A blast from the past. A post dating back to May 11, 2008, 0009 hours. What was it doing still up at that hour?
A Quick Spin on Eating Spots down south in Arkansas.
Thank goodness for liberals and old hippies—they showed us the error of our ways, or we’d still be cooking everything in rendered pig fat. These days, they push us toward vegetable oils from soybeans, coconuts, sunflowers, rapeseeds, olives, or some other polyunsaturated wonder. Supposedly healthier, right? But if you want your taste buds to sing with joy, fry those battered goodies in good ol’ lard.
When it comes to down-home country table fare, nothing beats true Southern cooking. Down South, our favorite way to prepare just about anything is to dip it, dunk it, or batter it before frying—and then smother the whole plate in homemade cream gravy. It doesn’t matter what “it” is: batter it, fry it, and someone will eat it. That’s just how we roll.
Over the weekend, while dining at a great little restaurant in Northwest Arkansas, I spotted an ad on the table for Battered Fried Green Beans.
Battered Fried Green Beans?
Yummy!
Who but a Southerner would dream up such a decadent combo—whipping whole milk and fresh eggs into a rich bath, then dipping one of nature’s most nutritious veggies into it? Once coated in that heart-stopping mixture, the beans get rolled in flour seasoned with salt, black pepper, and a couple of secret herbs and spices before being dropped by the handful into a cauldron of sizzling hot lard.
Only in the South could you find something like deep-fried asparagus tips smothered in chili and topped with a melty blend of four shredded cheeses—served as an appetizer alongside barbecued hog ribs and creamy coleslaw. Add a dash of Louisiana hot sauce, a side of sugar-cured baked beans, a stack of thick, hot cornbread dripping with real butter, and a 52-ounce glass of sweet iced tea.
Finish it off with a thick slab of warm apple pie piled high with vanilla ice cream, and you’re in heaven.
As Gomer Pyle would say, “Well, Gaw-lee!”
Don’t even think about getting me started on baked possum and turnip greens.
Bon appétit!
-Newt Livesay
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