We asked Chicago chefs to share their favorite holiday recipes, dishes that reflect their cultural traditions, and to tell us why the recipes mean so much to them. Here is one recipe to make at home during the holiday season or any time of year.
Chef D’Andre Carter
Soul & Smoke, 1601 Payne St. Evanston
Dish: Soul & Smoke Smoked Turkey and Collard Greens with Cornbread Muffins
“Collard greens and cornbread are the holiday foods that I grew up eating with my family, and that I now eat with my wife and daughters. At Soul & Smoke we make comfort food from the heart — and that’s exactly what collard greens and cornbread are.
“The only way to eat these is together — the cornbread with the pot liquor from the collards is the perfect sweet and savory combination.
“Both collard greens and cornbread have seen a rise in popularity as comfort food has become a go-to, and the combination is well on its way to becoming not just a Southern or soul food staple, but an American one.” — Chef D’Andre Carter
Collard Greens and Smoked Turkey
Ingredients:
- 5 quarts chicken broth, homemade or reduced/no sodium
- 1 smoked turkey leg
- 1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1⁄4 cup Kosher salt
- 1 1⁄2 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 bunches fresh collards, washed, de-stemmed and chopped
Directions:
1. In a large pot, combine all ingredients except collards. Bring to a boil, stir, then reduce to simmer, covered, for approximately 30 minutes or until turkey meat starts to pull away from the bone.
2. Remove turkey leg from pot and set aside.
3. Add collard greens, return to a boil then reduce to medium heat. Simmer until collards are tender, but not falling apart, approximately 1 hour.
4. While collards cook, pull turkey meat from the bone, being careful to discard any tendons.
5. When greens are finished cooking, adjust the seasoning of the pot liquor and fold in smoked turkey.
6. Serve greens hot with a ladle of pot liquor and cornbread for dipping.
Moist & Crumbly Cornbread Muffins
Yield: approx. 24 muffins
Ingredients:
- 1 lb unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 lbs frozen yellow corn
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3⁄4 cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 1⁄2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2⁄3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
- 1⁄2 tsp baking soda
Directions:
1. Preheat a convection oven to 350°
2. Coat muffin tins liberally with pan spray.
3. Heat a thick-bottomed skillet on medium, add butter and corn. Cook until mixture is heated through and just starts bubbling.
4. Add brown sugar, stir until incorporated and continue cooking until a nutty scent develops. Remove from heat.
5. Sift remaining dry ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.
6. Using a blender, process corn mixture until smooth, then add milk, cream and eggs to the corn puree. Work in batches if necessary.
7. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until free from lumps.
8. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until muffin tops begin to take on some color and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
