A Love Affair With Southern Cooking_ Recipes and Recollections - Jean Anderson [124]
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons corn oil, melted butter, or bacon drippings
1¼ cups canned or thawed, frozen whole-kernel corn, well drained (see Note above)
1. Spritz a griddle or large heavy skillet well with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
3. Whisk the buttermilk, egg, and oil in a small bowl until frothy and mix in the corn. Pour into the well in the dry ingredients and stir only enough to mix; the batter should be lumpy.
4. Set the griddle over moderately high heat for about 1 minute or until a drop of the batter sizzles. Using a scant ¼ cup of batter for each corn cake (see Tip above), drop onto the griddle, spacing the cakes about 2 inches apart and spreading each until about 4 inches in diameter (an offset spatula spritzed with nonstick cooking spray is the gadget to use here).
5. Cook the corn cakes for about 2 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface and these begin to break. Using a pancake turner that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray, turn the pancakes and brown the flip sides for 2 to 2½ minutes. As the corn cakes brown, transfer them to a heated plate.
6. Serve for breakfast with maple syrup, sorghum molasses, or, if having country ham, with red-eye gravy. Or serve in place of potatoes and pass a little bowl of melted butter or gravy (pork and chicken gravy are best) so that everyone can help themselves.
To this day, my favorite meal is fried chicken, field peas, green beans cooked all day with ham, fried okra, and corn bread.
—DEBORAH NORVILLE, GEORGIA NATIVE
GRITS CASSEROLE
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
Few non-Southerners can understand the Southerner’s passion for grits. And I must confess that when I first tasted grits in my grammar school cafeteria, I didn’t see what all the fuss was about. The little puddle of gruel spooned onto my plate tasted like nothing at all until a classmate told me to mix in some butter, salt, and pepper. Unfortunately, boiled grits is (yes, “grits” IS singular) the introduction most of us get, usually at breakfast where it’s the classic accompaniment to eggs, country ham, and red-eye gravy. However, there are dozens of other ways to prepare grits, among them this superb casserole. Serve hot as a potato substitute with baked ham or roast pork, chicken, or turkey. Or serve as the main course of a light lunch or supper accompanied by a tartly dressed green salad and perhaps some sliced heirloom tomatoes.
4 cups (1 quart) milk
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground hot red pepper (cayenne)
1 cup grits (not instant)
1/3 cup butter, melted
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup finely grated sharp Cheddar cheese
¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
1. Butter a 9 × 9 × 2-inch baking dish well and set aside.
2. Bring the milk, butter, salt, and cayenne to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Reduce the heat slightly, then add the grits very slowly, whisking hard.
3. Reduce the heat to its lowest point and continue whisking until the mixture is thick and smooth. Cover and simmer slowly for 20 minutes, stirring now and then to keep the grits from sticking to the pan and sliding a diffuser underneath the pan, if necessary.
4. Set off the heat and beat hard with a hand electric mixer for 2 to 3 minutes. Scoop the grits into the baking dish, spreading to the corners and smoothing the top. Chill for several hours until firm.
5. When ready to proceed, preheat the oven to 350° F. Also, butter a second 9 × 9 × 2-inch baking dish well and set aside.
6. Cut the hardened grits into strips ½ inch wide, dipping your knife frequently into tepid water to keep the grits from