Southern Spoonful: Memories & Traditions

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The story below is from our November/December 2022 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you! 

These recipes are perfect for family gatherings and holiday visitors — but be warned, they may never leave after tasting this menu!

Some of the happiest memories of holiday celebrations revolve around food.  It’s time to put out the good china and crystal, decorate your dining table to the hilt and buy special ingredients to cook with abandon. Create happy memories and possibly a new holiday tradition or two with my fancy holiday recipes.

If you’ve never fried oysters before, I encourage you to try my recipe. The Hudson Cream Self-Rising Flour is amazing for frying. Treat your guests to my Overnight Pecan Praline Croissant French Toast and the aromas of maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg will make your kitchen smell like the best bakery in town. Enjoy a Pomegranate Spritz made with Empress 1908 Gin. It is the most gorgeous indigo blue color in the bottle and then it magically turns into a beautiful pomegranate red when you mix it into a spritz cocktail. Cheers to you and your family for a very happy holiday season!

Mini Beef Wellingtons

Yield: 24

  • ¾ pound beef tenderloin, cut into 4 pieces
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 20 large mushrooms, minced
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 1/3 cup dry red wine
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, thawed.
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
  • Smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Trim any excess fat off beef tenderloin and pat dry. Sprinkle beef tenderloin with salt and pepper on both sides. Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Sauté beef tenderloin in butter/oil for approximately 2 minutes, turn and sauté on the other side for about 2 minutes, until beef is nicely seared on both sides. Remove beef tenderloin from pan onto a cutting board.

Place mushrooms and shallots in the same pan used to sauté the beef tenderloin. Sauté mushrooms and shallots for 2 minutes or until the shallots are translucent. Add red wine, Dijon mustard and salt, stir and simmer for 5 minutes over medium low heat. Remove pan from heat.

Cut beef tenderloin into 1-inch pieces.

Place puff pastry on a floured 9’x13” cutting board. Roll out pastry with a floured rolling pin to the size of the board. Cut the pastry 6 times horizontally and 4 times vertically to make 24 pieces.

Place ½ tablespoon of the mushroom shallot mixture on each piece of puff pastry. Place one piece of beef tenderloin on top of the mushroom shallot mixture. Fold each end of puff pastry over the beef/mushroom/shallots and press lightly to seal. Press open edges on sides of each puff pastry packet with tines of fork to seal. Score each packet on the top with a fork. Place beef tenderloin packets on lightly greased baking sheet. Brush packets very lightly with egg/water mixture. Sprinkle lightly with smoked paprika.

Bake in 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 16–18 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Fried Oysters with Chesapeake Bay Sauce

Oysters are best served in the months that end in a “r”. November and December are the perfect months to serve oysters. Fried oysters are such a fabulous way to begin your holiday meal.

Frying oysters is easier with two people – one to coat the oysters and one to fry the oysters.

Yield: About 32 oysters

For oysters:

  • 2 8-ounce containers shucked oysters (purchase “select” oysters which will be marked on the container)
  • 2 ½ cups buttermilk
  • 4 eggs mixed with 4 tablespoons water
  • 4 cups Hudson Cream Self-Rising White Cornmeal Mix
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons Chef Paul’s Red Fish Magic Seasoning
  • 8 cups vegetable oil

Prepare work station next to the stove where you are going to fry the oysters.

First bowl: oysters

Second bowl: buttermilk

Third bowl: white cornmeal mix and red fish magic seasoning

Fourth bowl: eggs mixed with water

Place vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven and heat over medium heat until it reaches 370 degrees Fahrenheit (measure temperature with deep fry/jelly/candy thermometer).

While the oil heats, place the oysters in a strainer over a bowl and let them drain.

Pour buttermilk in a mixing bowl and add drained oysters.

Place eggs in a mixing bowl and add water. Whisk to combine.

Place self-rising cornmeal mix in a bowl with salt and red fish magic seasoning. Stir to combine.

Place the bowl of oysters, then the cornmeal mix, then the eggs in a line next to the Dutch oven.

Use tongs to dip the oysters into the cornmeal mix, then the eggs, then dip again in the cornmeal mix.

Place the coated oysters on a metal cooling rack until all of them have been coated.

Use candy or deep-fry thermometer to test the oil temperature and when it has reached 370 degrees, carefully add the oysters, one at a time. It works best to cook only 6-8 at a time depending on the size of your Dutch oven. Do not crowd the oysters in the Dutch oven while frying. (Keep the heat at 370 degrees by decreasing or increasing the heat).

Let the oysters fry for about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally or until they are golden brown and the edges are curled.

Use a slotted spoon and remove the oysters from the oil. Place on a paper towel to drain.

Repeat until all of the oysters are cooked and immediately serve with Chesapeake Bay Sauce.

For the Chesapeake Bay Sauce:

  • 1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons Clark and Hopkins Chesapeake Bay Artisan Pepper Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sweet salad cubes (pickle relish)

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill in refrigerator until service.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Almonds

4 – 6 servings

  • 10 fresh Brussels sprouts
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds
  • 6 slices pre-cooked bacon
  • 2 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Peg’s salt*
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Remove stem end of Brussels sprouts with a sharp knife. Slice Brussels sprouts very thin on a mandoline (or use sharp knife to make very thin slices). Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread almonds on baking tray. Bake almonds for 3 – 5 minutes or until lightly toasted (watch carefully so almonds do not burn). Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Crisp bacon in microwave. Cool and crumble.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large sauté pan. Add olive oil.

Sauté Brussels sprouts in butter olive oil mixture over medium heat. Stir often and continue to saute until Brussel sprouts are cooked but still crunchy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and quickly stir in bacon and almonds. Sprinkle with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir to combine seasonings with Brussels sprouts. Serve warm.

Overnight Pecan Praline Croissant French Toast

4 servings

  • 2 day-old Bread Craft croissants (Bread Craft croissants are large, so if using other croissants use 4 of them.)
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans

Lightly grease a 9”x 9” baking dish. Cut croissants in half and lay in baking dish, side by side, cut side up.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup brown sugar, butter, maple syrup, eggs and half and half. Pour brown sugar mixture evenly over the croissants.

In a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and chopped pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over the croissants.

Cover and place French toast in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake French toast for 35 – 40 minutes. Serve warm.

Easy Chocolate Peppermint Brownies

Yield: 16 brownies

  • 1 package Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup water
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 8.5-ounce package Andes Crème De Menthe Chocolates
  • ½ cup Ghirardelli white chocolate chips
  • Crushed candy canes (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 8” x 8” baking pan.

Place brownie mix, egg, water and vegetable oil in a mixing bowl. Mix to combine all ingredients. Do not overmix. Pour brownie mixture into baking pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the brownies comes out clean.

While brownies are baking, unwrap Andes Crème De Menthe Chocolates and place in top of double boiler. Place white chocolate chips in the top of another double boiler. (I make my own “double boiler” by using a large cooking pot to hold water – filled about 1/3 – and placing a smaller cooking pot in the water to hold the chocolate). Melt chocolates in the double boilers.

Remove brownies from oven and set on wire rack to cool. When brownies are cool, spread the melted Andes Crème De Menthe chocolates over the top of brownies. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the Andes chocolate. (Children may enjoy drizzling the white chocolate in an avante guard pattern with some supervision.)

Place a toothpick in each corner of the brownie pan. Sprinkle brownies lightly with crushed candy canes if using. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 15 minutes or until chocolate is set. Remove from freezer and cut brownies to serve.

Pomegranate Spritz

This lovely holiday cocktail recipe is compliments of Monique Chaisavan Sourinho. Follow her on Instagram @bee.the.love

Makes one cocktail

  • 1½ ounces Empress 1908 Gin
  • 2 ounces pomegranate juice
  • 2 dashes orange bitters
  • 2 teaspoons apricot jam
  • Sparkling wine
  • Pomegranate seeds
  • Cranberries
  • Rosemary

Place gin, pomegranate juice, orange bitters and apricot jam in a cocktail shaker. Stir to combine all ingredients. Add ice to shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a cocktail glass and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with cranberries, pomegranate seeds and rosemary. 

*Peg’s Salt and Clark and Hopkins Chesapeake Bay Artisan Pepper Sauce are available locally at Wine Gourmet.

The story below is from our November/December 2022 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!