From Marvin Woods’ book titled The New Low-Country Cooking, we have Country Captain Chicken. He says, “This dish, my updated version, exemplifies the influence of eastern India on the cuisine of the South. Like many Indian dishes, this chicken dish utilizes yogurt, curry, and mint in the marinade before it is grilled. (I also give directions on how to oven-fry the chicken.) As to how its name came about, there seem to be several theories. One is that it originated with an Indian officer who introduced a sea captain to this dish, who then brought the recipe to the United States.”
A recipe loved by everyone is Old Fashioned Mac ‘n Cheese from Muellers. I’ve used this very same recipe for years.
From Pot Pourri of Zellwood, we have Suzie Turner’s Eggplant Supreme. It looks wonderful with the crumbled bacon on top for that extra flavor bounce.
We have Oyster Stew from Emily Meggett’s Gullah Geechee Home Cooking, that will serve 10 to 12 people. You can use frozen oysters if you don’t have access to fresh.
From Hearty Country Cooking, by Mark S. Sohn, here is Buttermilk Corn Bread (Skillet Corn Bread). He rates this recipe as easy, with only five ingredients. This corn bread tastes of buttermilk, a constant favorite of mountain cooks. We either bake skillet corn bread in the oven, as I direct below, or fry it on the stovetop. If you fry it on the stove, divide the recipe between two skillets so it won’t be too thick.
How about Sour Dough Starter from The Original Country Cookbook? Many of us have visions of using starter to make our own sour-dough bread. If you don’t have a friend who has starter for you to get a bit in order to get started, the following instructions will get you going. I believe the flour needs to be plain all-purpose flour, not self-rising flour.
COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN
The New Low-Country Cooking
by Marvin Woods
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
One 4-1/2 to 5-pound chicken,
cut into pieces, rinsed and
patted dry
1/4 cup vegetable oil (for oven-fry method only)
1) In a large bowl, stir together all of the ingredients except for the chicken and the oil. Add the chicken and toss to lightly coat with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours. 2) To grill or broil: Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess run back into the bowl. Grill or broil the chicken for 12 to 15 minutes per side, turning occasionally, until it is cooked through and the juices run clear when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. 3) To oven-fry: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess run back into the bowl. Add the chicken to the skillet skin side down, one piece at a time. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the chicken and brown the second side for 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until it is cooked through and the juices run clear when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
OLD FASHIONED MAC ‘N CHEESE
FROM MUELLERS
8 ounces (1/2 pkg) Mueller’s Elbows
1/4 cup margarine or butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup croutons
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta for 3 minutes and drain well. In medium saucepan, melt butter. Blend in flour, mustard, salt, and pepper. Gradually add milk and cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly, stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils, stirring constantly. Turn heat to low, and simmer 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually mix in cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Add pasta; mix lightly. Pour into 2-quart casserole. Top with croutons. Bake uncovered 25 minutes or until temperature reaches 165-175 degrees.
SUZIE TURNER’S
EGGPLANT SUPREME
Recipe from Pot Pourri of Zellwood
1 tablespoon bacon drippings
1 medium eggplant, cubed small
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash of Tabasco Sauce
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons crumbled bacon
2 slices bread, toasted and cubed
Cook first 9 ingredients in large skillet until tender. Top with cheese, bacon, and bread cubes. Brown under broiler.
EMILY MEGGETT’S OYSTER STEW
Recipe from
Gullah Geechee Home Cooking
by Emily Meggett
1/4 cup unsalted butter plus set aside 2 tbsps unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups diced celery
1/2 onion, diced
3 cups whole or 2 percent milk
1 cup half-and-half
Seasoning salt, to taste
1 quart shucked oysters
Worcestershire sauce to taste
Oyster crackers or saltines,
for serving
1) In a large skillet, melt the 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and sauté until tender. 2) Pour the sautéed vegetables into the top of a double boiler. Add the milk and half-and-half, and bring water in the bottom of the double boiler to a boil. 3) Add seasoning salt to taste. Cook for 3 minutes. 4) Drain the oysters and place in a saucepan with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Cook the oysters over medium heat until curled. 5) Transfer the oysters to the top of the double boiler with the milk mixture. Gently stir together. Serve with Worcestershire sauce and crackers.
BUTTERMILK CORN BREAD
(SKILLET CORN BREAD)
From Hearty Country Cooking,
by Mark S. Sohn
2 tablespoons stoneground
cornmeal
2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 cups buttermilk
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a heavy 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Sprinkle the stone-ground cornmeal on the bottom and place the pan in the oven. 2) In a large mixing bowl, combine the self-rising cornmeal and the salt. Make a well in the center and whisk in the egg and the buttermilk. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. 3) Bake for 30 minutes, and brown the top under the broiler for 1 minute. Remove from the oven and turn the corn bread out of the skillet onto a wire rack to cool. Cut into wedges and serve.
Note: As a healthy choice, omit the salt. The self-rising cornmeal contains salt. In place of bacon grease (if you have chosen to use it on your skillet), use nonstick cooking spray. Notice that the recipe does not have any added oil.
SKILLET CORN BREAD:
To the above recipe, add 1-1/4 cups cracklings. Bake as muffins, sticks, or a pone* and adjust the baking time according to your pan size.
*A pone is “a loaf or oval-shaped cake of any type of bread, especially corn bread.”
SOUR DOUGH STARTER
Recipe from Paragon Products, Inc., The Original Country Cookbook
2 cups flour
1-3/4 cups warm (not hot) water
6 teaspoons dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey
Combine flour and dry yeast in a bowl. Mix honey in warm water and gradually add to dry ingredients. Store in earthenware pot at room temperature for two days to one week.
