Carolina Kitchen
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Salt ‘n’ Pepper Fry Bread
Fry bread has a long history that is mostly traced to Navajo Indians in the mid-1800’s. It’s possible that your grandma may have made these tasty little breads. They make a satisfying side for soppin’ up our Neck Bone Stew, a unique tortilla for open-faced tacos, or a donut-like dessert when piled with sugar, fruit, whipped cream or ice cream. 3 1 1 1½
Sunday Supper Neck Bone Stew With winter root vegetables
Who doesn’t love a warm bowl of hearty stew on a frigid winter’s day? Especially when it’s this pork stew with winter root vegetables and aromatic herbs. Snuggle in your house and fix up this deliciousness with fry bread for dip’n. 4 tablespoons oil (add a little bacon drippings if possible) 3–4 pounds lean pork neck bones 4 cups water 2 cups spiced apple cider Several stems fresh sage (about 1 cup loosely packed) 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped 1 cup dried navy beans 2 large turnips, cubed 3 large carrots, cut into ¾-inch pieces 3 stalks celery, cut into ½-inch pieces ½ medium head of cabbage, roughly chopped Salt and black pepper to taste
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season neck bones with salt and pepper and sear on all sides, being careful not to crowd so they will brown, not steam. Add water, cider, sage, onion and navy beans. Lower heat to a slow simmer and cover. Cook about one hour, stirring occasionally and checking for tenderness of meat and for soft beans. A little before beans are fully cooked, add turnips, carrots and celery. Cook about 30 minutes more. Add cabbage and cook about 15 minutes until tender. Taste and season as you like. Yield: 4–6 servings
cups all-purpose flour tablespoon baking powder teaspoon salt cups hot tap water Peanut oil for frying Salt and pepper for seasoning Butter, optional Molasses, optional
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Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add hot water and combine with a spoon or hands. The dough will be sticky. Shape into a ball; cover and let stand on counter at least 45 minutes. Place ball onto board and divide into 16 pieces. Using hands and fingers, shape into 4–5-inch thin rounds. (I like to oil my hands with pan spray to keep them from sticking.) Heat ¼-inch oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat (cast iron preferred). Fry until golden brown on each side (We preferred darker “almost burnt” bread so cook some of both to please all!). Drain on paper towels and immediately dust with salt and pepper. Serve with softened butter drizzled with sorghum molasses if you like. Store in a sealed container. Will keep up to 3 months in freezer. Yield: Makes about 16 pieces
Unless otherwise noted, recipes on these pages are from Wendy Perry, a culinary adventurist and blogger, who chats about goodness around NC on her blog at WendysHomeEconomics.com.
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