Sassy Southern Cooking with a French Twist

holly herrick

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Hop on Boxcar Betty’s Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Super Bowl Train

Bite into this Winning Sandwich on Game Day

Fried chicken wings dressed with plucky Buffalo sauce dipped in cool, pungent blue cheese are a staple Super Bowl treat. But, minus the bone and the skin on the chicken, and extra attention to detail in a tender-ensuring brine and super soft potato roll, you can turn this sometimes messy classic into the best sandwich on the block, heck, in town! When I first met this sandwich while researching the latest edition of The New Charleston Chefs Table  a few years ago, biting into this beauty was love at first sight, then bite, and down to every last crumb. Like my first love, I’ll never forget that sandwich. Ever. And along with the chocolate pudding from another Charleston institution, Hominy Grill, I’ll surely ask for it as part of my last meal, if  I am lucky to have advance notice.

The innovative and prescient Boxcar Betty’s ownership team hatched their plot to create way-better-than-fast-food fried chicken when they were working the front of the house at Charleston restaurant stalwart, Magnolias. All of the chicken here is natural, cage-free, antibiotic-free and locally sourced. That’s not the only difference, it’s the largely secret brine, and of course hot, fresh regularly changed canola oil and house-made condiments and sauces. They all reach a crescendo in the best-selling Buffalo fried chicken sandwich with pungent, creamy blue cheese sauce, garden  fresh tomato slices with, and crunchy, buttery Bibb lettuce. Cool contrasts with the hot, creamy complements the vinegar pluck, and the crunch  melts into the soft, white bun to make the perfect sandwich.

Here’s how to make yours at home. Shop today or Saturday, prep for less than two hours (including brine), and game on! The last few minutes of frying the chicken and compiling the sandwiches can literally be done just before the game starts or halftime, in just minutes. Watch ’em swoon and remember to save one for the cook.

Boxcar’s Buffalo, Blue Cheese Sauce, Tomato and Bibb Lettuce Fried Chicken Sandwich

(Makes 4 sandwiches/servings)

Buffalo Fried Chicken Sandwiches from Boxcar Betty’s can’t be beat, game day or any other day of the year.

For the fried chicken:

1 package commercial poultry brine

(Note: BB’s brine is technically a secret. But, co-owner Roth Scott did share his basic brine ratio of 1 gallon water to 1/3 cup each salt & sugar. Always use glass or stainless steel, not plastic for brining and non-processed salt, ideally kosher. Play with basic seasonings and herbs to come up with your own twist or use commercial poultry brine).

Four 6-ounce skinless chicken breasts

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

4 cups all-purpose white flour

1/4 cup garlic powder

1/4 cup onion powder

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup kosher or sea salt

2 cups canola oil for frying

4 soft potato rolls (suggest Pane Di Vita potato sandwich rolls, Martin’s potato sandwich rolls, or an alternate preferred fresh potato roll brand)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter for toasting rolls

For the Buffalo sauce:

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter

1 cup Texas Pete hot sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons mesquite liquid smoke

Juice of 1 fresh lemon

For the blue cheese dressing:

1 cup coarsely crumbled blue cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons finely minced garlic

2 teaspoons sriracha (or substitute another hot sauce)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method:

Brine chicken in chosen brine for 1 1/2 hours. While the chicken is brining, prepare the Buffalo sauce and the blue cheese sauce. For the Buffalo sauce, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk the remaining sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl. When melted, whisk in the butter to combine. For the blue cheese sauce, gently combine all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl, being careful not to overmix. The goal is to have nice chunks of blue cheese in the dressing.

Drain chicken and set aside. Heat canola oil in a deep fryer or deep skillet to 350F (or over medium high heat if you’re using the stove). In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the Dijon mustard. Separately, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in another medium bowl.

Dip the first chicken breast in the buttermilk mixture then place in flour mixture. Coat chicken well with the flour and press firmly. Flip chicken and coat again. Repeat the same process with the remaining chicken breasts.

Gently place the chicken in the deep fryer or skillet, well-spaced, in a single layer. Cook for 4 1/2 minutes and until golden brown. While the chicken is cooking, butter buns and toast on a flat top griddle or medium hot pan. Spread blue cheese dressing on top bun. Place slice of tomato and Bibb lettuce on top bun.

Using tongs, remove the chicken from the hot oil and place on a paper-lined plate. Place thermometer in thickest part of chicken to ensure temperature is 165F. Dunk chicken in Buffalo sauce and let drain well. Place sauced chicken on bottom bun and put sandwich(es) together. Serve hot.

Back to school……

Some friends have suggested adding online classes to my private cooking class curriculum. Please let me know if this interests you and what you are interested in learning. It might be a fun way for us to cook together while Covid hopefully leaves our world forever. Here’s a link to what’s on tap at the moment:

Cooking Classes

Message me here as always with thoughts and questions. Be safe, be well, and cook your very best with love in your heart and patience at your fingertips!

Fondly,

Holly and Rocky

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sparkling Fruity Slushy for Cool Fourth of July Fun

Celebrating Summer and Fourth of July Following a Nearly Forgotten Spring

Forgive me readers, it’s been three months since my last blog post.

Almost certainly like you, this pandemic situation has left me remembering aspects of my life long-forgotten (like regular childhood confessions before receiving sacrament at Mass), and creating fresh habits and perspectives that have enhanced my own life and cooking in ways I could never have imagined.  In the newly refreshed long-forgotten camp, the meditative power of cleaning and walking and time alone with pets. My nature renaissance even extended to a burgeoning love of “birding” and a fascination with a young family of finches that were born, nurtured, and fledged outside my front door petunia basket around Mother’s Day.  In the fresh habits, I’ve cut out television (especially news, which I refuse to watch), worked with and cooked almost exclusively with fresh fruits and vegetables, eaten more ice cream (!!), and increased my reading and (not surprisingly) kitchen time. I’ve spent a lot of time feeling grateful for the small bounties afforded every day that in busier months past I may have overlooked.  I even rediscovered with childlike glee fireflies flitting about a few evenings ago. For reasons unknown, even though I was cooking more and even better foods, I felt less inspired to tell people about it. I wanted to keep it, and a lot of things, to myself. I went inward. That’s where I and maybe you needed to be, too.

But, with July here, and mercifully the specter of Covid-19 (though still here) waning with the slow reopening of a prudent, contained Virginia, I do want to share this delicious fruity recipe for a cool, alcohol-free slushy with you to help you celebrate July 4th and summer, safely, and in this case, most healthfully. The “core” of this recipe is frozen watermelon, an idea shared with me by my boyfriend, who has also polished his cooking knowledge and interest during this slow time. He freezes watermelon and grapes to have as cool treats and possible embellishments to his morning “green” drinks. So, I’ve added a freezer bag to my freezer at all times. The trick is to get your hands on a nice, mini, sweet, seedless watermelon. Wash well in lightly soapy water (even in non Covid-19 times), rinse, and dry.  After that, I cut mine in half, and then slice each half into several 1-inch thick slices. From there, cut off the rinds (discard or compost), and cut the melon into 2-inch cubes. Pop in a freezer bag and forget about them until it’s time for a cool, mid-afternoon, mouth popping snack, or a refreshing summertime “slushy.”

Make it just before using. The Sprite (or lime/lemon soda) will lose its pop within about one hour. If you don’t use it all at once, keep it cool in the fridge or freezer. If you want to modify, feel free to add a banana or peaches or alcohol – vodka would make a neat, clean addition.  For extra fun, you could pour it over a few of your own watermelon ice cubes.  Garnish with fresh blueberries, mint, and an old-fashioned red and white paper straw, if you like.

Have fun and be safe out there and remember to count your blessings every day. Be kind, patient, and know that this, and nothing, lasts forever. Including life. Cherish yours and those you love and Happy Fourth of July and cooking! I’ll be enjoying mine, especially watching my little finch family, two babies all grown up to almost indiscernible adulthood now, feeding at the feeder outside my kitchen window.

Sparkling Watermelon & Strawberry Mint Slushy

(Makes 2 large to 4 moderate servings)

Sparkling Frozen Watermelon and Strawberry Mint Slushy

 

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen watermelon cubes

1 cup hulled, halved fresh strawberries

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

8 leaves (about 1 tablespoon fresh mint)

2 cups Sprite or another lemon/lime soda

Pulse to combine in a blender until frothy smooth. Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh blueberries and mint leaves.

Bon appetit!

 

Holly and Rocky and “my” baby finches, just about to fly the nest and into their new lives, on Memorial Day.

Author, Chef, Cookbook writer Holly Herrick

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Turning Over a New FIG Leaf

Recreating FIG’s Classic Arugula Salad at Home

When The Charleston Chef’s Table Cookbook (2009, Globe Pequot Press) and the “New” edition in 2018 were written and published, part of my intention as the author was to give readers the opportunity to relive their the broader memories and impressions of Charleston through a beautiful “coffee table” book, but also to give them the chefs’ tools to recreate their favorite dishes from some of her best restaurants when they returned home.

Never in a million years did I, and probably not most of you, anticipate the massive closures (hopefully for the short term) of not just Charleston’s restaurants, but many around the world due to corona virus disease.  It’s hard for me to think of so many  Mom & Pop eateries shuttered and sleeping, and even more so, Charleston’s eat-in restaurant delicacies denied to consumers, especially FIG’s.  This restaurant encapsulates everything that cooking should be – simple, pure, unfettered, streamlined. Everything here shimmers on the plates with freshness and restraint. Nothing is overdone here; everything is prepared perfectly. Chef Owner Mike Lata’s original local-meets-seasonal-and-simple credo, begun in 2003 when FIG opened, continues to shine in Executive Chef Jason Stanhope’s capable hands today.  This salad, prepared with seasonally fresh (right now!) arugula and only a few other ingredients – all top quality – is quintessentially FIG.

To follow is an excerpt from The New Charleston Chef’s Table Cookbook to help you recreate the salad at home. FIG is currently closed but, like so many, hopes to reopen soon. If you would like to help them sustain the restaurant and their staff click here to visit their GOFUNDME account which has been established to help the restaurant pay their employees during the time of the restaurant’s closure. Now, let’s dig into this simply amazing salad, which would be absolutely delicious at your home Easter table or for any fresh, spring feast.

FIG’S Classic Arugula Salad

(Serves 4 to 6)

James Beard Best Chef Southeast (2015) winner and FIG Executive Chef Jason Stanhope’s clean, pure, and exquisitely sourced culinary style is very compatible with the whole FIG mission. “There is a magic in restraint,” says a reflective Stanhope, who considers his high school/college wrestling and football pursuits and sadly, the passing of his father at a young age as the impetuses to what’s become an amazing career in food. “I took this crazy gamble after Dad’s death to go and gain traction (in my life) and attend Le Cordon Bleu. I completely fell in love with the sports-like aspect of team work, vision, being bigger than self,” he says, alluding to a quote from football great Vince Lombardi. As for FIG, everyone there coddles every step of the cooking and restaurant experience with every ounce of collective energy.”

His classic, simple arugula salad, dotted with crispy shallots and aged cheese, is a perfect reflection of Stanhope’s style. “We like to serve this salad on the larger side, a celebration of a few simple ingredients. All arugula is different so be sure to taste yours before seasoning and adjust accordingly – if it is heartier it might want more olive oil, it it’s already spicy you might back down on the pepper,” he advises.

Stanhope includes a few more tips for making your salad the best it can be at home. “An easy alternative to frying your own shallots is to buy a bag of crispy shallots from an Asian market. But they are simple to make and will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature. We use a Pecorino Canestrato from Goat.Sheep.Cow   but any hard, salty Italian cheese will work here. Using a micro-plane to grate the cheese yields a super fluffy pile that doesn’t weigh down the salad. For this salad, you can’t really have enough crispy shallots or cheese.”

Ingredients:

3 – 4 cups canola oil, for frying

3 large shallots

1/2 cup cornstarch

16 ounces arugula, gently washed and dried thoroughly

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (we use domestic Arbequina)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 – 6 ounces Pecorino Canestrato, or any hard, salty Italian cheese such as Grana Padano or parmesan

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt, or to taste

20 turns freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste

Method:

Fill a medium, heavy-bottomed pot about 2 inches deep with canola oil. (The oil will rise when you add the shallots so make sure the pot is less than halfway full). Using an insta-read or candy thermometer, heat oil to 275F. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.

Peel shallots and slice on a mandolin (or carefully slice) into rings about 1/8-inch thick. Toss with cornstarch to coat and shake off the excess. When the oil is ready, fry the shallots until golden and crispy, about 12-15 minutes. Stir gently, from time to time. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. Season generously with salt.

Place arugula in a large bowl and gently toss with olive oil until glossy. Season with salt and black pepper. Drizzle in the lemon juice and divide generously among 4-6 plates. Using a microplane, finely grate the Pecorino over each salad. Top with crispy shallots and season to taste with freshly cracked black pepper.

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Bon appetit! Wishing you delicious cooking and safe living at home and an eventual return to patronizing the restaurants we all know and love.

Author, Chef, Cookbook writer Holly Herrick Fondly,

Holly and Rocky

 

 

 

New Charleston Chefs Table book cover

 

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Super Bowl Well-Seasoned

A Super Bowl of Mexican Flavor Feeds Football in a Big Way 

When I was twelve and The Super Bowl was in its nascent 11th year, my sister and I were invited to assist our neighbor, Mrs. Corcoran, to help orchestrate her annual Super Bowl party. This was a big deal for me in a lots of ways. Firstly, it was a big promotional step up in status and income from my $1 per-hour regular babysitting gigs with her three very sweet children. Those evenings were mostly spent in front of the TV, monitoring the children (just a few years younger than me) and making sure they got to bed safely and on time. But, for this, the whole neighborhood of adults (and then some) would be there. Our job was to work in her enormous kitchen with a sweeping view of The Indian River serving the likes of things I’d never seen or heard of before; real guacamole, real salsa, nachos, and more. This was a virtual culinary rite of passage for me.  Mrs. Corcoran was my first exposure to “gourmet” cuisine as I knew it, and I’ll never forget her for it. Or the fat, apres-party cash stash that fueled that spring’s sixth grade wardrobe shopping spree.

In the early years of The Super Bowl,  most American’s awareness (or at least mine) of gourmet didn’t go much beyond the frozen food aisle or occasional fresh pineapple at Christmas. We’ve all grown up a lot since then, but in some ways not. Fast food came, went, and came back again, and still hangs around in the form of prepared queso, salsas and chips.  Twenty years since culinary school and nine cookbooks later, even I can accept a little bit of these ingredients aptly tucked into a delicious bowl of football-friendly fare such as the Mexican Black Bean Nacho Bake recipe that follows.  (Adapted from Mashed – Beyond the Potato, Gibbs Smith, 2016, by Holly Herrick. Photograph by Alexandra DeFurio). This is delicious, easy, and unforgettable.

Mexican Black Bean Nacho Bake

(Yields 8 to 10 servings)

A bit of help using canned black beans, tortilla chips, queso sauce, and salsa from your grocer’s shelves brings this filling, crunchy, cheesy, spicy casserole of Mexican goodness together in fairly short order. It’s perfect for game day or any time you’ve got a hungry crowd to feed on your hands.

Mexican Black Bean Nacho Bake from Mashed – Beyond the Potato by Holly Herrick (Gibbs Smith, 2016). Photo by Alexandra DeFurio.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 poblano chile pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

1/2 red onion, peeled and finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

4 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed, and finely diced

2 (15.5 ounce) cans black beans, well-drained

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 cup medium tomato salsa

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped unsweetened 90 percent dark chocolate

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1 1/2 cups queso cheese

Method:

Preheat oven to 325F. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the poblano, jalapeno, onion, celery, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and garlic: stir to coat. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, until softened. Add the black beans, vinegar, salsa, and stock. Stir then simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add the chocolate and honey. Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Mash with a hand-held masher until chunky smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with the butter. Using a spatula, evenly spread the black bean mixture into the casserole. Top with 1 cup cheddar cheese. Top this with the crushed tortilla chips, and then top with the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with an even layer of queso cheese. Bake for another 20 m inutes. Serve hot, fresh from the oven, with a dollop of sour cream and additional salsa or queso, if desired.

May the best team win! Have a super Super Bowl.

Bon appetit,

Author, Chef, Cookbook writer Holly Herrick Holly and Rocky

 

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Elegant Oyster Bisque Kicks Off Christmas Dinner with Style

I like Christmas dinner to be a quiet, more subdued occasion than its more boisterous, often frenzied holiday meal counterpart, Thanksgiving.  I most enjoy small groups of four to six at an elegantly dressed table; meals plated and served by courses. It tends to slow everything way down, so that both eating and appreciation of special time with friends and family takes on the sacred glow and joy of Christmas.

And, what better way to kick it all off than with an elegant bisque? Creamy, silky, and rich, bisque just says screams special occasion dining. This recipe pairs the darlings of  cool weather southern dining (oysters) with the oft under-rated, humble parsnip.  The result is decadence in a spoon, sweet, creamy and simple. The parsnips add natural sweetness and fat-free girth to the soup.  Served piping hot in elegant, shallow bowls, it is the perfect way to start your Christmas dinner. The base can be prepared completely in advance and the bisque finished at the last second. This is a favorite from my cookbook, The French Cook – Soups & Stews (Gibbs Smith, 2014).

Bisque D’Huitres et de Panais

Oyster and Parsnip Bisque

(Makes 8 to 10 servings)

Oyster and Parsnip Bisque makes a majestic and easy start to your holiday meal. From The French Cook – Soups & Stews (Gibbs Smith) Photo by Chia Chong).

Parsnips and oysters may sound like odd bisque-fellows, but they actually make a lot of sense. Parsnips, like turnips, are sweet, lovely root vegetables frequently used in French kitchens.  Their sweetness plays beautifully with the oysters, and the starch in the parsnips gives a velvety texture to this heavenly bisque. Even better, since oyster shells don’t yield much in terms of flavor. The oyster flavor comes from the brine they’re stored in, as well as the oysters themselves, which are stirred into the bisque at the very end. If making this soup ahead, hold off and add the oysters and cream just before serving. Willapoint oysters, readily available in the brine in the refrigerator section of most fish counters at the grocery, are firm and meaty. Use the freshest raw oyster you can find, and don’t discard the brine except into the soup pot. It is one of the flavor keys to the bisque.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 leek, trimmed to 1 inch above the white root, halved vertically, well rinsed and finely chopped

2 medium shallots, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

2 medium parsnips, peeled, quartered vertically, and finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup dry vermouth, plus 1 tablespoon

1/2 cup good-quality Chardonnay

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups good-quality, low sodium boxed seafood/fish stock or homemade fish stock

1 cup finely chopped oyster or chanterelle mushrooms, touch feet removed

3 (8-ounce) packages Willapoint oysters (3 cups)

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

Method:

In a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven or similarly sized soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leek, shallots, parsnips, and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Cook over medium heat, stirring several times, for 15 minutes, until all the vegetables have softened (do not let them color). Add the 1/2 cup vermouth, increase heat to medium-high, and cook down to a glaze, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the Chardonnay and cook down to a glaze, 1 to 2 minutes. Scatter the flour evenly over the pot and stir to combine. Whisk in the fish stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium/medium-low and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, skimming off any initial foam/scum that rises to the top.

Puree until frothy smooth with a blender or food processor. Return to the pot. Add the mushrooms, oysters, and cream. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce to medium, and cook through for 5 to 8 minutes, until the oysters are firm and opaque. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed. Finish with 1 tablespoon of vermouth, if desired, and fresh thyme. Serve very hot.

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As always, wishing you and yours, happy cooking and a joyful holiday season.

Bon appetit!

Holly and Rocky

Author, Chef, Cookbook writer Holly Herrick

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