Hush Puckies

Batch of Hush Puckies on Paper Towel

Developed Summer, 2021. The stiff batter is first formed into balls by hand, then flattened, and then fried on both sides in shallow oil. Shaped like hockey pucks, they are 'hush puckies' in place of deep-fried round hush puppies. 

1 c hush puppy mix with onion (House-Autry™ is good)
1 (or 2 T) sugar
1 t granulated onion
1/2 c water
1 T vegetable oil 

1/2 c fry oil

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and then stir in the water, then the oil, until all are incorporated. Let stand 30 minutes in the refrigerator to hydrate and firm up. Add the fry oil to a 10-inch non-stick skillet (about 1/4  inch deep) and heat slowly to 350 F. Form a batch of four 1-inch balls, flatten to a 2-inch diameter, and place in the oil. Fry about two minutes until browned on edges, turn over and fry another minute or so until browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels, keep warm in a 200 F oven, and fry another batch. Pairs nicely with pulled pork, fried fish, or seafood. Makes about 10 pucks.

Steamed Then Shallow-Fried Potatoes

Pan-Fried Potatoes

Inspired by a similar dish served at Beachside Bistro in Kill Devil Hills, NC. They call them 'home fries'. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. Developed November, 2018.

12 oz (350 g) small red potatoes (about 1-1/4 oz or 35 g each)
vegetable oil
1/4 t (1 ml) granulated garlic
2 t (10 ml) dry rosemary
1 t coarse salt
1/4 t freshly-ground pepper

Steam the potatoes for 8 to 10 minutes until a paring knife goes in easily half-way. Spread on a kitchen towel and let cool and dry. When cool, quarter the potatoes. Heat 1/4 inch (5 mm) vegetable oil in a 10-inch heavy non-stick skillet to 375 degrees F (190 C). Cautiously, add the potatoes. Fry the potatoes, maintaining the temperature above 325 F (163 C), turning them occasionally. When browned and crispy on all sides, lift them from skillet with a spider, tongs, or a slotted spoon to a serving bowl. Toss with the seasonings and serve immediately. Serves 2 or 3.

Easy Carnitas (Double-Cooked Pork)

First prepared May, 2016. A simple method to prepare a flavorsome main dish or an ingredient in another.

2 lbs boneless pork shoulder or country-style ribs
water
1 t salt
1/2 t ground cumin

Cut pork into 1/2 inch pieces. Put meat and salt in a cold Dutch oven and barely cover with water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook covered over medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking with occasional stirring until all the water evaporates and the meat begins to sizzle in its fat. Continue cooking until browned and crisp. Drain and set aside. Serve as part of a meal with rice, beans, salsa, and tortillas or in a taco with toppings of your choice.

Crispy Batter for Fish, Chicken, or Vegetables

Developed August, 2017 from online examples. In hot oil, the batter puffs up and turns crispy and light, somewhat like a tempura batter. It works well for fish fillets or chicken strips, but is also good for vegetables such as mushrooms, green onions, onion rings. The water can be replaced with a lager or ale if desired.

3/4 c self-rising flour (White Lily™ is good)
1/4 c corn starch
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
2 t kosher salt
1 t sugar
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t garlic powder
3/4 c ice-cold water [or lager or ale]

Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl. Gently stir in liquid until smooth, let stand 10 minutes, and add additional liquid if needed. The consistency is correct when batter streams off the whisk without leaving a trail. Preheat 48 ounces of vegetable oil in a three-quart saucepan to 375 F (190 C). Dip fish, chicken, or vegetable pieces until completely covered, drain briefly, and add to hot fat. Cook small batches (about 1/3 pound) until lightly browned, remove with a spider or slotted spoon to drain, and keep warm in 200 F (90 C) oven. Offer lemon wedges and tartar sauce.

Schmaltz (Rendered Chicken Fat)

Recorded December, 2016. Fats and oils differ according to their differing contents of fatty acids. This is why various fats are preferred, such as lard in pie crusts or duck fat for frying potatoes. Chicken fat, often discarded when preparing chicken, can be rendered and reserved. It's fatty acid composition is almost identical to duck fat. It is especially valuable for making matzo balls or pan-roasting potatoes, and as a spread on a bread when dietary laws forbid butter. As you prepare chicken, accumulate and freeze the fatty trimmings until there are enough to do a batch.

8 to 12 oz fat and fatty skin trimmed from chicken

Chop the partially-thawed fat and skin coarsely and tranfer to a cold, non-stick 10-inch skillet. Heat over medium until the fat begins to melt and pool. Lower heat to medium-low, and slowly cook uncovered, turning the pieces of cracklings (gribenes, in Yiddish) as the fat renders out. Pour off the fat into a container from time to time and continue frying. When it appears that no more fat is being released, remove the cracklings to paper towels and salt lightly. Store fat in a closed container on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator. Variation: Fry sliced onions in the fat and use both together in savory dishes.

Pan Roasted Potatoes

Pan Roasted Potatoes with BBQ Turkey Thighs

Prepared Sept 22, 2013. Semolina is coarsely milled durum wheat. It contributes to the crispy brown crust. The smoky flavor from the paprika makes this a good side dish for grilled meats.

1 lb small white or yellow potatoes
3 T vegetable oil
1 T butter, cut into small pieces
2 T semolina
1 T smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes into a small sauce pan, cover with water, and salt lightly. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to fast simmer, cover, and parboil 8 minutes. Drain, spread on a clean kitchen towel. [Optional: Cool by fanning to speed things along.] Slice lengthwise and then crosswise in 1/4 inch slices. Toss with seasonings and semolina to coat evenly. Heat the oil in a 10-inch SS skillet over medium high. When smoking, add the potatoes and mix gently with the oil. After a minute, add the butter and mix when melted. Fry 4 to 5 minutes undisturbed until a nice crust forms on the bottom. Gently turn, and finish cooking the other side. Serves 4.

Denis' Potato Cake

Recorded June 11, 2011. Rathcormack, Co. Sligo, Republic of Ireland. A constant companion to supper at Denis' table. Rest in peace, my vivid Irish friend.

3 c Irish potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
safflower oil

Heat an 1/8th inch of oil in well-seasoned pan over a hot flame. Pile the potatoes in the middle, form into a compact patty but do not press down. Cover loosely and cook about 5 minutes until nicely browned on one side. Salt lightly and flip over using a plate as an aid. Continue frying until browned. Serves one hungy Irishman, or two to four North Americans. Grated onion may be included optionally.

Crab Cakes

As prepared in Margaux's, Raleigh, NC. Their recipe was published 2004 in the Raleigh News & Observer in response to a reader's request. Prepared and revised over the years by DrDaddy.

1 lb backfin crab meat
2 oz saltine crackers (whole wheat, if available)
2 large eggs
2 T mayonnaise
1 T Dijon mustard
2 T light cream
1/4 t Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes Louisiana hot sauce
1 t Old Bay® seasoning
1/2 c green onions, finely sliced
dry bread crumbs or matzoh meal for coating crab cakes

canola oil for frying

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Crush saltines in a plastic bag by hand until finely crumbled. In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, cream, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce and Old Bay. Whisk until smooth. Stir in the green onions and fold in crab meat and cracker meal gently so that the mixture just holds together. Add more a bit more cream if too dry. Chill until ready to fry the cakes.   
Frying
Shape 1/3 cup of the crab mixture into an oblong cake.  Press firmly to hold together. Gently coat both side in dry crumbs. This will yield 10 to 12 cakes. Add 1/4 inch oil to a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat (325 degrees F.). When the oil is hot, carefully lower each cake into the hot fat. Do batches of four cakes, frying about 2 minutes on one side, and about 1 minute on the second side. Accumulate the cakes on layers of paper towels in the warm oven in a baking pan. Offer a fresh tomato salsa, tartar sauce, and lemon wedges as condiments.
Variation: Minced raw catfish can substitute quite nicely but will need longer cooking.

Mojarra Frita (Rainbow Trout)

Rainbow Trout with Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Rissotto

Prepared January 10, 2011. The coating is super crunchy, the flesh moist and sweet, and yet can easily be freed from the delicate skeleton.

2 to 3 farm-raised rainbow trout, about 12 ozs each
General Purpose Breader 
vegetable oil

Rinse fish well in cold water, scrape away any scales. Cut off head, fins, and most of tail. With a sharp knife, make 1/4 inch-deep cuts at 2 inch intervals into the thick part of the meat. Place in a one-gallon plastic bag containing the breader, and coat each fish thoroughly, including the cavity and cuts. Place bag of breaded fish in refrigerator for 1/2 hour to build up a thick layer of breader. Heat a 1/4 inch of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Test the sizzle with a pinch of breader. Knock off excess breader and carefully lower each fish into the hot fat. Fry undisturbed for about 5 minutes while ladling hot fat over the upper side. Turn over, and cook another 4 minutes, ladling the fat as before. With a large spatula and tongs, transfer the fish to a plate. Garnish with lime wedges. Suggested sides: a mixed-grain pilaf or a risotto and cauliflower in cheese sauce.

General Purpose Breader and Pan Fry Method

Devised July 20, 2007; revised August 31, 2007; revised November 16, 2008 again after Paul Prudhomme's recipe for chicken fingers on his PBS TV program by addition of baking powder. The semolina gives extra crunch but can be left out.

Breader

1/4 c each unbleached wheat flour, coarse semolina, yellow corn meal, and white rice flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 T salt
1 t paprika
1 t ground pepper
1 t granulated garlic

Measure ingredients in a one-gallon sliding zipper bag. Mix well. Store in the freezer. Made initially for pan-fried soft-shell crab. Also good for fish fillets, pork chops, whole trout, chicken breast, frog legs, hamburgers, chile rellenos, etc.
Rinse food pieces and dry lightly. Place moist food items into breeder, a few at a time . Tumble to coat thoroughly. [For extra crispness, allow the food items to sit covered with breader for 10 minutes.] Knock off excess breader and place food in bubbly hot butter-oil mixture. Pan fry 2 to 3 minutes, turn and finish cooking another few minutes. A bit longer for thick pieces. Remove to a hot platter. Don't overload the pan. Cook in small batches. Note: Prudhomme added baking powder to his breader to increase crispness. In his recipe, he seasons chicken strips, dredges in flour, dips in milk/egg mixture, and then into dry breader. Fries in 350 ºF oil in skillet 7 minutes total.