Southern Hospitality - Fried Green Tomatoes With A Twist

Fried Green Tomatoes, a beloved movie (the Kathy Bates parking lot scene gets more hilarious as I age) and a dish I have always, always wanted to try in my own kitchen. Like so many things on my to-do list, I'd just never gotten around to it, and I not the hugest fan of heavily fried preparations. But all that would change thanks to a fairly recent trip to South Carolina which bought us to a restaurant called Lucky Rooster. There we had some great food plus a really fabulous and creative version of Fried Green Tomatoes (set atop Pimiento Cheese!). The moment they crossed my lips, in all their crispy, fried goodness, I knew that the time for procrastination was through. Upon returning home, my first order of business was to develop my own version of the classic. We served ours with a luxurious topping of Crab Salad (a dish that looms as large here at Neurotic Kitchen as it does in my heart).

Classic Fried Green Tomatoes with our twist of Lump Crab on top, Photo: NK

For the basics of the Fried Green Tomato recipe, I went to Southern Living. I don't pretend to be a Southern cooking expert by any means. It did not disappoint.


Fried Green Tomatoes With Crab

Photo: NK 

Adapted from Southern Living
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 Large Egg, lightly beaten
1/2 Cup Buttermilk
1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour, divided
1/2 Cup Cornmeal
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
3 medium Green Tomatoes, sliced 1/3 inch thick
Vegetable Oil

8 Ounces Lump Crab
2 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
3 Chives, sliced (optional)
1 Tablespoon minced Italian Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method: 

Frying in our Lodge Skillet. Photo: NK

1. In a medium bowl, mix the Mayonnaise, Sour Cream and Lemon Juice. Add the Chives and minced Parsley. Mix. Gently fold in the Lump Crab, and add Salt and Pepper to taste.

2. Combine the Egg and Buttermilk and set aside.

3. Combine a 1/4 Cup Flour, Cornmeal, 1 teaspoon Salt and 1/2 teaspoon Pepper in a shallow bowl or plate.

4. Place the remaining 1/4 Cup Flour in another plate or shallow bowl.

5. Dredge the Tomatoes in the Flour, and then dip into the Egg mixture, and then into the Cornmeal Mixture.

6. Pour Oil a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch deep in a cast iron skillet. Heat for two minutes over medium heat (perfect temp is 375 but we took our chances). Cook Tomatoes in the oil in batches, about two minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Remove to drain on paper towels. Sprinkle Tomatoes with Salt while they are still hot. 

7.  To serve, top with a dollop of the Lump Crab Salad and Garnish with extra Parsley or Chives.

Enjoy!!! 

Vacation Restaurant Recap - Lowcountry Classics

We recently returned from a quick family jaunt to Hilton Head Island. We all had a really great time and, as usual, I made it a priority to sample everything this very pretty locale has to offer (read: eat all the food possible). 

Southern cooking fascinates me, and it is one cuisine that I don't attempt nearly enough or know as much as I would like about. With deeply rooted and diverse influences and an incredibly rich history, the possibilities are endless. One dish I make consistently is arguably one of the most well-loved Lowcountry staples - Collard Greens. In fact, it was our last trip to South Carolina that inspired me to try perfecting them. 

Collards! Photo: NK 

Read about our first South Carolina visit, and check out our favorite recipe for Collard Greens HERE.

In today's roundup, I'd like to tell you about two standout restaurants that you should visit if you are ever in the Hilton Head Island neck of the woods. They'll be on our list for a return trip for sure.   


Lucky Rooster Kitchen & Bar
What a find! This wonderful spot features lovely, slightly higher-end yet still down to earth ambiance (the island is otherwise pleasantly casual on the whole), and a really fantastic and warm staff. 

The cuisine can be described as modern Southern Food, often with subtly creative twists, or perhaps New American Cuisine with a a Southern flair.   

Now I am surely no Shrimp and Grits expert but their modernized version was DELICIOUS and PERFECT.

Shrimp & Grits get an overhaul at the fantastic Lucky Rooster in Hilton Head, so good! Photo: NK

My mom-in-law enjoyed their outrageously good Fried Chicken, and really the other dishes we had at this charming restaurant were standouts, including the Octopus appetizer and Fried Green Tomatoes served atop Pimiento Cheese (check out our favorite recipe for the latter HERE). 

Fried Green Tomatoes & Pimiento Cheese, Photo: NK

I've been known to enjoy a good cocktail here or there, so I especially savored the Martinez Cocktail that was expertly mixed just for me (a great combo of Gin, Maraschino Cherry Liqueur and Vermouth. All in all it was a great restaurant experience we're glad that we could share. 

Next up,

a more casual and cost-effective yet still delicious option, the charming:

A Lowcountry Backyard 
This super cute restaurant with, you guessed it, a very nice backyard where you'll find the bulk of their seating is a great spot to dine al fresco on traditional Southern food with a few twists. I ordered the special Fried Flounder over Cheesy Grit Cakes and it was to die! 

Special Fried Flounder at A Lowcountry Backyard in Hilton Head, Photo: NK

Combine that with a creative Margarita made with Moonshine and I was a happy gal. 

With a similarly warm waitstaff and some laid back and festive live music in the background, A Lowcountry Backyard turned out to be a great place to enjoy our last night of vacation. Thanks for sharing our our latest restaurant finds. We're making a concerted effort to get out of state more so we hope they'll be lots more restaurant tips to share with you. 

Stay tuned for my attempt at Fried Green Tomatoes coming to the blog soon. Our Southern Cooking inspiration is still going strong!

Soul of The South - Kickin' Collard Greens

I want to take a moment to tell you about our latest family adventure, a trip to South Carolina by way of Savannah, Georgia. In addition to what is always a good old time with all the folks I love, I was struck by how beautiful this part of the country is.

The Beach at Hilton Head, Photo: NK

                                                                                                                      

From the white sand beaches to the seemingly endless marshlands, the wild sea birds and trees draped dramatically with Spanish moss (which look wonderfully spooky by the light of the moon), Low Country really is great.     

                          

She-Crab Soup, Photo: NK

                                                                  

And it's not just because of the vistas - the food is pretty good too! With a rich culinary history all its own, Low Country is a place to find and taste the foods of the Gullah Culture, as well as other regional delights like She-Crab Soup. This stuff was good, let me tell you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

As soon as I got finished taking in the astonishingly pretty sunsets

Photo: NK

Photo: NK

and getting my fill of activities like a really fun day of kayaking and mini golf, 

Photo: NK

I knew it was time to get down to the business of cooking. My favorite kind!

I'd had my fill of yummy shrimp and grits during our fun family trip, so I decided to indulge the hankering I had for my favorite Southern side dish - Collard Greens. 

I actually can't believe that I had never made collards at home before because I really enjoy them. Collards are a sturdy, slow-cooking green. They take a while to become tender, but almost no time to prep. It's during the lengthy cooking period that the magic happens. 

You can infuse collards with many different flavors, but the traditional addition is some sort of smoked meat, whether bacon or a ham hock. Feel free to turn this vegetarian by omitting the bacon and cooking as directed from after that point. Relying heavily on a recipe I found on Allrecipes.com, my first attempt at collards was a great success. They were smokey, salty, and even a little spicy, from a generous pinch of crushed red pepper.

If you too are a collard novice, this recipe is a great place to start. Serve collards alongside your favorite Southern dishes, or if you like them as much as I do, throw them over rice, beans, or peas, and they are a meal in themselves. Y'all enjoy! 

Kickin' Collard Greens

Lightly Adapted from Allrecipes.com/Ken Adams

Photo: NK 

Serves 6

Ingredients: 

3 Strips of Bacon

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

1 medium White Onion, chopped

3 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Pepper

1 generous pinch Crushed Red Pepper

3 Cups Vegetable Broth

1 Large Bunch Fresh Collard Greens, chopped into two-inch pieces

Method: 

1. Heat the oil in a very large pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook it until it is crisp. Remove the bacon, blot off the oil, roughly chop it and return it to the pan. 

2. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, another 2 minutes. Now add the collard greens and cook until the leaves begin to wilt. 

3. Pour in the vegetable broth and lower the flame to low. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cover the pot and cook for 45 minutes until the greens are tender. Scoop the collards from the liquid, serve and enjoy!

Collards! Photo: NK