Sunny's Kitchen (32 page)

s
poon bread is a bit of a Southern throwback, but to some it’s a new discovery. This is like a cornbread pudding that is softer than traditional cornbread, but thicker than proper polenta, and you serve it with a spoon—hence the name. It’s easy to fill with flavor and here I stud it with some of my favorites: chiles, scallions, cheese, and spicy sausage. The ideas are endless.
SERVES 8 TO 10

1
Sauté the chorizo.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, combine the butter, chorizo, onion, and garlic. Stir to keep the onions from browning, until the chorizo is cooked through and resembles ground meat, about 10 minutes. Pour into a large bowl. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2
Prepare the cornmeal.
In a medium pot over medium heat, whisk the cornmeal, milk, and buttermilk to keep the cornmeal from clumping or sticking while simmering. When it begins to thicken, turn off the heat and stir until it has the texture of loose grits or oatmeal.

3
Temper the eggs.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs while slowly adding a spoonful of cornmeal mixture. Whisk vigorously to combine. If the bowl isn’t warm, add more cornmeal mixture while whisking until the eggs are as warm as the cornmeal mixture. Then slowly pour the eggs into the cornmeal, whisking vigorously.

4
Bake the spoonbread.
Pour the cornmeal mixture into the chorizo with the chiles, cheeses, corn, and scallions. Stir to combine. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 × 13-inch dish. Pour in the batter and bake until the edges are golden and the center is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

t
he inventor of the mandoline has my everlasting devotion and love. The first logical use is paper-thin chips of all kinds. The combination of rosemary and thyme has been in my head since before I started cooking. My mom had a spice and herb cabinet with lists of what worked together and for what type of preparation, and I would sit there and just read it while watching her cook. Somehow it sank in more than staring at multiplication tables. Probably because you can’t eat numbers.
SERVES 4

1
Slice and soak the potatoes.
Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, thinly slice the fingerling and sweet potatoes. Put the potatoes in a large bowl of ice water and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2
Prepare the rosemary.
Put the rosemary in a pot large enough to hold the potatoes and pour in oil to come one-third of the way up the sides. Heat the oil to 360°F. When the rosemary turns golden and crispy, transfer it with tongs to a paper towel–lined plate and season with a pinch of salt, leaving the oil in the pot. Once cooled, strip the leaves from the stalks and gently chop.

3
Dry and fry the potatoes.
Strain the potatoes and thoroughly dry by laying them out on a paper towel–lined surface and patting the tops with paper towels as well. Add the potatoes to the oil in batches, making sure to keep the temperature at 350°F. Fry until golden, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer the chips to a paper towel–lined bowl and sprinkle immediately with the rosemary, thyme, and salt to taste. Serve warm or let cool.

y
ears ago I was reading through some of my old cookbooks and a recipe caught my eye. It touted the creamy crunch of potatoes sliced card thin, but kept intact—they weren’t sliced all the way through—then oven roasted with olive oil. I decided to give a few potatoes this accordion-top treatment and had the idea to slide garlic slices in some of the divides. A favorite was born. I can’t believe something harvested from the dirt with rakes can taste so good.
SERVES 4

1
Prepare the potatoes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Using a wooden spoon as a cradle, place each potato in the spoon and make several parallel slits into each potato top, ⅛ inch apart, making sure not to slice through to the bottom completely—stop at the wooden spoon as a guide. Place 3 garlic slices between slits at the crown of each potato. Toss potatoes in a medium bowl with the butter and olive oil.

2
Roast the potatoes.
Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until the tops are crispy and the potatoes are cooked through, about 1 hour. Top with chives.

“
i
n garlic sauce” has caught me on many occasions when I’m out to eat. If my eyes scan it on a menu, my view gets very narrow and I seldom see what else is available. A garlic sauce is best used when whatever is swimming in it is ready to soak up flavor. Yuca, a tuber also called cassava, and plantains are a perfect starchy match, ready to absorb whatever flavors are thrown at them. Think of them as vanilla ice cream waiting for mix-ins—both are excellent additions to any repertoire and pre-trimmed yuca can now be found in the freezer section. Look for them and try a new way to enjoy garlic sauce.
SERVES 4 TO 6

1
Cook the yuca and plantains.
Trim the larger yuca pieces into portions the size of an egg. Put the butter and thyme in a large pot over medium heat and season with a hefty pinch of salt. Cook until the thyme is fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the vinegar and garlic and cook until tender and fragrant, about 4 more minutes. Add the prepared yuca and plantains as level as possible, then add the chicken stock. Add water to reach 1 inch above the yuca; the plantains will float. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the yuca and plantains are fork tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

2
Caramelize the onions.
In a large pan over medium-low heat, combine the butter, oil, onions, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until the onions wilt and become deep golden, about 25 minutes. Set aside.

3
Combine to serve.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the yuca and plantains to a deep serving dish. Pour about 1 cup of the liquid from the pot over the onions, add to the serving dish, and toss gently. Serve warm.

p
otato salad in Germany is like BBQ in North Carolina. It’s sweet and tangy, with an emphasis on tangy. These boiled-then-baked potatoes are fleshy and perfect for infusing with those flavors. Just poke some holes with a skewer to help them soak up the goodness, then poach them before a quick ride in the oven. A bacon and scallion vinaigrette comes together in minutes for a topping way better than cold sour cream. A must try … it’s wunderbar! All this potato needs is a steak riding in the passenger side.
SERVES 4

1
Boil the potatoes.
Use a skewer to make 20 to 30 deep holes all around the potatoes. Put the potatoes, garlic, onion, bacon, vinegar, liquid smoke, sugar, 6 cups water, a big pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are fork tender all the way through, about 40 minutes. As the potatoes finish cooking, preheat the oven to 400°F.

2
Bake the potatoes.
Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet and brush with olive oil all over. Season the skins with salt and bake for 10 minutes, rolling over halfway through.

3
Make the dressing.
Put the bacon, olive oil, and a few grinds of pepper in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the bacon is crisped, about 8 minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Simmer until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the scallions.