Smothered Chicken

If you’re not from the south, you might not have ever heard of this dish.  And if you’re not from the south, you might find it difficult to appreciate this dish, until you give it a try.  This is not low fat, low calorie, and definitely not low carbs.  It’s not something that you want to eat everyday.  In saying that, this is the kind of food that I was raised on.  Good down south chicken with rice and a vegetable.  Usually, for my family at least, Smothered Chicken is served with Rice and Green Beans.  I posted this recipe on a web site a few years ago, and I was sad to see people using boneless, skinless chicken breast.  And mashed potatoes.

I literally had to separate myself from this recipe in terms of how it ‘should’ be made and eaten.  When my recipes are changed, it usually doesn’t bother me at all.  Really.  But for some reason, I had to really come to terms with people making this ‘healthier’….  I’m ok with it now.  It really is ok.  I don’t know what your situation is.  Maybe you or someone you’re cooking for has to eat healthier but want’s to enjoy some southern cooking.  How can I fault anyone changing my recipes to fit their needs?

Anyway…I hope you give this a try.  And change it any way you want if you so desire.

This is one of my favorite southern dishes that I grew up with.  I hope you like it!!

Ingredients

1 stick butter

1 chicken, cut up

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 cup AP flour

1  lg onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups carrots, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

3 tbsp AP flour

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp salt

Directions

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Thoroughly mix the salt, pepper and garlic powder with the 3/4 cup of flour.  Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, and brown the chicken in the butter on all sides.  Once all the chicken is browned, remove from the pan and put in a baking dish.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Drain all but 1 tbsp of butter from the pan and add the onion, carrot, garlic and celery.  Cook until softened; about 7 minutes.  Add the flour to the vegetables and mix together.  Cook for another 5 minutes, then add the chicken stock.  Increase the heat to medium-high and cook stock and vegetables for another 5 minutes.  The stock should thicken slightly.

Pour the stock over the chicken and cover with foil.  Place in oven and cook until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, about 35-40 minutes.

Shrimp & Grits

I posted a recipe for Shrimp and Grits a couple months ago.  I’ve recently deleted it.  Why you ask?  Well, I recently saw an episode of ‘Throwdown with Bobby Flay‘ and the challenge was Shrimp & Grits.  And after watching this episode, and seeing how the challenged amatuer chef, Joe Barnett cooked his version, it so reminded me of how a high school friend’s mother made hers so many years ago.  I’m not sure if this is the recipe she used, but it seems so similar that it’s kind of bizarre.  From the marinating of the shrimp, to the cheesy grits, to the roux…it’s pretty much the same I think.  I haven’t seen Tina for a long long time, so I have no way of asking her if she even remembers her mom making this for us.  But I certainly do. So I’m very happy I watched this episode, and though the original recipe of mine was actually quite tasty, I’m happy to toss it for this one!

As I’ve stated in prior posts, the majority of the recipes on this blog are my own, have been passed down to me, or given to me from friends or family. This recipe is exactly as written by Joe Barnett.

I do make a few changes when I make  this recipe though, just to accommodate my own personal taste; I don’t use the Italian seasoning, and and I cut back a bit on the other seasoning for the shrimp, and I used bacon instead of ham.  Everything else stays the same.  As you can see by looking at this recipe on the Food Network website, his recipe has received rave reviews when made as written, so enjoy!!

Ingredients

Shrimp

1 1/2 pounds (26-30 count) Wild Georgia Shrimp

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (recommended: Tone’s Louisiana Cajun seasoning)

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

Freshly ground black pepper

Grits

2 cups water

2 chicken bouillon cubes (recommended: Knorr)

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup quick grits (recommended: Quaker)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

3 1/2 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar

Sauce

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Texas Pete)

1 slice sugar-cured country ham

Directions

First, peel and devein the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine Cajun seasoning, paprika, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the shrimp to coat well and set the shrimp aside.

Next, make your grits. In a medium saucepan, bring water, chicken bouillon cubes and 2 tablespoons butter to a boil. Slowly add the grits, whisking often with wire whisk for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, cream, and cheese. Keep whisking for another 2 or 3 minutes until the grits become creamy. Don’t skimp on the butter and the cream, folks.

Now saute the shrimp. In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add in the spice-coated shrimp, and cook only until they’re just done and tender. Don’t overcook. Remove the shrimp from the saute pan and set them aside in a bowl. You can taste 1 or 2, to see if they’re okay.

The roux is next. With all those wonderful drippings from the shrimp in the saute pan, add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and stir with a wooden spatula to make a roux. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until roux reaches a medium-tan color, then slowly add the chicken stock and heavy whipping cream. Whisk together and cook for 2 minutes, then whisk in Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Set aside.

And last, a little country ham. Cook 1 center slice of cured country ham in a saute pan, and cut into cubes.

To serve, and this is the best part-place a few heaping spoonfuls of steaming cheese grits onto a place, top with several sizzling shrimp. Drizzle that wonderful roux sauce over top of the shrimp, and sprinkle on a few cubes of country ham. Enjoy.

Lo’ Country Boil

This is a dish that’s huge in the southern states!  My mom has made it for me a few times when I’ve visited them down in S.E. Texas, and it’s always been something I’ve looked forward to.

 

This is best served with a thick layer of newspaper covering your table, plenty of napkins, and alot of cold beer!!

 

Ingredients

6 quarts water

3/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning, or to taste

5 pounds new potatoes

4 onions, cut in half

3 (16 ounce) packages cooked sausage (kielbasa, smoked…etc) cut into 2 inch pieces

 5 pounds blue crab, cut in half

6 ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed

5 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined; or 3 lbs of shrimp and 2 lbs of crawfish

3 lemons, cut in half

 

Directions

Fill a large pot with the water and heat over medium-high.  Add the Old Bay Seasoning, and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and onions cook for about 15 minutes. Add the corn, crab (and crawfish if using), lemon and sausage; cook for another 5 minutes, then add the shrimp turn off the heat.  Stir and let sit for about 5 minutes. 

Drain off the water, and pour the contents out onto a table covered with a thick layer of newspaper., and sprinkle a bit more seasoning on top of the pile if needed.  Have everyone grab a plate, and help themselves to the feast!!

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Pecan Pie

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to have spent any time in New Orleans, then you know the famous The Camellia Grill.  They used to hand this recipe out on little business cards.  They don’t anymore, but here’s the recipe in full. 

Note:  I add 2-3 tablespoons of Brandy to the recipe, but obviously, it’s fabulous without…  And I sometimes add about an extra half cup of pecans. 

Yield: One 9-inch pie.

4 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup melted butter

1-1/4 cups light corn syrup

1-1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

1 cup chopped pecans

Beat eggs with a wire whisk or fork. Add salt, butter, syrup, sugar and vanilla; mix well. Pour into pastry shell; sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes.

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