Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes With Southern Charm Hardcover – July 5, 2011 (5 page)

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts may seem like an unlikely choice for an appetizer, but the addition of bacon and cream cheese creates true Southern comfort that melts in your mouth with an explosion of flavor.

18 large Brussels sprouts, stem ends trimmed and loose outer leaves discarded

4 ounces cream cheese or goat cheese, at room temperature

½ teaspoon minced garlic

9 bacon slices, halved crosswise

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook for 2 minutes to blanch. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain in a sieve. Pat the Brussels sprouts dry with paper towels or a kitchen towel. Using a paring knife, cut an “X” in the top of each Brussels sprout, cutting halfway down through the sprout.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Blend the cheese and garlic in a small bowl. Spoon the cheese mixture into a small resealable plastic bag. Cut a small hole in one of the bottom corners of the bag. Place the cut-out corner of the plastic bag in the “X” of each Brussels sprout and squeeze in a dollop of cheese mixture.

Wrap a piece of bacon around each sprout vertically, covering over the cheese. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the oil over the sprouts and sprinkle with the pepper.

Bake the sprouts, flipping them over halfway through the baking time, until the bacon is evenly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with toothpicks.

Serves 9

BBQ Shrimp

BBQ shrimp are commonly served in New Orleans restaurants with their heads and tails still on. I have made the eating easier and more “dignified” by using peeled shrimp. However, you may still catch me sopping up the sauce with French bread (in the most elegant way, of course)!

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup chicken broth

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

3/8 teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Combine all the ingredients except the shrimp in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture has reduced and thickened slightly, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the shrimp and cook until just barely opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 4

When I was growing up, everyone had a part in preparing our family meals. Start this tradition in your family. Make meal times fun by giving each family member a task in the meal preparation, even if it’s simply buttering bread—it’s a great way to learn how to cook!

Fingerling Potato Skins

My dad is a big sports fan, so our family often hosts parties on game days. Potato skins are the perfect snack or appetizer to munch on while watching the big game. My version, which uses fingerling potatoes, creates smaller, more elegant “skins,” making them just as suitable for serving as an elegant appetizer.

1 pound fingerling potatoes (18 to 20 potatoes)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Pimiento Cheese (page
163
)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss them with the oil and salt. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool slightly. (Leave the oven on.)

Halve the potatoes lengthwise. Remove most of the pulp, leaving a little in the bottom to give the skins structure (I use a metal ¼ teaspoon measuring spoon for this.) Mash ½ cup of the pulp (you can reserve the rest for another recipe). Combine the mashed potato pulp with the spicy Pimiento Cheese.

Place the potatoes skin-side up on the baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes. Turn the potatoes over and spoon 2 to 3 teaspoons cheese-potato mixture into the skins. Bake until the cheese is bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 8 to 10

Zucchini Cups

Hospitality in the South is not only expressed through hosting and entertaining, but also through generous giving. It’s not unusual to find a bag of freshly picked zucchini on your doorstep in the summertime left by a neighbor with a bumper crop. I’m always experimenting with new and creative ways to use this overabundant vegetable—and this appetizer recipe is one of my favorites.

4 medium zucchini

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1¼ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup diced yellow onion

2½ tablespoons unsalted butter

½ teaspoon crushed garlic

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 large egg, beaten

3 tablespoons Italian-style breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Slice off the bottom, rounded end of each zucchini so that it will stand up on the baking sheet. Measure 3 inches up from the bottom and cut crosswise into 4 pieces (for a total of 16). Reserve the remaining pieces of zucchini (the stem ends). Using a melon baller or ½-teaspoon measuring spoon, scoop the pulp from the zucchini pieces to make “cups,” leaving a thin layer of zucchini at the bottom of each cup. (Reserve the pulp for another use.)

Place the zucchini cups on a baking sheet. Coat the outside of the cups with the oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Bake for 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°F.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Peel the reserved zucchini tops and trim off the stem ends. Cut the zucchini into 1-inch cubes and measure out about 2½ cups. Add the zucchini cubes and onion to the boiling broth. Cook until the zucchini is soft, about 8 minutes.

Drain the zucchini mixture and return the vegetables to the pan. Using a potato masher, mash the zucchini-onion mixture. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter, the garlic, and white pepper. Stir until combined. Stir in the egg. Fill the zucchini cups with the zucchini mixture. Bake until the mixture is set, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1½ tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in the breadcrumbs and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan.

Spoon a heaping teaspoon on top of each zucchini cup. Bake until the breading is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 8

Crawfish Étouffée Rice Balls

Rice balls are a trendy menu item in contemporary restaurants, but here in the South,
calas,
or fried rice balls, have been eaten for centuries. The word
calas
means fried rice cake or fritter. It comes from the African word for rice. Rice balls were sold on the street corners in New Orleans as early as the 1800s. This recipe is my version of a spicy “rice ball.”

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

½ cup diced yellow onion

½ cup diced celery

½ cup diced red bell pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

6 ounces peeled crawfish tails or shrimp, chopped

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

3 cups cooked jasmine rice

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

10 cubes (½ inch) mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons canola oil

3 cups panko breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons rice flour

1 tablespoon sliced scallions (optional)

Melt the butter in a medium cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Stir in 1 cup of the broth and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the crawfish (or shrimp) and cook until just opaque, 1 to 2 minutes.

Drain the mixture in a sieve set over a medium bowl. Return the liquid to the skillet and scoop the crawfish mixture (in the sieve) into the medium bowl. Season the crawfish mixture with the salt, 1/8 teaspoon of the black pepper, and the cayenne. Set aside to cool at room temperature.

Beat together the whole egg and egg whites. When the crawfish mixture is cooled, stir in the beaten eggs, rice, and flour.

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Measure out ¼ cup of the rice mixture and put it in the palm of your hand. Place a cheese cube in the center of the rice mixture. Gently form into a ball around the cheese. Place on the baking sheet. Repeat the process to make a total of 10 rice balls. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the panko in a plate. Working with 1 rice ball at a time, pat the panko crumbs around the ball. Gently press the ball in your palms to keep a compact sphere shape. Carefully place 2 rice balls in the hot oil. Turn the balls with a fork, browning them all over. Repeat with the remaining balls.

When all rice balls have been browned, place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the rice balls to a paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly.

While the rice balls are baking, make the sauce. Whisk together the rice flour and remaining 3/4 cup broth in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and keep hot until ready to serve.

To serve, spoon a large spoonful of sauce on a small plate. Place a rice ball on the sauce. If desired, sprinkle scallions on top.

Serves 10

A well-stocked pantry is important for entertaining unexpected guests. With a few basic ingredients and creativity, it is easy to whip up an appetizer or dessert. My Quick and Easy Cornbread Crostini can be made with basic ingredients such as eggs, milk, and cornmeal.