Would you like 'fried' with that?

The South is famous for its food, especially (or perhaps only!) for its fried food. They do like to fry. And they do it the old fashioned way, as I mentioned in an earlier posting, no fancy deep fat fryers for them, just a big pot and a lot of oil!

There are a few things you have to try when you come to the South and I thought it might be nice to take you on a culinary journey of Mississippi’s go-to dishes.

Catfish, grits, red beans and rice, gumbo and po’ boys. Those are some of the quintessential meals here in MS, or at least the ones I’ve had so far!

Catfish is a staple of Mississippi. You can get it anywhere and it is always fried, always. Oddly, or at least it seems that way to me, the catfish capital is not down south by the coast but rather up north in a little town called Belzoni. It is farmed there and shipped everywhere. I had the good fortune to be passing through Belzoni on my way back from Parchman and was taken for lunch at a local restaurant, I now know to be called the Varisty.

I should tell you something about small town local restaurants. In a way they are more like retirement-community cafeterias than restaurants. And anyway, restaurant is the wrong term to use. However diner and cafe are also wrong so I guess I'll stick with restaurant! There is usually a lino floor and very basic tables and decoration. In some places it feels more like you are in a very large shed than somewhere that prepares food! All the old(er) men of the community sit at a big table and discuss, I assume, the matters close to their hearts- god, guns and the state of the confederacy! When you walk in, as a non-local, everybody turns to look at you but that does not mean they are not welcoming. Nope, it’s proper southern hospitality all the way.

                                                    Pic of the Varisty (taken from google street view)

At the Varsity I ordered a plate of fried catfish. It came with sides of hush puppies, onion rings, fries and coleslaw. Hush puppies are a bit like croquettes made of corn bread (as far as I could tell). The onion rings were the best I have ever had, and I don’t normally even like onions. The catfish was a bit too greasy and lacked somewhat in spice and seasoning (I’ve had better, I can say this!). What was most noticeable about this meal was the amount of food. It was immense. Take a look:

                                                                You can't even see the fish!

What you might or might not be able to see from this pic, apart from the fish, is the divided plastic plate. This is a basic requirement of any small town day-time restaurant. It is a bit like those healthy plates that show how much should be dedicated to veg, protein and carbs, only in MS,  the divisions are for fried food, fries, and other side (in order of largest to smallest portion respectively!). Of course here, there was the added onion rings and hush puppies piled on top so I’m not sure what function the dividers fulfilled! Man, I was so full after this meal, I barely made it through a third of it and afterwards I had to drive the remaining 2-hours back to Jackson.

My better sampling of catfish came in the form of a po’ boy. Originally from Louisianna, this sandwich consists of fried fish (meat varieties are available) served in a baguette with dressings. It is all about the bread here, and my bread was very tasty. It has to be super fresh, crisp and fluffy. I had my first po’ boy in a little town called Canton which is where A Time to Kill was filmed (but more on that later!). To get your tastebuds watering here is a pic of my lovely lunch:

In the pub one night I innocently asked what grits were. I’m still not sure of the answer but I have since had home cooked cheesy grits and a restaurant offering of shrimp n’ grits. Having tried them twice, I have to say I don’t understand the attraction. It seems to be something along the lines of savoury porridge but less defined in texture, think Ready Brek. Perhaps it’s something you have to grow up with, all I can say is I don’t grit it! (haha, the pun, haha, sorry!)

                    (doesn't it just look like shrimp sitting on a bed of porridge, just weird!) (again taken from google)

Before I bore you to death, or make you really hungry, with my culinary escapades, I will tell you about a creole dish called red beans and rice. I will just say yummy, and go google and make at home (oh and serve with lots of garlic bread!). I’ve had it twice now and I definitely plan to try my own version when I get home. Red beans and rice is a simple slow-cooked main meal made up of the good things in life – kidney beans and sausage (andouille where possible). It is served over a bed of fluffy white rice, with lots of bread and it is definitely a comfort food. It’s like a hug for your tummy. I was too busy eating, so here is a pic I borrowed from Wikipedia!

 

So ladies and gentlemen, I will leave it there (mostly because I am now very hungry!). I hope you enjoyed this tale of culinary exploration and that it perhaps inspires you to try out a few new dishes at home.