Southern Style

By EdieK

Preparation

Step 1

Southern comfort usually means grandma in the kitchen pounding out biscuits and managing a pot of boiling lard. The grill brings all those warm flavors together—with a fraction of the work and calories.

Appetizer: Biscuits with grilled ham and peaches
Bake some homemade or store-bought biscuits. Build a moderately hot fire with room for indirect cooking. Split the biscuits and warm them on the cool part of the grill. Quarter the peaches and grill them with thick ham slices. Sandwich ham and peaches into the biscuits, smashing them a bit to release the fruit's juices.

Main: Grill-fried chicken
Soak a cut-up chicken in buttermilk for 4 to 6 hours. Combine a cup each of cornmeal and flour with a sprinkle of salt and cayenne. Drain the chicken and dredge it in the breading. Place on the cool side of the grill and close the lid. Cook, checking and turning, until the chicken is almost done, about 30 minutes. Move the chicken directly over the fire to crisp the crust.

Side: Grilled cabbage wedges with cucumber dressing
Peel, seed, and chop a cucumber. Combine with equal parts plain yogurt and mayo, a squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper. Cut a small head of red cabbage into wedges, coat with olive oil, and grill over high heat until both sides are marked and the cabbage has softened. Top with the dressing and chopped scallions.

Dessert: Grilled pound cake with coffee-pecan sauce
Make your own pound cake or buy one from the store. Throw a cup of pecans into a skillet with a cup of sugar and half a stick of butter, and set the pan over a hot fire. Cook and stir until gooey, and then pour in 1/2 cup each of coffee and bourbon. Meanwhile, grill thick slices of cake. Drizzle the cake with the sauce; top with whipped cream.