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Edna Lewis, the "doyenne" of Southern-American cuisine, died last week at age 89 in Decatur, Ga. I suspect some of you have never heard of Miss Lewis, as she was always called, but she had a strong influence on America’s Southern cooking.
Julia Child brought French cuisine inside the homes of Americans, Marcella Hazan did the same with Italian cucina while Edna Lewis taught us how to enjoy Southern fare made with top quality ingredients.
The granddaughter of a former slave, Lewis grew up on her family’s farm in Virginia, where all food came from their fields. She learned to cook by the side of her grandmother and mother.
Miss Lewis arrived in New York as a young woman, got married and looked for work. She found positions cooking in New York restaurants, developed a strong following, wrote several cookbooks and traveled throughout America teaching people about authentic American fare.
I met Miss Lewis during The Book and the Cook celebrations a number of years ago. We talked about Southern food and recreating it in Northern homes. Several months before we met, Edward and I spent a long weekend at The Wayside Inn outside Winchester, Virginia. It was at this historic inn, which dates to the 1790s, where I truly appreciated fried chicken, pan-fried trout and other dishes for the first time. I’ve had pan-fried trout on many occasions, but the fish I ate at the Wayside Inn came out of the pond about one hour before it arrived on my plate.
I’ve often written that Southern food is my favorite American cuisine. I’m not talking about Tex-Mex and big pit barbecue but refined dishes that define the South. These foods start in Maryland, just below the Mason Dixon Line, travel down to Georgia and across into Alabama, Mississippi and into Louisiana–save New Orleans which has a distinctive cuisine all its own.
I lived in Atlanta for a year when I was young. Two women from Mobile taught me how to make fried chicken. I’ve never strayed from the recipe.
In reading about Miss Lewis in The New York Times last week, I became inspired to take my taste buds South and prepare Maryland/Virginia dishes which I know Miss Lewis would love. If I have time, I will bake a pecan pie or a Kentucky Derby pie, which has chocolate chips in it. I met a chef at The Wayside Inn who was the eighth generation of her family to cook at the inn. Her Kentucky Derby pie is still quite a memory for Edward and I.
In tribute to Miss Lewis, here are some recipes for a Southern dinner:
Fried Chicken
INGREDIENTS:
2 (3-1/2 pound) chickens, cut into eight pieces, back bones removed
1 quart of buttermilk
Flour for dredging
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Canola oil for frying
DIRECTIONS:
Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Place them in two large glass bowls and cover them with buttermilk. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about four hours, or over night.
If you have cast iron skillets, now is the time to use them. You will need two skillets in order to fry the chicken. You can also use two heavy skillets if you do not have cast iron.
Place 2 cups of flour on a plate. Add salt and pepper.
Pour the oil into the skillets about halfway up the sides. Heat the oil over medium-high. Remove the chicken pieces, one at a time, from the buttermilk. Dredge each chicken piece in the flour, shaking off the excess. Fry the chicken about five minutes on each side, or until each piece is golden brown. Legs and thighs usually take a little longer to cook. Drain the chicken on paper towels. You can keep the chicken warm in a 250-degree oven until all the chicken is cooked.
Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: Down South, fried foods are drained on brown paper bags. They absorb a lot of excess oil better than paper towels.
Pan-Fried Trout
INGREDIENTS:
4 fresh Brook trout
Cornmeal
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Canola oil
DIRECTIONS:
Wipe the trout with paper towels. Pour about 1-1/2 cups of cornmeal into a plate. Add the salt and pepper.
Coat the bottom of a large skillet with canola oil. Heat the oil over medium heat. Dredge the trout in the cornmeal and place them, flesh side down, into the skillet. Cook the fish about five minutes. Flip them over, using two spatulas, and cook for another five minutes. Trout cook quickly so keep an eye on them. The fish should be a light golden brown.
Serves four.
Note from Phyllis: Brook trout are sold with the heads and bones removed. They are split down the center and fan out for easy cooking.
Collard Greens
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds fresh collard greens
1 large smoked turkey wing or meaty ham hock
Tabasco, to taste
Vinegar, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Wash the greens in plenty of cold water. Fill a large pot with water. Add the turkey wing or ham hock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a rolling simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.
Remove the stiff rib that runs down the center of each collard green. Take a few leaves and lay them on top of each other. Make a chiffonade by rolling the leaves up. Cut the green width-wise using a sharp knife.
Place the greens in the simmering water. Add the Tabasco sauce and vinegar to taste. Go easy; you can always add more Tabasco or vinegar. Cook the greens for about 30 to 45 minutes. They will wilt down considerably. They should be tender but not mushy and over cooked.
Serves six.
Tomato She-Crab Soup
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with juice
4 cups water
1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn
1 (10-ounce) package frozen baby peas
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Place the crabmeat in a bowl and gently break it into pieces.
Place the tomatoes and water in a 4-quart pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and add the corn and the peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook the soup for about 10 minutes and add the crabmeat. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: In Maryland and Virginia, she-crab soup can be made with or without tomatoes. The creamy version is made with fish stock and cream. It is called she-crab because female blue crabs are used. The crab’s bright orange roe is considered a delicacy.
