Georgia Magazine - October 2022 - 40

GEORGIA Cooks
Patrons begin lining up in the morning to eat at
Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room in Savannah.
The Beaver House Restaurant in Statesboro
serves two meats and a variety of vegetables but the
meal's crowning glory is a slice of lemon chess pie.
This recipe is similar to the one served at The Beaver
House, but it adds buttermilk and lemon zest.
" Mrs. Wilkes' Boardinghouse Cookbook " (2001) is a romp through the
culinary traditions of the South. While fried okra is a standard on many
tables, the cookbook offers a recipe for a favorite way to pair okra with
tomato. Although this recipe calls for topping the gumbo with bacon,
it's easily omitted to keep the dish vegetarian.
TOMATO AND OKRA GUMBO
8 medium tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes
2 pounds fresh or frozen baby okra, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
3 or 4 strips bacon, fried to a crisp, crumbled
Combine the tomatoes, okra, salt and butter in a saucepan.
Cook, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes, or
until tender. Sprinkle the bacon on top. Serves 8.
Macaroni and cheese is another absolute must for the
boardinghouse table. This one, shared by The Smith House,
is a spot-on classic.
MACARONI AND CHEESE
1 (8-ounce) box macaroni
Salted water, per package directions
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Topping
3 cups Italian breadcrumbs or 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring macaroni noodles to a boil in salted water. Cook until almost
done, approximately 7 minutes. Drain noodles but do not rinse. Place
noodles in a 9 x13-inch casserole dish.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour to make
a roux. Slowly add milk, salt and pepper and cheddar cheese, and whisk
until smooth or until cheese is melted. Pour cheese mixture over noodles.
Make topping: Mix breadcrumbs or crackers, butter and cheese
together, and use to top the casserole. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from
oven. If the mixture looks soupy, bake for another 15 minutes. Serves 6-8
as a side dish.
40 Georgia Magazine October 2022
LEMON CHESS PIE
1 (9-inch) pie crust, homemade or store-bought
4 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fine cornmeal
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt (less if using sea salt)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled
If making homemade
pie crust, roll
out the dough, place
it in a 9-inch pie
pan and place in the
freezer. If using a commercial
pie shell, keep
it in the freezer. When
ready to bake, remove
it from the freezer and
prick the bottom and
sides of the crust with
a fork. Then return to
the freezer while making
the filling.
Make the filling
by whisking together
the eggs, buttermilk,
flour, cornmeal,
sugar, salt, lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk in the
melted, cooled butter. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake the chilled
pie crust for 8 minutes. Note: It should be a very light
golden color. Remove from the oven and reduce the
temperature to 375 degrees.
Stir the filling again and pour into the hot pie
shell. Bake on the bottom rack for 35-40 minutes.
Note: The center should jiggle slightly, and the top
should be lightly browned. The filling will firm up as
it cools. Place the pie on a rack to cool completely
before serving. Slip the cooled pie into a plastic bag
and refrigerate for easiest cutting and best flavor.
Serves 8.
EXPLORE GEORGIA
JANE F. GARVEY
Georgia Magazine - October 2022

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