Creative Cuisine

Traditional Ozark recipes

Posted at November 18, 2008 14:38

Many families have country recipes from yesteryear. Many were never written down, but some women created manuscript cookbooks. One example, The Julia Clark Household Memoranda Book, is housed at the Missouri Historical Society at St. Louis. Julia, wife of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition, or perhaps William himself, recorded her recipes, according to Carol and John Fisher in Pot Roast, Politics, and Ants in the Pantry (www.amazon.com), which also contains recipes.

Some cookbooks, like Recipes of Old Ste. Genevieve, first published by Women’s Club of Ste. Genevieve in 1959, record the French influence in the area through its sauces and preparations.

Near Branson, the College of the Ozarks’ From the Ozarks’ Oven is the Edwards Mill cookbook. Erected in 1972 and fully functional, the mill is a replica of an Ozark gristmill. (This book is available at the College of the Ozarks gift shop.)

One traditionally abundant food in the Ozarks, the black walnut, is featured in Hammons Products Company’s Cooking with Black Walnuts (www.hammonsproducts.com). The Stockton company is the only commercial processor of black walnuts in the world.

The theme park Silver Dollar City at Branson may have done as much as anyone in collecting and publishing Ozark recipes in Recipes from the Heartland and Country Barbecue Recipes. (These books are available at Silver Dollar City theme park at Branson.)

Here are some additional recipes for your holiday table.

Creamy Poke Weed. Silver Dollar City’s Country Cookin’ City Style, 1972, Silver Dollar City, Inc.

3 ham hocks, smoked
4 cups water
2 large bunches of poke weed, cleaned and chopped
(or 2 cans of mixed salad greens)
1/4 cup butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups cream
Cover the ham hocks with water and boil until meat slips off the bone. Remove the skin and fat from the hocks, return the meat to the water, and add the poke greens. Allow this to simmer for about 20 minutes. Melt butter in a separate pan, add the flour to the butter, and stir. Add the cream gradually while you stir until you have a thick white sauce. Drain the water off the poke greens and ham hocks, place in a bowl, and top with the sauce.

Baked Hominy Grits, Silver Dollar City’s Country Cookin’ City Style, 1972, Silver Dollar City, Inc.

1 cup hominy grits
2 eggs (separated)
4 1/2 to 5 cups boiling water
1/2 cup light cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Mix grits into the boiling water and cover. Cook over low heat for about one half hour. Allow grits to cool, then measure two cups into a bowl and beat until smooth texture is obtained. Beat egg yolks and combine with grits. Add salt, pepper and cream to the mixture. Beat egg whites until they stand in firm peaks and then fold lightly into the grits. Grease a one quart casserole dish and spoon the mixture in. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until top is gold brown. Serve immediately.

How to Cook a Boone County Sugar Cured Ham, Missouri 1821-1971 Sesquintennial Edition Cookbook, North American Press of Kansas City, 1971

Trim away excess fat and mold. Clean ham by scrubbing with this solution of 1 cup vinegar and 1/2 gallon water. Rinse and place in a roaster with 1 cup of fruit juice or Sherry wine and 1 cup water. Cover with lid of roaster (all vents closed). Cook in a 325 degree preheated oven 20 minutes per pound of ham. Forty-five minutes before end of cooking time, remove ham from oven and finish cooking uncovered after skinning or peeling the rind from the ham. Score the fat in 1inch squares and place whole cloves in each corner of square. Baste often with this glaze made of 1pound of brown sugar moistened with fruit juice, apricot or pineapple preferably. Cool and slice.

Served on buns with this mustard sauce is good eating:
1 cup dry prepared mustard
2 tablespoon horseradish
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup pineapple juice

Roast Haunch of Venison, Missouri 1821-1971 Sesquintennial Edition Cookbook, North American Press of Kansas City, 1971

To prepare a haunch of venison for roasting, wash it slightly in tepid water and dry it thoroughly by rubbing it with a clean, soft cloth. Lay over the fat side a large sheet of thickly buttered paper, and next a paste of flour and water about 3/4 of an inch thick; cover this again with 2 or 3 sheets of stout paper, secure the whole well with twine, and put down to roast, with a little water, in the dripping pan. Let the fire be clear and strong; baste the paper immediately with butter or clarified drippings, and roast the joint from 3 to4 hours, according to its weight and quality. Doe venison will require half an hour less time than buck venison. About 20 minutes before the joint is done remove the paste and paper, baste the meat in every part with butter and dredge it very lightly with flour. Let it take a pale brown color, and serve hot with unflavored gravy made with a thickening in a tureen and good currant jelly. Venison is much better when the deer has been killed in the autumn, when wild berries are plentiful and it has had abundant opportunities to fatten up on this and other fresh food.

Old-fashioned Sugar Pie, Missouri 1821-1971 Sesquintennial Edition Cookbook, North American Press of Kansas City, 1971

1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour (full measure)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cup water

In an iron skillet, melt butter, add sugar and flour; mix. Then, add water and vanilla. Cook until thick. Can add pecans, coconut or cocoa, if desired.
Pour into baked pie shell. Serve with whipped cream.

pie crust
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup bacon drippings
5 or 6 tablespoons cold water

Mix flour, salt and bacon drippings until consistency of meal. Then, add water. Divide in half and roll. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until slightly brown. Yield: 2 crust, 8 to 9 inch pie.

Concord Grape Pie, Missouri 1821-1971 Sesquintennial Edition Cookbook, North American Press of Kansas City, 1971

4 cups concord grapes
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 tablespoon tapioca

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slip grape pulp from skins; steam the pulp for about 20 minutes. Press through coarse sieve to remove seeds. Combine the grape juice, salt, cloves and tapioca. Add grape skins. Let stand while you prepare the double pie crust. Pour grape mixture into unbaked pie crust. Cover with a lattice top. Bake 30 to 40 minutes at 425 degrees.

Baked Indian Meal Pudding, Missouri 1821-1971 Sesquintennial Edition Cookbook, North American Press of Kansas City, 1971

1 cup corn meal
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1 quart milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup butter
dash of nutmeg

Put all ingredients in deep buttered dish and bake slowly for 3 hours, stirring several times during the first hour. Serve hot, topped with plain or whipped cream.

Boiled Indian Pudding, Missouri 1821-1971 Sesquintennial Edition Cookbook, North American Press of Kansas City, 1971

1 pint molasses
1 pint milk
4 eggs
1 pound beef suet, chopped fine
Indian meal (sufficient to make a thick batter)
1 teaspoon pulverized cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
a little grated lemon peel

Warm molasses and milk, stir well together. Beat eggs and stir gradually into molasses and milk. Add beef suet and Indian meal sufficient to make a thick batter. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and grated lemon peel. Stir all together thoroughly; dip cloth into boiling water, shake, flour a little, turn in the mixture, tie up, leaving room for the pudding to swell and boil 3 hours.
Serve hot with sauce made of drawn butter, wine and nutmeg.

Ozark Pudding, Missouri 1821-1971 Sesquintennial Edition Cookbook, North American Press of Kansas City, 1971

1/2 cup sifted flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup finely chopped peeled apple

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat egg, add sugar and beat until creamy. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients and mix. Then add the vanilla, nuts and apples and mix. Pour this mixture into a well greased 10 inch pie plate and bake in a moderate oven, 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Decorate with nuts and serve warm or cold with whipped cream or ice cream.

Sweet Nut Crusted Venison Loin, courtesy of Robert Stricklin, Executive Chef, Keeter Center, School of the Ozarks

8 oz. venison loin
½ cup walnuts
½ cup hazelnuts
½ cup pistachios
¼ cup brown sugar
1/8 tsp each salt and pepper
½ cup flour
2 eggs, beaten

Place nuts in food processor. Blend until chopped. Add brown sugar. Season loin with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Dip in egg wash, then coat with nut/sugar mixture. Sear in hot pan on stovetop then finish in oven to desired temperature.

Peppered Tenderloin of Wild Boar and Warm Piccadilly Relish, courtesy of Robert Stricklin, Executive Chef, Keeter Center, School of the Ozarks

1 to 1 ½ pounds wild boar tenderloin
¼ cup cracked black pepper
salt to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ½ tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon oil
¼ cup water
¼ cup whole kernel corn
¼ cup green pepper, diced
¼ cup red pepper, diced
¼ cup onion diced
1 leaf, chiffonade basil, fresh

Clean all silverskin and trim fat from tenderloin. Season tenderloin with salt and roll in cracked black pepper. Place tenderloin in hot pan with oil and sear all sides to a dark brown color. Place pan in 350F oven for 20 minutes or until temperature is approximately 170F and boar is done but not dry. Combine in sauce pan: water, oil, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar and remove from heat.  Mix all peppers, onion, corn and basil. Immediately pour hot water mixture over and toss all ingredients together.

Sweet Potato Hash, courtesy of Robert Stricklin, Executive Chef, Keeter Center, School of the Ozarks

2 large sweet potatoes
½ cup pine nuts
½ cup craisins (sun-dried cranberries)
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons butter, softened
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Peel sweet potatoes. Dice.
Blanch in boiling water.
Drain and cool under cold water.

Toast pine nuts in oven. Heat butter in sauté’ pan until melted.  Sauté potatoes.  Add pine nuts and craisins.  Add cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Keep warm until serving.

Corn Pudding, courtesy of Robert Stricklin, Executive Chef, Keeter Center, School of the Ozarks

1 quart heavy cream
8 eggs
½ teaspoon garlic
1 cup frozen cut corn, thawed and drained
salt to taste
white pepper to taste
browned parsley bread crumbs

Grease 2 ounce foil cups.
Mix ingredients.
Fill cups.
Place in water bath, 300 degrees for one hour.
Garnish with parsley bread crumbs.

Pumpkin Soup, (serves 4) courtesy of Robert Stricklin, Executive Chef, Keeter Center, School of the Ozarks

1 pound pumpkin or acorn squash
1 smoked ham hock
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
salt to taste
pepper to taste
cumin to taste
nutmeg to taste
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Quarter pumpkin
Pierce with fork and bake in 350F oven or until very tender.
Sauté onion and hock until onions become translucent.
Scrape baked pumpkin from skin and add to onion and hock. Add stock.
Bring to boil.
Add seasoning.
Puree.
Add warmed cream.
Adjust seasoning to preference.

Serve in hollowed pumpkin.
Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds or crispy ham hock crackling.

Duck Pot Pie (serves 4), courtesy of Robert Stricklin, Executive Chef, Keeter Center, School of the Ozarks

1 duck (5 pounds)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 orange
2 Tablespoons garlic
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Season duck inside and out with salt and pepper. Rub skin and inside with chopped garlic. Sprinkle clove inside duck. Half orange and squeeze inside duck, placing halves inside.
Place duck on wire roasting rack.
Roast in 350F oven 40 to 45 minutes until juices run clear and internal temperature is 165F.
Cook completely.
Save fat and all pan drippings.
Remove meat from bones.
Break apart or shred meat into bite size pieces.

Stock:
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 quarts water
6 to 8 peppercorns

In 4 quart stock pot, place chopped bones from duck carcass and juice or pan drippings from roasting process. (NOT FAT – just drippings.)
Add vegetables, peppercorns, bay leaf, and cold water. Simmer for 1 to 2 hours.
Skim scum that comes to the surface and any grease. Reduce by half and strain.

6 ounces wild rice
6 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
2 cups fresh spinach
8 ounces butternut squash, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Cook rice using 18 ounces of duck stock as liquid.
Using a large soup pot (2 to 4 quarts), sauté onion, mushrooms and squash until tender.
Add spinach.
Cook until all is tender.  Add rice and remaining stock (approximately 14 ounces).  Simmer.
Make roux using 2 tablespoons duck fat and 2 Tablespoons flour.  Thicken stock mixture medium to thin consistency.  Add shredded duck and cool.
Place mixture in oven proof terrine or individual bowls.  Cover with pie dough and bake until brown and hot. Approximately 20 minutes at 350F.

Baking a Country Ham, from Burgers’ Smokehouse, California, Missouri

For uncooked country hams:
Scrub ham thoroughly with stiff brush and warm water. (It is normal for a country ham to develop surface mold that is easily removed.) Place ham, skin up, in deep open roaster. Add water to within two inches of top of pan and add a cup of sorghum, honey, or brown sugar. Insert meat thermometer. Cook slowly (about 250 degrees) so that ham will simmer but not boil. Ham will be done when thermometer reaches 155 degrees. If thermometer is not used, cook approximately 20 minutes per pound after water starts to simmer. Allow ham to slowly cool in liquid. Take ham from roaster, remove skin, and excess fat, leaving a thin layer for glazing if desired.

Glaze
Score ham fat in a ¼-inch diamond pattern and stud with whole cloves if desired. Make a thick paste using 1 cup brown sugar and ¼ cup vinegar. Apply paste to the fat side of the ham and place under broiler or in hot oven (at highest temperature) until glaze is golden brown. Watch carefully to avoid burning glaze.

Sweet Potato Souffle, Sassafras, 1985, Junior League of Springfield

2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
4 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
2 cups  pecans, chopped
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg
6 egg yolks, beaten
6 egg whites, stiffly beaten
¼ cup butter
1 cup flaked coconut
1/3 cup self-rising flour
1 teaspoon rum extract
Mandarin oranges and pecan halves for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1 cup of the brown sugar, salt and 1-3/4 cups of the cream in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until hot (do not boil), stirring constantly. In a large mixing bowl, beat potatoes and cream mixture on low speed until smooth. Stir 1 cup of the pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and egg yolks into potato mixture. Fold in egg whites. Pour half of the mixture into each oftwo greased 2-quart baking dishes. Set aside. Combine butter, coconut and remaining cream, brown sugar and pecans in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring constantly. Stir in flour and rum extract. Spoon mixture over potatoes. Bake 30 minutes. Garnish with mandarin oranges and pecan halves. Serve warm.

Serves 12.
 
December 2008

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