A Love Affair With Southern Cooking_ Recipes and Recollections - Jean Anderson [49]
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium celery rib, trimmed and finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground hot red pepper (cayenne), or to taste
2 cups chicken broth
1 large ripe Florida avocado (about 1½ pounds)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups half-and-half or light cream
1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until limp and golden. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
2. Blend in the flour, curry powder, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne and mellow for 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat. Whisk in the chicken broth, then cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes or until lightly thickened. Turn the heat to its lowest point, set the pan lid on askew, and allow the soup to mellow while you prepare the avocado.
3. Halve and pit the avocado, then scoop the flesh into the work bowl of a food processor or into an electric blender cup. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and purée until smooth. Transfer to a large nonreactive bowl and set aside.
4. Ladle about 1 cup each of the soup and cream into the processor work bowl or blender cup, pulse once or twice, then buzz until smooth; add to the avocado purée. Repeat with the remaining soup and cream, add to the avocado purée, and whisk well to combine. Taste for salt and cayenne and adjust as needed.
5. Cover the soup and chill for several hours or overnight before serving. Serve as is, or to be fancy, float a few cubes of firm-ripe avocado or thin slices of lemon in each portion.
BLACK-EYED PEA SOUP WITH GREENS AND HAM
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
For several years I’ve followed the career of Robert Carter, now chef at the Peninsula Grill in Charleston. To my mind, he is not only South Carolina’s most creative chef but also one of the South’s top talents. I first encountered Carter in the late 1990s at the Richmond Hill Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, and was so smitten with his new take on southern food that I featured him in the Smoky Mountains article I was writing for Gourmet. To my delight, I bumped into Carter again a few years later, this time while on assignment in Charleston for Bon Appétit. His food was better than ever and as proof, I offer this amazing Peninsula Grill soup. Note: The recipe calls for fresh black-eyed peas and I don’t mind telling you that they are the very devil to shuck. Fortunately, many farmer’s market vendors have already done the job for you. If fresh black-eyed peas are unavailable, substitute the frozen. Tip: This soup can be made a day or two ahead of time; indeed its flavor will be richer after a stay in the fridge. Once the soup is done, cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. A quick re-heating is all that’s needed.
1 cup freshly shelled black-eyed peas (see Note above)
8 ounces mustard greens, torn into bite-size pieces (8 cups firmly packed)
8 ounces collards, torn into bite-size pieces (6 cups firmly packed)
2 tablespoons bacon drippings or olive oil
½ cup finely diced ham (preferably country ham)
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 medium celery ribs, coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely minced
8 cups (2 quarts) chicken broth
1 large whole bay leaf, preferably fresh
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1. Place the black-eyed peas in a large, heavy saucepan and add enough cold water to cover them by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, cover, then set off the heat and let stand for 2 hours.
2. Drain the peas and return to the pan. Once again, add enough cold water to cover them by 3 inches. This time, boil