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Chicken Fried Steak
Ingredients
6 cube steaks
1/2 cup of vegetable or canola oil, plus 2 tablespoons of bacon fat
2 cups of self rising flour, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons of seasoning salt (like Lawry's)
1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
1 cup of milk
2 eggs
Couple dashes of hot sauce, optional
2 tablespoons butter, along with pan drippings to equal 1/4 cup
Reserved 1/4 cup of seasoned flour
1-1/2 to 2 cups of milk
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to the lowest setting to hold cooked steaks. Place a rack on top of a baking sheet and set aside. Heat the oil and bacon fat in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium to medium high.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, seasoning salt, pepper and garlic powder; remove and set aside 1/4 cup of the seasoned flour mixture. In another bowl, beat the 1 cup of milk with the two eggs and hot sauce. Lightly sprinkle the cube steaks with the Cajun seasoning and pound the seasoning in. Cut into smaller serving pieces, if desired.
Dredge the steaks first in the seasoned flour, shaking to remove the excess flour, then dip them into the egg wash, and back into the flour; set aside on a platter while oil is heating. Carefully slide the meat into the hot oil, immediately moving it around to make sure it does not stick. Cook the cube steaks in batches over a medium to medium high heat until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Place the cooked steaks on the prepared rack and keep warm in the oven.
For the gravy, add enough butter to the pan drippings to equal 1/4 cup of fat. Sprinkle in the reserved 1/4 cup of seasoned flour, and using a wooden spoon, cook and stir constantly, scraping up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook until mixture is blended in and a very light blond color.
Begin whisking in 1-1/2 cups of milk very quickly, bring to a boil and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken. Adjust consistency as needed by adding more milk. Season gravy with salt and pepper; taste and adjust. Retrieve the steaks from the oven, place one or two on each plate and spoon a bit of the gravy across the center of the steak. Serve with mashed potatoes and southern green beans.
Cook's Notes: When you add the Cajun seasoning and pound the steaks, be sure to pound them thin as they do tend to swell up as they cook. Use self rising flour because it gives a crunchier crust, but you may substitute plain all purpose flour also. Don't be tempted to overcook the meat or it will be tough. Length of time will depend on how thick they are but generally no more than 4 to 5 minutes per side for even the thickest steaks is all that is needed. The cube steaks may also be cut into strips and breaded as steak fingers.
Variations: Bring gravy to a near boil, reduce heat to simmer and place steaks into the gravy, turning to coat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer on medium low for 15 to 20 minutes, turning at least once. May also finish in the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the browned steaks into a casserole dish. Pour gravy on top, cover and bake for about 20 minutes. May also add sauteed onion on top of the steaks before pouring on the gravy, if desired.
Shortcut: To make a quick gravy, after removing the steaks from the skillet, stir in one can of cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 soup can of water.
Chicken And Dumpling Casserole
Ingredients:
3-4 cups of cooked chicken
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter
1 cup of self-rising flour (see note)
1 cup of milk
2 cups of chicken stock/broth (low sodium is best)
1 (10.75 ounce) can of original condensed cream of chicken soup
Instructions:
If you are using fresh, raw chicken, please see cook's notes at the bottom of the recipe. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt 1/2 stick of butter and pour into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Shred the chicken and spread it on top of the butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and the flour and slowly pour that over the chicken taking care not to disturb the chicken too much. Do not stir. Whisk together the chicken broth and the cream of chicken soup. Slowly pour that over the flour and milk mixture. Do not stir.
Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes, or until top is light golden brown. All ovens vary. Let casserole rest before serving.
Cooks Notes: Use fresh self-rising flour, otherwise, to substitute all purpose flour, use 1 cup of flour and add 1-1/4 teaspoon of baking powder plus 1/8 teaspoons of salt. Leftovers reheat nicely, but casserole does not freeze well. Use rotisserie chicken, leftover precooked chicken, canned chicken or 3 to 5 pieces of raw chicken - chicken breasts, mixed chicken parts. When using other sources of chicken other than freshly cooked, such as canned or a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, they are already fairly salty, so keep that in mind with the other products you are using containing sodium (broth, soup).
How to Poach Raw Chicken: Heat 3 to 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts and 2-1/2 cups of chicken broth or stock in a medium sized saucepan. Cook on a low simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is mostly done. It will finish cooking in the oven. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool but reserve the broth from the saucepan. Once cooled, chop or shred. May also use water and bouillon in place of the broth.
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole: Make this an all-in-one meal by adding drained canned mixed veggies, or cooked/steamed frozen or fresh veggies. Cook 2 sliced carrots, 2 sliced celery stalks, a diced potato and a chopped onion, in about 3 cups of chicken broth. If using water and bouillon, may season the water with bay leaf, herbs or other non-salt seasonings. When the veggies are tender, drain but reserve the broth. Put the veggies on top of the shredded chicken and add about 1-1/2 cups of frozen peas. Finished as above, using the reserved broth from the veggies.
Southern Collard Greens
Ingredients
2 large bunches of collard greens, cleaned rinsed and chopped
2 pounds smoked meat (ham hocks,smoked turkey legs, wings, or smoked neck bones)
Water to cover plus an inch
2 large pinches of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
1 cup of chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Couple dashes of hot sauce
2 cups of chicken broth
1-2 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon bacon drippings or oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon of butter
Remnants of leftover ham
Additional chicken broth, if needed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Vinegar pepper sauce, for the table
Hoecakes or Cornmeal Dumplings
Instructions
Slash the ham hocks lightly with a knife. Put in a large stock pot and cover them with water, plus about an inch. Add the salt, Cajun seasoning, onion, garlic and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour.
While the ham hocks are simmering, strip, wash, drain and chop the collards; set aside.
To the ham hocks, add the greens, chicken broth, sugar, bacon fat or oil, vinegar, soy sauce, butter, and ham remnants. Cook the greens down, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 30 to 45 minutes if you like them firmer; 1-1/2 to 2 hours, if you like them more cooked down, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, if liquid cooks down too low. Taste, season with additional salt and pepper as needed; sprinkle with dried pepper flakes, if desired.
Serve with cornbread or hoe cakes and vinegar pepper sauce at the table.
Cook's Notes: If preparing cornmeal dumplings below, increase water in greens to cover plus 3 inches. To prepare turnip greens, peel and dice the turnip root and add that in with the ham hock after it has cooked about 30 minutes and while you strip, wash and chop the greens. Proceed with the recipe as above.
Pot Likker Soup: Prepare as above, except after stewing ham hocks, instead of 2 cups chicken broth, use a total of 8 cups of chicken, pork, vegetable broth and/or water, or a combination. May also add additional vegetables, such as celery, diced red potatoes, corn, diced carrots, field peas and other southern peas.
Cornmeal Dumplings
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of all-purpose cornmeal
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
2 tablespoons of buttermilk
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1 large egg
Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl beat together the buttermilk, oil and egg; add to dry ingredients and gently stir to combine. Using a slotted spoon, remove the greens from the pot likker and set aside in a large bowl. Bring the liquid to a boil and using a small cookie scoop or kitchen spoon, drop dumplings into the hot liquid. Return to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low, cooking for 10 minutes without lifting the lid. Check, recover and cook longer if needed.
Southern Style Turnip Greens
Ingredients
1 large bunch of turnip greens or a 1-pound package of prewashed and chopped
2 ounces of salt pork, cubed
2 quarts of water
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of beef base or bouillon
1 tablespoon of bacon fat or butter
Splash of apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pickled onions, optional
Hot pepper vinegar sauce, for the table
Hot sauce, for the table
Instructions
Clean the greens by breaking off large stems. Rinse well in clean water, several times to remove any grit or sand. Chop into small pieces, rinse again and drain well in a colander; set aside. Rinse the salt pork and cube. Add the water, salt pork, salt, sugar, beef base, bacon fat or butter and vinegar to a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the greens, return to a boil, reduce to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes to 1-1/2 hours, depending on texture and tenderness desired; stir occasionally. Taste, season with salt and pepper. Serve with cornbread and pass pickled onions, hot pepper vinegar sauce and hot sauce at the table.
Cook's Notes: May also be used for collards and mustard greens, or a mixture of any of the three. Trim any rind off of the salt pork before using. May also substitute streak o' lean (fried salt pork), or smoked ham hocks, hog jowl, ham or turkey. Allow the hocks or smoked meats to slow simmer in the water for about an hour, or until the meat breaks away, then proceed with greens.
Turnip Roots: Peel, cube and rinse the roots well. Add to the pot in the last 30 minutes of cooking time.
Country Style Pork Chops In Gravy
Ingredients
6 bone-in pork chops, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
Cajun seasoning, to taste
About 1-1/2 cups of self rising flour
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
Cooking oil (vegetable, canola, etc) for the frying pan
2 to 2-1/2 cups of water
Instructions
Rinse pork chops and set on a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle the chops lightly with Cajun seasoning on both sides. Whisk together the flour, garlic powder and pepper; remove 2 tablespoons of the seasoned flour and set aside. Coat the chops in the remaining flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Allow to rest on a rack at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
Warm the water and set aside. Meanwhile, heat about 1/4 inch of canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, brown the chops on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Do in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet. Remove the chops and set aside.
For the gravy, very carefully remove all but 3 tablespoons of oil from the skillet. Over medium heat, stir in the 2 tablespoons of reserved seasoned flour into the hot oil; cook and stir over medium heat until browned, about 3 minutes.
Slowly stir in the warm water, adding only enough water to create a gravy. You may not need all of the water. Bring the gravy to a boil, cooking and stirring about 2-3 minutes, or until nicely thickened. Reduce heat to medium low, return the chops to skillet, cover and simmer (do not boil) for about 8 minutes, or until chops are cooked through.
Serve with hot rice and a green vegetable or mixed garden salad.
Fried Chicken With Peppered Milk Gravy
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved and pounded flat (for 8 cutlets)
1/2 teaspoon of Creole or Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste
2 cups of self rising flour
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup of milk
2 large eggs
One-half inch of cooking oil (canola, vegetable) for the skillet, plus 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings
For the Gravy:
1/4 cup of reserved pan drippings
1/4 cup of reserved seasoned flour
1-1/2 to 2 cups of milk
1 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
Use a rubber mallet to gently pound the thicker part of the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap until breast is flattened and even. Cut in half to make 8 cutlets, and season both sides with Cajun seasoning. Place a rack over a baking sheet covered with paper towels; set aside.
Whisk together the flour, salt and pepper; remove and set aside 1/4 cup of the seasoned flour mixture for the gravy. Beat the cup of milk with 2 large eggs for an egg wash. Dip the chicken into the seasoned flour, the egg wash and back in the flour, shaking to remove any excess flour. Let cutlets rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
Heat the cooking oil and bacon fat in a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet over a medium high heat. Cook the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet, until browned on the bottom; turn and finish cooking until golden brown and cooked through. Place onto the rack of the prepared pan and tent very loosely with aluminum foil to hold.
Remove all of the oil from the skillet except for 1/4 cup, and over medium heat, sprinkle in the 1/4 cup of reserved seasoned flour a little at a time. Cook, stirring constantly until a light blond color. Slowly whisk in 1-1/2 cups of milk until fully incorporated and until mixture begins to thicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let cook for a few minutes, adding additional milk, if needed, to reach desired consistency. Taste, season with salt and plenty of pepper and adjust as needed.
Place a piece of chicken on each plate and spoon a bit of the gravy across the center of the chicken. Serve immediately with homemade mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.
Tip: To substitute for self rising flour, use 2 cups of all purpose flour with 1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder; add salt and pepper and proceed as above. To speed up the process, remove 1/4 cup of the pan drippings and start the gravy in another skillet while the last batch of chicken is cooking. Brining also makes a difference with chicken, so if you have time, brine the chicken in advance. Place into a zipper bag filled with water and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt for about 2 hours. Drain well and proceed.
Saltine Variation: Increase flour to 4 cups and season with salt and pepper; take out 1/4 cup of the seasoned flour and set that aside for the gravy. Divide the remaining seasoned flour into 2 bowls. Crush one sleeve of saltine crackers fine and mix with one bowl of the flour. Whisk together milk and egg. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour. Dip into the egg wash and dredge in the cracker crumb mixture. Set on a rack until ready to fry.
Southern Fried Catfish
Ingredients
2 to 3 pounds of catfish fillets, cut into strips
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning, or to taste, optional
1/2 cup of self rising flour
2 cups of all purpose yellow cornmeal
Canola oil for frying
Hot sauce, for the table
Instructions
Rinse the fillets and pat dry. Cut into half crosswise and then cut each fillet into three to four strips lengthwise. Season fish on both sides with salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and Old Bay. Preheat the fryer to 375 degrees F and let the fillets rest while the fryer heats up.
Whisk the flour and cornmeal together in a large bowl until well blended. Dip the catfish fillets in the mixture until well coated, shake off any excess and set aside. Once the oil is heated up, drop the fillets into the fryer with the basket lowered, but only a few at a time so as not to overcrowd them. Fry for about 4 to 6 minutes, or until fish floats and is golden brown. Drain on several layers of paper towels before transferring to a platter or individual plates. Serve with hot sauce at the table for sprinkling on the fillets. Great with cheese grits and homestyle tomato gravy, greens and Tabasco pepper sauce, and a pile of hushpuppies, and a little coleslaw wouldn't hurt either.
Cook's Notes: You may substitute cornmeal mix if you prefer, however it does already contain salt, leavening and flour, so omit the self rising flour and reduce the salt you would use with all purpose cornmeal. Use White Lily Buttermilk Cornmeal Mix. May also use a deep, heavy bottomed pot, or large iron skillet, and enough vegetable or canola oil to fully cover the fillets.
Variation: Make a mixture of Creole mustard and yellow mustard, about 1/4 cup total. Beat an egg with just a splash of milk and stir into the mustard. Brush both sides of the catfish with the mustard before dredging in the flour/cornmeal mixture and frying.
Tip: Frozen catfish often has a muddy flavor to it. You may be able to counter that by purchasing only catfish from the U.S., removing any fat and/or "dark meat" that is present on the fillets and soaking them for 30 minutes at room temperature in a salt water brine. For 1 quart of water, use 1 tablespoon of salt.
Pinto Beans And Rice
Ingredients
1 pound of dry pinto beans, soaked overnight, picked through and rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups of chopped, cooked ham, 1/2 pound package of smoked sausage or andouille sausage, or 1/2 pound of bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup of chopped celery
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chicken base (like Better than Bouillon brand)
1/4 cup of chopped pickled jalapeno slices
1/4 cup of green or red salsa, optional
About 10 turns of the pepper mill
1 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Creole or Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama)
Hot, cooked rice
Instructions
Soak beans overnight, or use quick boil method. If you are using bacon, or bacon in combination with other meats, omit the oil and saute the bacon first before the other meats. Use the rendered fat to saute the vegetables. Otherwise, heat the oil in a stockpot and add the ham or sausage, cooking until browned. Add the chopped onion and celery and cook and stir until onion is softened and slightly caramelized. Add the minced garlic and cook for about a minute. Stir in the beans, chicken base, jalapenos, salsa and pepper; add enough water to cover, plus about 2 inches (about 2-1/2 quarts total) and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring regularly. Add additional water 1/2 cup at a time only if the beans thicken too much. Add salt and Cajun seasoning, taste and adjust as needed. Remove a cup of the beans and use an immersion blender to puree, or mash them with a fork, returning them to the pot; stir.
Serve as a side dish or scoop beans over hot, cooked rice and serve topped with Chow Chow if desired. Add a big slice of hot buttered southern style skillet cornbread, hoecakes or even a yeast roll, and maybe even some greens on the side.
Cook’s Notes: You'll get a lighter colored bean if you pre-soak them, darker if you simply cook them without soaking, however, they will take longer to cook. Older beans tend to also take longer, so the fresher your beans, the less time they generally will take.
Quick Boil Method: Rinse and sort beans and place into a deep pot, adding water to cover beans plus about an inch or so. Do not add any seasonings or salt! Bring to a boil; boil for 5 minutes uncovered, turn off heat, cover and let soak for one hour. Drain and set aside.
Crockpot: Soak beans overnight, drain and rinse and place into crockpot. Saute meats and veggies; add to crockpot. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients, except for the salt, Cajun seasoning, and rice. Cook on high until beans are tender, 6 to 8 hours, or low 9 to 12 hours. Length of time will depend on freshness of beans. When done, remove 1 cup of beans and mash, return to the crockpot and stir in.
Creole Jambalaya
Ingredients
1 pound andouille sausage, smoked sausage, or ham, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 (28 ounce) can of whole tomatoes, undrained
1 (10 ounce) can of Rotel tomatoes, undrained
4 cups of chicken stock or broth
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of dried basil
Palmful of dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, or to taste
4 cups of uncooked, long grain rice
3 tablespoons of butter, cut into slices (can omit if using dark or mixed chicken)
1 pound of raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined
Old Bay seasoning
Chopped parsley, to garnish
Hot pepper sauce, for the table
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut up sausage, onion, bell pepper and garlic; set aside.
Sprinkle the whole chicken breasts with salt and pepper and brown in oil over medium to medium high heat in a 6 quart cast iron dutch oven that has a lid. Don't overcook! Remove chicken and set aside to cool. Once cool, coarsely chop into bite sized pieces. To the dutch oven, add the chopped sausage and cook until browned; remove and set aside.
Add additional oil as needed to bring up to a tablespoon. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly until lightly browned. Do not burn! Add onion and bell pepper and saute a few minutes until softened. Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic, cooking another minute. Using kitchen shears, roughly chop the tomatoes right in the can, then carefully stir them into the veggie/roux mixture, add the Rotel tomatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, thyme, basil, parsley, Cajun seasoning, white pepper, and cayenne, bring back up to a boil. Add the rice and stir in. Return to a boil. Add the chicken and sausage, dot the top with butter, stir, cover the pot and place it into the oven. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until the majority of liquid is absorbed.
Remove, stir, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Sprinkle the shrimp lightly with Old Bay seasoning, stir the shrimp into the rice mixture and return to the oven to bake until liquid is absorbed and shrimp are cooked through. Fluff with a large serving fork.
Scoop onto plates, garnish with a bit of parsley, add a side salad or a green veggie, and pass hot pepper sauce at the table. Makes a massive amount of jambalaya. Reheat leftovers covered in the microwave.
Lighten it up: Substitute turkey smoked sausage and use non-stick cooking spray to brown the meats instead of oil. For the roux, omit the oil, use a bit more spray, and just brown the flour in the dutch oven long enough to cook the flour, about 5 minutes. Whisk in a bit of water to form a gravy and add a splash of Kitchen Bouquet. Omit the butter at the end.
Fried Greem Tomatoes
Ingredients
2 large green tomatoes, or more as needed, preferably right off the vine
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Buttermilk, to cover
1/4 cup or more of bacon fat or frying oil
1 cup of cornmeal, more or less as needed
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning
Instructions
Place a rack over a pan covered in paper towels; set aside. Slice the tomatoes into thick slices - 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Season generously with salt and pepper and let sit for 5 minutes. Place into a small, shallow bowl and cover with buttermilk. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes or longer.
Heat bacon fat or oil over medium high heat. Mix the corn meal with the flour and Cajun seasoning on a plate. Remove the tomato slices from the buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Dredge in the cornmeal mixture, coating both sides and edges. Place immediately into the hot fat, frying for about 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown, turning only once. Don't crowd the pan ... give them plenty of room to groove!
Drain on the rack, sprinkle immediately with kosher salt as they come out of the pan and serve right away. Can also place into a low oven to keep warm if necessary. Continue with remaining slices, adding additional bacon fat to the skillet as needed. Tomatoes should be crisp, not soggy.
Serve just plain, with a dab of mayo, Comeback Sauce, Lazy Man's KetMayo Sauce, Spicy Mustard Sauce, White Rémoulade Sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
Cook's Notes: Can double dip in the buttermilk/flour mixture if desired, however this does make for a thicker crust. If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute regular milk, however, you will need to add a little more flour in with your cornmeal to help the cornmeal adhere.
Sweet Tea
Ingredients
2 quarts of water
1/2 to 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, or to taste
5 or 6 individual Luzianne tea bags
Instructions
Combine water and sugar in a large saucepan, whisk together and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add the tea bags, cover and steep for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags, let cool slightly, then pour into a half gallon pitcher. Do not add additional water or ice. Pour over ice filled glasses to serve.
Cook's Notes: Double for a gallon. You can also prepare the simple syrup in the microwave if you have a large enough lidded microwave safe container. Six teabags makes a more robust flavor; two family sized tea bags may be substituted.
Cane Sugar Sweet Iced Tea: Substitute turbinado 100% pure, raw cane sugar for the granulated sugar.
Sweet Tea Syrup Concentrate: Prepare simple syrup as above except use 3 cups each of water and sugar and increase tea bags to 10-12, depending on strength desired. Steep 15 minutes and let cool. Do not add ice or water. Refrigerate. Use 3/4 cup of the syrup (or to taste) to 6 cups of water to a make 1-1/2 quart pitcher. For individual glasses, fill with ice and top off with ice cold water, spooning in several tablespoons according to color and taste.
Scalloped Potato Casserole
Ingredients
2 pounds potatoes, about 6 medium
1 medium clove garlic, smashed
1 large onion, sliced thin
1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
6 tablespoons of butter
1 cup whole milk
Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and Cajun seasoning (optional), to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly smash and peel the garlic; rub all over a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Butter the dish and set aside. Peel the potatoes and slice thin, about 1/4 inch. A mandolin works fantastic for this. Hold the potatoes in a bowl of cool water to which 1/2 teaspoon of salt has been added; set aside. Drain potatoes and transfer to a clean dish towel and pat to dry. Heat the remaining butter with the milk until the butter is melted and the milk hot.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion until cooked, but not browned. Layer 1/4 of the onion in the bottom of the baking dish. Add 1/2 of the potatoes on top of the onion. Split the remaining onion in half and set aside. Season potatoes with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning; top with half of the onion. Add the remaining potatoes, season and add remaining onions.
Pour the hot milk and butter combination evenly over the top of the casserole and bake at 425 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until top is browned, milk has been absorbed and potatoes are soft. Serves About 4 - double or triple for larger servings.
Cook's Notes: If you like the potatoes sliced thicker, or you don't have a mandolin, cut them about 1/4 inch thick, place them into a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat, remove pot from the burner, and let them sit in the water for 5 minutes. Drain well.
To Make This Au Gratin: For potatoes au gratin, add 2-1/2 cups of shredded Swiss, sharp Cheddar cheese, or use your favorite cheeses or any combination of cheeses. Omit the onion if desired, divide the cheese into thirds, setting aside one third for topping the casserole. Layer 1/2 of the potatoes in the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle about 1/3 of the remaining cheese on top. Repeat the layer of potatoes, salt and pepper and another 1/3 of the cheese. Reserve the last 1/3 of the shredded cheese for the last few minutes of cooking when you'll return the casserole to the oven for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.