A contemporary Southern cook from Charleston who channels the traditions and culture of her Gullah/Geechees heritage, Kardea Brown is the Emmy nominated award host of Food Network’s Delicious Miss Brown. The author of The Way Home: A Celebration of Sea Islands Food and Family with over 100 Recipes (HarperOne), Brown is a best selling New York Times author with over 455,000 followers on Instagram. Many of the recipes in her book are those that have been passed down through her grandmother and her mother and celebrate the cuisine of the Gullah/Geechees who originating from West Africa were enslaved on the rice, indigo and Sea Island cotton plantations. Settling along the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia, the Gullah/Geechees have retained many facets of their history including language and foodways. The book, featuring 125 recipes and an array of gorgeous full-color photos, is filled with easy-to-make recipes. Follow Kardea on Instagram.
the creator of the pop-up New Gullah Supper Club and has appeared on Beat Bobby Flay, Chopped Junior, Cooks vs. Cons, Family Food Showdown and Farmhouse Rules, on Instagram.
The following recpes and photos are reprinted with permission from The Way Home.
Chicken & Dumplings
- 6 Tbsp (¾ stick) unsalted butter, divided
- 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 stalks celery, sliced ½ inch thick
- 4 medium carrots, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ bunch fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Dumplings
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp vegetable shortening
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
Heat a large braiser or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add 4 Tbsp butter. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; add to pan. Cook 3 minutes per side or until golden. Transfer to a plate.
Add remaining 2 Tbsp butter, onion, celery and carrots to pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook 3 minutes or until vegetables are coated with fat and slightly golden, stirring frequently and scraping up bits that cling to bottom of pan. Sprinkle with flour; stir until vegetables are coated. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken stock, bay leaf and browned chicken along with any juices that have collected. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 45 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through.
Dumplings
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Using a fork, cut shortening into flour mixture. Slowly add buttermilk, gently mixing to incorporate.
Remove chicken from pot; shred with 2 forks. Return chicken to pot. Using 2 spoons, sprayed with cooking spray if desired, top stew with 1 Tbsp scoops of dough. Cover; simmer 15 minutes or until dumplings double in size. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf. Garnish with parsley.
Limpin’ Susan
- 3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into strips
- 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups sliced fresh okra or thawed from frozen
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the bacon to drain on paper towels. Add the shrimp to the bacon fat and cook until just barely seared, about 4 minutes. Remove to a separate plate. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Stir in the onion and garlic.
Cook until starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes, then add the okra to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice (this will help cut the slime). Stir in the rice and saute until the onion is lightly browned, about 3 minutes more. Add chicken stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to loosen any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and add the shrimp back to the skillet.
Cover and cook until the rice is tender and cooked through, about 20 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking time, use a fork to stir the bacon into the rice. Fluff and serve.
Benne Wafers
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup toasted sesame seeds
- Nonstick cooking spray, for your hands
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter for about 30 second, so that it is even softer. Add the sugar, vanilla, salt, baking soda and egg and beat until just combined. Add the flour and mix until smooth. Stir in the sesame seeds.
Drop the dough by tablespoonful onto the baking sheets, making sure to leave at least an inch between the wafers for spreading. Spray your hands or a spatula with nonstick spray and press the cookies down to keep them from doming.
Bake until golden brown and starting to crisp on the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the wafers to cool for 1 minute on the baking sheets, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
