We have a new book titled The New Low-Country Cooking written by Marvin Woods. The cover boasts, “125 Recipes for Coastal Southern Cooking … with Innovative Style.” He says, “My passion is reflected in the way I cook and present African-American food. My food. It’s innovative and contemporary, with a touch of sophistication. I bring a fresh approach to old favorites as well as creating new ones. The dishes will seem at once different and familiar.”
Roasted Chicken is simple to make and is one of my favorite multipurpose recipes. For basics, I’ll pair it up, with or without a sauce, with vegetables and a starch. Then, I’ll let the leftovers cool, slice up the chicken, and make sandwiches with it. I will even dice the left-overs to make chicken salad.
Pan-Fried Catfish from Marvin Woods’ The New Low-Country Cooking book calls for nice big catfish fillets and buttermilk, sherry and two kinds of vinegar, along with sundry other ingredients. Marvin Woods says, “Catfish are bottom-dwellers, so they pick up a distinctive earthy flavor. Today, most catfish are farm-raised, which means they are bred in pretty clear water and are fed wheat and corn pellets. This makes the fish a lot sweeter and more subtle in flavor. This fish can be eaten with just a squeeze of lemon or served with Bread-n-Butter Pickle Mayonnaise.
I love potato salad. I am partial to my own family recipe, but I am going to try Marvin Woods’ potato salad, because just looking at the recipe, it looks pretty good. He says, “Potato salad is one of the most-requested dishes for potluck dinners and other large gatherings. A couple of professional tips for you when making your potato salad: Try using new potatoes, because they tend to hold their shape better than most other potatoes. After you boil the potatoes, let them cool all the way down; the potatoes will absorb too much dressing if they are hot.”
Also from Marvin Woods’ The New Low-Country Cooking, let’s try his Iced Tea recipe. He says, “Did you know that iced tea was born at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair? How it became one of the South’s most celebrated drinks isn’t really known. It can be made in several ways. Whether you like it with or without lemon and sugar is completely up to you. Use this recipe as is, or use it as a base, adding or omitting what you like. Never chill iced tea in the refrigerator, or it will get cloudy.”
Marvin Woods’ Made-from-Scratch Lemonade looks as if it is going to be the best lemonade we’ve ever had.
Bread-n-Butter Pickle Mayonnaise from Marvin Woods is used as a spread for sandwiches, a dip for chips, and even as a dressing for a salad. It’s quick and easy to make and adds a lot of character to whatever dish you serve it with.
ROASTED CHICKEN
The New Low-Country Cooking
by Marvin Woods
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
One 3-pound fryer chicken
2 sprigs fresh thyme, or
3 tablespoons dried
2 sprigs fresh rosemary,
or 3 tablespoons dried
2 cloves garlic
1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 2) Mix the salt, pepper, paprika, and celery salt together. Rub the oil all over the chicken, and then sprinkle the spice mixture over the chicken. Rub the mixture in a little. Take a sprig of rosemary, a sprig of thyme, and a clove of garlic, and insert them between the skin and the meat on one side of the breast. Repeat this procedure on the other side. 3) Place a rack in the bottom of a roasting pan. Set the chicken on its side on the rack, and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Then turn chicken to its other side and bake for 20 minutes more. Turn it breast side up, and roast another 10 minutes. Then check the breast meat with an instant-read thermometer. Once the breast reaches 155 degrees Fahrenheit, measure the thigh temperature, which must be a least 165 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes on a cutting board before carving. This resting period will make it easier to carve the chicken.
PAN-FRIED CATFISH
The New Low-Country Cooking
by Marvin Woods
Six 8- to 10-ounce catfish fillets (preferably farm-raised)
SHERRIED BUTTERMILK
MARINADE:
3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup sherry
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar plus
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons celery seeds
1-1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
BREADING:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground
black pepper
1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
1) In a large bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Place the catfish in a large shallow dish. Pour the marinade over the fish, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours. 2) In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine all the breading ingredients. Remove the catfish from the marinade, letting excess run back into the dish. Dredge the fillets in the breading mixture to lightly coat both sides; shake off any excess. 3) In a large skillet (preferably cast iron), heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, about 350 degrees Fahrenheit, carefully lower the fillets into the pan. Cook until the fillets are lightly browned and the flesh is opaque throughout when flaked with a fork, 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Use a slotted spatula to remove the fish to a warmed serving plate.
POTATO SALAD
The New Low-Country Cooking
by Marvin Woods
3 pounds red bliss potatoes,
cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water just until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool completely. Place the cooled potatoes in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir gently to combine. Taste and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Serve chilled. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
ICED TEA
The New Low-Country Cooking
by Marvin Woods
6 to 8 tea bags
6 cups boiling water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (optional)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional)
Place tea bags in a large heatproof pitcher. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes, or longer for stronger tea. Remove the tea bags. Add lemon, if desired. Stir in sugar, if desired, until dissolved. Let cool. Pour over ice and serve.
MADE-FROM-SCRATCH
LEMONADE
The New Low-Country Cooking
by Marvin Woods
2 quarts water
Juice of 6 lemons
Juice of 2 oranges
Juice of 1 lime
1 cup granulated sugar (give or take a little, according to your preference)
Mix all the ingredients together in a pitcher. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Serve in chilled glasses filled with ice.
BREAD-n-BUTTER
PICKLE MAYONNAISE
The New Low-Country Cooking
by Marvin Woods
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup finely chopped bread-and- butter pickles
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste
In a medium bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Taste and check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
