Texas Home Cooking
Page 34
2 pounds cooked navy beans or other white beans
1½ cups tomato juice
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
¾ cup dark brown sugar
¾ cup strong black coffee
½ medium red onion, chopped
½ cup ketchup
½ cup bourbon
4 slices slab bacon, chopped
1 carrot, grated fine
2 tablespoons unsulphured dark molasses
2 tablespoons dry mustard
Serves 8 to 10
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour the ingredients into a baking dish. Bake the beans, uncovered, about 1½ hours, or until they have thickened and cooked down, with a "skin" just beginning to form on the top of the beans. The beans reheat well and keep for several days.
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Many people know they should eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day for good luck during the year, but no one seems to know who made this fortunate discovery. Some writers credit farmers in Athens, Texas, the "Black-Eyed Pea Capital of the World" and home of the annual Black-Eyed Pea Jamboree. The idea may be older than Athens, however; one pea popper says it's an ancient custom in Egypt and India.
* * *
Prime-Time Mashed Potatoes
These are our special-occasion mashed potatoes, wonderfully fluffy but very rich. For everyday eating, we substitute more milk for the half-and-half and cut down the butter by several tablespoons.
2 pounds baking potatoes, scrubbed, half of them peeled
1 tablespoon salt
6
to
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk
½ cup half-and-half
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Serves 6 to 8
Place the potatoes in a large, heavy pan, and cover them with water by at least 1 inch. Add the salt. Cook the potatoes over moderate heat until they are tender, about 25 to 35 minutes, depending upon their size. Drain the potatoes.
While the potatoes cool slightly, pour the milk and half-and-half into a medium pan, and scald them. Watch that the mixture doesn't foam over as it heats. Reserve the mixture, and keep it warm.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, rice or mash all but one of the potatoes back into their original pan. Cut the 1 reserved potato into chunks, and add it to the pan for a little lumpiness. Put the pan over low heat, and stir the potatoes continuously for 2 or 3 minutes to dry them out thoroughly.
Add 6 tablespoons of the butter, a tablespoon or two at a time, stirring well after each addition. Pour in about 1 cup of the warm milk mixture, about ¼ cup at a time, while continuing to stir. Add more if the potatoes can absorb it without becoming soupy. Stir in all or part of the remaining butter too, if the potatoes can absorb the additional fat. Taste the potatoes for seasoning, and add salt, if needed, and pepper.
Although they are best served right away, you can keep the potatoes up to 1 hour in the top of a double boiler. Serve them unadorned or topped with Classic Cream Gravy ([>]).
Variations: You can add 8 to 12 garlic cloves, or even more if you're a big fan of garlic, to the potatoes as they cook. Mash the cloves along with the potatoes when both are soft. Instead, or additionally, you can mix in a chopped, sautéed onion after you add the butter.
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Technique Tips
These hints apply to any mashed potato recipe:
Although waxy red potatoes have their advocates, mealy baking potatoes such as russets absorb liquid better.
To flavor the potatoes fully, use the amount of salt listed in the recipe.
Don't cool potatoes in their cooking water, or they'll taste watery.
Don't skip the drying stage. It will help the potatoes later absorb the milk and butter.
Recipes that give absolute amounts of milk and butter aren't realistic. Many factors, including the time of harvest, affect how much the potatoes will absorb well.
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Paris's Best French Fries
Anyone can fry potatoes, but few people know how to make memorable French fries. This is the way the best cooks in Paris, Texas, do it. The difference is some extra steps, all worth the time for superb taste and texture.
4
to
6 medium baking potatoes, peeled or unpeeled
Ice cubes
Peanut oil or lard for deep frying (see Technique Tip)
Salt, Cajun seasoning, or both
Serves 4
We prefer the peels on, and, besides, leaving them on means less work. Slice the potatoes into fat matchsticks, about ⅜ inch in diameter, and put them into a bowl of cold water. Place the bowl in the refrigerator. Soak the potatoes in the water for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours, to eliminate much of the starch.
Pour off the water, add more cold water to cover, and toss in a half-dozen ice cubes. Place the bowl in the refrigerator. Soak the potatoes in the ice water about 30 minutes, to firm them up again. Drain them well on a dish towel or paper towels, drying off each matchstick. Then roll up the potatoes in another dry towel. You want no remaining moisture.
In a large, heavy saucepan, heat 3 to 4 inches of oil to 340° F. Add the potatoes in batches, and partially fry them about 4 minutes. They should just begin to color. Drain the potatoes. This step can be done 30 to 40 minutes before eating.
Just before serving, reheat the oil to 360° F, and fry the potatoes again for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Drain the potatoes again. We favor shaking them in a brown-paper sack into which we have sprinkled the salt or Cajun seasoning. Serve the fries hot.
Variation: For "wet" Rio Grande-style French fries, ladle warm Chile con Queso ([>]) over the potatoes before serving them. If you want extra spice, top everything with jalapeño slices.
* * *
Technique Tip
Although lard breaks down at sustained high temperatures, it works well for the short cooking time of French fries and yields the crispiest results. Lard also adds a distinctive taste, which some folks like but doesn't seem to us to enhance the potatoes. Peanut oil, which is more healthful, produces a crisp fry too, and we think its flavor is a better complement for the potatoes.
* * *
* * *
Your grandmother probably didn't make French fries. They are largely a legacy of 1950s drive-in restaurants and their successors, the fast-food chains of today.
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Presidential Stuffed Potatoes
Stuffed or twice-baked potatoes rank just behind mashed and fried spuds as Texas favorites. Frequently they are flavored with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and maybe bacon or green onion. Henry Haller, who was the chef at the White House during the Lyndon Johnson administration, created a more imaginative version for the president and his family. Although the dish is not for dieters, this version is lighter than the original recipe.
6 small or 3 large baking potatoes
Oil, preferably corn or canola
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 slices slab bacon, chopped
½ cup sliced green onions
⅓
to
½ cup milk
½ cup sour cream
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon minced chives
¾
to
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Generous pinch of nutmeg
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Paprika
Serves 6
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Rub the potatoes well with the oil, and prick them with a fork so steam can escape. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour, or until they are soft when pierced through. Remove the potatoes, but leave the oven on.
In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the bacon, and fry it until it is browned and crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, drain it, and set it aside. Add the green onio
ns to the butter, and sauté them over low heat until they are softened.
Cut the warm potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the insides, and reserve the potato "shells." Rice the potatoes or beat them in a medium bowl until they are fluffy, adding ⅓ cup of the milk and mixing well. Stir in the sour cream, egg yolks, chives, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the remaining milk if the mixture seems dry.
Spoon the potato mixture back into the shells, mounding it attractively. The potatoes can be made ahead to this point, if they are covered and refrigerated, but plan to allow a few extra minutes of baking to compensate for the cold stuffing. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the potatoes, and add a healthy dash of paprika on top.
Transfer the potatoes to a baking dish, and bake them for 20 minutes, until they are heated through and lightly browned.
Jalapeño Potatoes
Inspired by a recipe in the 1968 Houston Junior League Cookbook this is what we cook when we have an urge for scalloped potatoes. The original was one of the earliest jalapeño recipes published for polite company.
3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled or unpeeled
1½ tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons unrefined corn oil or additional unsalted butter
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
8
to
10 green onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces pimientos, diced
⅓ cup pickled jalapeños, sliced, plus 1 tablespoon jalapeño pickling liquid
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups evaporated milk
2 cups (8 ounces) grated mild or medium cheddar cheese
Serves 6 to 8
Place the potatoes in a large, heavy pan, and cover them with water by at least 1 inch. Add the salt. Cook the potatoes over moderate heat until they are tender, about 25 to 35 minutes depending upon the size of the potatoes. Drain the potatoes, and, when they are cool enough to handle, slice them very thin.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a large baking dish.
Warm the butter and oil in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the bell pepper, onions, and garlic, and sauté them until they are softened. Stir in the pimientos, the jalapeños, and the jalapeño liquid. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, and mix it in. Pour the milk in gradually, stirring to avoid lumps. Simmer briefly until the mixture is thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, add the grated cheese, and mix well.
Alternate layers of potatoes and sauce in the baking dish, ending with some of the sauce. Cover the dish tightly, and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the potatoes are very soft and much of the sauce has been absorbed. Serve the potatoes hot.
The potatoes can be assembled a day ahead and refrigerated. Bring the dish back to room temperature before baking.
* * *
When Mary Faulk Koock opened her celebrated Green Pastures restaurant in Austin after World War II, she fed her children the same fine fare that the patrons got. After a couple of weeks of filet mignon the kids revolted, wailing that they wanted to go back to real food—pinto beans.
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Sweet and Savory Potato Salad
The Texas Constitution—or some serious authority at least—prohibits picnics without potato salad. This one will get you named in an amendment. It's made with mealy baking potatoes (such as russets), instead of the sturdier red tubers, so that some of the potato chunks will disintegrate.
6 medium baking potatoes, peeled
1½ cups mayonnaise
3
to
4 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon cider or white vinegar
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼
to
½ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
¼
to
½ teaspoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
6 green onions, sliced
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1
to
2 tablespoons milk, or more, for thinning
Serves 6 to 8
In a large pan of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes over high heat until they are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, rinse them in cold water, and drain them again. Set them aside to cool.
Combine the mayonnaise, pickle relish and juice, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and Tabasco in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside.
Place the green onions, eggs, and celery in a large bowl. Chop the cooled potatoes into bite-size chunks. Add the chunks to the bowl, mixing them gently with the other ingredients. Pour the mayonnaise mixture into the bowl, and stir until the ingredients are well blended. Taste your creation, adding a little more sweet pickle relish, mustard, vinegar, or salt to adjust it to your crowd. If the salad seems a little dry, add the milk, a tablespoon at a time. It should look moist but not soupy. Cover the salad, and chill it for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Serve the salad cold. It will keep well for several days.
Variation: You can substitute leftover mashed potatoes for the potato chunks. If you do, start with a couple of tablespoons less mayonnaise, adding more if you think it's needed. Leave out the milk completely.
A Dilly of a Potato Salad
This is a different style of potato salad from the sweet and savory version, but we like it just as well. We got the approach from Bobby Seale's Barbeque'n with Bobby, in which he attributes his inspiration to family traditions in East Texas.
4 medium baking potatoes, peeled
¾ cup mayonnaise
½ medium onion, chopped
⅓ cup chopped dill pickle, plus 1 tablespoon dill-pickle brine
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
½ green bell pepper, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons minced parsley
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
Dried or fresh dill, optional
Paprika, for garnish
Serves 6 to 8
In a large pan of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes over high heat until they are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, rinse them in cold water, and drain them again. Set them aside to cool.
Combine the mayonnaise, onion, dill pickle and brine, eggs, celery, green and red bell peppers, parsley, paprika, and salt in a large bowl. Cut the potatoes into bite-size chunks and stir them into the mixture. Taste the salad, adjusting the seasoning as you prefer. Add a little dill if you like an herby tang.
Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Sprinkle paprika generously over the salad shortly before serving it. Serve the salad cold. It keeps well for several days.
* * *
Potato salads have been around Texas almost as long as oil. We haven't found a single nineteenth- or early twentieth-century Texas cookbook that doesn't contain at least one recipe, and most have several.
* * *
German Hot Potato Salad
Red waxy potatoes, which hold their shape when cooked, are best for this warm salad. They're tossed with a heated, tangy-sweet dressing, which is fortified with a bavarian beer, if you like.
8 medium red potatoes, peeled or unpeeled
1½ celery ribs, chopped fine
½ green bell pepper, chopped fine
2 hard-boiled eggs, grated
¼ cup sliced green onions, tops only
4 slices slab bacon, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
¼ cup beer or unsalted chicke
n stock
6 tablespoons cider vinegar, preferably unrefined
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
Serves 6 to 8
In a large pan of boiling salted water, cook the potatoes over high heat until they are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, rinse them in cold water, and drain them again. Set them aside to cool.
Place the celery, bell pepper, eggs, and green onions in a large bowl. Slice the potatoes thick, and add them to the bowl.
In a skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until it is browned and crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon. Drain it, and set it aside. Add the onion and garlic to the warm bacon drippings, and cook them briefly, until they are softened. Sprinkle in the flour, mustard, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Pour in ½ cup of the beer or stock, the vinegar, and the sugar, and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the potato mixture, and toss to combine. The result should be moist but not runny. If the salad seems dry, add some or all of the remaining beer or chicken stock. Taste, and adjust the seasoning. The salad should have plenty of pizzazz from the vinegar but should not be overly tart. Add the bacon shortly before serving.