Nathalie Dupree, dubbed the Queen of Southern Cooking by Southern Living magazine, died Monday in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was 85 years old.
She was the author of more than 10 cookbooks and her recipes became staples for those looking to dig into Southern cooking.
Here, some of her classic recipes from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution archives.
Super Crisp Country Fried Chicken
Dupree included a quintessential fried chicken recipe in her 1993 cookbook “Southern Memories,” which had all the classics as well as some of the newer and less traditional Southern dishes. Part of Dupree’s mission was to dispel misconceptions of Southern food. “People think we are the buffets that they see when they travel to the South. Those all-you-can-eat-for-$6.95. They think that’s what we eat every day.”
Makes 4 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time, skillet: 30-40 minutes; deep fryer: 15-18 minutes
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons garlic salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 frying chicken, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds, cut up
- Shortening or butter
- Combine the milk and egg in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, garlic salt, paprika, pepper and poultry seasoning in a paper or plastic bag. Add a few pieces of the chicken to the bag at a time and shake to coat. Dip the chicken in the milk-and-egg mixture, then shake a second time in the flour mixture.
- To skillet-fry the chicken, place enough shortening in the skillet to come 1/2 to 1 inch up the sides of the pan. Heat the shortening to 365 degrees in an electric skillet or over medium-high heat in a large heavy skillet. Brown the chicken on all sides, then reduce the heat to 275 degrees or to medium-low heat and continue cooking until the chicken is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes, turning the chicken several times. Drain on paper towels.
- To deep-fry, heat 2 or 3 inches of the shortening to 365 degrees in a deep fryer or deep saucepan. Fry the chicken for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the meat near the bone is no longer pink. Drain on paper towels.
Per serving: 783 calories, 39 grams fat, 207 milligrams cholesterol, 1,709 milligrams sodium.
Grits and Greens
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Former AJC writer Cynthia Hizer got this recipe from Dupree, who she said “whipped up this creative dish with little warning.” Any of the winter greens will do, but each requires a different cooking time: for example, collards will take longer than this recipe calls for, while spinach will take less. The grits are loose and creamy, like pudding. It’s a wonderful dish that can be reheated, and Dupree even suggests using it as a dip.
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup quick grits
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 pound greens (tender greens, turnip or mustard) washed, veined and stemmed
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated imported Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- In a heavy nonstick saucepan, combine milk and cream over medium-high heat. Bring nearly to a boil. Stir in the grits and cook 5 to 10 minutes, stirring as necessary to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons butter.
- Meanwhile, place the greens, still wet from washing, in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. The water clinging to the leaves should be sufficient, but add up to several tablespoons water if necessary. Drain the greens and refresh in cold water. Drain the greens thoroughly, squeezing to remove all water.
- Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in the frying pan over medium heat. Add the drained greens and saute briefly.
- Add the greens to the grits. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.
This dish may be made ahead and reheated. --- From: “Southern Memories” by Nathalie Dupree (Potter, $30)
Per serving: 347 calories, 16 grams protein, 18 grams fat (percent calories from fat, 47), 31 grams carbohydrates, 60 milligrams cholesterol, 461 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber.
Blueberry and Lemon Cheese Pie
8 servings
Hands on: 40 minutes
Total time: 90 minutes
In her 1986 classic, “New Southern Cooking” (Knopf, $25), Dupree features several blueberry recipes, which were rarely found in older Southern cookbooks. This one demonstrates what excellent flavor-mates lemon and blueberries are. The Lemon Cheese, or lemon curd, can also be used as a spread on English muffins or biscuits and keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator. Dupree noted that if you’re using fresh berries, you can fold them into the Lemon Cheese/whipped cream mixture instead of spreading them on the bottom of the pie crust. (Don’t do this with frozen berries --- they will bleed into the mixture.)
- 1/2 recipe Lemon Cheese (recipe follows)
- 1 9-inch pre-baked pie crust
- 1 pint blueberries, preferably fresh (thawed and drained if frozen)
- 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
- Prepare Lemon Cheese. Fill pre-baked crust with all but about 1/4 cup of the blueberries. Mix Lemon Cheese with whipped cream; top blueberries with the mixture. Garnish with reserved berries. Serve within a few hours, or freeze.
Per serving: 269 calories (percent of calories from fat, 77), 3 grams protein, 38 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 24 grams fat (14 grams saturated), 29 milligrams cholesterol, 138 milligrams sodium.
Lemon Cheese
2 1/2 cups
Hands on: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- Grated rind and strained juice of 3 lemons (3 tablespoons rind and 1/2 cup juice)
- 3 eggs, beaten
- In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, butter, lemon rind and juice and eggs. Cook gently over low heat until the mixture is thick but still falls easily from a spoon. Do not boil or let the mixture separate. Remove from the heat and cool. Store in the refrigerator in a tightly covered jar, or freeze.
Per serving: 38 calories (percent of calories from fat, 47), less than 1 gram protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 2 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 18 milligrams cholesterol, 28 milligrams sodium.
Abercrombie Brunswick Stew
This recipe was adapted from “New Southern Cooking” by Nathalie Dupree.
- 8 medium onions, chopped
- 4 tablespoons pork drippings or butter
- 2 cups seasoned chicken stock
- (add 1 extra chicken
- bouillon cube)
- 2 chickens, 3 pounds each, cooked and boned
- 4 to 5 pounds pork, any cut, grilled, boned and chopped
- 5 pounds tomatoes, chopped
- 1 quart ketchup
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 cups chopped potatoes or instant potatoes (optional for quicker thickening)
- 1 to 2 pounds creamed corn
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Tabasco to taste
- In a big black iron pot outdoors or in a large heavy pot indoors, cook the onions in the drippings or butter. Add the broth and bring to the boil. Add chicke n, pork, tomatoes, ketchup and barbecue sauce. Cook 6-8 hours outside or 1-2 hours inside to blend and thicken, stirring frequently so the stew does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Be cautious - it really will scorch the pot!
- Add the potatoes 1 hour before serving if the stew needs thickening. Add the corn 10 minutes before serving. Just before serving, adjust the seasoning, particularly for black pepper (a good spice for pork) and Tabasco.
Makes 3 gallons, serves about 30 people. -
Note: Brunswick stew freezes well and the recipe may easily be increased to serve 100.
Bourbon Steak
Makes 2 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: about 15 minutes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 6 tablespoons ( 3/4 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
- 1/3 cup beef stock or broth
- Salt
- 2 sirloin strip steaks, about 10 ounces each
- 1/3 cup bourbon
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onion, for garnish
- Mix together the thyme, basil, black pepper and rosemary. In a small cup, combine the cornstarch with the water and mix well. In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the shallots, garlic and the herb mixture and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the beef stock and slowly bring to a simmer. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cornstarch mixture and whisk until thickened. Bring nearly to a boil, then remove from the heat. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the butter. Taste, and add salt if necessary. Set aside.
- When ready to serve, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the steaks, brown on one side, then turn and brown on the other side, and cook to desired degree of doneness (about 3 minutes per side for really rare). Remove the pan from the heat and take out the steaks. Add the bourbon to the pan and deglaze over high heat, stirring and scraping the pan. Stir the bourbon into the herb sauce mixture.
- Slice each steak into 1/2-inch strips and arrange on a plate topped with some of the bourbon sauce and a sprinkle of green onions.
Per serving: 892 calories, 71 grams fat, 271 milligrams cholesterol, 144 milligrams sodium.
