Salads To Complement Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew is a hearty meal in itself, but if you're serving it to company or extended family, it goes well with coleslaw, cornbread, and Southern fried apples.

Coleslaw

The creamy dressing is made by whisking together mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, a sweetener such as maple syrup or sugar, and seasonings like celery seeds, salt and pepper. The dressing is then poured over the vegetables and tossed until everything is coated. The coleslaw is chilled for at least an hour before serving, allowing the flavours to meld and the vegetables to soften slightly.

Cornbread

• Chilli and Soups: Cornbread is often served with chilli, and it also goes well with a variety of soups, including vegetable, beef, chicken, and quinoa.
• Salads: A green salad with avocado, spinach, lettuce, and cucumber, topped with roasted almonds, pairs well with cornbread.
• Meat and Poultry: Cornbread can be served with a variety of meats, including beef, chicken, and pork. Some specific dishes that go well with cornbread are chicken stew, beef stew, chicken meatballs, oven-fried chicken, grilled pork chops, and London broil.
• Seafood: For seafood lovers, cornbread can be paired with shrimp stock or shrimp and grits.
• Eggs: Devilled eggs are a creamy and delicious breakfast option that goes well with sweet cornbread.
• Beans: Cornbread is commonly served with beans, including pinto beans, collard greens, and baked beans. It can also be crumbled and added to bean soups.
• Casseroles: Cornbread is a great side dish for casseroles such as chicken and rice, and corn casserole.
• Other Sides: Cornbread can be served with a variety of other side dishes, including mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and mac and cheese.
• Dessert: For a sweet treat, cornbread can be served with honey butter or crumbled over a bowl of vanilla ice cream.

When making cornbread, a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is often used to bake the cornbread batter, which typically includes flour, cornmeal, egg, and milk. Cornbread can also be fried or steamed, though the steamed version is closer in texture to a pudding than traditional cornbread.

Southern Fried Apples

Ingredients:

• 6 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• Lemon juice (optional)

Method:

• In a large nonstick skillet or cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
• Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, stirring continuously until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the apples and continue cooking, stirring several times, until the apples are fork-tender. This usually takes between 7-10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the apples, as they will start to break down and get mushy.
• For optimal flavor, use real unsalted sweet cream butter. This is the traditional Southern way.
• If you don't like nutmeg, you can substitute it with other spices like ground cloves or apple pie spice.
• For a more textured dish, top the apples with chopped pecans or walnuts.
• Serve these fried apples as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or as a side dish with chicken-fried chicken, ham steak, or pan-fried pork chops.

Storage:

You can store any leftover fried apples in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze them for up to two months.

Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes or Klondike Goldust potatoes
• 2 cups of mayonnaise (your favourite brand)
• 1 cup of refrigerated sweet pickle relish
• 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard, or 1 part yellow and 1 part Dijon
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of celery seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
• 4 to 5 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1/2 cup of sweet onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped dill
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Cut the potatoes into quarters and place them in a large stockpot. Fill the pot with cold water, ensuring it covers the potatoes by 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and set the pot over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 13 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
• While the potatoes are cooking, mix the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish (including juices), mustard, apple cider vinegar, celery seeds, paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Stir until smooth.
• Once the potatoes are very tender, drain off all the water. Remove the loose peels and chop the potatoes into 1/2-inch chunks. It's okay if they are soft and crumbly.
• Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Gently mix in the dressing until it coats the potatoes well.
• Stir in the eggs, celery, onions, and dill. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
• Cover the potato salad and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but it's even better if made a day ahead.

Tips:

• For best flavour, make the potato salad a day in advance.
• Russet potatoes can be used instead of Yukon Gold or Klondike Goldust.
• If you don't want to incorporate any potato skins into the salad, you can peel the potatoes beforehand.
• Feel free to add other ingredients to mix things up, such as bacon, rosemary, scallions, chopped banana peppers, shredded cheese, or sour cream.

Hushpuppies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 small onion, grated
• Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

Method:

• Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients along with the grated onion and its juices, stirring until combined.
• Heat 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat in a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven until it reaches 365-375°F.
• Drop 1-2 tablespoonfuls of batter into the hot oil, being careful to avoid splatter. Use two spoons to help with this process, one to scoop and one to help push the batter off.
• Fry for 2-3 minutes total, turning the hushpuppies partway through so they brown evenly on both sides.
• Remove the hushpuppies from the oil and transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain.
• Repeat with the remaining batter until it has all been used. You should have roughly 18-22 hushpuppies.

Frequently asked questions