Recipes

Here are some of our favorite Soul Food and Southern Cooking recipes. All are tried and true.

We'll be adding new ones occasionally, so try those you see and check back for more.

Low County Shrimp Creole

We’ve eaten Shrimp Creole in restaurants all over the country, including New Orleans.  You won’t find it better anywhere than this recipe. It’s spicy with just the right amount of kick and plenty of shrimp and sausage.

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:

½ lb bacon

2 large yellow onions – diced

1 med-large bell pepper  - diced

½ tsp garlic powder

7 sticks celery (1/4 inch slices) don’t use big slices

3 large cans regular V-8 juice

2 can whole tomatoes (mashed or finely cut) (It’s the South, we mash ‘em)

1 can tomato sauce

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ tsp salt

1 tbs black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper (Be careful)

½ tsp Texas Pete or Crystal Hot Sauce (Be careful - taste Creole sauce before adding hot sauce)

4 cups sliced okra (fresh or frozen)

2 lbs.  Sm – Med fresh shrimp (if you don’t have access to fresh shrimp, buy ‘em frozen)

2 full links smoked beef or pork sausage (sliced lengthwise, then quartered).   We like Hillshire Farms Beef Sausage.

A word to the wise.

I’m going to tell you right now that this is going to make a pile of shrimp Creole.  If you aren’t going to feed a hungry group of people, go ahead and make the Creole, but leave out the shrimp and sausage.  Once the sauce is ready, dip out the amount that you (and yours) are going to eat now, and put it in a smaller pot.  Then add the amount of shrimp & sausage right for you. 

You can freeze the rest in meal-size containers for later.  Don’t freeze the Creole sauce with shrimp or sausage in it.  The shrimp will become rubbery and the smoked sausage taste will overpower the Creole. 

Directions:

Fry bacon and remove from pan & save, leaving grease.  Add onions and bell pepper to bacon grease.  Add garlic powder.  Lightly salt and pepper.  Sauté until onions and peppers are soft, stirring continuously.  Break bacon into bits and add. 

Add celery and sauté for about 5 more minutes. 

In a separate pot, pour V-8 juice, tomatoes and tomato sauce. 

Bring to a slow boil while stirring.  Add onion, pepper, celery mix and stir, continuing to slow boil.

Add Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne, Texas Pete.

Slow boil & stir for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium.

Let cook for about 20 minutes on medium, stirring occasionally.

Add okra, cook on medium for at least 1 hour.  Stir regularly.

The longer it cooks, the more flavorful it will be.

Bring to a hard boil & add shrimp and sausage.  Cook for about 15 minutes.

Serve over rice.  Ooh, Lawdie!!!

Chicken Pilau - pronounced purlow (Chicken Bog in Horry County, SC) 

Ingredients

• 6-8 Chicken Thighs. (I use chicken thighs only; white meat will get dry.)
• 1 -2 links Beef or Pork Sausage sliced into ¼ inch thick slices (I use 2 links of Hilshire Farms Beef Sausage)
• 1 slice salt pork or fatback (about 1 in. thick)
• I Large Onion – diced well
• 2 tbsp. Salt
• 2 tbsp. Black Pepper
• ½ tsp Kitchen Bouquet (coloring only; will darken the Perlow a little. Don’t use too much)
• 7 cups of chicken broth (made from boiling chicken)
• 3 cups Blue Ribbon Rice (long grain)

Directions

In a large thick pot (6-8 quarts), fill with water, chicken, diced onion, fatback (or salt pork) and salt & pepper. Bring to a boil until chicken is done. About 30 minutes.

Be sure there is enough water to cover chicken well. This will ensure there is enough broth later.

When chicken is done, remove from pot and put in sink to cool.  Debone chicken & throw skin away.

Pour chicken broth and other contents into a separate pot or container. Discard Salt Pork.

Into the original pot, pour 7 cups of broth. Be sure to use salt, pepper, and onions from the bottom of the container.  Add chicken and sausage to the pot of broth, add Kitchen Bouquet.

Bring to a rolling boil. Taste test for salt just before boiling. You want to be sure it’s salty enough, rice will neutralize the salt a little.

Add rice and stir well from the bottom. Let boil a couple of minutes.

Reduce heat to low medium; about 4.5 on an electric stove. Replace lid.

After boiling stops, stir well one last time from the bottom and put the lid on pot.

Cook for one hour without removing the lid.

 Tips

It’s ok to boil the chicken in a thin pot, but be sure to use thick pot for cooking. A thin pot will scorch
the Perlow.

I’ve had more success with Blue Ribbon long grain rice. Previously used Mahatma long grain, but found that sometimes it didn’t get done.

Be careful with the salt and pepper. I can’t swear to the measurements in the recipe, but you can always add more. I usually taste-test for the salt just before the Perlow starts to boil. Salt Pork will also make it saltier.

You can make a bigger Perlow for a crowd by adding more chicken thighs, another link of sausage and more rice. Just be sure you use two cups of broth for every cup of rice, then add one more.  Four cups of rice and 9 cups of broth will feed 8-10 people.

If you screw up and don’t have enough broth (shame on you, I told you to use enough water in the beginning), but you can simply use tap water to make up the difference (unless there is a significant difference).

Resist the temptation to take the lid off before the Perlow is done.

Sweet potatoes, Cole Slaw, bread & butter pickles, and white bread go well with Perlow.   

Good luck…