Song of the south collard greens and rice

The food of the American South is anything but simple. To dismiss it as a jumble of grits, biscuits and pecan pie is to fall far short of the truth. In fact, the food of the American South is lively and complex, as colorful and varied as its inhabitants.

”Around the Southern Table” by Sarah Belk (Simon & Schuster, $24.95), focuses in on the South, a region that largely has been overshadowed by other regions in the emphasis on American cooking of the last decade.

Thirteen states are included, from Maryland to Florida, South Carolina to Arkansas. The broad geographic range couples with an ethnic diversity that includes Anglo-Saxon, French, Creole, African and American Indian imprints. The result is a cuisine of depth and diversity that is familiar to most of us, yet still has the ability to surprise with new twists.

Belk, an editor of Bon Appetit magazine who lives in New York, is Southern born and bred. But quoting Woodrow Wilson, she writes, ”A man`s rootage is more important than his leafage.” Thus, the food of the South is part of her heritage and she remains true to many of the traditions that have shaped that region`s cuisine. Recipes such as buttermilk biscuits, dirty brown rice and ham with red-eye cream, all classics in the annals of Southern cooking, are on the roster of her book.

But contemporary tastes and trends haven`t escaped notice, and Belk carefully applies them to the food and cooking of the South. And so it is that balsamic vinegar and capers are used to finish shad roe; burgoo stew is made from lamb and fennel; classic biscuits are made with olive oil and chess pies are reinterpreted as white chocolate chess tartlets.

Traditionalists may protest that some of Belk`s more offbeat combinations are nothing short of heretical. By way of explanation, Belk writes,

”Generally, we no longer want food that is as sweet, salty or fatty as it was 100 years ago, so why not let the dishes evolve?”

The changes mandated by Belk haven`t been made purely for the sake of change nor does their intent seem to be to surprise. As a result, the juxtaposition of the old and the new works.

Despite the contemporary bent she applies to the food, Belk clings to the legends and lore of Southern food. Brief snippets of history are recorded in her chapter introductions and in the lengthy blurbs that precede each recipe. She also uses them as a forum to explain whence her contemporized culinary innovations come.

Intrigued by Belk`s mixing of the old ways and the new, we tried a number of recipes from the book. In each case, we were rewarded with a recipe that was easy to follow, accurate and most importantly, tasted good. Here are several, reprinted as they appear in the book.

SPICY FRIED CHICKEN

Serves 4

2 cups buttermilk, preferably salt-free

4-6 medium cloves garlic, smashed with flat side of a kinfe

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 3-pound fryer, cut into eighths

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4-1 1/4 teaspoons ground red pepper (cayenne)

Safflower oil, or other vegetable oil for frying

1. In a shallow, non-aluminum dish, combine first 5 ingredients. Add chicken and toss once to coat. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight, turning once or twice.

2. Place chicken pieces on a rack to drain slightly but do not pat dry.

3. In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt, black pepper and red pepper. Toss chicken in flour mixture and place on a clean rack or a baking sheet. Toss each piece again, shake off excess flour and set aside at cool room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

4. In 2 large heavy skillets or 1 electric skillet, heat enough oil to reach a 1/2-inch depth to 350 degrees to 360 degrees. Add chicken pieces to hot oil one by one. Adjust temperature so oil remains between 300 degrees and 320 degrees. Cook, turning once with tongs, 10 to 12 minutes per side or until juices run clear when pierced in the thickest part. Transfer pieces as they are done to paper towels. Serve hot or warm.

SAUTEED COLLARD GREENS WITH DIJON MUSTARD AND SOUR CREAM

Serves 4

1-1 1/4 pounds collard greens

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium-sized yellow onion, very finely diced

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Pinch of ground red pepper

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Remove coarse stems from greens and discard. Wash leaves thoroughly and drain well. Stack leaves and cut crosswise, then cut lengthwise into 1-inch pieces.

2. Drop the greens into a large pot of lightly salted boiling water. Cook, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes, or until just tender. Timing will depend on age and size of greens. Drain thoroughly.

3. Meanwhile, in a large, non-aluminum skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, cover and cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes or until softened. Add drained greens and toss to coat.

4. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mustard and red pepper with a fork. Add to greens and cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes or until liquid has almost evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.

SAUTEED HOMINY WITH COUNTRY HAM

Serves 2 to 3

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (less if using a non-stick skillet)

1/3 cup diced or julienned Smithfield or other dry-cured country ham

1 can (15 1/2 ounces) cooked hominy, drained

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add ham and saute 2 to 3 minutes or until ham edges are crisp and deep golden- brown. Push ham to one side of skillet (or remove it and keep warm). Lower heat to medium.

2. Add remaining butter and the hominy to the skillet and toss hominy several times, scraping bottom of pan to loosen the flavorful ham bits. Cover and cook 1 minute or until heated through. Add ham and toss; serve hot, sprinkled with pepper.

RICE SALAD WITH PECAN AND CURRY VINAIGRETTE

Makes 4 cups

Rice salad:

2 1/4 cups water

1 teaspoons salt or to taste

1 7-ounce package uncooked Wild Pecan Rice

1/4 cup uncooked wild rice

1/4 cup golden raisins

3 tablespoons very finely minced green onions

Dressing:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons light olive oil

2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon curry powder

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1. To make the rice salad: In a medium saucepan bring water and the salt to a boil. Add Wild Pecan Rice and wild rice. Lower heat, simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered 5 minutes. Add raisins, fluff with a fork to mix then let cool to room temperature. When cooled, add green onions.

2. To make the dressing: In a small bowl, mix the oils, vinegar, curry powder and salt and pepper. Add to the rice mixture and toss just until rice is lightly coated. Stir in pecans. Adjust seasoning. –

Top 10 song of the south collard greens and rice edited by Family Cuisine