Southern Soul Food

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One of truly unique to North America and original ethnic food groups, is the outgrowth of dishes thought up within the African American food culture in the south: Southern Soul Food.

It started way back in the days of southern tobacco and cotton plantation owners who purchased slaves captured and brought over from Africa. The slaves were given the “undesirable” cuts of meats to eat: cow and pig intestines, feet, tongues, chicken feet, etc.

But these people were very creative, and they learned how to take the foods unwanted in the big mansion and prepare tasty meals with them.

And the early African Americans also were given enough “free time” to hunt their own wild game, so meals of alligator and frog, snake, etc., would also be found served on the humble wooden tables in the shacks their owners kept them in.

Eventually, and especially after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, which freed the slaves, and began the painfully slow process of integration in the USA, African American food recipes soon caught on with the rest of the southern people. And over the past century and a half, the culinary phenomenon became known as Southern Soul Food, and is a favorite collection of ethnic dishes all over North America.

Try some. You’ll have to agree, it just feels good to to the soul, when you dig into some …

Southern Soul Food!

Please note: For your convenience, you can click on the recipes listed below and be taken directly to a page with just that one recipe on it, in printer-friendly format.

You are certainly welcomed to read through this whole page, lots of the recipes are here as well, and there are some videos and pertinent information on background, history, customs, special notes, etc., so it is well worth the read.

Here is the list, in alphabetical order:

Brown Sugar Soul Pie

Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Gravy Smothered Fried Catfish

Savory Southern Skillet Cornbread

Smothered Pork Chops – Soul Food Style

Sock it to Me Southern Soul Cake

Soul Food Style Mixed Greens

Southern Deep Fried Alligator

Southern Fried Cabbage and Bacon

Southern Fried Chicken

Southern Fried Frog Legs

Deep South Deep Fried Alligator

Southern Soul Food: Deep Fried Alligator

O000h yeah, yessirree Bob! Down in the North American deep south, especially states like Florida, Louisiana, and some others, folks’ll catch the man-eating alligator, and turn the tables on the beast by skinning it (sell the skins to shoe, purse, and other clothing manufacturers), then chopping up the meat and eating it.

And y’know what? Tastes darn good, too! It’s prepared a lot of ways, but probably the most often used method is deep frying the tail meat. So, if you’d like a real “down south” ethnic taste treat, this recipe is just the the thing for you.

Ingredients:
Directions:
  1. Heat a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F. (If you don’t have a deep fryer, you can get one by clicking HERE)
  2. Lightly season gator meat with salt and pepper prior to dredging them in flour.
  3. Combine buttermilk and hot sauce into 1 mixture.
  4. Dip the gator meat into the buttermilk and hot sauce mixture and dip, once again, in flour. Then place in deep fryer until golden brown, just a couple minutes.
  5. Drain on paper towels and serve with ranch dressing on the side.

Southern Fried Cabbage and Bacon

cabbage and bacon

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

Directions:
  1. Remove any wilted and/or discolored leaves from the outside of the cabbage heads, and then cut the head into quarters. Chop the tough core parts out. Chop the rest of the quarters into 1” dices.
  2. Use a large (4 quart) cooking pot; put it on medium heat, and cook the bacon until crisp. Take the bacon out with a slotted spoon or hand held sieve, and place it on paper towels to absorb the extra fat drippings. Leave the residual drippings in the pan—you should have around ½ cup of pork fat left in there.
  3. Now add the diced cabbage into the pot and cook it in the pork fat until it starts to brown, usually 3 or 4 minutes. Stir the cabbage just enough so all of it gets a little browned but none of it gets burned.
  4. Now add in the water, salt, pepper, and sugar, cover the pot, and cook until the cabbage is well tenderized, usually about 20 minutes.
  5. Stir the bacon pieces back into the cabbage, cook just another minute, to reheat the bacon, then remove from the heat and serve while still hot.

When it comes to authentic soul food recipes, it doesn’t get any better than this next one. Eating frog legs is not original to the deep south of North America, but it is an intensely favorite dish of the southern folks who love their soul food.

Frogs are an endangered species, so for that reason this recipe calls for farm raised frog legs, which we hope you will also choose to use.

Fortunately, too, this entree falls under the category of “simple soul food recipes” – it is a snap to prepare, and the culinary returns will far outweigh the effort you will have to expend.

Southern Fried Frog Legs

fried frog legs

Ingredients:

(makes 6 servings)

 

Directions:
  1. If your frog legs are still with skins on, remove the skins, rinse the legs well and dry them with cloth or paper towel, then set aside.
  2. Using a large re-sealable plastic bag, place inside the flour, cornmeal, crushed crackers, minced onion, salt and pepper, then seal the bag and shake it well until the mixture is thoroughly blended.
  3. Whisk the milk and eggs together in a bowl.
  4. Using a large skillet or saucepan, put both oils in it, and turn the heat up to medium high. The amount of oil you will need depends on the size of your skillet—you want the oil to be about ½” deep, and keeping a ratio of 2 to 1 with the vegetable oil to peanut oil.
  5. Now dredge the frog legs through the egg and milk mixture, coating them well, and then do the same with the flour/cracker mixture
  6. Fry until nice and golden brown on both sides—usually about 5 minutes on one side, then flip them for another 5 minutes. You may need to fry them in batches, again, depending on your skillet size.
  7. Remove the legs once they are well browned, and put them on a large, paper towel-covered platter, to drain off excess oil.
  8. When the legs first come out of the pan and are still oily and hot, sprinkle them with the chopped green onions.
  9. Serve while still warm, goes well with thick oven broiled potato fingers or mashed potatoes.

Nothing is more traditionally beloved and regularly eaten in the world of American Southern Soul Food than smothered pork chops.

There are good pork chop recipes, and there are great pork chop recipes, both fried and baked versions. But this one you about to experience?

Is an amazing baked pork chop recipe!

Smothered Pork Chops – Southern Soul Food Style

smothered pork chops

Ingredients:

(serves 6)

  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 cups rich beef broth
  • Pinch sage leaves, crumbled
  • 6 pork chops, thick cut, from boneless pork loin
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup Lard
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 6 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup chopped white button mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery

 

Directions:
  1. Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a small saucepan, then stir in the 2 tablespoons of flour, and cook until turning a light brown color—stirring all the time with a whisk.
  2. Add in the sage and broth, mix together well, remove from heat, and set aside. This is your smothering sauce.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, put the 1 of cup flour, add the salt and pepper into it and stir to blend the seasonings well throughout.
  4. In another bowl, crack the eggs and put the whites and yolks in it. Whisk the eggs until slightly frothy.
  5. Dip the loin chops into the eggs and swish them around until they have a thin film of egg coating all over.
  6. Next, dredge the loin chops in the seasoned flour mixture, coating all sides well.
  7. In a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, put 1/4 cup of the lard and get it sizzling hot, then add in the chops and fry them until they are well browned on both sides.
  8. Transfer the browned chops to a large baking or casserole dish—one that has a cover.
  9. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  10. Using the same large skillet, melt and heat the remaining lard. Add celery, mushrooms, onions, garlic. Turn the heat down to medium, and cook, stirring often to avoid burning, until onions and garlic are golden and fragrant—usually 8 to 10 minutes will do it.
  11. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked vegetables and spoon them evenly over the chops in the casserole or baking dish.
  12. Pour all the remaining lard in the skillet down the drain (or you can save it in a covered container for reuse later).
  13. Add reserved sauce into the skillet, turn the heat up to high, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring vigorously. Occasionally scrape the bottom of the skillet to prevent burning and also to get the savory rue loose and blended into the smothering sauce.
  14. Now pour the sauce over vegetables and chops in the baking dish or casserole, cover, and bake for 30 minutes.
  15. Serve with greens, mashed potatoes and gravy.

(Mashed potatoes and gravy recipe just below this one, followed by a wonderful recipe for Southern Soul Food style greens)

There are homemade mashed potatoes recipes too numerous to mention. But this one is The Old Silly’s hands-down favorite. A garlic mashed potatoes recipe with a savory beef broth gravy that is a Soul Food side dish that will titillate your palate for sure.

The gravy is my own special version, one that many a friend to whom I have treated with it has remarked that is one of the best gravy recipes they’ve ever had. Enjoy!

Homemade Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Savory Gravy

taters n gravy

Ingredients:

(serves 6)

For the Mashed Potatoes-
  • 3 large russet potatoes, peeled, washed, and cut into quarters
  • 1 full bulb of garlic, all cloves peeled
  • Whole milk, 1 cup, more or less
  • Salted butter, ½ stick (4 tbsp.), melted
  • Salt, to taste
For the Gravy-
  • 4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups beef broth or chicken broth (depending on which type of meat is being served at the meal)
  • Heavy cream, ½ cup
  • Butter, 2 to 4 tbsp.
Directions:
To Make the Mashed Potatoes-
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and, when at full heat, put the peeled garlic cloves into the oven on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Roast for about 20 to 30 minutes, until very soft and turning golden brown.
  2. Boil the potato quarters in water until they are cooked through, but still a little stiff in the center when stuck with a fork.
  3. Drain the quarters and place them in a blender while still very hot.
  4. Add the melted butter and roasted garlic, and about ½ cup of milk, and 2 tsp. of salt.
  5. Blend on high, until well mixed together and smooth. Do not over-blend at this stage.
  6. Take a spoon, dip it into the mash, and when you pull the spoon out the mash should form a little peak. If it doesn’t peak but sticks to the spoon, it needs a bit more milk and more blending. Proceed little at a time with the milk—too much will result in soupy mashed potatoes—not the texture you want.
  7. When the mash is the right texture, do a taste test, add more salt if you wish. I don’t pepper my mashed potatoes, because I like the creamy and smooth off-white color.
  8. If you’ve not yet prepared your gravy and the meal will not be served right away, transfer the mash into a covered serving bowl and keep it warm in the oven, set at about 150 degrees.
To Make the Gravy-
  1. In a medium-sized saucepan, over medium-high heat, with no oil, add in the flour, spread evenly across the pan’s bottom.
  2. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour starts turning brown. Lower the heat if you smell it starting to burn. You want a rich brown color, but not tarnished with burnt flavor.
  3. When the flour is nicely browned, add in the butter, 2 cups of broth, ¼ cup of cream, and 2 tbsp. of butter. Cook, stirring constantly.
  4. Little by little, keep adding in broth and cream, until you have the desired consistency, which is a nice, thick gravy that oozes over the side of a tilted spoon. If it is too soupy, add a little more flour and keep cooking, stirring all the while, until the gravy is sufficiently thickened.
  5. Do a taste test, and then salt and pepper to your tastes.

When setting the table for dinner, place the bowl of mashed potatoes on the table, and have the gravy set out in a lipped pouring vessel. Have salt and pepper on the table too, for those who want heavier seasoning. In the south, some people actually like hot sauce on their mashed potatoes too, so have a bottle of Frank’s Original Hot Sauce set out is a good idea.

Southern Soul Food Style Mixed Greens

greens

Ingredients:

(serves 6)

  • 4 large bunches of greens (2 bunches of collards, and one bunch each of turnip and mustard makes a great combination, but you can use just about any combination of sturdy leaves taken from leaf vegetables and/or root vegetables)
  • 12 oz. thinly sliced and chopped cooked ham
  • 1 small to medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1⁄3 cup cold bacon grease (plan ahead for this recipe, and save the grease from cooking bacon)
  • 1⁄2 cup vegetable broth or 1⁄2 cup chicken broth (you can also use lamb broth, my personal favorite)
  • Freshly ground course sea salt and black peppercorns.
  • 1 tsp. sugar
Directions:
  1. Fill your sink with fresh cold water.
  2. Place the greens in—be sure you have enough water so they float.
  3. Use your hands to swish the greens vigorously in the water, then release them. The soil will drop to the bottom and your cleaned greens will rise to the top. Allow 20 minutes for the greens to sit in the water.
  4. Taking care not to scoop up any soil from the bottom, scoop out the greens.
  5. If you see or feel any soil still on the greens, repeat the cleaning process.
  6. Put the cleaned greens in a colander and flush them one more time under running water.
  7. Now rip off any thick veins and stems, and tear the leaves into large chunky pieces.
  8. Heat the bacon grease in a large pot over medium-high heat.
  9. Next add in your greens and chopped onion, and stir well with the bacon grease for 2 or 3 minutes.
  10. Now add in the cooked ham pieces, also the ham or chicken broth, salt, pepper, and sugar, and stir until blended well together.
  11. Cover the pot and adjust the heat to where your greens are cooking at a mild simmer—it is important that you do not boil them. A long, gentle simmering is what will tenderize the greens into the melt-in-your-mouth texture desired.
  12. Water will release from the greens as they cook, producing quite a bit of liquid. This is normal, and the liquid will cook down. You may even want to add some water after a while, if they are getting too dry and risk burning on the bottom. Exercise due diligence, you don’t want watery greens, just nicely moist when ready to serve.
  13. Usually about 3 hours of simmering will be enough to properly tenderize the greens, but if you can plan ahead of your meal enough to allow them to simmer for 5 or 6 hours, they will be all that much better.

When it comes to Southern Soul Food desert recipes, it doesn’t get any easier or tastier at the same time than this incredibly simple recipe. Definitely not for weight watchers, it is not at all a “health food”, quite the opposite, but hey – once in a great while, go ahead and treat yourself, eh?

Southern Brown Sugar Pie

brown sugar pie

Ingredients:
Directions:
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Put the eggs, butter, vanilla, and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk together until thoroughly combined.
  3. Pour pie mixture in the pie dough-lined pie pan.
  4. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

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