The Bourbon Country Cookbook: New Southern Entertaining

Copyright © 2018 by Tim Laird, Lori Laird, and David Danielson

All photography copyright © 2018 by Dan Dry

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without express written permission from the publisher.

Bourbon Country is a registered trademark of the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Churchill Downs, Kentucky Derby, Run for the Roses, and the Twin Spires images, trademarks, logos, emblems, symbols, and insignia are the property of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Bourbon Trail, and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour are registered trademarks of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

We recognize that some words, brand names, and designations mentioned in The Bourbon Country Cookbook are the property of the trademark holder and are used for identification purposes only.

Writer: Elizabeth Sims

Photography Assistant: Lindsay Carter

Author photo: Jerry Zegart

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Danielson, David, author. | Laird, Tim, author.

Title: The Bourbon country cookbook: new Southern entertaining: 95 recipes and more from a modern Kentucky kitchen / David Danielson & Tim Laird; photography by Dan Dry.

Description: Chicago: Surrey Books, 2018. | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017059509 (print) | LCCN 2018000516 (ebook) | ISBN 9781572848177 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Cooking, American--Southern style. | Cooking--Kentucky. | Cocktails--Kentucky. | Bourbon whiskey--Kentucky. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.

Classification: LCC TX715.2.S68 (ebook) | LCC TX715.2.S68 D433 2018 (print) | DDC 641.59769--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017059509

109876543211819202122

Surrey Books is an imprint of Agate Publishing. Agate books are available in bulk at discount prices. For more information, visit agatepublishing.com.

We would like to dedicate this book to all the people who have made and continue to make Bourbon Country its own remarkable place—from the farmers and local artisans growing and producing amazing foodstuffs, to the craftsmen in the cooperage passing down traditions from generation to generation, to the master distillers who have crafted quality spirits for centuries, and to the young distillers who are creating unique spirits and their own traditions for future bourbon enthusiasts. It is their diligence and dedication that make gathering around the Bourbon Country table with family and friends a special occasion anytime, anywhere, and every day.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

by Chef Edward Lee

INTRODUCTION

America’s Original Distilled Native Spirit

CHAPTER 1

Juleps, Jiggers, and Classic Bourbon Cocktails

Sours and Syrups

Our Signature Mint Julep

Bourbon Country Manhattan

Seelbach

Bourbon Bee

Ward 8

Maple Old Fashioned

Horse’s Neck

Whiskey Sour

Proper Old Fashioned

Bourbon Breeze

Bluegrass Negroni

Bourbon Crusta

French Manhattan

Kentucky Mule

Bourbon Peach Cooler

Liquid Bourbon Ball

Berry Muddler

Bourbon Lemonade

CHAPTER 2

Small Bites That Make a Big Impression

Bourbon Bacon Toasts

Bacon and Pecan Pimento Cheese

Deviled Eggs with Country Ham

Benedictine Spread

Kentucky Bourbon Cheese Fondue

Country Ham, Pear, and Arugula Flatbread

Peach and Country Ham Flatbread

Crispy Chicken Skins with Bourbon Honey Butter

Sweet and Spicy Nuts

Fried Green Tomatoes with Smoky Aioli

CHAPTER 3

Wouldn’t You Like to Meet the Genius Who Invented Brunch?

Sausage and Spring Onion Scramble over Cheesy Grits

Cornmeal Griddle Cakes with Blueberry Lemon Compote

Smoked Ham, Spinach, and Cheese Bread Pudding

Sorghum Baked French Toast

Derby Eggs Benedict

Manhattan Salmon

Bourbon Maple-Glazed Bacon

Tomato Watermelon Salad

Strawberry Snap Pea Salad

Sunday Bird

Bluegrass Peaches with Ice Cream

CHAPTER 4

Getting Pickled (and Preserving the Best)

Quick Pickling Brine

Bourbon Pickled Peaches

Red Wine Pickled Beets

Kentucky Chow Chow

Pickled Watermelon Rind

Tomato Bacon Jam

Peach BBQ Sauce

Mom’s Strawberry Jam

CHAPTER 5

Vegetables: The Real Winner’s Circle

Green Beans with Kentuckyaki and Smoked Sesame Seeds

Charred Carrots with Toasted Pecans and Honey

Skillet Turnips with Bacon and Pickled Mustard Seeds

Cauliflower Market Salad

Simmered Pole Beans with Tomato and Jowl Bacon

Creamed Collard Greens with Buttered Crumbs

Bourbon Baked Black-Eyed Peas

Sweet Potato and Dandelion Salad with Bourbon Sorghum Dressing

Beet and Strawberry Salad with Arugula and Poppy Seed Dressing

Butter Bean Succotash

Roasted and Pickled Asparagus Salad

CHAPTER 6

Bourbon Country Grits, Grains, Pastas, and Breads

Farrotto with Pears and Butternut Squash

Cast Iron Spoonbread

Pecan Barley Risotto

Rosemary Sour Cream Biscuits

Couscous with Grilled Garden Vegetables

Grit Fritters with Country Ham

Hickory Smoked Mac and Cheese

CHAPTER 7

Whistle and Fish

Raw Oysters with Champagne-Bourbon Mignonette

Rainbow Trout with Creamed Collard Greens

Bloody Mary Shrimp Salad

Cast Iron Scallops with Country Ham, Corn, and Tomatoes

Charbroiled Oysters

Cornmeal Dusted Catfish with Bread and Butter Pickle Tartar Sauce

Derby Shrimp and Grits with Tasso Gravy

Poached Salmon with Cucumber Scales

Fried Fish Sticks with Buttermilk Ranch Dipping Sauce

CHAPTER 8

Barnyard Bounty

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon Glaze

Dry Brine Roasted Chicken

Kentucky Smoked Lamb Shoulder

Giant Hot Brown

Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Henry Bain Sauce

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast with Bourbon Pickled Peaches

Nashville Style Hot Wings

Kentuckyaki Glazed Pork Belly

Bourbon Mustard Glazed Beef Short Ribs

Derby Day Burgoo

CHAPTER 9

Sweet Endings

Bourbon Cherries with Grilled Pound Cake

Bourbon Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bourbon Pecan Fudge

Bourbon Caramel Crème Brûlée

Mixed Berry Hand Pies

Bourbon Bread Pudding

Apple Pie Cobbler with Brown Sugar Pecan Topping

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie

Strawberry Rhubarb Shortcake

Blackberry Peach Cobbler with Lemon Rosemary Topping

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

RESOURCES

INDEX

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

FOREWORD

BY

CHEF EDWARD LEE

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL BOOK about Southern cuisine and all its vibrant foods. But it is also about the boundless passion of the three people behind the recipes. No one knows the culture of Kentucky cuisine and libations better than Tim and Lori Laird and Chef David Danielson. I can think of no better team to create a book about today’s Southern foodways. They have not only brought their years of expertise to this book, but they have also done what few are able to accomplish: they have infused every page with the generosity, grace, and hospitality that is at the core of who they are.

Tim and Lori were two of the first people I met when I got to Louisville. We were on the set of the locally produced television show Secrets of Louisville Chefs. Tim approached me like we’d been friends for decades. Lori calmed my obvious nervousness and made me feel at ease during my broadcast segment. They made me feel at home when I was still a newcomer to Louisville. We’ve had many drinks together ever since. Tim is one of the kindest people I know, and I don’t remember a time when Lori wasn’t smiling. Their warmth and hospitality are only surpassed by their wealth of knowledge. I am lucky to be able to call them friends.

One of the first times I met Chef Danielson was during the colossal chaos of Derby Week when I was cooking a demo for a small group. I was roaming the cavernous halls of the Churchill Downs kitchen looking for an elevator. Chef was in charge of providing food for upwards of 165,000 people that day, but he took the time to help me. That is who he is. He can oversee one of the largest culinary events in the world and still have time to point you in the right direction. He is generous, he is unflappable, he is a maniac—but he is also the most experienced chef I have ever met and one of the funniest. He can whip up a burgoo for 50,000 or he can plate up a gorgeous frenched lamb rack for a few people. It doesn’t matter what he is cooking because he creates it all with pride and with elegance.

Bourbon Country is not only a fun and entertaining read, but it is also a book that will stand as one of the most essential cookbooks in the history of Southern cuisine. I love the energy that Tim and Chef Danielson bring to this book. It’s the same energy that they bring to life and to the industry that I have devoted my life to. Everything they touch is better because of them. You will see it in the pages of this book, and you will taste it in the recipes that jump off the page.

Enjoy this wonderful book and all the delicious food and memories that will come from it.

Chef Edward Lee is a four-time James Beard Award nominee. He owns five restaurants, including 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author of the cookbook Smoke and Pickles and has been featured on numerous television programs including The Mind of a Chef and Top Chef.

INTRODUCTION

AMERICA’S ORIGINAL DISTILLED NATIVE SPIRIT

CERTAIN PLACES IN THE WORLD conjure up taste-and-smell memories, oftentimes centered on food and drink. When you recall visiting special, memorable locations, you usually remember what, when, where, and with whom you ate. France’s Champagne region, Spain’s Basque Country, Germany’s Black Forest, for example: when you think about these places, you can taste the distinctive bubbles of true Champagne, smell the aromas of fresh seafood paella, and imagine the grilled sausages and aromatic strudels in a small café along the Rhine.

Despite the fact that the name bourbon is French in origin, Kentucky bourbon is as American as it gets. And like other rich, culinarily defined parts of the world, Bourbon Country boasts its own signature food and drink and its own traditions of entertaining with effortless grace. When you’re here—whether as a visitor or as a resident—anticipate the epitome of Southern hospitality, all served up alongside the mellow amber of generous bourbon.

But what if you’re not here? What if you’re simply striving to pull off some effortless entertaining and Southern hospitality at home? You hold in your hands the perfect Bourbon-Country-madeeasy primer.

With its rolling, verdant hills of bluegrass punctuated by classic white fences that define elegant horse farms like an intricate quilt, Bourbon Country is an authentic American region like no other. With it come centuries-old traditions—multigenerational distillers, farmers, and producers—representing a uniquely Southern heritage. And yes, we remember and pay respect to our forebears who established our area as the home of the American Thoroughbred horse.

Make no mistake, however, about the young chefs, distillers, farmers, and producers who are redefining Bourbon Country. As innovative as they are, they also embrace the legacy and profundity of the agricultural South—while making it all their own. We are returning to the comfort of fresh food prepared simply and well and in season. And where once upon a time, there was little to no connection between the kitchen and the bar, today the chef and the mixologist collaborate around handcrafted, made-from-scratch food and beverage.

The Bourbon Country lifestyle is one where gracious hospitality is second nature. And that welcoming generally involves imbibing bourbon. This is, after all, the birthplace of the first uniquely American distilled spirit. While it’s always been Kentucky Proud, today’s bourbon is nothing like the bourbon of yesteryear. Today, making good bourbon is an art, a craft, and a valuable, nuanced skill. Some small-batch bourbons, in fact, fetch the same price as a round-trip ticket for two to Bourbon-l’Archambault, the French town to which bourbon owes its name.

All of this may sound very highbrow, but underlying our idyllic Kentucky home is the very accessible food and drink of the modern American South. People are entertaining more and more in their homes, inside their roomy indoor kitchens and outside in their welcoming outdoor kitchens. If it’s college game night, they are home-gating. If it’s a girlfriend get-together, they’re swapping recipes. This new way of eating Southern is fresh, light, imaginative, inventive, and often influenced (wonderfully) by the region’s new diversity of delicious food cultures from around the world—from Latin America to Southeast Asia.

Of course there will always be fried chicken and hot browns and meat with Henry Bain sauce (which originated at Louisville’s Pendennis Club). But at Churchill Downs, we are also in the kitchen reimagining what we’re buying from local farms, making Simmered Pole Beans with Tomato and Jowl Bacon (see page 106) and putting together Sweet Potato and Dandelion Salad with Bourbon Sorghum Dressing (see page 111).

Regardless of your station in the great Commonwealth of Kentucky, your home should always be a House of Bourbon. The Kentucky Derby is the Rosetta stone of Bourbon Country entertaining done right—as only the Southern table traditions of the Run for the Roses sanction. This type of culinary entertaining is celebratory, convivial, and