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 Sausage Dressing
Fried Green
Tomatoes
Squirrel Food
On Sorghum
Syrup
On Cooking Country
Hams
On Catfish and Hush
Puppies
Southern Style Pork
Cassuolet
Sauerkraut
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This is a sweet syrup which, when pure, is thicker and has
a stronger taste than most other syrups. It can only be made from
the juice of sweet sorghum cane (sorghum vulgare). This
plant originated in Africa, and was introduced in the South by Afro-Americans.
At one time, this syrup was a staple item in the diet of many
rural families. Each farmer grew sorghum cane which was harvested
and hauled to a syrup mill. A mill was available in most communities.
The syrup maker was an artisan in his own right; in return for
making the syrup, he kept a percentage of the finished product.
He then sold his portion to the city folk, who were not fortunate
enough to be able to grow their own sorghum cane. At that time,
sorghum syrup was also a readily available and inexpensive substitute
for sugar. Now this syrup is considered to be something of a gourmet
item, and is usually quite expensive.
Nowadays, this syrup can often be found in curb markets and
specialty food shops in the South. There are some companies which
will ship the syrup anywhere.
Unfortunately, some modern producers add other syrups such
as that from ribbon cane or maple syrup. These, and other additives,
should be considered to be undesirable contaminants. For maximum
enjoyment, only pure sorghum syrup should be purchased.
For further information on the cultivation of the plant and making of sorghum syrup, see the Sorghum Syrup site.
Melt margarine or butter in a non-stick pan while mixing the pancakes.
1 cup self-rising flour Put the flour in a mixing bowl, then add the butter and eggs. Add the water slowly, stirring after each addition to make sure you get a smooth batter that is free of lumps. The batter should be thin, but not watery. Drop the batter into the well-heated pan in not more than ¼ cup amounts (smaller amounts for smaller pancakes). Brown both sides. Butter lavishly, and pour a generous amount of the hot sorghum over the pancakes before serving. |
1 1/2 cups of sorghum syrup In a sauce pan, boil the syrup until it forms hard drops when dropped into cold water. Remove the syrup from the heat, and stir in the other ingredients. Pour the mixture into buttered pans to a depth of 1/2; to ¾ inches. When it is cooled, cut it into serving sized pieces. |
The hams normally bought in groceries are sugar cured hams. The label will indicate "water added". These hams are ready for baking. Country hams are salt cured, and should look dehydrated. They need preparation before baking.
Place the country ham in the bottom of
a large container and fill it with water. Place the container
in the refrigerator and let sit for 12-24 hours. Then remove the
ham, pour out the water, and clean the container. Put the ham
back in the container and fill with water. Bring the water to
a near boil, reduce the heat, and cook for several hours on simmer
until the ham is completely tender. Remove the ham. You should
now be able to remove the rind, which is inedible. Put the ham
in an oven which is preheated to 350 degrees F. and cook until
it is hot. This tasty ham now awaits your pleasure.
Catfish is no longer exclusively a southern dish. But it is
natural that they would be first used as a food fish in the South;
they flourish in the fresh water streams and lakes of the Gulf
Coast states and the Mississippi valley. There are three main
types, the bullhead and the more important blue catfish, or chucklehead,
and the highly prized channel catfish.
Nowadays, most catfish are grown commercially in specially
constructed ponds. These fish are grown under carefully controlled
conditions, and their meat is of much better quality and taste
than that of the wild fish. Although the South may have more catfish
farms than elsewhere, the fish are now grown in other parts of
the country, and even in Canada.
Frying is the traditional method of cooking catfish. In the
South, fish is frequently served with HUSH PUPPIES which
are prepared by frying corn meal dough, which is usually seasoned
with onions. Hush puppies were originally fried in the oil that
was used to cook the fish. According to legend, some of the hush
puppies were used as treats for the family dogs, which were eager
to participate in the feast.
The modern commercially produced catfish can be used in a variety
of dishes. For recipes and more information, see The Catfish Institute.
Cassoulet is a white kidney bean dish which originated as a
country dish in the Languedoc region of France. It was originally
cooked in an earthenware dish called a cassole d'Issel,
and that is how it got its name. The dish spread to many regions
of France, and there are many recipes for it. Each region considers
their version to be the true masterpiece. The following is my
own adaptation of the dish. While it might not meet the approval
of the great French chefs, my guests have always enjoyed it, and
the fact is, I do not usually entertain French chefs, great or
otherwise.
| 1 pound dried Great Northern beans,
picked over, rinsed in boiling water, and drained 1 quart of good canned beef broth, such as Swansons 2 onions, chopped 1 cup of finely chopped celery 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 garlic clove, finely chopped (optional) Bouquet Garni: one onion stuck with 2 cloves and one bay leaf securely tied in cheesecloth 1 16 oz can of chopped tomatoes 1 8 oz can tomato paste (optional) 1 pound center cut ham slice 4-5 slices of salt pork, cooked until crisp, and drained 5-6 medium pork chops, browned and drained 1 pound pork sausage, formed into patties, fried, and drained 1 tsp thyme 4 tbsp margarine Melt the margarine in a large dutch oven, add the onions, celery, and garlic and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender but not brown. Place the ham slice in the bottom of the dutch oven, place the Bouquet Garni on top of it, add the beans, then add the beef broth and salt pork. Bring to a hard boil, turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Check often, and add more beef broth if needed to keep the liquid level above the level of the beans. Cook the beans over medium heat for 1 hour keeping check of the liquid level and adding more broth if needed, then carefully stir in the carrots. Continue cooking until the beans are tender but firm. Remove the Bouquet Garni. Remove the ham slice, cube the meat, add it to the mixture, and discard the bone. Turn the bean mixture into a large 5-6 quart covered baking dish, carefully stir in the other ingredients, cover, and bake for 1 1/2; to 2 hours in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees F. Serve with hot rolls. |
Sauerkraut is most likely to be popular in places where there
is a German influence, such as the area of Alabama where I grew
up.
Authentic sauerkraut can only be made by fermenting cabbage
in a crock; an old fashioned crockery churn is ideal. You may
be able to find one of these in a specialty shop. You will probably
have to work hard to find real sauerkraut in stores; most commercial
brands are apparently made by some short-cut method, and are not
fit to eat. Here is how to make your own.
| 1 large crock Cabbage (enough to fill the crock) 2 oz pure granulated salt for each 5 pounds of cabbage
Remove outer and discolored leaves from the cabbage heads.
Wash and drain. Cut the heads into quarters, and remove the cores. Shred the cabbage finely. In a
large container, thoroughly mix 5 pounds of cabbage with 2 oz of salt. Pack the cabbage gently
but firmly into the crock. Repeat this process with the rest of the cabbage until there is only 3-4
inches of space left in the top of the crock. Cover the cabbage with a clean white cloth; tuck
edges of the cloth against the sides of the container. Cover the crock with some kind of lid which
will keep the air away from the cabbage. Place a weight on the lid. Store in a clean, warm place.
Check the cabbage daily. You will see bubbles when fermentation begins. Each day, remove any
scum which forms on the cabbage, and wash the cloth when necessary. Curing time will vary, and
could be from 2 to 6 weeks. |
Keep opened jars of sauerkraut in the refrigerator.
On Southern Cooking - Main Page
William J. Gray, bgray@gp.as.ua.edu ... Last update 12/18/98