Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey: Recipes from My Three Favorite Food Groups and Then Some

By John Currence and John T. Edge

The James Beard Award-winning chef shares stories of Southern life and recipes from his renowned Mississippi restaurants in this illustrated cookbook.

In this irreverent yet serious look at contemporary Southern food, Chef John Currence shares 130 recipes organized by 10 different techniques, such as Simmering, Slathering, Pickling, and Smoking, just to name a few. Then John spices things up with colorful stories of his upbringing in New Orleans, his time living in Europe, and more—plus insightful reflections on today's Southern culinary landscape.

Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey features John's one-of-a-kind recipes for Pickled Sweet Potatoes, Whole Grain Guinness Mustard, Deep South "Ramen" with a Fried Poached Egg, Rabbit Cacciatore, Smoked Endive, Fire-Roasted Cauliflower, and Kitchen Sink Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches. Each recipe is paired with a song and the complete playlist can be downloaded at spotify.com. The book also features more than 100 color photographs by Angie Mosier.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Oct 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781449447090

Book preview

Chapter 1

Stirring, Shaking & Muddling

City Grocery Bloody Mary

Rosemary-Cherry Lemonade

Eugene Walter’s Iced Tea

Last-Word Fizz

Smoked Sazerac

Absinthe Frappé

Bourbon Milk Punch

New Old-Fashioned

Spiced Cider

University Grays Punch

Deadliest Sin Champagne Punch

Mint Julep Redux

The Volunteer

Beverages come first here, for a number of reasons. First, when cooking at home, little sets the tone for an evening in the kitchen like a cocktail. My delightful wife, Bess, never lets me get started without offering to make me a drink. This tradition is nothing we ever discussed or considered. She’s not a doting wife in that sort of way at all. This ceremony just began naturally the moment we started spending time in the kitchen together. It’s simply the civilized way to initiate the process and it came to us organically. As a result it only makes sense that we tackle this subject straight out of the gate, so we can all get to work.

Second, other than wine and, to a lesser extent, beer, little academic consideration is given to the beverage world. Granted, the current interest in craft cocktails might suggest otherwise, but except to a precious few folks, cocktails are still whimsical and more kicked back than they are considered. Oddly, though, every meal is rounded out by an accompanying beverage—whether it is coffee or apple juice with breakfast, iced tea with a barbecue sandwich at lunch, or the cocktail we choose before supper, they are an integral part of the experience of each of these meals and are almost always tasted before the first bite of food crosses our lips. These pages contain some of my favorites, alcoholic mostly, but a few for the family. All are for enjoyment.

City Grocery Bloody Mary

I have spent a significant portion of my life working on different Bloody Mary recipes because I love this basic flavor combination and, let’s be honest, sometimes it’s the only thing that will bring you back from the brink. Each is distinctly different, but like gumbo, each has its place, time, and raison d’être. When we opened the Grocery, though, I met my match with regard to how seriously I took this drink. Randy Yates, our bar manager (and ultimately business partner), insisted we craft a special recipe and make us the destination in town for this libation. The result is spicy, fun, effervescent, and bright.

Welcome to the Jungle —Guns N’ Roses

4 cups V8 juice

1 ³⁄4 cups vodka of your choice (good quality, but not top shelf)

3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce or store bought

5 teaspoons prepared horseradish

2 ¹⁄2 teaspoons finely grated shallots

1 ¹⁄2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons dill pickle juice

2 teaspoons Tabasco hot sauce

³⁄4 teaspoon celery seeds

2 ¹⁄2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 ¹⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

Ice cubes

6 pickled okra pods

12 cocktail onions

6 good-quality pitted olives

6 lime wedges

SERVES 6

Combine the V8, vodka, Worcestershire, horseradish, shallots, garlic, pickle juice, Tabasco, celery seeds, pepper, salt, and lemon and lime zest and juice in a large pitcher and stir well to combine. Place the pitcher in the fridge and let chill (this will keep the drink from diluting as much when you pour it over ice).

Fill 6 short glasses with ice. Skewer 1 okra pod, 2 onions, and 1 olive on 6 skewers and place one in each glass.

Pour the chilled mixture over the ice. Sprinkle the top of each drink with a little more pepper and top with a wedge of