Redirected: Southern Recipes: Entrees

Marc's Chicken Salad with Peach Mayonnaise and Spiced Pecans

Susan Puckett — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:45:00 GMT

Folks in the Delta cannot get enough chicken salad. Rare is the lunch menu that doesn't offer it the classic way-plenty of real mayo (no Miracle Whip!), chopped celery, at least a touch of onion, and more often that not, a dollop or two of sweet pickle relish. Where the recipe goes from there varies a bit from one place to the next, with all the cooks boasting that theirs is the best.

Charlotte Skelton built her chicken salad reputation at A la Carte Alley, her first restaurant in downtown Cleveland. After she sold the restaurant in 2006 she continued to make her chicken salad for catering stints and later at Crave, her second restaurant venture. Her son, Marc Walden, a classically trained chef who now owns restaurants in Mobile, contributed his version of chicken salad, using the traditional methods his mother taught him as a starting point. He accentuates the southern flavors by adding dried peached and chopped, spiced pecans—a Delta classic in and of itself for which there a thousand variations.

"Marc originally used smoked chicken breasts for this recipe, but when we opened Crave we couldn't get our smoker to work," Skelton said. "We then tried it using the white meat of rotisserie chicken. It was excellent like that. We haven't been doing as many rotisserie chickens right now, so we have been poaching the breasts." I tried this recipe with smoked chicken, and it was a sensational match with the peach mayonnaise.

Ingredients
Poached Chicken:
6 pounds skinless, bone-in chicken breast halves
1 carrot, halved
1 celery stalk, halved
1 medium onion, quartered
Handful of parsley sprigs
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
2 teaspoons peppercorns
10 to 12 cups water

Makes 8 cups shredded or cubed chicken.

Spiced Pecans:
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1 pound pecan halves

Makes 1 pound.

Chicken Salad:
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (preferably Duke's)
1/2 cup fresh peach puree (from 1 or 2 peaches)
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
8 cups shredded poached chicken breasts (recipe follows), smoked chicken, or rotisserie chicken
3/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup diced dried peached or apricots
1/2 cup Spiced Pecans (recipe follows)
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Poach the chicken: In a large saucepan, combine the chicken breasts, carrot, celery, onion, parsley sprigs, seasoned salt, and peppercorns. Cover with water and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and cover. Poach the chicken until just cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.

2. While the chicken is still warm, pull the meat from the bones and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Discard the bones. If desired, strain the poaching liquid and store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

3. Spice the pecans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, curry powder, and cayenne. Put the butter on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven to melt. Remove the pan from the oven. Pour the pecans onto the pan, sprinkle them into the mix, and toss to coat.

4. Spread the pecans in a single layer and bake until the nuts are fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for longer storage.

5. Make the chicken salad: In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and peach puree. Stir in the honey, sugar, Dijon mustard, and garlic. In a large bowl, stir together the chicken, onion, dried peaches, and Spiced Pecans. Stir in the mayonnaise mixture. Fold in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill before serving.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Recipe from Susan Puckett's new cookbook, Eat Drink Delta, which Teresa Weaver reviewed in our February issue. Pictured with a tomato aspic recipe also featured in the cookbook.

Home Plates: Jerry Slater's Meat-and-Rice-Stuffed Peppers

Susan Puckett — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:00:00 GMT

The whippoorwill tattooed on Jerry Slater’s left forearm pays tribute to the birds his grandmother admired in the mountains of rural West Virginia where Slater, owner of H. Harper Station, was raised. The images inked on his right wrist represent the two railroads—Penn Central and Conrail—where his grandfather (and his restaurant’s namesake), Harold Harper, worked as an engineer. Meals were simple and substantial, typically revolving around hamburger steak or pinto beans and corn bread, served with vegetables picked from the garden. “My grandmother did most of the cooking since my mother had to work all day,” Slater says. “But Mom had a few specialties of her own.” One of them was stuffed peppers, which she continued to make after she remarried and the family moved to Indiana. Sometimes she’d fill them with a basic ground beef and white rice mixture; other times she’d get fancy with Spanish rice and bacon. Slater loved everything about the dish—except for the pepper itself. “My stepfather and I would always scoop out the insides and leave the peppers on our plates,” he says. Only when he got older and discovered sweeter red and yellow peppers did he start to eat the whole thing.

Ingredients
6 bell peppers (preferably red or  yellow)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups cooked Carolina Gold rice (or another aromatic long-grain variety)

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut off the tops of the peppers; discard stems, finely chop the pepper tops, and set aside. Remove the seeds and ribs from inside the peppers. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add peppers and parboil them 2 to 3 minutes, just until they soften. Dry with paper towels and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and reserved chopped peppers and saute until tender. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the ground beef, and cook, stirring occasionally, until uniformly browned. Season with parsley, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes longer. Fold in the rice and cook a few minutes longer, until most liquid is absorbed.

3. Divide the mixture evenly among the hollowed peppers. Arrange in a Dutch oven or deep baking dish filled with about half an inch of water. Cover with a lid or several layers of foil and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until peppers are very tender. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.

View a gallery of Jerry Slater preparing the recipe.

Photograph by Patrick Heagney. This article originally appeared in our April 2013 issue.

Mississippi Minestrone

Susan Puckett — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 21:32:00 GMT

Southern and Italian cuisines have always gotten along well. My friend Liz and I decided to localize a classic minestrone in her Olive Branch, Mississippi, kitchen, and we were very happy with the result. We substituted black-eyed peas and kidney beans for cannellini, tossed in some green vegetables she just happened to have in her fridge, and served it with corn bread. Lightly frying the cooked pasta adds a little extra layer of nutty flavor. While the original recipe calls for sautéing a little chopped pancetta at the beginning we decided to go meatless and used vegetable stock, enhanced with a few glugs of red wine, and did not miss it a bit. To push the Southernness further, substitute collards or turnips greens for the spinach and adjust cooking time accordingly. A little bacon or country ham certainly wouldn’t hurt either.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 leek, white and tender green parts thinly sliced
1 cup dried black-eyed peas
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 quarts vegetable stock
½ cup dry red wine
3 parsley sprigs
3 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
One 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 small zucchini, diced
1 cup penne pasta
5 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup shredded basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Corn bread for serving (optional)

Instructions
1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion, celery, garlic and leek; season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, until the vegetables are softened, 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, red wine, and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add parsley, thyme and bay leaf; cover the pot and reduce heat to low; simmer until the black-eyed peas are tender, 45 minutes. Discard the herbs. Add the kidney beans and zucchini and simmer for 10 minutes longer.

2. Meanwhile, in a pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente. Drain and cool under running water. In a nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the spinach. Add the penne in a single layer and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden, 5 minutes. Drain the penne on paper towels.

3. Stir the pasta and basil into the soup. Taste for seasoning. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle each with cheese and basil, and serve with corn bread, if desired.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Kale, Sage, and Balsamic Brown Butter

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:02:00 GMT

This dish was inspired solely by the straightforward combination of earthy sweet potato with the natural richness of nuts and root vegetables. I use aged balsamic vinegar to showcase the flavor of that intense, marvelously aged Italian product. The sauce of balsamic and brown butter works really well with this rustic dish.

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)
1 to 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces pancetta finely diced
1/2 small, white onion, finely diced
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
2 ounces kale, stemmed and cut into thin ribbons
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage, plus whole leaves for garnish
A parmesan cheese wedge for shaving

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and put them on a baking sheet. Roast until completely soft, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let stand until cool enough to handle.

2. Halve the sweet potatoes and scrape the flesh into a large bowl. Refrigerate until cool.

3. Add 1 cup of the flour, the egg, salt, and pepper to taste to the sweet potatoes and mix until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a well-floured work surface and knead gently until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. (If it is still sticky, add a bit more flour and continue kneading.) Use a bench scraper to keep the dough from sticking and to release it from the work surface. Cut the dough into 6 portions and roll each portion into a long cylinder about 1/2 inch thick. Cut each one into 1/2-inch pieces and transfer to a baking sheet lined with a floured towel.

4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously.

5. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside.

6. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-low heat and cook until the milk solids begin to turn brown and the butter gives off a nutty aroma. Immediately add the vinegar and swirl the pan to combine. Add the kale, stir, and add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to help the leaves wilt. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

7. Reduce the heat under the boiling water to maintain a simmer. Drop the gnocchi into the water and cook until they all float, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the gnocchi and add the balsamic brown butter, along with the reserved pancetta and onions. Sprinkle in the chopped sage, season with salt and pepper, and toss well to coat.

8.Divide the gnocchi among warm shallow bowls and, using a vegetable peeler, shave Parmesan strips over the top. Garnish with sage leaves and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a main course. 6 to 8 as an appetizer.

Home Plates: Jennifer Levison's Chicken Matzo Ball Soup

Susan Puckett — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Jennifer Levison, owner of Souper Jenny and Cafe Jonah—who was born in Atlanta, grew up in Los Angeles, and moved back to Georgia as an adult—is much more practiced at rolling matzo balls than cutting biscuits. Matzo is unleavened bread eaten throughout the Jewish Passover holidays, which begin this year on the evening of March 25. Levison and her sister-in-law Sharon take charge of an annual Passover Seder feast for about twenty-five kin. It includes a soothing chicken soup with matzo balls (made from ground matzo meal) from a simple recipe passed down for generations. Matzo ball soup appears at other times, though, especially whenever a loved one is ailing. “Many years ago my brother Danny came down with spinal meningitis, and Sharon fixed him a batch of matzo ball soup,” says Levison. “He made a miraculous recovery, and we’ve been calling it the magical soup ever since.” Matzo balls are easy to make, but as with biscuits, take care not to overhandle the mixture or it can become leaden.

Ingredients
Stock:
1  large (5 1/2- to 6-pound) chicken,  giblets removed
2 onions, peeled and quartered
3 large carrots, coarsely chopped
2  celery stalks with leaves, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon black peppercorns

Soup:
1  large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped

Matzo Balls:
4 eggs, beaten
4  tablespoons chicken fat, skimmed from the top of the chicken stock
1  cup matzo meal (found easily in  grocery stores during Passover)
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped

Instructions
1. Make the stock: In a large pot, combine the chicken, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, salt, and peppercorns. Cover with four quarts of water, three inches above the ingredients. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam that rises to the top, and then lower the heat and simmer for two hours. Strain the soup, removing the skin and bones from the meat and shredding the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Cover and refrigerate chicken; discard the vegetables, chicken skin, and bones. Let broth cool and refrigerate overnight.

2. Make the soup: Remove the stock from the refrigerator and skim off the congealed fat from the surface into a small bowl; reserve for matzo balls. Put the stock in a pot and add remaining onion, carrots, and celery. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 45 minutes.

3. Make the matzo balls: While soup is cooking, whisk the eggs and fat together in a medium bowl until well blended. Gently mix in the matzo meal. Blend in hot water. Refrigerate this mix for at least one hour. Wet hands and gently roll matzo into walnut-sized balls. Add reserved chicken to the simmering broth and then gently drop in the matzo balls. Cover for 30 minutes without lifting the lid. Add chopped fresh parsley just before serving.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

View a gallery of Levison preparing the recipe

Photograph by Patrick Heagney. This article originally appeared in our March 2013 issue.

Turnrow Tomato-Basil Soup

Susan Puckett — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 15:41:00 GMT

Turnrow Books in Greenwood, Mississippi, is a magnet for Southern literature aficionados traveling the Mississippi Delta. It’s also a great place for lunch. In the charming café upstairs, chef Kenny Paschall has gained local renown for his creative homemade soups, salads, and sandwiches that change daily.

On the chilly day I visited last December while on a book tour for “Eat Drink Delta,” my mother and a couple of new Greenwood friends had steaming cups of his tomato-basil soup alongside a deluxe grilled cheese sandwich on fresh-baked artisanal bread oozing with three kinds of quality cheese. He was kind enough to share the recipe, which I adapted for my kitchen at home. I like to make big batches of it to freeze, as it is so infinitely superior to any canned tomato soup.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons basil-flavored olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large stalk celery, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, divided
1 quart reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (28- to 32-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-low heat.

2. Add onions, celery and 1 teaspoon of the dried basil and let it sweat until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Add chicken stock, diced tomatoes and 3 tablespoons of the tomato paste. Bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining basil, oregano, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Cook 10 minutes more.

5. Blend with a hand emulsion blender, or use a regular blender or food processor, until relatively smooth but still with some texture. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Makes 7-8 cups.

Home Plates: Todd Richards’s Spicy Fried Catfish with Tails

Susan Puckett — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Todd Richards, executive chef at the Shed at Glenwood, grew up in Chicago, but reminders of his Southern roots were as close as the kitchen table—especially on Friday nights. That’s when his extended family would gather for a catfish fry, a custom of kin scattered around the Carolinas and Arkansas, where Richards spent many summer vacations. The catfish, whether store-bought or fresh-caught, was always fried bone-in and cut in segments, with tails intact. The prized end bits were specifically reserved for his grandfather, who ate the tails like potato chips. “After Granddad passed, I snuck to the head of the line in the hierarchy to get the tails,” says Richards, frying a batch in his Grant Park home. And even today, “that’s the piece I go for first.” If you’ve never eaten a catfish tail, they can be surprisingly addictive. If you buy your fish from an extensive market like Your DeKalb Farmers Market, consider asking for a bag of leftover tails and fry a whole batch for snacking.

Ingredients
Marinade:
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon white pepper

Seasoned breading:
2 cups cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon celery salt

Catfish:
3 1/2 to 4 pounds cleaned, bone-in catfish (the smaller the better), head removed but with tails attached, the body cut crosswise in 3- or 4-inch pieces
1 1/2 quarts cooking oil for frying

Cocktail sauce:
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons chili sauce
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
Pinch of black pepper

Instructions
1. Mix together marinade ingredients. Place catfish pieces in a large Ziploc bag; pour marinade over them and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours. Mix together breading ingredients. Combine ingredients for cocktail sauce and set aside.

2. In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil to 325 degrees. Place breading mixture in a shallow dish. Remove catfish pieces from the bag and dredge in breading, shaking off the excess, then place in hot oil. (Fry in batches; avoid crowding the skillet.) Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes per batch over medium heat, turning halfway through, until flesh flakes easily with a fork and crust is a deep golden brown. Drain catfish pieces on a paper towel–lined platter and let them rest for 3 to 4 minutes before serving with cocktail sauce.

Serves 4 to 6 people.

Photograph by Greg DuPree. This recipe originally appeared in our February 2013 issue.

Home Plates: Stacey Eames's Country-Fried Steak and Gravy

Susan Puckett — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:00:00 GMT

At the flagship Highland Avenue location of Stacey Eames's Highland Bakery, country-fried steak Benedict arrives at the table with the crisp, battered beef paired with poached eggs atop a giant biscuit smothered in jalapeño–cheddar cheese sauce. The hearty dish fits in with the restaurant’s diverse, urbane vibe as easily as the housemade granola and tofu scramble. Its origins (minus the eggs and the cheese sauce) can be traced straight back to Eames’s small-town Georgia upbringing. “I started making biscuits and country-fried steak with my grandmother, Mama Betty, when I was just a tiny little girl,” says Eames. She was born the same year her parents opened the Hit and Run, a meat-and-three cafe in Albany serving the Southern staples that also appeared regularly on her extended family’s Sunday dinner table. Country-fried steak (also known as “chicken-fried steak”) was a simple, satisfying hit at the restaurant and at home.

The cafe’s name was a play on her late father’s status as a hometown baseball hero. Paul Eames played for the St. Louis Cardinals farm team, and later served as recreation director for the City of Albany for twenty-eight years. “My parents got married on the baseball field, at home plate,” Eames says.

Eames spent much of her childhood at the cafe, and recalls how “every day at lunchtime, there would be lines of customers wrapped around the building. We had probably ten ladies working there with arms as big as thighs from kneading biscuits. It was the kind of place where the mayor would be sitting next to a construction worker.” Eames also helped with the other family businesses, selling Christmas trees and running concessions at sporting events. “I learned to count by counting back change from snow balls,” she says.

After studying radio and film at Valdosta State University, Eames traveled the country working for a real estate management company before switching careers and setting up the first of many coffee carts in Atlanta. Soon she added pastries. And by 2004 she had a full-fledged restaurant. “I always said the coffee business was as close as I wanted to get to following in my parents’ footsteps, but things just kind of happened,” she says.

Eames’s tastes and dietary habits have evolved quite a bit since she left the nest. A fitness buff, she eats mostly organic, unprocessed foods and has been a pescatarian for years. But when she goes home, her mom, who just retired from running a school lunchroom after forty-two years, still makes her favorite childhood meals. “My mom became very accommodating,” she says. “She cooks with veggie base and spices instead of pork when I come to town.”

At home in Decatur, she still cooks country-fried steak for friends, the old-fashioned way with a simple pan gravy. “I make the one for me with tempeh or tofu.” Along with white rice or mashed potatoes, she serves it this time of year with Brussels sprouts, sauteed in butter with a little onion and seasoned with a balsamic reduction.

Ingredients
2 cups self-rising flour
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/4 pounds top round cube steak, cut into 2-inch pieces
About 1 cup water (can substitute milk or cream)
Hot cooked rice

Instructions
1. Prepare: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, seasoning salt, pepper, and paprika.

2. Pour 1/3 cup of the oil in a large cast-iron skillet and heat on medium-high until it begins to smoke. Slightly wet the steak pieces by quickly running them under water from the tap, and drop them in the flour mixture to coat, shaking off excess. Drop the pieces into hot oil, taking care not to crowd the pan, and cook in batches, turning each piece twice, until crispy on all sides. Transfer to a platter lined with paper towels.

3. Make the gravy: Add 3 tablespoons of the oil back to the skillet. Over medium heat, sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture into the oil and whisk until it starts to thicken. Add a few tablespoons of water until it starts to loosen up. (For a creamier sauce, feel free to substitute milk or cream for part or all of the water.) Continue adding 1/2 to 3/4 cup liquid and whisking until you have achieved desired consistency: For thinner gravy, add more water; for thicker gravy, whisk in a little more flour mixed to a paste with an equal amount of cold water. Cook until bubbly.

4. Serve over steak and rice.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Photograph by Greg Dupree. This is an extended version of the article that originally appeared in our January 2013 issue.

Home Plates: Molly Gunn's Duck Breasts in Cherry-Port Sauce

Susan Puckett — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 21:40:00 GMT

Molly Gunn, co-owner of the Porter Beer Bar, usually works the dining room of her Little Five Points gastropub while her husband and business partner, Nick Rutherford, presides over the kitchen. At Christmastime, though, Gunn dons an apron as her family gathers at their mom’s Oak Grove home to celebrate. Gunn’s mother hails from Michigan and her father grew up in Washington, D.C. They lived in multiple states and abroad before settling in Atlanta, where Gunn was born and raised. Her knowledge of Southern fare came mostly from outings to Deacon Burton’s long-gone fried chicken temple and Quinnie’s, a defunct soul food cafe in Vista Grove Shopping Center. A trip to Italy as a teenager started her dreaming about opening a restaurant rooted in classic European techniques, leading her to jobs at Babette’s Cafe, Seeger’s, and Bacchanalia.

Her older sister Heather, an ER doctor and cooking enthusiast, stoked that ambition by inviting her to join in kitchen projects, especially during the holidays.

Childhood gingerbread houses gave way to more sophisticated fare as they grew older. One more recently added holiday staple is duck in a cherry-port sauce. “Cherries are the big fruit in Michigan where my mom is from, and it’s a taste I’ve grown up with,” says Gunn. Sweet potatoes, whipped with lots of butter and local honey, pair beautifully with duck breast while paying homage to her Southern upbringing. While the meat sizzles, the sisters saute torn leaves of chard with smashed garlic cloves in a little olive oil.

A hearty red wine would be the logical accompaniment, but Gunn has other, unsurprising opinions about beverage pairings. “A malty SweetWater Festive Ale would go really well with this meal—and it’s local!”

Ingredients
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup dry sherry
4 boneless, skin-on duck breast halves
2 cups beef broth
1 cup port
2 cups 100 percent black cherry juice
12 frozen black cherries, halved
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 4 teaspoons water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk soy sauce and sherry. Using a sharp knife, make diagonal cuts at 1/2-inch intervals in duck skin (but not through meat). Place duck, skin side up, in glass baking dish. Pour marinade over. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 6 hours.

2. In a heavy, medium-size saucepan over high heat, bring broth, port, 1 cup cherry juice, cherries, and thyme to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile in a small saucepan, boil remaining cup of cherry juice with 1 tablespoon sugar until syrupy. Combine with other mixture.

3. Remove duck breasts from marinade and place skin side down in a heavy, large skillet over medium heat. Cook until skin becomes crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Turn duck over; cook about 5 minutes longer, or until duck is cooked through but still pink. Transfer duck to work surface; slice thinly on the diagonal. Add cornstarch mixture to port-cherry mixture. Simmer, whisking constantly, adding butter one piece at a time and whisking until melted before adding next piece. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a pool of the sauce on each plate and fan out duck slices on top.

Makes 4 servings.

Photograph by Caroline C. Kilgore. This is an extended version of the article that originally appeared in our December 2012 issue.

Fried Chicken over Cracklin’ Cornmeal Waffles

Susan Puckett — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:34:00 GMT

Darryl Evans’s career took shape in the era when fusion was hot, mixing Southern cooking with global flavors in dishes such as whole, sizzling Asian-style catfish or ravioli stuffed with goat cheese and Georgia caviar. The Columbus native helmed the kitchens of high-profile restaurants like Tom Catherall’s 1990s trendsetter Azalea; Midtown’s Spice; and Anthony’s, in a refurbished antebellum Buckhead mansion.

For this main dish, he draws on the fried chicken he once cooked at Paschal’s, a favorite of civil rights leaders where Martin Luther King Jr. planned the 1963 March on Washington (an outpost of the restaurant still operates in Castleberry Hill). “The trick is in the way Mr. Paschal would brine the chicken before frying,” Evans says. “He salted the pieces skin-side up, drizzled each with a little water, and stacked them on top of one another.” To embellish the plate, he channels other Atlanta institutions, taking inspiration from Gladys Knight and Ron Winans’ Chicken & Waffles but also incorporating cracklin’ cornbread flavors from Harold’s Barbecue into the waffle and gilding it with peach chutney.

Ingredients
Fried Chicken:
1  (3 1/2–pound) fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or 16 large chicken wings with wing joints)
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 cup water
3  cups lard, shortening, or peanut oil for deep frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
2  tablespoons granulated garlic (or 1 tablespoon garlic powder)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup water
8  Cracklin’ Cornmeal Waffles
 Peach Chutney (served on the side)

Cracklin’ Cornmeal Waffles:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup water
1 1/2  ounces (about 1/2 cup)  pork cracklings (or diced seasoned pork rind or  belly, cooked in a skillet until crisp)
1/4 cup hot, melted butter

Peach Chutney:
1 teaspoon olive oil
3  cups peeled and chopped fresh (or thawed frozen) peaches
1/2 cup small diced red onion
1/4  cup small diced green  pepper
1/4  to 1/2 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2  small jalapeño pepper, minced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions
1. Make fried chicken: Place chicken pieces in a container large enough to hold them and sprinkle each piece liberally with salt, and just enough water to moisten. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Remove chicken from refrigerator. In a deep-fat fryer or deep, heavy skillet, heat lard or shortening to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, garlic, salt, and pepper; divide between two flat dishes.  In a medium bowl, beat eggs  with water.

3. Dip chicken pieces into the first pan of seasoned flour. Shake off excess flour, then dip into egg wash. Drain off excess, then dip into the other container of seasoned flour and press flour into chicken pieces. Shake, then add to the hot fat a few pieces at a time (do not crowd) and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 10 to 20 minutes depending on size of the pieces. Drain on paper towels. Reseason with salt if desired. Serve immediately with waffles, chutney, and optional syrup. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

4. Make waffles: Preheat lightly oiled waffle iron. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and blend together. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and water. Make a well in center of dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, and mix just until combined (a few lumps are okay). Fold in cracklings and melted butter.

5. Spoon about 1/2 to cup  batter into preheated waffle iron; with back of a spoon, spread to within 1/4 inch of edge of grids. Close lid and bake until golden brown. Remove to a baking pan or plate and keep warm in preheated oven; repeat with rest of batter. Serve warm with chicken, or with butter and syrup. Makes 6 to 8 waffles.

6. Make chutney: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add peaches, onion, and pepper and saute 3 to 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften.

7. Add vinegar, wine, and  brown sugar and bring to a boil (use less liquid if using frozen peaches). Reduce heat to low  and cook for 10 minutes, then  add minced jalapeño pepper and chopped parsley.

8. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill until ready to serve; bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 3 cups.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Photograph by Iain Bagwell. This recipe originally appeared in our November 2012 issue.