.
then turn the Sabottiere in the ice 10 minutes
open it to loosen with a spatula the ice from the inner sides of the Sabotiere.
shut it & replace it in the ice
open it from time to time to detach the ice from the sides
when well taken (prise) stir it well with the Spatula.
put it in moulds, justling it well down on the knee.
then put the mould into the same bucket of ice.
leave it there to the moment of serving it.
to withdraw it, immerse the mould in warm water, turning it well till it will come out & turn it into a plate.
(Source: https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/ice-cream)
Easy Cajun Jambalaya
Jambalaya is a Louisiana-origin dish of Spanish and French influence, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. Traditionally, the meat always includes sausage of some sort, often a smoked sausage such as andouille, along with some other meat or seafood, frequently pork, chicken, crawfish, or shrimp.
Ingredients
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1 tsp. dried oregano
6 oz. andouille sausage, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 c. low-sodium chicken stock
1 (15-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 c. long grain rice
2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and bell peppers and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then stir in chicken and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook until the chicken is golden, about 5 minutes, then stir in andouille sausage, garlic, and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
Add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, rice, and Old Bay. Reduce heat to medium low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is almost absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Add the shrimp and cook until pink, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in green onions just before serving.
(Source: https://www.delish.com)
Gumbo
Gumbo is a stew popular in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and that state's official state cuisine. Gumbo consists primarily of a strongly-flavored, roux-based stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and what Louisianians call the "Holy Trinity" of vegetables, namely celery, bell peppers, and onions.
Ingredients
- 3 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons margarine
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish
- 4 cups hot water
- 5 beef bouillon cubes
- 1 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice
- 2 cups frozen sliced okra
- 4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts
- 1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
Directions
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool.
Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add 4 cups hot water and bouillon cubes, whisking constantly. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add the green onions, shrimp and chopped parsley.
(Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/gumbo-recipe-1916887)
Charleston Red Rice
Charleston red rice or Savannah red rice is a rice dish commonly found along the Southeastern coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina, known simply as red rice by natives of the region. This traditional meal was brought over to the U.S. by enslaved Africans originating from the West Coast of Africa.
Ingredients
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 medium onions, diced fine
- 1 bell pepper, diced fine
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 -3 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 lb bacon, fried and grease held aside
- 1 lb smoked beef sausage
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups raw long grain rice
- 2 tablespoons black pepper
Directions
- Fry bacon and remove from the pan:
- Saute' onions and peppers in the bacon grease.
- Add tomato paste water salt sugar and pepper.
- Cook uncovered slowly about 5 minutes and then add the rice another 5 minutes until mixture is bubbly then pour into the top section of a rice steamer or you can use a very large Pyrex dish.
- Pour mixture in and add the sausage and crumble up the bacon and mix into the rice mixture.
- Cover and bake for 35- 45 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees or steam in steamer.
- I bake it now days but the family recipe says to steam it.
(Source: https://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/charleston-red-rice-238319)
Hoppin’ John Recipe
Note that many things may affect the cooking times of the black eyed peas. They could take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to cook to tenderness, depending on their age, where they were grown, and the water you are using.
Ingredients
- 1/3 pound bacon, or 1 ham hock plus 2 Tbsp oil
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 small green pepper, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 pound dried black-eyed peas, about 2 cups
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 heaping teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- Salt
- 2 cups long-grain rice
- Scallions or green onions for garnish
Method:
1 If you are using bacon, cut it into small pieces and cook it slowly in a medium pot over medium-low heat. If you are using a ham hock, heat the oil in the pot.
Once the bacon is crispy (or the oil is hot if you are using a ham hock and not bacon), increase the heat to medium-high and add the celery, onion, and green pepper and sauté until they begin to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir well and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
2 Add the black-eyed peas, bay leaf, thyme and Cajun seasoning and cover with 4 cups of water. If you are using the ham hock, add it to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes to an hour, or longer if needed, until the peas are tender (not mushy).
3 While the black-eyed peas are cooking, cook the rice separately according to package instructions.
4 When the peas are tender, strain out the remaining cooking water. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the peas for salt and add more if needed. If using a ham hock, remove it from the pot, pull off the meat, and return the meat to the pot.
Serve the dish either by placing a ladle-full of black-eyed peas over steamed rice, or by mixing the two together in a large bowl. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve with collard greens, kale, beet or turnip greens.
(Source: https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/hoppin_john)
Enjoy!