Saturday, September 12, 2009

Fried Squash


Fried Squash
Originally uploaded by TagDragon

I’m on a little bit of a fried kick, which is fine with me. My friend Christine, who is an excellent cook, seems to think I eat too much brown food? I really didn’t understand what she was saying though? Fried Squash is another classic summer southern food. Fresh out of the garden, golden brown, and delicious.

Ingredients
2 or 3 large Yellow Squash
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Cornmeal
2 teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
1 cup Buttermilk – shaken
Vegetable Oil

Fill FryDaddy with oil to recommended level and heat oil.
Or fill Dutch oven with about 2 inches of oil and heat to 360 degrees F.
Or add ½ inch of oil to a large skillet and heat till very hot.

Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or dish.

Wash squash, trim ends, and slice into ¼ inch thick rounds. There is no need to peel the squash. It is perfectly alright to use the entire squash, large and small ends.

Dip squash rounds in buttermilk then dredge in flour mixture until evenly coated. It is fine to press on the flour mixture so more adheres to the squash. Gently drop squash in hot oil. Do not over crowd the squash. For a skillet, fry in a single layer. May want to fry in batches. Carefully flip squash after 3-4 minutes to fry evenly. Fry squash for 6-8 minutes until golden brown. With a slotted spoon, remove squash from oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve immediately.

Makes 5-6 servings

If your flour mixture starts to run out or clump together add more of the ingredients or make a fresh batch. You can reuse cooking oil for frying more than once. Allow the oil to cool. Strain the oil through a strainer lined with layers of cheesecloth or paper towel. Store oil covered in a cool, dark place. Also, do not keep oil hot longer than necessary. Stop using oil when it gets a dark color, has a rancid smell or changes the taste of the food, or begins to smoke before heated to proper frying temperature.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Roasted Heirloom Tomato Bisque



Here's another simple 'unrecipe.' I got some beautiful heirloom tomatoes at Soulard Market on Saturday and didn't want them to go to waste, so I sliced the tomatoes; sprinkled them with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, thyme and olive oil; and roasted them in a 400 degree oven until they carmelized, about 45 minutes. Once those were finished I chopped & sautéed a leek, a carrot, and a celery stalk, a few cloves of garlic, and a little bit of poblano pepper until golden, about 10 minutes. I added the roasted tomatoes (and the cooking juices) to the pot and cooked until bubbling, about 5 minutes. I added in about 2 cups of chicken stock and brought the soup to a boil, dropped in a few sprigs of thyme & sage, and reduced to a simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring often. I let the soup cool a bit, then ran it through my new food mill (LOVE it!), then whisked in some cream until it looked about right, and seasoned with salt & pepper. Delicious & simple!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Fried Okra


Fried Okra
Originally uploaded by TagDragon

Being from the south, I love all things fried. And fired okra is very near the top of this list. I can recall (and still do) waiting for the okra to be ready and eating it right off the platter before it even reaches the table. And we love our FryDaddy which makes really good fried okra. One pound of okra makes 3 to 4 servings or it makes 1 if you’re me.

Fried Okra is also a nice appetizer. Serve it in the kitchen as folks are waiting on dinner. It’s so fun to nibble on, maybe with a little ranch dip. For fried okra in the winter when you can’t find good fresh okra see the freezing instructions at the end.


Ingredients
1 pound Fresh Okra
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
½ cup Cornmeal
1 tablespoon Salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground Black Pepper
¾ cup Buttermilk – shaken
Vegetable Oil

Fill FryDaddy with oil to recommended level and heat oil.
Or fill Dutch oven with about 2 inches of oil (best if okra can float) and heat to 350 degrees F.
Or add oil to a large heavy-bottomed skillet and heat to very hot. For both the Dutch oven and skillet do not fill over halfway full.

Wash okra whole, remove ends, and cut into ½ inch pieces. Okra will shrink slightly when frying. Place cut okra in a colander over a bowl and pour buttermilk over okra until thoroughly coated. Allow to sit for a minute or two.

Combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Toss okra in flour mixture until thoroughly coated. Gently place okra in hot oil. Do not over crowd the okra in the oil. No more then two pieces deep. May want to fry in batches. Do not stir or turn the okra for 4-5 minutes. Carefully turn okra after 4-5 minutes to fry evenly. Fry okra for 8-10 minutes until deep golden brown. With a slotted spoon, remove okra from oil and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve immediately.

Makes 3-4 servings


If your flour mixture starts to run out or clump together add more of the ingredients or make a fresh batch. You will be able to fry two batches before serving. I recommend using the FryDaddy and then the Dutch oven.

Freezing Instructions:
Follow instructions up until frying. Place the flour mixture coated okra onto a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer and freeze. After frozen, transfer okra to a freezer bag and keep frozen until ready to use. Fry frozen okra as directed above.