Hot and Hot Fish Club

One of our favorite summer side dishes is succotash. It uses a combination of local ingredients that we tend to have on hand all summer and works with a variety of meats and seafood. Below is our recipe for this beloved dish. As always, fresh, local produce is our preference, but fresh, frozen vegetables can be substituted in a pinch.

SWEET CORN SUCCOTASH

Makes about 5 cups

1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 tablespoons finely diced, applewood-smoked bacon, such as Benton’s brand
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
2 cups diced fresh okra, about 1/2-inch thick
2 cup peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes
2 cups freshly shaved sweet yellow corn
2 cups cooked field peas (such as black-eye, pink-eye, lady, or crowder peas)
3/4 cup cooking liquid from field peas or vegetable broth
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chiffonade of sweet basil

Heat the peanut oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Do not allow the onions to brown. Increase the heat to high, add the okra and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes and corn and cook an additional 3 minutes. Stir in the field peas and field pea liquor and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until the peas are heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the butter and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper and add the chiffonade of basil. Serve warm within 30 minutes preparing, for best results.

Due to the large amount of recent rain that we’ve experienced in the south, we were unable to locate any quality tomatoes this past weekend and had to take the Hot and Hot Tomato Salad off of our menu. We were at the Birmingham Farmers’ Market early this morning checking out the tomatoes and are happy to announce that our trip was successful. We have plenty of beautiful, ripe tomatoes for the entire week and the Hot and Hot Tomato Salad will be returning to our dinner menu Tuesday night!

For those of you who missed the recipe in our newsletter, we are providing it here so you can make this wonderful salad at home. Enjoy!

 James Beard Foundation Honors

Hot and Hot Fish Club’s Chris Hastings with Best Chef: South Nomination

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (March 23, 2010) – Chris Hastings, chef and co-owner of Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Alabama, has been named as a finalist for a James Beard Foundation Award in the Best Chef: South category. This year’s nomination is the third for Hastings, who was also nominated in 2007 and 2008.  The Southern region spans Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi, and he is one of only five chefs in the region to receive this honor.

Other finalists in Hastings’ category are Zack Bell of Café Boulud at the Brazilian Court in Palm Beach, Scott Boswell of Stella! in New Orleans, John Harris of Lilette in New Orleans and Michael Schwartz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in Miami.

In 1995, Hastings and his wife Idie opened the Hot and Hot Fish Club in a historic building located in Birmingham’s Southside.  Since then, they have focused on building a restaurant that offers contemporary American cuisine with a Southern influence while featuring the finest, freshest products available. The restaurant is driven by a simple philosophy: foods eaten so close to their source, prepared in a fashion that allows their pure, unadulterated flavors to shine, is the key to the meal’s success. The couple works closely with their local purveyors to share their passion for the best possible ingredients with their guests.

Established in 1990, the James Beard Foundation Awards recognize culinary professionals for excellence and achievement in their fields.  The coveted annual awards honor the best and brightest talents in the food and beverage industries.

The 2010 James Beard Foundation Award winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony and Gala reception on Monday, May 3rd at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.  The ceremony will be hosted by Food Network star Alton Brown as well as chefs Lidia Bastianich and Wolfgang Puck.

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For more information on chef Hastings, visit the Hot and Hot Fish Club website at http://www.hotandhotfishclub.com.

For press inquiries, please contact Lauren Fonda at BeccaPR:

212.633.2129 or Lauren@beccapr.com.

Spring is in the air—well, maybe not yet, but spring foods are definitely beginning to arrive at the Hot and Hot Fish Club.  We are getting excited about the new growing season and fresh flavors in the kitchen.  This month guests can look forward to dishes that include Jumbo Asparagus, Crawfish, Baby Spring Vidalia Onions, Fresh Herbs, Farm Eggs, Shad Roe, and Honey Tangerines.  We have some beautiful, baby lettuces from Michael Dean which we feature in a Baby Greens Salad with Shaved Fennel and Honey Tangerines.  Also back on our menu is our Homemade Rabbit Tamale with Marinated Black Beans, Ancho Chili Sauce and Cilantro Crème Fraîche. We hope you have the occasion to stop by soon and taste the flavors of spring. 

Due to the recession the wine industry is experiencing a glut of wine due to slower sales. The good news is we have the opportunity to offer some great wines by the glass that under normal circumstances would be too cost prohibitive otherwise. The first I like to mention is the Falcor Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Normally this wine would be a $100 on our list, but now we offer it by the glass for $9.75.  This is wonderful wine with a silky texture with aromas and flavors of dark fruits, chocolate, and cigar box notes.

A well known wine produced by the Caymus family of wines is the Conundrum which is interesting blend of Viognier, Chardonnay, Semillion, Muscat, and Sauvignon Blanc. The Conundrum is a spicy lush wine with tropical fruits and an aroma of honeysuckle. This wine can be purchased for $10.50 a glass.

Another great wine offered at great price is the Belle Glos “Meomi” Pinot Noir from California for $12.00 per glass. The Belle Glos exhibits a rich mouthfeel with dark cherries and blackberries fruit interwined with spicy forest underbrush.

Last but not least is the Groth Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley which we are offering at $8.00 per glass. This has a rich creaminess balanced by crisp acidity. Lush flavors of melon and citrus abound.

We are so pleased that we are able to pass these discounts on to our customers. I hope you have the occasion to stop by soon and try some of these wonderful wines. As always, if you ever have any wine questions when you are visiting the Hot and Hot Fish Club, I will be happy to stop by your table and advise.

John Rusiecki, Sommelier

Watch Chef Hastings LIVE on WBRC Fox 6 this Friday, July 31 during the Noon broadcast where he will be demonstrating the famed Hot and Hot Tomato Salad and talking about his cooking demonstration this Saturday at Pepper Place Farmer’s Market at 9:00 a.m. If you miss the live broadcast, please come to the Pepper Place this weekend and support Chef Hastings and your local farmers. For more information on the Pepper Place Farmer’s Market, visit them on the web here.

Summer is a great time to visit the pick-your-own farms in Alabama. For a listing of u-pick farms near Birmingham click here. As the seasons change so does the fruit in this recipe. In the early summer we use blueberries or blackberries, raspberries in late summer, apples in the fall, and dried cranberries in the winter. Whichever version you prefer, we are sure you will enjoy our rendition of this classic dessert.

Blueberry and White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Serves 9

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1/2 vanilla bean, split

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 (16-ounce) fresh French baguette, diced into 1/2-inch squares

1 pint fresh blueberries, divided

4 ounces good-quality white chocolate bars, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons White Chocolate Sauce (recipe follows)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Blueberry Coulis (recipe follows)

1 cup fresh whipped cream

Combine the cream and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Scrap the vanilla beans into cream mixture and add vanilla pods. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then remove the pan from the heat. Set aside until the mixture is cool enough to touch.

Whisk the eggs into the cooled cream mixture and set aside to cool completely.

Stir together the cooled cream mixture, bread cubes, three-fourths of the blueberries, and the chopped white chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Lightly grease an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with the butter. Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar into the dish and turn until the bottom and sides of the baking dish are evenly coated. Spoon the bread pudding mixture into the prepared dish, pouring any remaining custard over the top of the pudding. (The mixture may still be slightly liquidy at this point.)

Pour the remaining one-fourth fresh blueberries on top of the pudding. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and set inside a larger baking dish. Fill the larger pan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the pudding. Bake the pudding at 350˚F for 25 minutes and remove from the oven.

Increase the oven temperature to 375˚F. Remove the foil from the top of the pudding, return to the oven, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove pudding from the water bath and set aside to cool slightly.

Cut the cooled bread pudding into 9 equal squares and serve, each portion lightly drizzled with 2 tablespoons of the white chocolate sauce, 2 tablespoons of the coulis, and top with 11/2 to 2 tablespoons of the whipped cream. Serve warm.

White Chocolate Sauce

Makes about 3 cups

2 cups good-quality white chocolate, roughly chopped

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon light corn syrup

Combine the chocolate and cream a heat-proof bowl and set aside.

Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and place over medium heat. Bring the water to a simmer and place the bowl of chocolate on top of the saucepan. Whisk the chocolate-cream mixture until the chocolate is melted.

Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the corn syrup. Set the sauce aside to cool to room temperature. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Blueberry Coulis

Makes about 2 cups

8 pints fresh blueberries

2 cups granulated sugar

21/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Combine the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, to dissolve the sugar. When mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Place the blueberry mixture in a fine-meshed strainer or sieve set over a clean bowl. Using a rubber spatula, lightly press the blueberry mixture through the strainer, extracting as much of the liquid as possible. Discard the solids and chill the coulis completely before using. The coulis will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.

Coming this fall: The Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook, a Celebration of Food, Family, & Traditions (Running Press) should hit the bookstores on October 13^th. This cookbook contains over 200 creative and delicious recipes that are organized to reflect the seasonal nature of local ingredients. It features profiles of over a dozen purveyors who supply the restaurant with the freshest ingredients. With over 50 full-color photographs, lifestyle menus complete with wine and beer pairings, and an extensive sourcing section, it is your guide to eating exquisite fresh cuisine from the hottest restaurant in the South.

Stay tuned for up to date news on the launch party and book tour.

Spring is in the air so we thought we’d share one of our favorite recipes. If you’re interested in a taste test, join Chef Hastings at Petals from the Past in Jemison, Alabama this Saturday at 10:30 a.m. for a cooking demo and tasting. Chef Hastings will be featuring the Spring Vegetable Risotto and his famed Blueberry and White Chocolate Bread Pudding. Visit petals from the past to sign up for this event.

Spring Vegetable Risotto

Ramps are a member of the onion or lily family and are found wild throughout the Appalachian mountain range. They grow well in any mountainous region above 3,000 feet. Their distinct, pungent flavor is a cross between an onion and spicy, wild garlic, with a hint of sweetness.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

21/2 cups Basic Risotto (recipe follows)

1 to 11/2 cups hot vegetable stock, broth, or water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh ramps (1-inch pieces), about 4 whole ramps

1/2 cup diced braised fennel

3/4 cup peeled, blanched and diced baby carrots

2/3 cup blanched and peeled fresh fava beans

1/2 cup peeled, blanched, and diced asparagus (1-inch pieces)

1/4 cup blanched sweet English peas

8 fresh pea tendrils, optional for garnish

Melt half of the butter in a large, 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and thyme and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the risotto and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of the hot vegetable stock and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process, adding 1/2 cup of the stock each time, until the rice is creamy and al dente. (You may not need all 11/2 cups of the stock.) Season the risotto with the salt and pepper and stir in the fresh ramps. Cook ramps for 30 seconds and add the fennel, carrots, fava beans, asparagus, and English peas. Cook the risotto, stirring, for 1 minute or until the vegetables are heated though but still retain their bright color. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining 11/2 tablespoons of butter until melted.

Spoon 11/2 cups of the spring vegetable risotto on each of four dinner plates. Place 2 pea tendrils (if using) over each serving and serve immediately.

Basic Risotto

This basic risotto recipe is a technique we use at the restaurant but is often helpful for home cooks as well. In this method we are essentially par-cooking the risotto and finishing it just before serving. This way you can prepare the part of the risotto that takes the most time in advance, chill the rice, and finish it just before serving without the rice getting cold or clumpy. We prefer to make risotto with Vialone Nano, which is a medium-grain rice, originally from the Mantova and Veneto regions of Italy. Vialone Nano is shorter and thicker than Arborio and holds twice its weight in liquid, creating a very hearty and creamy risotto. If Vialone Nano is unavailable, you can substitute Arborio rice with similar results.

Makes about 61/2 cups

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 cup diced white onions

1/2 cup minced leeks (white part only)

2 cups Vialone Nano or Arborio rice

1 cup dry white wine

4 cups hot chicken stock or broth

Heat the oil in a rondeau or wide saucepan with deep sides over medium heat. Add the onions and leeks and sauté until transparent, without allowing the vegetables to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until the rice is coated with oil and slightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until all of the wine is absorbed.

Add 1/2 cup hot chicken stock and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all of the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process, adding 1/2 cup of chicken stock each time, until all of the stock has been added. Remove the pan from the heat and spread the risotto evenly onto a jelly roll pan to cool completely.

Variation: To serve the Basic Risotto immediately, do not remove the risotto from the heat and add 1 additional cup of hot chicken stock or broth, stirring until the rice is creamy and al dente. Adjust the seasonings with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Serve immediately.

The Hot and Hot Fish Club has teamed up with The Chef’s Garden to provide you with access to some of the same stellar produce we use in the restaurant every night. As a small grower who prides himself on finding the most flavorful and beautiful heirloom and hybrid varieties, Farmer Lee Jones grows his vegetables slowly and gently, “in full accord with nature.” For more on Farmer Jones’s sustainable philosophy, click here.

Chris, Idie and Farmer Jones worked together to come up with a storefront full of his best seasonal produce. Expect to see microgreens, heirloom and hybrid tomatoes, beets of various sizes and colors, and more than a few lettuces appearing throughout the year. Depending on the month, there will be four to six different collections available.

As a loyal Hot and Hot Fish Club patron, this is an exclusive opportunity to have Farmer Jones’ unique selection of produce and delivered right to your door, and we offer it as an addition to your current farmer’s market schedule.

Click here to experience this one of a kind treat.