Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes With Southern Charm Hardcover – July 5, 2011 (9 page)

Braised Cabbage with Bacon and Onions

It’s a Southern tradition to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Eve to bring you luck and cabbage on New Year’s Day to bring you wealth. But once you try this delicious side dish, you won’t want to until New Year’s Day to enjoy cabbage. To infuse my cabbage with the most flavor, I braise it in chicken broth with bacon and onions.

3 slices bacon

2¼ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

½ head cabbage, sliced into 4 wedges (keep them intact)

½ yellow onion, thinly sliced

Salt, to taste

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Cook the bacon in a large deep skillet until crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. When cool enough to handle, chop the bacon into small pieces.

Stir ¼ cup of the broth into the bacon fat in the skillet. Bring to a simmer, scraping up the bacon bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the cabbage and onion slices. Season with the salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups broth, cover, and cook for 8 minutes to reduce the liquid. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until the cabbage is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Transfer to a serving bowl and top with bacon pieces. Serve hot.

Serves 4

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are one of those vegetables that people tend to love or hate. Many people are turned off by their bitterness, but the trick to making delicious sprouts is the cooking method you choose. I find that slowly roasting the sprouts with a little garlic and onion brings out their nutty sweetness and creates the perfect texture—crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.

30 Brussels sprouts, stem ends trimmed and loose outer leaves discarded

½ onion, sliced

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

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.

Place the Brussels sprouts and onion slices in a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the oil over the vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the garlic, salt, and pepper.

Bake until lightly crispy, 30 to 35 minutes, turning halfway through.

Serves 4

Creamed Collard Greens

Because collard greens can be slightly bitter, many people shy away from cooking them. My method of preparing collards—blanching the leaves, cutting them into thin strips, and pureeing them with a rich cream sauce—transforms this underrated green into a
MasterChef-worthy
dish.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup diced yellow onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1½ cups heavy cream

½ teaspoon salt

10 large collard green leaves, washed and ribs removed

½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup of the cream and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream has reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the salt.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the collard greens and cook for 2 minutes to blanch. Drain the leaves and pat dry with paper towels. Stack the leaves and roll into a cigar. Cut the cigar in half lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise into long strips.

Add the greens to the cream sauce. Using a hand blender, blend or pulse greens until they are in small pieces. (Or transfer to a countertop blender, puree, and return creamed greens to the pan.) Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken broth and remaining ½ cup cream. Stir until combined and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture is heated through, about 10 minutes.

Serves 4

Carrot Soufflé

Having trouble getting your kids or family members to eat their vegetables? I know how you feel. My sister Brittyn will not eat carrots unless they are in the form of this carrot soufflé, or what I like to call “vegetable candy.” This sweet dish is a requested favorite for holidays at our house.

2 teaspoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2½ cups shredded carrots

1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup sugar

1 large egg, separated

1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Boiling water, for the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease five 10-ounce ramekins with 1 teaspoon of the softened butter. Place the ramekins in a glass baking dish large enough to hold them.

Combine the shredded carrots and water to just barely cover in a medium saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon softened butter. Cook over medium heat until the carrots are soft, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain the carrots and transfer to a food processor. Puree until smooth.

Pour the carrot puree into a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter and remaining ¼ cup sugar. Stir in the egg yolk. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon until combined.

In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg white into the carrot mixture. Spoon the carrot mixture into the ramekins.

Pour enough boiling water into the baking dish to come one-quarter of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the soufflés are set and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove the ramekins from the baking dish with metal tongs and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve in the ramekins.

Serves 5

Dillicious Potato Salad

In the South we have an ongoing debate raging over the use of sweet or dill pickles in recipes. My potato salad settles the debate by using fresh dill as well as chopped sweet gherkins. The bright, fresh taste of the dill is a nice complement to the pungent, sweet gherkins. No matter which side of the pickle fence you’re on, this potato salad is a winner.

4 cups red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 hard-boiled eggs, diced

5 tablespoons diced sweet gherkins

1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

5 tablespoons mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon yellow mustard

1 tablespoon herb mix from the Buttermilk Herb Dressing (page
160
)

½ teaspoon mustard powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Combine the potatoes and water to barely cover in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until potatoes are almost fork-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain well and spread the potatoes in an even layer on a kitchen towel. Let them sit for a few minutes so the moisture can evaporate.

Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Add the eggs, gherkins, and dill. Stir to combine.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, herb mix, mustard powder, salt, and pepper. Stir the dressing into the potato mixture.

Serves 4 to 6

Cracked Black Pepper Jasmine Rice-otto

Rice is a versatile grain and inexpensive pantry staple, not to mention a mainstay on many Southern menus. While a traditional risotto is made with Arborio rice and can take an hour or more to prepare, this quick and easy “imposter” version uses fragrant jasmine rice and is ready in less than 30 minutes.

2¼ cups chicken broth

2/3 cup half-and-half

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup minced yellow onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup jasmine rice
*

3 tablespoons dry white wine

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Heat the broth in a medium saucepan over medium heat. (Do not boil.) Heat the half-and-half in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until warm.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is coated and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and stir until it has evaporated. Add the salt.

Ladle enough hot broth into the saucepan to barely cover the rice. Bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking, stirring, and adding small amounts of broth to the rice mixture. Once the broth is done, repeat the process with the warm half-and-half. The rice mixture will become thick and creamy. This whole process should take 22 to 26 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cracked black pepper.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4

*
Choose a jasmine rice that states on the package that the cooking time is 15 minutes.

Cauliflower “Mac ‘n’ Cheese”

Who doesn’t love a side of mac ‘n’ cheese with their fried chicken? My version of this indulgent side dish swaps pasta for cauliflower. Roasting the cauliflower adds a nutty flavor and hearty texture to the dish. You’ll never miss the pasta in this “mac ‘n’ cheese.”

8 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 head)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1½ cups fat-free milk

½ cup heavy cream

3/8 teaspoon table salt

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Roast until fork-tender and lightly browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on and reduce the temperature to 350°F.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the cream and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the cheese, the table salt, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir until the cheese melts, then cook, stirring often, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Place the cauliflower florets in an 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish or four 10-ounce ramekins. Pour the cheese sauce on top. Sprinkle the top of the cauliflower with the remaining 2 tablespoons cheese.

Bake until the cheese is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 4