Fresh Family Recipes

Chef Scotty Scott just keeps on racking up the hits. After the success of his cookbook, Fix Me a Plate, the Instagram star, caterer, and Today Show darling has opened a food truck for his alter ego, Abe Fromage, specializing in the most amazing grilled cheese sandwiches you will ever taste. The truck is located next to The Holly Natural Wine Bar & Shop.

Peach Cobbler Pickled Shrimp Po Boy

From Chef Scott himself: “Is this a cobbler or a pie? When I was researching cobblers, ‘a biscuity crumbled topping’ kept popping up [as a definition]. However, when I was growing up, my momma called this a cobbler. Are y’all calling my momma a liar? Welp, all I know is my momma called it cobbler, Ima call it cobbler.”

For the peaches:

6 cups (1.5 kg) fresh peaches, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup (60 g) unsalted butter

½ cup (125 g) granulated sugar

½ cup (125 g) brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ tsp orange zest

¼ tsp salt

1 tablespoon (20 ml) pure vanilla extract

Directions

For the crust

For the crust

2 ½ cups (750 g) all-purpose flour

2 egg yolks

½ cup (125 g) sugar

¼ tsp. salt

2 sticks (1 cup (125 g) cold salted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) vanilla extract

4 tablespoons (80 ml) cold water

1 egg beaten with two teaspoons of water to brush the top of the crust

In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, sugar, and salt and whisk together to combine.

Cut the butter into the flour using a fork or pastry cutter until various-sized crumbs appear. [Editor’s Note: it should look like coarsely cut oatmeal.] Slowly add the cold water into the flour, and form into a ball then quickly knead the dough to bring it together. Remove the dough from the bowl, cut into 2 sections, and round into balls. Flatten each ball into a disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for at least 35 minutes.

For the peaches

Place the peaches, butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the sugar is melted, and the ingredients are combined. Turn off the heat, and add the cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, salt, and vanilla. Stir once again to combine then set aside.

Chef Scott has become quite the favorite of The Today Show. He’s appeared several times, cooking and chatting with Hoda and Jenna with panache. This recipe is one from his appearance in June. He said, “I love this dish because it can be made ahead of time and is great for entertaining. The shrimp is so flavorful and versatile – I’ve served it on tostadas or on avocado toast.”

Ingredients

For the shrimp

½ onion, thinly sliced

1 lemon, thinly sliced

4 bay leaves

¾ cup (150 ml) cider vinegar

½ cup (100 ml) olive oil

2 Fresno peppers, sliced [Editor’s Note: You can substitute jalapeños]

½ habanero pepper, sliced

¼ cup (50 ml) pickled capers with their brine

½ teaspoon celery seeds

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon (5 g) fresh dill, chopped

1 ½ pounds shrimp, cooked and peeled [Editor’s Note: I used large (21-25 count) shrimp for this and cook them in boiling water seasoned with Old Bay seasoning and a lemon for only a couple of minutes.]

For the po boy

3 10-inch New Orleansstyle French bread rolls or hoagie rolls, halved lengthwise

1 English cucumber, sliced crosswise

1 large ripe tomato, thinly sliced

2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce

Mayonnaise

Salt to taste

Directions

For the shrimp

To assemble

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Add some flour to a work surface and remove the dough from the fridge. Unwrap one of the disks, and using a rolling pin, quickly roll dough out to about 1/3 inch thickness. Place the dough on the bottom and up sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Carefully pour or spoon the peaches on top of the dough.

Roll out the second disk as you did the first. Using a pastry scraper or knife cut the dough into 2-inch strips. Carefully remove the strips from the countertop and place them on top of the cobbler. [Editor’s Note: You can make a lattice if you like; I, however, am not a baker, and I simply laid the strips across the top of the cobber, and it looked beautiful!]

Brush the top of the dough with egg wash, and place in the preheated oven.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack for at least two hours. Of course, you have to serve this with a big ol’ scoop of the best vanilla ice cream you can get your hands on! Serves about 6. [Editor’s Note: My family of four took this down in a single sitting. Of course, I have teenagers, so you might not go through it as quickly.]

Add the cooked shrimp to a zippered plastic bag. Add the onion, lemon, Fresno, and habanero peppers to the bag. Add the capers, celery seeds, sugar, salt, and fresh dill to the bag and gently massage to combine and really get the marinade all over the shrimp. [Editor’s Note: Be sure the bag is closed. Trust me on this one…]

Refrigerate the shrimp for 24 hours to allow the ingredients to meld.

To assemble

Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator and drain, reserving the marinade.

Spread the mayonnaise on both sides of the halved rolls. Place the shrimp on the bottom slices and season lightly with salt. Top the shrimp with the cucumbers and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of the reserved marinade.

Top with the tomato slices and lettuce and the top half of the rolls. Grab a cold beer, some napkins, and enjoy! Serves 4 to 6 people, depending on if any are teenagers or ravenous wolverines.

Illustrations by Trish Wise