Karen and I are going to share with you some culinary highlights of our trip in January to Charleston, South Carolina. Neither of us can put a thumb on how it was we came to the decision to visit this wonderful city. I think it was divine intervention.
We spent a week in Charleston visiting the various museums, art galleries and historical monuments. All of it on foot. In between the site seeing we indulged in what they call low country cuisine.
I have to tell you the city is a model for urban redevelopment. I think it is probably due to their “can do” attitude that they have been so successful with their downtown redevelopment projects. They have been through the re-do process before considering that during the Civil War Charleston was left generally in total destruction. So they have had to redefine themselves in a major way a couple of times.
Their main street is only two lanes going one way, east toward the Atlantic Ocean. You can park only on one side of the street and the sidewalks, on both sides, are no larger and could be smaller than Carson City sidewalks. Parking is much like ours in that you can park on the surrounding side streets and public parking areas. All this being said you will find some of the greatest shops and galleries to be found in any of the great cities in the United States (Sacks 5th Avenue, Talbots, Jimmy Choo Shoes and specialty boutiques that rival any in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, etc.).
The city was immaculately clean and the restaurants are all world class (at least the ones we dined at). Charleston is a semi college town, College of Charleston, and the Citadel is close by. Their range of dining and entertainment options cover all age groups alike. Karen and I even took in a local child’s repertory groups’ “James and the Giant Peach”. It gave us an opportunity to observe the local demographics of the population and this was definitely a locals event.
Before I talk about the restaurants I have to say that one of the things which impressed us the most was the lack of urban trash floating around the streets, gutters and open spaces that seem to be so prominent in our town. If nothing else, Carson City should get some of Charleston’s civic pride and take the urban trash into our own hands and do something about it.
I am going to share with you a couple of classic recipes from two of the restaurants that Karen and I had the pleasure to dine at. As typical of a trip Karen and I will take we went with no recommendations or preconceived ideas of where we would dine. We set out to meet people, talk to them and find out what their recommendations were. Added to that Linda Marrone’s recommendations and we found our way through a culinary extravaganza.
The first restaurant I want to talk about is Cypress which is a delightful, upscale restaurant in an old colonial-style refurbished building mixing modern art and classic Carolina art (colonial?).
The service was attentive yet not stuffy. They have lots of local produce to draw off of and the weather was in the 70s so it seems to me to be a very good growing region. The chicken used in the roasted chicken dish I am going to give you was bought from a local farm just a few miles from the restaurant. That will be hard for you to do here but Trader Joe’s and Raley’s have fresh organic chickens. (I have heard from Linda Marrone that here will be a program through the Nevada Certified Farmers Market Association to get Nevada grown free-range chickens. For more information you can contact Ann Louhela, President of the organization at 775-351-2551.) Give it a try.
The next recipe is from Magnolias. A sister restaurant from Cypress it is a little more down homeish. We had a great lunch there and the recipe for the shrimp and rice salad, which Karen and I shared there, is another that I am sharing with you.
Lemon-Rosemary Roasted Chicken
2 (3 1/2 pound) whole chickens
4 tablespoons Lemon Confit and pulp
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 sprigs rosemary
4 tablespoons chopped rosemary
sea salt to taste
white pepper to taste
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
4 tablespoons Lemon Butter
This is one of the best ways to roast a whole chicken. I recommend that you truss the chicken if possible; it’s not difficult, and it allows the bird to cook more evenly. I recommend serving this chicken with a potato gratin and caramelized Brussels sprouts.
1. Preheat over to 375 degrees.
2. Wash the chickens inside and out and pat dry.
3. Mix Lemon Confit and olive oil and press through a fine sieve. Save both the lemons and the pulp. (* See note at bottom of recipe)
4. Place pressed Lemon Confit and 2 sprigs rosemary inside the cavity of each chicken.
5. Truss a chicken with 1 piece of butcher’s twine 3 feet long. Place the chicken breast side up with the neck facing you. Push the wing tips under the back bone. Loop the butcher’s twine around the hind legs and create and X, pulling right over left. Pull tightly between legs and thighs toward the front of the bird. Overlap the wing bone, and tie both pieces around the neck. Repeat the process with the second chicken.
6. In a large roasting pan, place the trussed chickens 2 inches apart. Rub the skin with olive oil-lemon pulp and chopped rosemary. Shower the chicken with salt. Sprinkle with a light dusting of pepper.
7. Place the roasting pan of chickens in the oven and roast for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check the chicken between the leg and thigh with an instant-read thermometer. The chicken should read 160 degrees. It will carry over as it rests.
8. Remove the chickens from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and remove the butcher’s twine.
9. Remove fat from pan and save the juices. Add the chopped rosemary and Lemon Butter to the pan and scrape with the juices. Strain the sauce into a small pot or container and keep warm.
10. Carve the chicken quarters off and place on each of four serving plates. Carve the breasts off and place on top of the quarters. Finish with equal amounts of the chicken jus.
Yields 4 servings
* Note: Instead of the Lemon Confit you can use preserved lemons. These preserved lemons may be found in Middle Eastern or Indian specialty stores.
Lemon Confit
8 lemons
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
This condiment can be frozen and kept on hand at all times.
1. Cut the lemons into quarters and mix with the remaining ingredients.
2. Place into a quart-size jar or other container with a tight lid.
3. Place the jar in the refrigerator. Shake the jar to incorporate the ingredients evenly; do this every day for one week.
4. The lemons can be stored in the refrigerator for one week or frozen for up to 4 months. If freezing, place the lemons and syrup in a resealable bag and place within another resealable bag to prevent leakage.
Yields 1 quart
Lemon Butter
1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Purée until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl and purée again until you have a consistent mixture.
2. Divide butter between two 10-inch squares of food film and roll into logs.
3. Refrigerate butter and use within 1 week, or place in the freezer and use within 4 months.
(Recipes above taken from the cookbook “Cypress” written by Craig Deihl, published by Wyrick & Company, 2007)
Shrimp and Rice Salad with Lemon, Garlic and Dill Vinaigrette
A great refreshing chilled spring/summer salad. The lemon, garlic and dill vinaigrette adds a great flavor enhancement to the rice, and the celery and corn give it a sweet flavor and a crunchy texture.
Serves 10 to 12
Rice
2 cups Carolina Plantation Aromatic Rice (about 1 pound)
3 1/4 cups water
Rinse the rice with cold water until the water is clear. Place the rice and the water in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot and cover with a lid. Place the pot over medium-low heat and allow it to slowly come to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook the rice slowly for 12 to 15 minutes. It’s best not to peek and allow the steam to escape. When the rice has finished cooking, steam holes should be present at the surface of the rice and all of the water should have been absorbed by the rice.
Remove the pot from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Spread it out on a large pan or bowl to cool, fluffing frequently to release the steam. Cool to room temperature and reserve.
Salad
1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined, split lengthwise, cooked, and chilled
1 1/2 cups sweet corn kernels, cooked on the cob, cooled, and cut off (about 2 ears of corn)
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup thinly sliced scallions, using entire scallion
Lemon, Garlic and Dill Vinaigrette
Mix together the rice, shrimp, corn, celery, scallions and herbs. Add 1 1/2 cups of the vinaigrette and toss. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Add the remaining vinaigrette, a sprig of fresh dill and a lemon wedge. You may also serve this salad family style for a picnic or large function.
Lemon, Garlic and Dill Vinaigrette
Makes 2 1/2 cups
3 tablespoons spicy Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons crushed fresh garlic
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup rice wind vinegar
1 1/2 cups light olive oil
1/3 cup fresh dill sprigs picked from the main stem and cut in medium thin slices
fine sea salt
ground white pepper
In a mixing bowl, combine the mustard, garlic, lemon juice and rice wine vinegar and mix well. Slowly whisk in the oil until all is incorporated. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
(Recipes above taken from the cookbook “Magnolias”, written by Donald Barickman and published by Wyrick & Company, 2006.)
Karen and I hope you will enjoy these recipes as much as we have. I’ve made a couple of notes regarding the Lemon Confit or preserved lemons. These items were common in my cuisine growing up with middle eastern food. You could save a couple of steps by picking them up in a specialty store (Whole Foods in Reno whenever it opens).
My beverage recommendation for these dishes in a nice crisp Sauvignon Blanc such as Carrefour or a dry Spanish wine. Go to Aloha Wine and Spirits or Ben’s Liquor, they are sure to have some great selections for you.
As always enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!