Sassy Southern Cooking with a French Twist

comfort food

Maple Acorn Squash Soup Makes an Elegant Start to Thanksgiving

Warm Up Thanksgiving with This Exceptional Soup Recipe

In the cooler months, my kitchen counter is permanently decorated with an array of winter squashes. Hubbard, acorn, butternut, pumpkin, turban – whatever I can find at the grocery store or farmers’ market. They serve the dual purpose of appealing to my aesthetic senses as well as fueling my appetite for seasonal cooking. All winter squashes shine especially brightly in soups, which magnify their flavor and color intensity and smooth texture beautifully.  Thankfully, the heirloom varieties (my current favorite is Hubbard) are increasingly available. Lately, I’ve been roasting Hubbard squash, halved and skin-side down in a hot oven (425F) until very soft. Once cool, I mash the flesh with a splash of salt and pepper, cinnamon, perhaps a bit of maple syrup and a pat of butter. It has an exquisite bright orange color and possesses deep, rich winter squash flavor.  With a sauteed filet of salmon or cod, it makes a complete and very satisfying meal.

The acorn squash in this soup is treated similarly and finished with minimalist ingredients so the clean, earthy squash flavor takes center stage.  The maple syrup is cooked into the soup with just a few more ingredients and the elegance of shallots and a tiny bit of cream. It is pureed to a velvety finish with an immersion blender or a food processor. Because it is so elegant, delicious, seasonal, and just the right, light weight, it is the perfect way to kick off any special meal, especially Thanksgiving. The reverence and gratitude associated with Thanksgiving make soup the perfect starter – a slow and easy debut that gives you and your guests time to sink their hearts and minds into the occasion, pausing for reflection and slow sipping as they go. It also gives the turkey and the cook a little much needed time to rest before the gigantic feast begins.

This Maple Acorn Squash Soup from  Mashed – Beyond the Potato (Gibbs Smith) was inspired by the maple syrup and butter-filled acorn squash halves my mother made often for my brothers and sisters when we were children. Do use real maple syrup. It makes a huge difference in the authenticity of the soup’s flavor.

Maple Acorn Squash Soup – Photograph by Alexandra DeFurio from Mashed by Holly Herrick. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith.

Maple Acorn Squash Soup

(Yields 6 to 8 Servings)

2 large acorn squash, halved horizontally and seeded

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and halved vertically

Generous pinch of kosher or sea salt and ground black pepper

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons bourbon (optional but delicious!)

4 cups low sodium vegetable stock

1 cup water

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons real maple syrup

2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons heavy cream

3 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Preheat oven to 425F (22oC). Place the acorn squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Roast for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the flesh is very tender. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle,  scoop the flesh from the interior of the squash, discarding the shells. You should have about 4 cups.

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until just softened. Add the ginger, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and bourbon; stir to combine. Cook until the bourbon has reduced to a glaze, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, water, squash, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high and reduce to a simmer, cooking, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove ginger pieces and discard.

In the same pot, puree the soup with an immersion blender until very smooth. Finish with the cream, heating through. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve hot in individual soup bowls garnished with a flutter of fresh chives. (Note: The soup can be prepared ahead a day or 2 and refrigerated, but remember to add the cream and the chives when reheating, not prior).

 

Wishing everyone a beautiful, happy and delicious Thanksgiving!

Holly

Share

Comforting Carolina Gold Rice and Rum Raisin Pudding

Charleston’s King of Rice Takes this Classic Comfort Food to a New Level

Growing up in rural New England in the 1970’s, rice (which usually came from a tired plastic bag or Minute brand white rice box)  didn’t thrill me, to say the least. Potatoes, especially my Nanna’s mashed version, were another matter. It wasn’t until much later when I became acquainted with aromatic rices and Arborio that I started to really appreciate it and experiment with it in both savory and sweet dishes.  But, when I moved to Charleston in 2000, I discovered rice nirvana in the form of Carolina Gold rice. Almost golden, you can taste it well before you put it in your mouth. Its buttery, hazelnut aroma/flavor entices your nose even as you sift it through the canvas bag in which it is most often stored. It is on every Charleston holiday table and supper tables several times a week and is the stuff of pirlou dreams.

Carolina Gold was the first commercial rice produced in the United States. By 1820, 100,000 acres of the rice was growing throughout the South, where it especially thrived growing in the tidewaters and marshes of South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina. It was a staple of the Lowcountry economy, which prior to The Civil War, was supported largely by the rice planting and harvesting skills of slaves imported from western Africa. The commerce thrived, and by the middle of the 18th century, was a dominant stepping stone of both the Charleston/Lowcountry economy as well as her inhabitant’s lusty appetite for the gloriously fragrant and delicious rice. The Civil War and merciful end to slavery as well as time all but killed production of the the cherished rice. Fortunately, growers such as Anson Mills (click for purchase or to learn more about the rice) resurrected its complicated production and harvesting.

The composition of the rice lends itself to fluffy, individual grains, a creamy risotto kind of mixture or sticky, depending on how it’s cooked.  Fall gets me thinking about all things comfort, which gets me thinking about Carolina Gold rice, which gets me thinking about Carolina Gold rice pudding, which is exactly what I put together this past weekend. Cooked in milk and stirred frequently, like a risotto, it naturally forms a pudding “sauce” of its own, no eggs required. While it’s still hot, stir in some sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, and butter and let it set and cool for a for a few hours. Meanwhile, simmer raisins in fresh orange juice, cinnamon and rum.  That also sits to absorb and eventually they’re all mixed together and the pudding is blended with a final kiss of freshly whipped cream to give it a mousseline airiness. It is divine. Try some on  your holiday table this year. Rice pudding will never taste quite the same to any of your guests ever again. Don’t add the fresh whipped cream until within an hour or so of serving. All the rest can easily be prepared a day ahead.

Comforting Carolina Gold Rice & Rum Raisin Pudding

RECIPE

Comforting Carolina Gold Rice & Rum Raisin Pudding

(Makes 8 generous servings)

4 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

3/4 cup well rinsed and drained Carolina Gold rice

Zest of 1 orange

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon real vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Generous pinch salt

For the raisins:

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup light rum

1 tablespoon real vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Generous pinch salt

To finish the pudding:

1 cup very cold heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Bring the milk and the 1/2 teaspoon salt to a low boil in a large, heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Add the rinsed rice and stir to combine. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered and stirring every few minutes, until very tender and most of the milk is absorbed, about 25 minutes. It will have a creamy, wet consistency similar to risotto. Meanwhile, turn your attention to the raisins. Combine the raisins, orange juice, rum, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt in a small saucepan. Bring up to a boil and reduce to a lively simmer. Cook until the liquid has reduced to just about 1/4 cup, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and turn out into a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least three hours or overnight to macerate and mature the flavors. Return to finish the rice, when done cooking and still very warm, turn out into a large bowl with the orange zest, 3/4 cup sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and generous pinch salt. Stir well to combine. Cover tightly and refrigerate three hours or overnight.

To finish the pudding (within an hour or so of serving), whip the heavy cream with the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar until firm peaks have formed.  Stir one-third of the whipped cream into the cold pudding along with the reserved, cold raisins. Gently fold another third of the whipped cream into the rice pudding until well but gently blended. Serve cold in an attractive serving bowl or in individual pudding cups or ramekins with a generous dollop of the remaining whipped cream.

Bon appetit!

Holly

Upcoming Book Signing

Come see me this Saturday, October 20 for the Daniel Island Library Harvest Tour of Homes. 

I will be situated in the beautiful home at 341 Lesesne Street on Daniel Island from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. signing copies of my latest cookbook, The New Charleston Chef’s Table. Would love to see you there! It makes a lovely gift anytime of year, but especially during the holidays for the Charleston loving cook in your life.

New Charleston Chefs Table book cover

The New Charleston Chef’s Table (Globe Pequot Press, May 2018) by Holly Herrick

 

 

 

 

Share

Mashed, Finally – with Recipe Preview from Holly Herrick’s Latest Cookbook

The Birth of Cookbook #8

My publisher Gibbs Smith surprised me with a phone call late last September and described their vision for a cookbook featuring entirely mashed foods, a sophisticated and internationally inspired ode to perhaps the ultimate comfort food – all things mashed. Immediately, my brain flooded with the possibilities of texture and flavor plays runnning the gamut from potatoes (of course), every vegetable under the sun, legumes, fruits, even meats and eggs. I jotted them down as fast as my fingertips allowed, and before I knew it, I had an outline, a contract and a deadline – 75 tested recipes and corresponding pages within 3 months.

The holidays were just around the corner, my Dad was about to have a stroke (this unforeseen and sad part of the story ended well, thank God), and life seems to move faster with each passing year, but I didn’t hesitate to say yes, yes and yes!  Saying no to virtually every social and professional invitation that came my way, I huddled closely to my stove and my assorted mashing tools until my work was done, which I wholly enjoyed.  I’m happy to report that the first leg of the “Mashed” journey is joyfully complete. The pages were submitted a few short weeks ago. I’m breathing deep sighs of relief because I believe the recipes will be enjoyed around many happy tables for many years to come. My wonderful and patient editor Michelle Branson tells me the photos by photographer Alexandra DeFurio and stylist Anni Daulter are “exquisitely beautiful” (note photo below is by me) and cover design are underway now. I can’t wait to see all of the above and start the editing process. The book, simply and aptly titled “Mashed” (Gibbs Smith) will be released in early September.

The recipe that follows is one of my favorites featuring fabulous root vegetables. It’s already become a staple on my table. I have a bowl waiting for me to go with a seared peppered steak for lunch. The pretty, pale green colors recall early spring days and holidays such as Easter and St. Patrick’s day.  By adding a bit more cream and stock, this turns into a beautiful, and delicious soup.

Triple Threat Celery Mash combines celery root, fresh celery, and celery seed with just enough potato fluff factor to create this winning Mashed dish.

Triple Threat Celery Mash combines celery root, fresh celery, and celery seed with just enough potato fluff factor to create this winning Mashed dish.

Triple Threat Celery Mash

(Yields 8 servings)

For the longest time, I thought of celery as a rather boring culinary building block. Something you put in stock or aromatic mixes to provide base flavor or fill with peanut butter for a snack, end of story. But, when living in France decades ago, I discovered celery root (or celeriac) which is the bulb that yields that stalks that yield the leaves, all of which have wonderfully distinct and varied levels of celery flavor. The crunch and the freshness of the stalks, the fluttery light aroma of the leaves, and the mysteriously, layered buttery celery essence of the root all come together in one place in this magnificent dish. Its gamey, vegetable flavor would work magic with roasted rabbit, duck, goose, or venison – making it an almost automatic annual holiday table show-stopper!

1 large celery root, rough outer skin and inner skin removed and discarded , and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)

2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)

2 stalks fresh celery, trimmed, cleaned and cut into 1”-lengths (Note: Reserve any fresh celery leaves for garnish)

Water to cover

1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt

1 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Finely chopped fresh celery leaves for garnish

Place the prepped celery root, potatoes, and fresh celery in a medium pot. Cover generously with fresh, cold water. Add salt. Bring up to a boil over high and reduce to a simmer over medium/medium low heat. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until all ingredients are very tender when pierced with a knife or fork. Pour the potatoes, celery root, celery and water into a colander and drain well. Return to the warm cooking pot. Heat the celery/potato mixture over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, shaking to move around the pan and dry out the ingredients. Separately, heat the cream, butter and celery seed in the microwave or in a saucepan until warm and melted. Pour, in thirds, into the celery and potato mixture, mashing coarsely with a manual masher to combine and puree. Season with salt and pepper, tasting to adjust as needed. Serve hot, and garnish if desired with a few chopped celery leaves. (Note: The mash will store beautifully in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Reheat over water bath or microwave before serving.)

Now, I believe it’s time for lunch. As always, bon appetit!

Share

Mac ‘n Cheese Dreams

The chilly nights and brisk days of fall bring with them the siren call for some serious comfort food. Truly, what makes better comfort food than a really excellent mac ‘ n cheese? I love to marry disparate cheeses in a creamy bechamel, melt them down, stir them into some pasta, and bake. The key is to use cheeses that pair well – one or two nutty, another one or two perhaps slightly sweet, or even a nice, mild blue cheese. You want to stick with cheeses with a nice melt factor and the best quality you can afford.

This recipe is a delicious way to use over left-over cheese and it truly warms the heart and soul. It comes together quickly. Grate/chop the cheese while the pasta cooks, prepare the bechamel base, whisk in the cheese, toss and bake. Twenty-five minutes later you have a steaming casserole custom made for cheese lovers. Or, prep ahead, refrigerate overnight and bake it off the next evening. With a side of steamed or roasted asparagus, it makes a dreamy, seasonal spring meal.

Creamy with a sharp edge from blended cheeses, this mac ‘n cheese gets a buttery, golden bread crumb crust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mac ‘n Cheese Dreams

(Serves 12)

1 pound shell pasta, #50 size (I like De Cecco’s conchiglie rigate)

Cold water to cover

3 tablespoons kosher salt or sea salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped Morbier

1/2 cup coarsely chopped Brie, rind removed

2 cups grated Gruyere

2 cups grated Muenster

For the cheese sauce base/bechamel:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons All Purpose flour

4 cups (1 quart) skim milk

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (Note: season according to the saltiness of the cheese. Better to add more later if needed once the cheese has been added).

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

For the bread crumbs:

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup plain bread crumbs

kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Generously butter a large baking dish (I used a 4.5 liter Corningware baking dish). Bring a large pot of cold water combined with 3 tablespoons salt up to a rolling boil. Add pasta and stir to blend. Reduce heat to medium high and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente, 10  – 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander. Set aside.

Meanwhile, prep the cheeses and set aside. For the bechamel, melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for about 2 minutes. Pour in the milk all at once and bring up to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper and add the thyme. Once at a boil, reduce to medium heat and whisk in the cheeses, in batches, until thoroughly combined and melted. Add the cooked, drained pasta to the cheese mixture and stir well to coat. Pour the mixture into the buttered baking pan. Set aside briefly.

In a separate saute pan, melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. When melted, add the bread crumbs and stir to coat. Cook for about 1 minute or until the bread crumbs are just golden. Crumble the bread crumbs evenly over the top of the mac ‘n cheese. Bake in the center of the oven until golden and bubbling, about 25 – 30 minutes. Allow 5 minutes to rest before serving. Sprinkle with some fresh chopped parsley if desired.

Share

A Year of Comfort Foods and Old-Fashioned Southern Goodness

In many ways, 2011 was a truly calamitous and difficult year, a year many of us would rather forget. Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, war, and the ongoing drudgery of the economy seemed to bombard the world with relentless, reckless cruelty and destruction.

This had to have had  a powerful effect on our collective humanity consciousness. I feel like levels of compassion, kindness, and simple goodness were higher than I’ve sensed in a long time, and a lot of that was expressed through the many restaurant kitchens and meals I enjoyed this past year. Let’s face it – there was a lot on my plate in 2011 and a lot of mandatory eating in both Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA as I was researching Food Lovers’ Guide to Charleston and Savannah and the upcoming Savannah Chef’s Table.

Time and again, my palate kept going back to simple things. The stuff  that really wowed me was not necessarily “haute”, but down-home, done really, really right. Think fried chicken and panna cotta, burgers and pimento,  crispy, crunch salads, pickles and fried pig skin, and you’re sort of on the same track I’ve been following all year here in the south. I call the style “Southern rustica” and I’m thrilled that chefs like Sean Brock, Mike Lata, Craig Deihl and so many other are bringing it home, again and at last. Local, national, and international chefs heard our collective call for comfort and answered with a potent brew of meticulously sourced produce/products, prepared with simplicity and precision, and a generous dash of love.

I’ve been thinking about some of my favorite dishes that I’ve eaten this  year, and the dishes that follow below are the ones that I’m still thinking about, in some cases, many months later. That’s some powerful goodness.  Thank you to all who helped make that happen!

Panna Cotta

What is it about this cooked cream that almost immediately transports me to that cocoon of safety and comfort that was my childhood? It seems like it was everywhere this year and that is a good thing. I don’t have a photo of the creamy, just right panna cotta layered with silky butterscotch and a mountain of whipped cream that I enjoyed at Husk, just a few short weeks ago, but it’s one of the best things I had all year. A close second was this slightly more elegant version I had at sister restaurant, McCrady’s.

McCrady's Bay Leaf Panna Cotta with Pomegranate and Vanilla

The panna cotta barely quivered, just as it should, and was infused with the subtlety of bay leaf. Crunchy bites of freeze dried white chocolate and ruby red, tart/sweet pomegranate seeds were exquisite, and talk about beautiful to look at.

Simply Salads and Crab Cakes

EVO in Park Circle, North Charleston is nationally celebrated for their amazing, wood-fired pizzas, but their salads, always composed of the freshest ingredients from local purveyors and idyllically dressed, are some of the best around. This white melon beauty, dressed ever so slightly with ribbons of salty, savory prosciutto, fruity, extra virgin olive oil and a dash of freshly ground black pepper, was a late summer menu special that remains perfectly fresh in my mind some six months later.

EVO's Summer Melon Salad with Prosciutto and Olive Oil - Simply Perfect!

Another memorable salad moment was enjoyed on the sunny, back porch of The Starland Cafe on a hot, hot August day in Savannah, GA. This colorfully painted Victorian house on the south side of town is widely recognized for its veggie/vegan magic, and The Kitchen Sink salad, dressed in a succulent Tomato Oil Infused Buttermilk, miraculously marries ingredients as diverse as red grapes, artichoke hearts, asparagus, golden raisins, red onion, green apple, crunchy noodles, fire roasted tomatoes and more into a unified, heaping bowl of garden fresh deliciousness.

Just because, I’ve indulged in Michelle Weaver’s of Charleston Grill fame quite-possibly very-best-in-the-world crab cake on several occasions this past year. Binding-free chunks of sweet lump crab with a crackling, crunchy, caramelized sear and a puddle of a silky beurre blanc, fresh herbs and candy sweet tomatoes are all great reasons to give this beauty a try!

Charleston Grill's Best-in-the-World Crab Cake

 

Crazy for Fried Chicken

Though I was born in ‘Bama, I was deprived of real-deal fried chicken until I moved to Charleston 11 years ago. Its prevalence and perfection in these parts is one of the reasons why I personally thank God I live here at least 12 times a year, and that usually happens after I’ve visited Martha Lou’s Kitchen in Charleston, or Mrs. Wilkes’ Boarding House in Savannah. One as succulent as the other, both are custom made to order, have a light, yielding but toothsome crunch, and are deeply seasoned down to the very last bite.

This year, Husk and The Glass Onion, started doing their own versions of the stuff. I haven’t sampled either yet, but the crispy fried chicken leg at The Glass Onion is always delicious and one of the best things I ate this year. Perched on a generous bed of whipped mashed potatoes and sauteed turnip greens, it’s as good as fried and served piping hot from the pan with a zippy sauce that changes with the day and what’s available.

Crspy Chicken at The Glass Onion

Brandade Puffs and Alabama Barbecue Sauce

Brandade, a virtual French peasant food composed of salt cod and potatoes, takes on a new, rustic, elegant twist at The Macintosh, one of Charleston’s newest and best restaurants.  In the hands of super talented executive chef Jeremiah Bacon, the brandade is formed into individual little balls and puffed into ethereal lightness, breaded and fried. Served with a creamy, vinegar rich sauce, it’s another one of the best things I had the pleasure of eating this year.

The Macintosh takes Brandade to new heights!

Big Surprise!

Some of the best things in life are surprises, and that includes finding exquisite food at a time and a place you weren’t really expecting it.  That happened to me this year in a big way at the brand new Butcher & Bee. Predominantly a sandwich shop with a hyper fresh and local angle situated well uptown, I visited on a sleepy, lazy Sunday for what turned out to be the best meal I had all year, and with two of the best dishes in ONE place. The artist in the kitchen? Chef/Partner Stuart Tracy, and does he ever know and love his cooking stuff.

The burger, a softly packed patty of grass-fed beef is sandwiched between oven-fresh brioche they bake in house (along with many other types of bread) and topped with an oozing layer of gorgeous pimento cheese and an inch of cold, crunchy, tangy pickles. It is insanely delicious. I think it’s the best burger I’ve ever had in my life.

Burger of the Year at Butcher & Bee

As if all that  weren’t enough, the ketchup is made in-house!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before the burger, I enjoyed a gorgeous plate of nutty, roasted Brussel sprouts graced with a  bit of bacon, crispy, tart Granny Smith apple slices, browned butter, a dusting of salty peanuts and a sweet/spicy vinegar.

Butcher & Bee does Sprouts Right.

 

 

Dessert was a cream puff dream. C’mon! Talk about comfort done right.

It’s been a wonderful year for food and friends. Thank goodness, they’re always there for us, even when the rest of the world gets crazy. Wishing you a healthy, happy and delicious 2012!

Book Give-Away – Food Lovers’ Guide to Charleston and Savannah

What were your favorite food finds in 2011? I’d love to hear about them in the comment section here. The most compelling entry, submitted before the end of New Year’s Day, January 1, 2012, will receive a signed copy of my just released new book. The winner will be notified on this blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good luck!

Food Favorites in order of appearance in this blog post:

www.huskrestaurant.com

www.mccradysrestaurant.com

www.evopizza.com

www.yelp.com/biz/starland-cafe-savannah

www.charlestongrill.com

www.yelp.com/biz/martha-lous-kitchen-charleston

www.ilovetheglassonion.com

www.themacintoshcharleston.com

www.butcherandbee.com

Share
Latest from the Blog
Books
Never Miss a Post!

Sign up for my newsletter and never miss a post or give-away.