Baltimore Bacon Oysters
IN THE EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY, WHEN BALTIMORE boasted more than two dozen breweries, it became a practice in the city’s bars to offer free oysters to anyone ordering local beer. Usually, they were simply on the half shell, but as the tradition developed and competition for business heated up, some bars came up with novel […]
Savannah Deviled Crab
I’VE ALWAYS SAID THAT DEVILED CRAB CAN BE THE worst or most delicious Southern dish imaginable, depending on the quality of the crabmeat, the amount of breading (filler), and whether the texture is inexcusably dry or sumptuously moist. What I’ve found distinguishes the best Savannah, Georgia, deviled crab from most you find along the Carolina, […]
Crabmeat au Gratin
FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, CRABMEAT au gratin has been considered the quintessential “fussy” appetizer in upscale restaurants, gracious homes, and country clubs throughout the South (despite there not being one thing fussy about the dish). I readily admit that I could eat it every day of my life. Normally, I use only […]
Florida Crab and Corn Fritters
JOHNNY EARLES IS ONE OF THE MOST CREATIVE CHEFS in the South. At Criolla’s restaurant in Grayton Beach, between Pensacola and Panama City, Florida, my friends and I sampled numerous items on his innovative menu, but what caught my attention most were the crab and corn fritters made with buttermilk and ricotta cheese. I’ve adapted […]
Creole Crabmeat Ravigote
RAVIGOTER IN FRENCH MEANS “TO INVIGORATE,” and the earliest Creole cooks took the word at face value when they came up with this fiery crab salad that traditionally contains not only horseradish but two styles of hot mustard. Although a few venerable New Orleans restaurants such as Antoine’s and Commander’s Palace still serve crabmeat ravigote, […]
Mushrooms Stuffed with Crabmeat and Pimento
IN THE SOUTH, ALL SORTS OF MINCED SHELLFISH, meats, and vegetables are stuffed into large mushroom caps, baked, and served as a first course, but nothing typifies this old-fashioned practice more than these rich, full-flavored crabmeat mushrooms enhanced with pimentos and grated Parmesan. To give the mixture a bit of crunch, you might want to […]
Crabmeat Dewey
CREATED OVER A CENTURY AGO AT A MARYLAND YACHT club to commemorate Commodore George Dewey’s victory at Manila Bay in the Spanish-American War, Crabmeat Dewey has come down as one of the true wonders of Southern cookery. Served in handsome ramekins as the first course of a stylish meal, the dish is right up there […]
Crab Cakes with Mustard Sauce
I’VE EATEN CRAB CAKES AT OBRYCKI’S IN BALTIMORE, Harris Crab House in Grasonville, Maryland, King Neptune’s in Gulf Shores, Alabama, The Wreck in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and dozens of other celebrated Southern crab houses, but the only ones that could touch Louis Osteen’s small wonders at his restaurant on Pawleys Island, South Carolina (made […]
Vicksburg Tomato Sandwiches
WHILE A SILVER PLATTER OF TINY TOMATO SANDWICHES has always been popular at cocktail parties and teas all over the South when summer tomatoes are at their peak, in Mississippi the “Vicksburg Tomato Sandwich” is deemed such a special delicacy that it actually takes on important social significance. There is a right and wrong way […]
Fried Dill Pickles
AT THE HOLLYWOOD CAFE IN TUNICA, MISSISSIPPI— where fried dill pickles were created in 1969 and where enthusiasts still flock just to order them—this unusual dish is served with a secret ranch dipping sauce primarily as an appetizer before plate lunch specials of fried catfish, fried shrimp, fried chicken, and the like. (As for the […]