A Love Affair with Southern Cooking (29 page)

CHARCOAL-GRILLED SHAD ROE WITH TOMATO-MINT SALSA

MAKES
6
SERVINGS

Along the James River they say that “when the shadbush blooms,” the spring run of shad begins. These annual runs begin farther south, usually in December in North Florida, then move up the coast, reaching the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland by early March if the winter has not been unduly harsh. For Lisa Ruffin Harrison of Evelynton Plantation on the James, shad roe is a supreme delicacy. She grills it, then tops it with a salsa of her own invention, proving that good home cooks are often as imaginative as three-star chefs. “The garden-fresh flavors of the tomatoes and herbs are a wonderful pairing with the rich flavor of the shad roe,” Lisa says. “A good departure from the traditional bacon accompaniment.” Note:
Like most creative cooks, Lisa continues to rework and refine her recipes. The salsa, for example, which she’s simplified. “The tomato-mint salsa can also be raw,” she recently e-mailed me, “and is particularly delicious with a milder onion like Vidalia.” As for the shad roe, she had this to say: “I’ve found that grilling the shad roe is still a bit tricky. The roe is really hard to keep from splitting open.” She adds that the last time she grilled shad roe, she “had better luck painting it with olive oil” than brushing with lemon juice and spreading with mayonnaise. She does still salt and pepper the roe, however, and she cooks it in a fish basket. “It needs babysitting,” she cautions, “and should be held above the grill to avoid ‘exploding’ from direct heat. Five minutes per side is enough. Once off the grill, sprinkle the roe generously with the lemon juice.” Lisa admits that she often now sautés the roe in a skillet, prepping it the same way and browning over moderate heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side. It’s only fair, I think, to offer Lisa’s updated method as well as her original recipe (below), which appeared in
Bon Appétit
in the late 1980s. It’s delicious.

Tomato-Mint Salsa

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped

1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into fine dice

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped Italian parsley

½ teaspoon salt

¹
/
₈
teaspoon black pepper

Shad Roe

6 pairs fresh shad roe

Juice of 2 large lemons

½ cup mayonnaise (about)

2 large limes, cut into thin wedges

3 to 5 sprigs of fresh mint or basil

• 1.
  Build a charcoal fire and let the coals burn until white-hot.
  
• 2.
  Meanwhile, begin the salsa: Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil in a medium-size heavy skillet over moderate heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden. Add 3 of the tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes until all juices have evaporated. Set off the heat and cool to room temperature. Mix in the remaining tomato and the cucumber and set aside.
  
• 3.
  For the shad roe: Brush the roe liberally with the lemon juice, then sprinkle any remaining lemon juice over them and let stand for 10 minutes. Spread the mayonnaise on both sides of each pair of roe—this is to keep them from sticking to the grill or fish basket.
  
• 4.
  Lower the grill so it’s 2 inches above the white-hot coals. Place the roe in a fish basket or directly on the grill and sear quickly on both sides. Raise the grill so it’s 6 inches above the coals and grill the roe for 5 to 8 minutes on each side or until heated through.
  
• 5.
  Quickly finish the salsa by mixing in the mint, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper.
  
• 6.
  Arrange the roe on a large heated platter, ladle the salsa artfully on top, then garnish with the lime wedges and mint sprigs. Serve at once.
  

BRONZED SHRIMP CREOLE

MAKES
4
SERVINGS

Although New Orleans restaurants grab most of the press, I’ve dined very well in lesser-known Louisiana, which I prowled several years ago while researching a food and travel article for
Gourmet.
I remember in particular this signature shrimp dish from Lafayette’s Café Vermillionville. It’s a long-winded recipe, to be sure, but it’s well worth the time and effort. Note:
Clarified butter is melted butter from which the froth and milk solids have been skimmed. Its flavor is pure sunshine.
Tip:
Choreography is everything here. Because the Creole Sauce must simmer for three quarters of an hour, it’s best to make it a day ahead of time.

½ cup long-grain brown rice

½ cup long-grain white rice

1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, clarified (see Note above)

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon onion flakes

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

¾ teaspoon dried leaf basil, crumbled

¾ teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled

¹
/
₈
teaspoon white pepper

24 large shrimp (about 1 pound), shelled and deveined

3 cups Creole Sauce (recipe follows; see Tip above)

1 pound medium shrimp, shelled, deveined, and cut into ½-inch pieces

4 medium scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (garnish)

• 1.
  Cook the brown rice, then the white rice by package directions; set both aside.
  
• 2.
  Meanwhile, combine the clarified butter, garlic, lemon juice, onion flakes, Worcestershire sauce, salt, hot red pepper sauce, paprika, basil, thyme, and white pepper in a large nonreactive bowl. Add the large shrimp, toss well, and set aside to marinate.
  
• 3.
  Place the Creole Sauce in a medium-size saucepan, add the shrimp pieces, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
  
• 4.
  Fluff the brown rice, then the white rice. Lightly oil a ½-cup ramekin; fill one side of it with brown rice and the other side with white rice. Pack firmly, then invert in the middle of a heated dinner plate. Repeat three times and set the four plates aside.
  
• 5.
  Heat a well-seasoned large iron skillet over moderately high heat for 1½ to 2 minutes or until very hot. Lift six of the large shrimp from the marinade, letting the excess drain off. Add to the skillet and “bronze” by sautéing 1 to 1½ minutes on each side or just until done; transfer to a large heated plate. Bronze the remaining shrimp in batches the same way and add to the plate.
  
• 6.
  When ready to serve, spoon ¾ cup of the Creole Sauce–shrimp mixture around the hillock of rice on each dinner plate, arrange six of the bronzed shrimp artfully on top, then garnish with a scattering of the sliced scallions.
  

CREOLE SAUCE

MAKES ABOUT
4
CUPS

This recipe is integral to the Bronzed Shrimp Creole, which precedes, and should be made a day ahead of time. It’s also good ladled over broiled fish, shellfish, or chicken. You can even use it to braise pork chops. Tip:
Wear rubber gloves when handling the jalapeño pepper.

4 slices lean, smoky bacon, cut crosswise into strips ½ inch wide

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced

½ small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced

3 medium celery ribs, finely diced

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

½ pickled jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped

One 28-ounce can tomatoes in purée

1¼ cups tomato juice

2 tablespoons sugar

½ chicken bouillon cube

1 teaspoon dried minced garlic

½ teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon ground hot red pepper (cayenne), or to taste

5 tablespoons butter

• 1.
  Cook the bacon in a large, heavy nonreactive saucepan over moderate heat, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until crisp.
  
• 2.
  Add the onion, green and red bell peppers, celery, chopped garlic, and jalapeño; reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables are limp. Add all remaining ingredients except the butter, adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently, cover, and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes or until the sauce is thick and the flavors have mellowed.
  
• 3.
  Add the butter and when it melts, stir well to combine. Taste for salt and cayenne and adjust as needed. The sauce is now ready to use.
  

CHARLESTON SHRIMP PIE

MAKES
4
TO
6
SERVINGS

The first time I stayed at the elegantly rebuilt and furnished Mills House in Charleston some thirty years ago, I spied this dish on the breakfast buffet, spooned up a good portion, then went back for seconds. Now, whenever I visit Charleston, I look for shrimp pie—a casserole despite its name. Four versions of it appear in Blanche S. Rhett’s
Two Hundred Years of Charleston Cooking
(1930), some of them gussied up with bell pepper and tomatoes, others heavily laced with wine. Although Mrs. Rhett says that shrimp pie is a Charleston Sunday supper favorite, it’s the perfect entrée for a casual brunch, lunch, or supper any day of the week. The recipe here is one that I’ve developed over the years, fine-tuning after each subsequent visit to Charleston.

2 tablespoons butter

4 medium scallions, trimmed and coarsely chopped (include some green tops)

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¹
/
₈
teaspoon ground hot red pepper (cayenne)

¹
/
₈
teaspoon black pepper

2½ cups moderately coarse soft white bread crumbs (5 slices firm-textured bread)

1¾ cups half-and-half

2 large eggs, beaten until frothy with ½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons dry sherry

1 pound shelled and deveined cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a 6-cup casserole well and set aside.
  
• 2.
  Melt the butter in a small, heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add the scallions, nutmeg, and both peppers, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until limp and golden. Set off the heat and cool to room temperature.
  
• 3.
  Meanwhile, soak the bread crumbs in the cream in a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes, then, using a large wooden spoon, beat hard until as smooth as paste. Mix in the cooled scallion mixture along with the eggs, sherry, and shrimp.
  
• 4.
  Spoon into the casserole, slide onto the middle oven shelf, and bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes or until lightly puffed and tipped with brown.
  
• 5.
  Serve at once, accompanied, if you like, with a tartly dressed green salad.