Aunt Ruth's Pound Cake
This pound cake is the best I have ever eaten!
The
recipe is from my Grand Aunt, the late Ruth Hill of Shelby, North
Carolina. It has a very fine crumb and a wonderful flavor.
Since
Aunt Ruth wasn't able to have children to pass this great recipe on,
I wanted to pass it along to the world so that she'll live on through
her wonderful cooking.
Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups cake flour, preferably Soft As Silk brand
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Directions
Cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift dry ingredients together. Add vanilla and lemon extract to milk. Add dry ingredients to sugar and egg mixture, alternating with liquid, beating just to blend, until all ingredients are combined. Beat batter on medium speed for 5 minutes. Place into greased and floured 10-inch tube pan and place into COLD oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15-20 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
© 2000, Rick McDaniel
Rick's No-fail Southern Fried Chicken
I have had more compliments on this chicken than anything else I cook. The crust is crispy, and the meat is tender and juicy. I hope you enjoy it too! Since I first published this recipe in 1997, it has been cooked by folks as far away as Australia.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, cut into 9 pieces or 2 packs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups self-rising flour
2 tsp. salt, divided
I tsp. pepper, divided
1TBSP. poultry seasoning
Canola oil for frying
Directions
Place buttermilk in a l-gallon plastic bag. Mix buttermilk with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Pour over chicken in bag and seal. Marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Measure flour, 1 tsp. salt,1/2 tsp. pepper and 1 TBSP. poultry seasoning and place in a large double paper bag. Place half the chicken pieces in the bag and shake to coat. Remove the chicken from the bag, shaking off excess flour. Place chicken on wire rack and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Pourt enough oil to measure 1 inch deep in skillet. Heat on stovetop to 350 degrees (oil will shimmer but not smoke). Place chicken pieces, skin-side down, into the hot oil. Cook for five minutes, lift with tongs to see if chicken is cooking evenly; rearrange if necessary. Continue cooking until chicken is evenly browned, about five more minutes. Turn chicken with tongs and continue cooking until brown all over, about 10-12 minutes longer.
Remove to wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet to drain.
© 1997 Rick McDaniel
Low Country Seafood Casserole
This is a great way to enjoy the abundance of seafood we have here in the Carolinas. Since the seafood is already cooked, you just want to warm this through, just until it starts to bubble.
Ingredients
3 pounds cooked fresh seafood (shrimp, scallops, oysters, clams)
1 cup cooked rice
Saute in butter:
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped Vidalia onion
3/4 cup cream
1 can Cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
White pepper (to taste)
Directions
Cookseafood, etc. in boiling water . Sautee peppers, onions, and mushrooms until tender. Toss all ingredients together and put in buttered baking dish. Cook at 375oF, uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. Serves 8.
Pork Chop Etouffee
An etouffee (ay-too-FAY) is a Cajun dish which is a meat with a thick gravy.
Ingredients
6 pork chops, cut about 1/2 inch thick
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced green pepper
1 can (15 oz.) chicken broth
1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk
2 tablespoons bacon grease (for frying)
2 tablespoons flour (for the roux)
Tabasco to taste
Directions
Wash chops and dry on paper towel. Mix flour, salt, pepper, cayenne, and thyme in bowl. Coat chops with flour mixture and place in refrigerator for 1 hour. Discard coating mix.
In a large skillet, heat bacon grease until almost smoking. Fry chops until brown and remove. Add remaining flour and stir until it is brown. Add the chicken broth and evaporated milk, stirring until it forms a gravy. Add onion, celery and bell pepper and stir until tender. Add Tabasco to taste and add the pork chops back to the skillet. Simmer on low for 1 hour until chops are falling off the bone. Serve over rice with hot corn bread and greens.
© 2001 Rick McDaniel
Rick's Sweet Potato Casserole
This is a variation on my grandmotherÕs recipe, and is always a hit at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Ingredients
6 medium sweet potatoes
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp orange extract
1/2 cup half and half
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup coconut
Directions
Boil sweet potatoes until fork tender. Plunge into cold water and peel. Put them in a large mixing bowl and mash thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well blended.
Place in a covered baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Southern Milk Gravy
A great way to start the day serve over hot biscuits or at supper with my fried chicken.
Ingredients
1 lb. hot sausage
1/2 cup flour
11/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Directions
Crumble sausage in pan. Cook until done, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and drain on paper. Reserve 8 tablespoons of fat. Put fat back on high heat and add flour, salt and pepper. Stir until golden brown. Add milk, stirring until thick. Stir in drained sausage. Cook until hot. Serve hot with biscuits.
Chef Rick's Cajun and Creole Recipes
