RECIPE: FLUFFY BEIGNETS

Pate a choux pastry is used to make all sorts of dessert deliciousness. Churros, éclairs, profiteroles, and even towering croquembouches are made from choux pastry. Beignets can also be made from choux but isn’t often used in the South; most chefs make the chewier, rolled yeast variety of beignets like they serve at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. I prefer a fluffy choux beignet which have been made famousby my buddy Panini Pete. If you make it to his place in Fairhope or Mobile, Alabama, you'll see an early morning line forming for Pete's beignets. They taste more like a hot doughnut and are delicious fried dough heaven. Sprinkled with Confectioners’ sugar while they are hot. Serve with a squeeze of lemon. These won’t hold well once your squeeze the lemon over them but then again, they’ll go so fast you won’t have to worry about that.

View fullsize

View fullsize

FLUFFY BEIGNETS

Prep Time: 12 minutes   Cook Time: 7-8 minutes per batch

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups water

6 ounces unsalted butter

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

6 eggs, room temperature

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Canola oil for frying

Food thermometer

Confectioners’ sugar and lemon wedges for garnish

DIRECTIONS: 

Put canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat and bring it to 350 degrees F.

Mix the salt into the flour.  

Put the water and butter in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the flour all at one time to combine and form dough which will pull away from the side of the pan. Switch to a wooden spoon. Add the eggs, two at a time, blending well with the wooden spoon between each addition. Beat the dough with the wooden spoon until it goes from ‘slippery’ and glossy to matte.  Add the vanilla and stir to incorporate.

Scoop the dough with a small ice cream scoop and place in the hot oil. Take care not to over crowd the pot or the temperature of the oil will drop and your beignets will soak up oil. Fry for 7-8 minutes, turning the beignets around frequently in the oil. Drain on paper toweling.

Serve warm with a dusting of Confectioners’ sugar and lemon, lime, or orange wedges.

RECIPE: TRADITIONAL MILK PUNCH

In certain areas of the South, you’ll most certainly find  Milk Punch on the menu for brunch, especially during the Christmas and Mardi Gras seasons. I always make them for Christmas morning and I cannot wait to have Milk Punch when I travel to New Orleans; it is one of my travel traditions. Favorites are from Commander’s Palace and Arnaud’s. The one pictured is from Tableau; so good, I had two.

This recipe can easily be doubled or multiplied for a crowd. For a big batch, pour the ingredients into a gallon container with a lid and shake well. Pour into a chilled silver or glass punch bowl and serve over crushed ice.

TRADITIONAL NEW ORLEANS STYLE MILK PUNCH

INGREDIENTS

Makes 1

1 ½ ounces brandy (brandy is traditional but you may use bourbon if you prefer)

½ ounce dark rum (optional)

2 ounces whole milk

¼ cup heavy cream (omit for a lighter drink)

½ ounce simple syrup* (substitute 1 tablespoon powdered sugar if you don’t have or want to make simple syrup for 1 drink)

1/4  teaspoon vanilla extract

Freshly grated nutmeg

Crushed ice

DIRECTIONS:

Put the brandy, rum, milk, cream, simple syrup, and vanilla into a cocktail shaker filled ½ full with ice. Shake until sugar is completely dissolved.

Strain into glasses of crushed ice. Grate nutmeg over the top and serve.

*To make simple syrup: Add equal parts granulated sugar and water to a pot, bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once it comes to a boil, immediately remove it from the heat and allow it to cool before using. Store up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

RECIPE: FRIED OKRA

You know those "you might be a redneck" jokes by Jeff Foxworthy? Well, I am sure there is one about growing and eating okra. Yes. I grow okra. And yes. I cannot wait to fry up the first batch each summer. Right now, I've got more okra than I can give away, in fact. Okra is a lot like zucchini. At first, you think it isn't going to grow and then you have so many, you cannot eat it all or give it away. People actually run when they see you coming with a basket full of zucchini or okra because they probably have more than they can eat at their house, too.

You really have to watch the okra in the garden. It can quickly get away from you if you are not careful and go from perfect to tough in a day. Whether picking it yourself or shopping for it at the store or farmer's market, you want the tender, young okra. Bigger is not better. The larger okra pods have tough husks and are too chewy.

Growing up, fried okra was always a real treat. To me, a freshly picked homegrown tomato, a pile of fried okra and a deviled egg or two on my plate is all I need to make a perfect summer supper. Growing up, my mom would put a bowl of fried okra on the table and we'd fight over it like candy. There was never enough.

Most folks use buttermilk for frying okra but I might use heavy cream if I have it in the fridge. Either one works but the buttermilk creates a different taste than the heavy cream does.

SOUTHERN FRIED OKRA

INGREDIENTS

4 cups fresh okra, sliced into 1/2" pieces (this is probably about a pound of okra)

1 1/2 cups buttermilk, heavy cream or whipping cream

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup self-rising cornmeal

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

scant pinch, cayenne pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS

Cut the tips and stem end off each okra pod and slice into 1/2" pieces.

Put the buttermilk or heavy cream into a bowl. Add the sliced okra. Let it soak for 15-20 minutes.

Make the dredge in a large bowl or zip top bag by combining the flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Shake or whisk to combine.

Working in small batches, use a slotted spoon or a strainer to remove the okra from the liquid. Add the drained okra to the cornmeal mixture. Toss well to coat evenly. Remove from the cornmeal mixture using a slotted spatula or a slotted spoon and shake it a bit to allow the excess cornmeal to fall off. (otherwise this excess will fall into the oil and burn as you are frying the okra) You want a light coating on the okra, not a heavy, solid breading like you often see with fried okra at restaurants. You want to be able to see the okra.

NOTE: I have frozen the okra at this point by spreading it out in a single layer on a sheet pan. Once frozen, I put it into single serving zip top bags and it is ready to fry when I need it. I doesn't keep well for a long period of time- use it within a month or so.

To fry: Add vegetable oil to 2" deep on your frying pan, cast iron skillet, or Dutch oven. I like canola oil. My mom used Crisco vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 360 degrees or test it by dropping a piece of okra in the hot oil. You want the okra to sizzle when you drop it into the oil but not too hot that it burns up before the okra is fully cooked.

Again, working in small batches, add a single layer of okra to the hot oil in the pan. Fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Repeat.

Check the seasoning- I usually add a sprinkle of salt when the okra comes out of the hot oil.