Shall we begin this morning with shrimp and chicken and salad dressing?
Mary Lynn Wilson got this topic started, around the legendary recipes of the former Fehn's Restaurant. Of their much-loved shrimp salad printed here in recent months she reported, "I expect some fresh Gulf shrimp in the coming weeks from vacationing friends and can't wait to try this recipe. I really expected to see Fehn's delicious Russian dressing (another favorite)."
Also in this column, there has been a request for Fehn's Choo Choo Chicken, so we will hope for a copy of their Russian dressing and their Choo Choo Chicken from you, perhaps.
And shall we end with Carolyn Perry's questions about frittatas and their cousins, crustless quiches? She asked for a comparison of the two dishes and then reported her initial findings below. Frittata and crustless quiche experts, please chime in.
ROCK SALT
Bill Scoville read the request for rock salt recipes, "and I immediately remembered this recipe that ran in the paper way back when Merle Ellis had a weekly piece in there. Loved his columns and still have many I cut out. I did this recipe once, but it was so long ago I can't recall anything other than it takes a lot of salt." He was correct: 8 to 10 pounds. Merle Ellis credited this to a 1980s chef in Tiburon, California.
Salt Roast Chicken
3- to 4-pound frying chicken
8 to 10 pounds rock salt
Kitchen twine
Boiling water
Remove any excess fat from the frying chicken around the tail, and cut any loose skin from around the neck. Tie each leg to the ends of a 10- to 12-inch piece of kitchen twine so that you have a length of string between the legs. Hold onto the string, and dip the chicken into a large pot of boiling water. Hold it there for 30 to 45 seconds, then remove it from the water and hang it to dry for about an hour. It's important that the skin be completely dry or the bird will not brown properly and will absorb too much salt. The drying process can be accelerated with the help of an electric fan or a portable hair dryer.
While the chicken is drying, heat 8 to 10 pounds of rock salt in a large pot. (The originator used to use Hawaiian sea salt and a wok, but kosher salt and a large roasting pan will work well.) You can heat the salt in a 400-degree oven or on top of the stove, whichever is most convenient.
When the chicken is dry and the salt is hot, remove about half the salt from the pan. Be careful - it's hot. Lay the chicken on its back on the bed of salt remaining, and push it down into the salt. Pour the rest of the salt over the bird to cover completely. Cover the pan with a tight lid and place in a 200-degree oven and roast 1 hour. Carefully remove the bird from the salt, brush off any that clings, and serve.
TOMATOES
In their family's ongoing search for just the right tomato recipe like her grandmother used to make, Merritt Adams' mother found this recipe that is kin to a tomato jam. It was originally attributed to Jean Cejka of Dawson, Georgia.
Tomato Relish
1 cup ripe tomatoes, cut fine
1 cup green peppers, cut fine
1 cup onions, cut fine
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash of salt
Cook tomatoes, peppers, onions, mustard, sugar and vinegar together until really thick. Add Worcestershire sauce and salt, mix, then seal in hot jars.
FRITTATA V QUICHE
Carolyn Perry was pondering the difference between frittatas and quiches made without crusts. Her initial research (please add your thoughts) told her that "frittata is an egg-based Italian dish similar to an omelette or crustless quiche or scrambled eggs, enriched with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses or vegetables." She also wondered why frittata comes from the roughly translated Italian word for "fried," since frittatas are not fried. (Nor, of course, does one boil "boiled custard." What's in a name?)
BEAN GAZPACHO
As to the current state of pandemic, Ms. Perry reported that "So far during the quarantine I've made two batches of Black Bean Gazpacho. I usually just throw in what I have on hand or remembered to buy. I always make mine with canned tomatoes since it's so hard to get good tomatoes unless you have your own garden, and I don't. I used two cans of petite diced tomatoes and used my immersion blender to mush them up a little but still leave some small lumps for texture. I added a little V8 juice because that's what I had. I used half of an English cucumber, but you could use the entire cucumber. I use a spoon to scrape most of the small seeds out. I only had one large red bell pepper. I taste to adjust seasonings before I refrigerate and usually after. Basically this is a Play-It-By-Taste recipe."
Play-It-By-Taste Black Bean Gazpacho
2 large chopped tomatoes (or 2 cans petite diced tomatoes)
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 large English cucumber, peeled and chopped (scrape out seeds before chopping)
1 carrot, peeled and finely minced (in food processor)
1/4 cup sliced green onions (or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder)
3 cups tomato (or V8) juice, or less if using canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons lime juice (I used lemon juice)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (or substitute 1 jalapeno, finely chopped in a food processor)
1/2 teaspoon low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced (or about teaspoon garlic powder)
2 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup sour cream
Put tomatoes in large bowl (I use an immersion blender to chop tomatoes, leaving some small pieces/lumps).
Add all other ingredients, except for sour cream, to the bowl. Adjust seasonings according to your taste. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings again, to taste, after gazpacho has chilled. Serve with sour cream.
Wednesday and everyday blessings on you all, and let's meet again.
REQUESTS
* Fehn's Russian dressing
* Fehn's Choo Choo Chicken
* Frittata vs. quiche
TO REACH US
Fare Exchange is a longtime meeting place for people who love to cook and love to eat. We welcome both your recipes and your requests. Be sure to include precise instructions for every recipe you send.
Mailing address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
Email: chattfare@gmail.com