Southern American Comfort Food
by Qian Leung
@ 01 Jun 2018
Prior to the arrival of British and Scottish settlers in the 1600s and 1700s, the river valleys of the southern Appalachian mountains had been home to generations of Native Americans such as the Creeks and Cherokees. The region, which extends from the states of Kentucky and Tennesse to Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, had fertile soils on which tobacco, rice, indigo, and cotton were cultivated. To meet the demand for labour, slaves were traded in from West Africa. Today, influences from these cultures, as well as those of French settlers in Louisiana and Spanish settlers in Florida, can be seen in the cuisine known as Southern.
Chicken and waffles, which at
The Bird Southern Table & Bar is served with spiced watermelon, bourbon maple, and honey hot sauce, is believed to have originated with the African-American community in Harlem, New York, in early 1900s. Wells Supper Club, which had a Southern-inspired menu, would often have fried chicken leftover from dinner service. To cater to jazz musicians who needed a bite post-show, Wells served savoury fried chicken with sweet waffles during the wee hours of the morning. “Some of the best corn-fed chicken is from the south,” says Chef Leonard Delgado. “We bread it with chicken flour and spices, and pressure fry it till juicy and tender.” The Bird serves their fried chicken with a savoury waffle with Swiss cheddar and green onion.
In the past, the Native American Muskogee tribe ground corn in stone mills to a gritty texture. Grits were traded with settlers, who gave a portion to their African slaves. Living near the coast and adept at catching shrimps with nets, the descendants of these slaves would prepare shrimps with grits. “We got these from Anson Mills in South Carolina,” says Chef Delgado. “And reconstitute it by adding stock slowly, a little at a time, with cream, and butter.” To go with the creamy and fluffy grits, a flavoursome dark sauce is made by roasting down chicken bones with tomatoes, Montreal seasoning, and olive oil. Compared to other parts of America which are more fast-paced, in the South, eating is an event. “Dinner is when everybody sits down, and you reconnect over food,” says Chef Delgado, who is of Native American Apache and Mexican heritage. “I was born in the 60s, grew up in a family where we all had dinner together.” Cell phones and videogames weren’t commonplace back then. “On the weekends, you got together with uncles, aunties, and cousins, between church, or you have a barbecue.”
The Bird Southern Table & Bar
10 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018956
Tel: (65) 6688 9959
Adapted from the
May Jun 18 issue of Cuisine & Wine Asia.
