Southern to the Bone
An exploration of Southern food that's deeply rooted in local ingredients.
“If it ain’t Southern, it ain’t comin’ through the door,” says Chef Sean Brock, former chef of Charleston’s Husk. He stared at me intently letting me know he meant what he said. That was my introduction to the man who had stayed the course for five years at McCrady’s, Charleston, winning a 2010 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast—no small thing. He was definitely a force whose beliefs have had a powerful influence on every book and everything I have written since that day. I was on a mission to discover how he made the South’s most cherished foods.
His fame skyrocketed with a menu that included cornmeal-dusted Mississippi catfish with jowl bacon, pickled peppers, and pole bean salad. And South Carolina shrimp and Choppee okra stew with Carolina Gold rice. One of the mainstays of his menu was Fried Chicken with Alabama White Sauce and Buttermilk Biscuits. In the more than a decade since its founding, the legacy of Husk and Chef Brock has transformed how we think of Southern food, leaving an indelible mark on Charleston’s renowned culinary landscape, and beyond.
Right now blue crabs are abundant in South Carolina, and it’s simple to catch your own. All you need are a few chicken necks, a bamboo pole, and a bucket. But if you are not living along the coast, try to purchase blue crab from the Chesapeake Bay where they offer high-quality crab and next-day nationwide delivery. Owner Curt Engle takes pride in his family-run business, now two decades strong, Harbour House Crabs, famous for unparalleled customer service with guaranteed freshness anywhere. You may order at amazon.com
Use all your senses when cooking this dish. Smell the crab as it starts to brown; it has a very distinct, delicious aroma.
After all, it’s one of the great traditions of the Lowcountry. Here’s the secret. To make vibrant, fresh, moist deviled crab, Chef Brock uses delicious Carolina gold rice to help bind the filling. The recipe is a powerhouse of flavor, pulling in fresh herbs, cayenne, smoked paprika, miso, mustard, scallions and green pepper. Mayonnaise, egg, and panko give the rice some help in binding it all together.
The use of Carolina Gold Rice makes this dish uniquely flavorful. It takes a few extra steps, but it’s worth the effort.
South Carolina Deviled Crab
Ingredients
For the rice:
2 cups water
3 teaspoons kosher salt
⅜ teaspoons fresh ground white pepper
1 fresh bay leaf
¼ cup Carolina Gold rice, preferably Anson Mills
For the Deviled Crab mixture:
1 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg
½ cup ketchup
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
½ cup small dice of celery
½ cup small dice green bell pepper
3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion greens
1 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon herbs ( equal parts finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, chervil, and chives
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 pound fresh crab, picked free of shells
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 crab tins ( see below and order from Amazon) or 6, 4 ounce ramekins
For the rice:
Combine the water, 1 teaspoon of the salt, ⅛ teaspoon of white pepper, and the bay leaf in a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and stir to be sure the salt has dissolved completely. Reduce the heat to medium, add the rice, stir once, and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, uncovered, stirring until the rice is just al dente, about 10 minutes.
Drain the rice, spread on a rimmed baking sheet to dry, discard the bay leaf, and cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Filling:
Pulse panko in a food processor and process until finely ground. You will need 1 cup, discard any excess.
Prepare the crab mixture. Put the egg in a large bowl and beat it lightly. Add the ketchup, mayonnaise, hot sauce, miso, lemon juice, mustard, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon white pepper and ½ teaspoons cayenne.
Stir in cooked rice, celery, bell pepper, scallions jalapeno, and fine herbs and combine thoroughly.
Fold in ground panko.
Gently fold in the crab mixture among the crab tins, or ramekins, patting the tops lightly to smooth.
Combine the paprika and teaspoon of cayenne in a small bowl. Divide the softened butter among the prepared crab and sprinkle with the paprika mixture.
Bake the crab tins or ramekins on a prepared baking sheet for 15 minutes in a 400-degree oven.
Turn the broiler and broil the crab mixture for about 1 minute until golden brown. Transfer to a platter and serve.
Recipe excerpted from South by Sean Brock.