Taste of Heaven at Shiloh

Saturday night in the South. Well for starters, the weather was incredible and begged you to come outside for a drive, even roll the windows down a bit. So off I went with my Mother in tow to Shiloh to meet friends at Hagy’s Catfish Hotel Restaurant.

For those not familiar with southern cuisine, catfish is a mild white fish usually served fried or blackened . As funny as it might sound to some of you, this has long been a staple served with hushpuppies. Never heard of those jewels either, well imagine a seasoned cornbread batter dropped by the spoonful into hot oil and fried until they float – can’t you just hear them screaming!

I have to tell you that once I entertained one of the most acclaimed chefs of Europe, Gee LeGuy of the Ritz in Paris. He’s the one who prepared dinner for Lady Di on that fateful night. Oh well, this handsome Frenchman, his sous chef, and one of Paris’ top pastry chefs came to Jackson along with my Master Chef friend, Jose` Gutierrez. So what do you dare serve guests like this? Catfish, hushpuppies, chess pie, sweet tea, and barbecue of course - they loved every bite. Not to mention, Jack Daniels and even a smidgen of shine for good measure. They learned to say bubba and to fry hushpuppies and begged for the recipe.

Tonight we didn’t have any novice fish eaters. Mother and I met Mary and Janet from Savannah and settled into a table in the corner of Hagy’s amid a packed house. You know sweet tea served by a young waitress and the talking started. We laughed, told stories, swapped recipes, ate fish and had a grand time. By the time we’d left, we had planned trips, planted a garden and solved all the world’s problems. Even a full moon was hovering over the Tennessee River as we drove off.

Hagy’s is on the banks of the river on a spot that Henry and Polly Hagy docked their flat boat in 1825. It’s a stone’s throw from Shiloh Military Park, site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. A storage shed occupied by Federal troops later became the Catfish Hotel where riverboats docked to pick up their famous lemon rub pies. Soon after they opened what is one of the oldest family owned restaurants in the country today.

Janet, one of the South’s best cooks, and Mary who travels the world selling art and sculpture for the likes of Jane Seymour and Gregory Beck, suggested ordering slaw with the honey French dressing alongside the fried fish and hushpuppies. I’d never heard of such, but I can tell you the next time I mosey down to Hagy’s I’ll know what to do. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, check it out. It was a twirl and a fun time had by all.

Hushpuppies

4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup finely diced onion
¼ cup green bell pepper, finely diced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup water

In a cast-iron skillet, heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees over medium-high heat or until a small amount of batter dropped into the hot oil sizzles and floats. Do not let the oil get too hot or the center of the hushpuppies will not cook thoroughly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, egg, salt, sugar, baking soda, milk, pepper, onions and water. Mix until batter is smooth and free of any lumps. Batter should be stiff – add milk or cornmeal gradually to achieve stiff consistency.

Drop by tablespoons into hot oil (370 – 380 degrees). After about 10 seconds, hushpuppies will float to the top and begin to brown. Fry until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Remove from oil and place hushpuppies on paper towels; continue cooking the remaining batter (fry in small batches, adding 4 to 6 hushpuppies to the oil at a time). They can be held in a 200° oven until serving time. Serve hot.