Southeast Featured Recipes

Southern cuisine as we know it today developed over time as a result of both the local food supply and the varied cultural backgrounds of the community, including Native Americans, Spanish, English, African Americans, and French each offered their unique influence. What is referred to as “Hoppin’ John” or peas and rice in South Carolina, is red beans and rice in Louisiana, and black beans and rice in Florida. Along the Gulf Coast, crabs are boiled in highly seasoned water, whereas in Virginia and Maryland they are steamed and then seasoned. But there are many unifying factors of southern cooking – use of basic, inexpensive ingredients; simple, direct seasonings; and slow cooking in pots for gumbos and stews, and barbecues for meats. As you travel in this region, you will be treated to the freshest local ingredients and the finest regional flavors. Below are just a few of our featured onboard dishes.

Blue Crab Pizzetta

Recipe Sample Image

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 2 tsp. sea salt
  • 6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil,
  • 1# local Blue Crab Lump
  • 2 teaspoon chopped garlic (for steaming mussels)
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • ¼ cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup roasted tomato (sundry is ok but mix with oil chopped garlic and thyme)
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup chopped basil leaves
  • ½ cup aged parmesan
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 tbs crushed red peppers

Preparation:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup room-temperature water and the yeast. Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature. 
  2. In bowl of a stand mixer using dough hook, mix 2 cups flour, 2 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp. olive oil, and yeast mixture on medium speed until well incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and mix about 30 minutes, or until dough is very smooth and elastic. 
  3. On high heat, heat up a sauté pan with 1 table spoon oil, add garlic toss quickly then add blue lump crab toss quickly set aside. 
  4. As soon as dough is ready, divide into 4 portions. Using both hands, roll each portion with a circular pressing motion until it becomes a tight ball. Dust each ball with flour, set it on a floured baking sheet, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let dough rise 1 hour, or until almost doubled in size
  5. Make ahead: Dough can be formed into balls (step 5) and chilled overnight, tightly covered with plastic wrap, instead of rising on counter (it will raise slowly in the fridge). You can also freeze the dough for up to 2 weeks (let chilled or frozen dough come to room temperature before stretching). 
  6. Put a pizza stone or baking sheet on bottom shelf of oven and preheat to 550° (or as high as oven will go), at least 25 minutes. Also get you grill plate or BBQ grill heated up on high heat. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, set on a well-floured surface stretch into a 10- to 11-in. circle. Then Place formed dough on grill plate or bbq grill quickly turn as you just want the dough to barely start to bubble flip and pull off should take no more than 30-45 seconds
  7. Arrange your blue crab, tomatoes, basil, crushed red pepper and cheese on grilled dough leaving at least a 1/2-in. border add salt and cracked black pepper.
  8. Place pizzetta on pizza stone (or preheated sheet) and bake 3 to 6 minutes, or until cheese melts. And dough is firm and not rock hard. Transfer pizza to a cutting board and drizzle with oil. 

Lowcountry She Crab Soup Scented with Sherry

Serves 6-8

Recipe Sample Image

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Butter
  • 2 oz. Flour
  • 3 oz. Yellow Onion, minced
  • 3 oz. Celery, minced
  • 1 ea. Bay Leaf, small
  • 1 tsp. Thyme, finely chopped
  • 1 oz. Dry Sherry
  • 3 cup Milk
  • 2 ½ cup Heavy Cream
  • 2 ½ cup Lobster Stock, strongly flavored
  • 1 ½ oz. Crab Roe, minced
  • 4 oz. Crabmeat
  • 1 pinch Nutmeg
  • TT Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

  1. In a heavy gauge pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook the mixture while constantly stirring to a golden straw color, approximately 7 minutes.
  2. Add the onion, celery, thyme, and Bay leaf and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
  3. *Add the milk, cream, and half of the lobster stock. Cook 20 minutes.
  4. After the crab roe is minced, add it to the remaining lobster stock and combine it with the sherry. Combine this mixture, nutmeg, and seasonings with the rest of the soup and cook 10 minutes.
  5. Add the crabmeat and cook an additional 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
  6. Garnish with fresh crabmeat mixed with chopped thyme and serve.

 

*Note: When adding the milk, cream, and lobster stock to the roux, make sure the cream mixture is cold. This will prevent lumps in your final product.