Katy’s Kentucky Derby Day
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Favorite Southern Recipes
Shrimp & Grits with Red Bean Salsa
YIELD: 6 servings
Ingredients
3 cups water
3 fish bouillon cubes
3/4 cup regular grits
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 pound cooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
1/8 pound chorizo sausage, cooked and chopped
1/4 pound grated Manchego or Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper
30 large shrimp, cooked, peeled (leaving tails intact), and deveined
Garnishes: fried plantain slices, drops of chili olive oil and saffron olive oil, fresh thyme sprigs
Preparation
Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan; add bouillon cubes, stirring until dissolved. Gradually stir in grits; cover, reduce heat, and cook 15 minutes. Remove mixture from heat.
Stir in butter and next 3 ingredients, and add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into 6 (6-ounce) lightly greased ramekins; cool slightly.
Unmold grits onto individual serving plates; spoon Red Bean Salsa on top of grits. Arrange 5 cooked shrimp around grits. Garnish, if desired.
Note: To make plantain slices for garnish, cut 1 large plantain into very thin slices; fry in hot oil (350°) for 1 minute or until crisp.
Ingredients for Red Bean Salsa
1 (16-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 serrano chile peppers, seeded and chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped purple onion
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Combine all ingredients; cover and chill at least 2 hours.
Fresh Creamed Corn
Ingredients
20 ounces (2 1/4 lbs) fresh white corn kernels work best (two 10 oz frozen work also)
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
In a skillet over medium heat, combine the corn, cream, salt, sugar, pepper and butter. Whisk together the milk and flour, and stir into the corn mixture. Cook stirring over medium heat until the mixture is thickened, and corn is cooked through. Remove from heat, and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Serve hot.
Fried Green Tomatoes Over Bibb Lettuce Salad with Run for the Roses Vinaigrette
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 large green tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Vegetable or peanut oil
2 large heads Bibb lettuce, rinsed and torn
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
- Garnishes: gourmet edible petite rose petals; chopped green, red, and yellow bell peppers; chopped purple onion
Rose Vinaigrette
Yield: 3/4 cup
Ingredients
3 large shallots, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons rose water (optional)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons walnut oil* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil may be substituted for walnut oil.
Stir together first 4 ingredients and, if desired, rose water; whisk in oils.
Preparation Fried Green Tomato & Bibb Lettuce Salad
Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a bowl until smooth; dip tomato slices evenly in batter.
Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches into a large heavy skillet. Fry tomato slices, in batches, in hot oil over medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until slices are golden.
Arrange lettuce evenly on 6 plates; top each with 2 tomato slices. Sprinkle evenly with walnuts; drizzle with Rose Vinaigrette. Garnish, if desired.
- For extra-crispy fried tomatoes, dip in batter twice.
Kentucky Mint Julep
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
2 cups water
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
32 fluid ounces Kentucky bourbon
8 sprigs fresh mint leaves for garnish
Directions
Combine water, sugar and chopped mint leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow syrup to cool, approximately 1 hour. Pour syrup through a strainer to remove mint leaves
Fill eight cups or frozen goblets with crushed ice and pour 4 ounces of bourbon and 1/4 cup mint syrup in each. (Proportions can be adjusted depending on each person’s sweet tooth). Top each cup with a mint sprig and a straw. Trim straws to just barely protrude from the top of the cups. Serve juleps on a silver platter.
Footnote
If you are using silver goblets, place them in the freezer for at least half an hour before serving. Handle frozen goblets with a clean towel, holding them by their edges, so as not to mar the lovely frosted surface.
Chicken Fried Steak with Pan Gravy
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
2 pound beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 whole eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Directions
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices. Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. Once tenderized, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.
Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided skillet and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into the oven. Repeat until all of the meat is browned.
Add the remaining vegetable oil, or at least 1 tablespoon, to the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste, with more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.
Southern Fried Catfish
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 quart peanut oil
1 cup stone-ground fine cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 (7 to 9-ounce) US farm-raised catfish fillets, rinsed and thoroughly patted dry
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
Directions
Heat the peanut oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F on a deep fry thermometer. Adjust the heat to maintain the temperature.
Whisk the cornmeal and flour together in a shallow dish. Combine the seafood seasoning, kosher salt, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl. Season the catfish fillets evenly on both sides with the spice mixture. Pour the buttermilk into another shallow dish. Dip each fillet into the buttermilk, flip once to coat both sides, hold over the pan and allow the excess to drip off. Coat both sides of the fillets in the cornmeal mixture. Set the coated fillets on a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.
Gently add the fillets, 2 at a time, to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the fried fillets to a cooling rack set over a newspaper-lined half sheet pan. Repeat method with remaining fillets. Arrange the catfish on a serving platter and serve immediately.
Sour Cream Biscuits
Yield: 2 dozen biscuits
Ingredients
2 cups self rising flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the flour and butter together with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Add the sour cream and stir until just moistened. Fill greased mini muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Perfect Peach Pie
Yield: One pie, 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
1 cup flour
½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup peach gelatin
Pinch of salt
2 heaping cups chopped peaches
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Combine the flour, butter, and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl, mixing until a soft dough forms. Pat over the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch metal pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until light brown. Bring 1 cup sugar, water, cornstarch, gelatin, and salt to a rolling boil in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Let stand until cool. Add a mixture of the peaches, 1 tablespoon sugar and lemon juice and mix gently. Spoon into the baked pie shell. Spread with the whipped cream, sealing to the edge. Chill until serving time. Do not substitute margarine for the butter in this recipe.
Chilled Blueberry Pie
Yield: One pie, 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
4 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
½ cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 cinnamon graham cracker pie shell – recipe below
1 lemon, sliced
Process 1 cup of the blueberries in a blender or food processor until pureed. Combine the cornstarch and water in a saucepan and mix well. Stir in the blueberry puree, corn syrup and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Cool for 1 hour. Fold in the remaining 3 cups blueberries. Beat the whipping cream in a mixer bowl until foamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar gradually, beating constantly until stiff peaks form. Spread over the bottom and side of the pie shell, forming a 1-inch shell.
Spoon the blueberry mixture into the prepared pie shell. Chill for 4 hours. Garnish with the lemon slices.
Graham Cracker Pie Crust
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Directions
Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and cinnamon until well blended . Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Cool. If recipe calls for unbaked pie shell, just chill for about 1 hour.
Ribs with Honey Barbecue Sauce
3-4 pounds baby back pork ribs
Salt and pepper to taste
Honey barbecue sauce
Rub the ribs with salt and pepper. Arrange in a large baking dish. Fill halfway with water. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hours. Turn the ribs over and cover with foil. Bake an additional 1-1/2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the ribs in the oven while making the honey barbecue sauce. Remove the ribs and coat in the sauce. Place on a hot grill and cook for 15 minutes, coating often with sauce, and turning the ribs once. Serves 6.
Honey Barbecue Sauce
1 cup ketchup
½ cup water
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons red pepper jelly
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of onion salt
Dash of lemon juice
Mix the ketchup, water, cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, jelly, Worcestershire sauce, salt, dry mustard, chili powder, liquid smoke, garlic powder, onion salt and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes about 2 cups.
Southern Butterbeans with Ham
Ingredients
4 cups frozen baby lima beans
1 cup ham, chopped
1 teaspoon bacon drippings
4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Bring water to boil and add beans, ham bits, bacon drippings, salt and black pepper.
Cook on a low simmer heat for 1 1/2 hours. Some water will evaporate, but let at least 2 cups remain. Check frequently to not let water completely boil out.
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