The Low in Lowcountry food | SouthernPaddler.com

The Low in Lowcountry food

oldyaker

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
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In our local paper......

Wish You Were Here: The Low in Lowcountry food doesn't describe the calories

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Most cities can claim a signature dish or style of cooking. In this pretty Southern seaport, the opportunity to stuff oneself silly with its Lowcountry cuisine ranks as high on most tourists' to-do lists as a horse-drawn carriage ride through its historic district.

How else to explain why I gained 5 pounds during a 2 1/2-day visit in late April, despite having completed the 10K Cooper River Bridge Run?

t was the buttermilk biscuits and shrimp and grits at Poogan's Porch, one of Charleston's oldest restaurants.

POOGAN'S PORCH BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

PG tested

This recipe is a cut-down version of what's served at Poogan's Porch, one of Charleston, S.C.'s oldest restaurants. Don't overmix, or the biscuits will be as light as hockey pucks.

* 5 cups self-rising flour
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 2 tablespoons baking powder
* 1/4 pound shortening
* 2 cups buttermilk

Combine first 3 ingredients and mix well. Add shortening and mix with hands until shortening is broken up into quarter-sized pieces. Add buttermilk and mix until all is incorporated.

Roll out to 3/4-inch thickness and cut with biscuit cutter. Place on parchment-covered sheet pans 1/2-inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen biscuits.

-- Poogan's Porch

MAVERICK GRITS

This dish created by Chef Frank Lee combines two South Carolina favorites: Shrimp and Grits and Frogmore Stew, a type of Lowcountry boil. It features shrimp, sausage and other "Southern" ingredients.

For basic grits

* 4 cups water
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons butter, divided
* 1 to 1 1/2 cups stone ground grits
* 1/4 cup cream
* 1 tablespoon butter

Bring water, salt and 1 tablespoon butter to a boil. Stir in grits. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until grits are thick and creamy (about 40 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in cream and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Keep warm.

For the topping

* 4 ounces (4 tablespoons) country ham, julienned
* 4 ounces smoked pork sausage cut in circles (andouille or other spicy sausage)
* 1 teaspoon butter
* 20 shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 1/8 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
* Pinch of Cajun spice
* 4 tablespoons green onion
* 4 tablespoons fresh tomato, seeded and diced
* 1 tablespoon water
* 1 tablespoon butter

Saute ham and sausage in 1 teaspoon butter. Add shrimp and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and Cajun spice. Saute for 30 seconds. Add green onion and tomato. Add water. Finish with remaining butter.

Assemble by spooning grits on to plates in equal portions. Place 5 shrimp per person on grits and spoon equal parts of topping over each.

Serves 4.

-- Chef Frank Lee, Maverick Southern Kitchens

Click link for the story and more recipes...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08150/885527-34.stm
 

oldsparkey

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Aug 25, 2003
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Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Jarvis would beat his upper lip and nose into a bloody pulp with his lower lip trying to get to those goodies.

Jack would settle for a can of Tuna or Vienna's or worse yet some pre chewed , prepackaged and previously smoked oysters. Should I of added pre digested.... Naw , to gross but not as bad or as those slimy smoked things he likes.

At lease Jarvis has good taste. :lol: :lol:

I will have to make the biscuits and if they are like the ones we had at the Golden Skillet , down the road from the Ocklawaha Outpost , then it will be heaven.
He did the mix in a big and deep pan and then cut them into rectangles (about 2 by 4 ) to serve them. A 2x 4 biscuit about 2 inches high and as light as a feather. :D

Dam , I wish that guy did not shut down the Golden Skillet , he has some good chow for his customers.

Chuck.
I'll try a 1/2 recipe on the biscuits...... for starters.
 

oldsparkey

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Aug 25, 2003
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Central , Florida
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Everything is easy to figure out for a half batch , except for the 1/4 pound of shortening.........

* 5 cups self-rising flour .................. 1/2 batch ... 2 1/2 cups
* 1/4 cup sugar .............................. 1/8th cup ( 2 Tablespoons )
* 2 tablespoons baking powder ........ 1 Tablespoon
* 1/4 pound shortening ................... ????? ( quarter cup for 1/2 batch)
* 2 cups buttermilk ......................... 1 cup.

Fear not ...... I think I have it......
16 ounces = one pound....2 cups
8 ounces....= 1/2 pound ... 1 cup
4 ounces....= 1/4 pound.... 1/2 cup

Chuck.
 

oldsparkey

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Aug 25, 2003
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Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
oldyaker said:
Don't forget to give us a field report on those biscuits Chuckles!

Well they are done , nice and warm......

Did a half batch this morning and finished up right around 12 so it was a light lunch filled with comedy.

Went to the store since I didn't have any buttermilk and the Baking Powder was out dated. Picked up what I needed and some stuff I did not need but looked good. Famous Amos Cookies , buy one bag , get one free. :D
Then came home and started mixing everything together.

Looking around I noticed that the wife has hidden the rolling pin someplace , my guess it that it is with the cookie cutter. Not accepting defeat I continued forward with the project , Say ... this could be just like out camping , Who has a rolling pin and cookie cutter with them when camping ?

Got it all mixed together , now where is the wax paper to somehow flatten the batter out on .... No wax paper ..... DAM.
OK tin foil will work. Plop out of the bowl goes the mix on the tin foil , now how do I flatten it out. :?

Use what you have ... some flour on the hands and I press it out , very gently , into a rectangular shape , OK , Fool ..... now how do you cook it.

The light clicks on in the deep , dark recesses of my mind. 8) Some parchment paper in a 6 x 12 pan should work , line the pan , check to make sure the batch will fit ... YES....... Success.

Put the pan and parchment paper over the batch and then flip ( invert ) the whole mess so the batter is on top of the parchment paper and inside the pan and I'm looking at the tin foil it was sitting on. Peel the tin foil away , very carefully and check to make sure everything is OK. That is one big biscuit. :lol:

Off to the oven ( it was preheated) and in it goes. 15 minutes later I checked the batter with a knife blade and it came out clean so the pan and the biscuit ( as in one that is 6 x 12 inches) is placed on a cooling tray and left to cool for a few minutes.

Truth or consequences time , the knife slipped in there and cut off the end then cut that into thirds and it is taste time for the cook. Hmmm , lets see.

Doesn't fall apart but is nice an light and even flaky , a pleasant taste but still rather warm. I tried several more pieces to make sure it was right even one with some honey over it.

Conclusion , who cares what it looks like as long as it tastes good and will be even better tonight with some gravy on it and a burger sitting next to it. Cook the burgers ( My wife calls them mini Meat Loafs , pan fried ) then make the gravy and have a good supper. A batch of mixed greens with it won't hurt anything. :D

Chuck.
 

Kayak Jack

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Aug 26, 2003
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Okemos / East Lansing Michigan
Chuck - if you use one, big square biscuit, WHERE are you gonna get square gravy? All the gravy pictures I ever saw had round or oval bowls. I never saw any square gravy.

Pie are square, cornbread are round, and gravy are oval or round.

Crazy cracker. :roll:
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
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Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
Actually it was Rectangular and not square but who is splitting hares or is that hairs. I have to protect those hairs , what is left of them. :roll:

My guess is it does not matter as long as ya get round tu it but being a life time member of the Procrustes's club it is hard for me to get round tu it.

Those round tu it's are hard to catch and always find a way for me not to get round tu it and that includes square gravy fer a rectangular biscuit. But I do know how to make rectangular gravy for a rectangular biscuit , no getting round tu it or should it be round to that.

I just use a rectangular pan which lets me get round tu it so ya might say the gravy is round tu it , "O"oops round tu the biscuit which isn't round tu it. Unless the gravy is used on grits and they are round , all around down here in the south. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Chuck.
PS. Real cornbread is rectangular when cooked and when served , pies are round so the ice cream melts in a perfect circle when it is put on the top of the warm pie. Why do you think those sits are in the top of a pie crust , to let the melted ice cream flow down into the pie.
Yankees , Please someone ....protect us from them. :roll:
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
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Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
hairymick said:
Forgive my ignorance but what the heck is shortening?

Shortening is when the river goes to the right and is 3/4 miles long and there is a short cut to the left that is only a 100 yards. That is shortening your paddling trip.

In cooking shortening is , lard (rendered pig fat , some good stuff like the drippings from cooking Bacon ) or some of the vegetable greases/oils like Crisco , which I use. I guess you could include olive oil in a pinch if you are eye-ti-lion. :roll:

Here in the states back in the old days they use to shoot a BEAR and after letting all the hot air out of it , butchered the little amount of meat then cooked the large amount of fat into a grease to use for cooking. It even worked good for greasing the wheels in the wagons , a double duty grease. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Chuck.
Now days we take the bear camping with us.....I'm Running for cover from the incoming fire. Lordy , Lordy , Swampy or Oldyaker HELP me .... I'm a goner...... :lol:
 

oldyaker

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2003
1,949
31
oldsparkey said:
Now days we take the bear camping with us.....I'm Running for cover from the incoming fire. Lordy , Lordy , Swampy or Oldyaker HELP me .... I'm a goner...... :lol:

Just keep a large tin cup of Dago Red and a plate food smothered with habanero sauce between the Bear and you Chuckles.....you should be fine! :roll:
 

hairymick

Well-Known Member
Dec 8, 2005
2,107
2
Queensland, Australia
In cooking shortening is , lard (rendered pig fat , some good stuff like the drippings from cooking Bacon ) or some of the vegetable greases/oils


Aaaaaahhh, the good stuff :D Thanks mate. I LOVE me animal fat. Best part of the meat. Drives Ms Robin nuts :lol: