• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 204 0

of a food processor and pulse until the radish is chopped into very fine dice, four or five 3-second pulses. Transfer the contents to a length of cheesecloth or a double thickness of paper towels and wring out the excess liquid. Transfer to a medium bowl and add 4 tablespoons of the butter. With a rubber spatula, cream the radish and butter together, adding more butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together in a smooth, pliable mass. Transfer the mixture to a 2-cup ramekin or bowl, sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top, and serve immediately. (The butter will keep, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Remove it from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving to let it soften. Sprinkle the salt and freshly ground pepper over the radish butter before serving.)

SALT-AND-PEPPER SHRIMP

a tribute to 101 spring street

serves 4 as a snack or 2 as an appetizer with salad greens • TIME: 10 minutes

This recipe is about the best, quickest, and easiest treatment of great shrimp we know of—just salt, pepper, shell-on shrimp, and a sturdy aromatic seasoning leaf like bay or kaffir lime. At our first book party in Charleston, the fates were aligned. A friend in line to get her cookbook signed thrust a plastic Piggly-Wiggly grocery bag into Matt’s hand. “This shrimp was caught last night—got it this morning at the docks.” Another generous friend, a neighbor, brought a gift of kaffir lime leaves (used to season Thai curries) from her garden.

At the time our friend Will was renting an old falling-down Charleston house with a wide wooden porch suitable for dancing (it had some spring to it, and a chandelier). Once the official book event wrapped up, we marched everyone up to Will’s porch for an after-party. When appetites surged later that evening, we looked around and remembered the bag of shrimp. Will doesn’t keep much of anything in his pantry, but we didn’t need a whole lot: a skillet, ground pepper, a scattering of salt. While we were at it, we threw in a few lime leaves to add some aromatic mojo to the operation and a splash of Budweiser at the last minute for good measure. We simply moved the skillet to the porch, and in a few moments it was empty. Shrimp that tiny, fresh, and tender don’t require peeling, so people could pop them in the mouth as is. When we make this recipe with shrimp with thicker, tougher shells, of course we peel ’em; even so, pan-fried shrimp tails are among the most flavorful parts of the crustacean, and often crisp enough to eat. Serve with your favorite beer, or with pink bubbly.

¼ cup peanut oil

2 seasoning leaves, such as bay or kaffir lime, or ½ bulb lemongrass

1 pound headless large shell-on shrimp (26 to 30 per pound; see Notes on Deveining Shrimp, and Shrimp Shopping Notes)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

A couple splashes of beer (optional)

1 Pour the oil into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the bay leaves and the shrimp, and smooth them out in a single layer. Season the shrimp with 1 teaspoon of the salt and ½ tablespoon of the pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the shrimp shells begin to toast, releasing an intensely shrimpy aroma. Splash with the beer, if using, then use a slotted metal spatula to flip the shrimp over. Season them with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ½ tablespoon pepper, and cook for 2 minutes more.

2 Transfer the shrimp (using the same spatula) to a plate lined with paper towels and serve immediately, with paper towels (or napkins, if you prefer) and a bowl for the shells, if necessary.

SWEET POTATO AND OKRA FRITTERS WITH GARLIC BUTTERMILK DIP

serves 6 as a snack or 4 as an appetizer • TIME: 30 minutes resting, 24 minutes cooking

We don’t care to let classic southern vegetables, like okra and sweet potatoes, live a life of predictability. They’ve performed centuries of solid duty as the third-best dish on the buffet line, boiled and seasoned and never quite given the full range of possibilities that American cooks offer