North vs. South Thanksgiving side dish smackdown: Vegetables

When it comes to the Thanksgiving table side dishes are anything but an afterthought sometimes equaling or even eclipsing the turkey Thanksgiving sides also illustrate the rich communities and cultural influences uncovered throughout the nation A classic side dish in one region or family for instance may very well be unheard of in another To get a taste of Thanksgiving across the US six Atlanta chefs three Southern and three hailing from the North and Midwest shared their favorite Thanksgiving side dishes and family food traditions for the holiday For this South versus North side dish smackdown Auburn Angel chef Robert Butts South and Lyla Lila and Elise chef Craig Richards North talk must-have Thanksgiving vegetables Southern-style collards from Chef Robert Butts Courtesy of Clay Williams The South Greens Auburn Angel chef Robert Butts Georgia Greens aren t just a huge part of Auburn Angel chef and owner Robert Butts Thanksgiving tradition they re also an irrefutable part of his identity It s one of the first crops that slaves were truly able to use and grow he stated So greens have a rich history Butts announced his family was big on the Thanksgiving feast growing up treating the meal as a sporting event and mapping the plays in advance Everyone had their role I remember having to pick all the greens off the stems and they were oh-so particular he stated It was very tedious work and I didn t understand it at first In time Butts learned to appreciate the process Like the South itself recipes for greens vary Numerous families opt for one type of greens such as collards or turnips while others make mixed or braided greens which combine varieties There s the option to add smoked meat like turkey ham hocks or chicken Butts family recipe which he now serves at Auburn Angel includes a triad of collards mustard greens and turnip greens along with red and green peppers onions garlic ham hock and smoked turkey He seasons the greens with hot sauce apple cider vinegar and a touch of brown sugar By the time the greens are ready Butts explained the house is engulfed with the aroma of just-braised greens for the holiday A triad of greens Serves Ingredients to bags of collards cleaned Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil yellow onion chopped red peppers chopped green pepper chopped cloves whole garlic to quarts vegetable stock or water cups brown sugar cups hot sauce oz red pepper flakes cups apple cider vinegar Tbsp onion powder Tbsp garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste Instructions Add oil to a large pot and add heat Saut onions peppers and garlic until translucent and aroma comes through Add greens Mix well with pepper and onion mixture until combined Pour in stock until the greens are submerged Let cook until the greens break down Incorporate seasonings hot sauce vinegar and brown sugar Mix well Let cook until greens are done and soft to the bite Add salt and pepper to taste and serve Green bean casserole from Chef Craig Richards Courtesy of Craig Richards The North Midwest Green bean casserole Lyla Lila Elise chef Craig Richards Nebraska Growing up in Nebraska Lyla Lila and Elise chef Craig Richards mentioned it s not exceptional for him to come home for Thanksgiving and find snow on the ground It also means there s very little fresh local produce available in Nebraska around Thanksgiving Unlike Atlanta you can t just run down to the local farmers territory to grab a few fall greens or late-season beans His mother often cooked with canned vegetables especially during the fall and winter including when creating a family favorite for Thanksgiving green bean casserole Richards now helps his mother cook Thanksgiving for people But despite being a chef with two Atlanta restaurants the family still wants nostalgic dishes such as green bean casserole using a recipe that likely comes from the back of the French s fried onions container I think Thanksgiving food is more about nostalgia than the food itself I tried to be cheffy with homemade cranberry sauce and green bean casserole with a homemade cream of mushroom sauce but it s not the same Richards explained The preponderance gourmet thing my mom did is she bought roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup instead of the regular cream of mushroom soup one year and that was next level The turkey is the cheffiest Richards gets on Thanksgiving Day He uses Thomas Keller s roast turkey recipe stuffing the bird with oranges red onions and bay leaves For Thanksgiving side dish staples like green bean casserole Richards noted it s easy to strike a balance between the ease and convenience of canned goods like cream of mushroom soup and fresh ingredients Think parboiling fresh green beans for a insufficient minutes before compiling and baking the casserole or frying a batch of freshly sliced shallots to layer on top But here s a cheffier version of green bean casserole to try from Richards Green bean casserole Serves Ingredients pounds haricot vert green beans trimmed Vegetable or canola oil cup shallots sliced thin Cornstarch Tbsp all-purpose flour oz assorted mushrooms sliced maitake crimini shiitake etc sliced thin Tbsp unsalted butter tsp grated nutmeg cup of chicken broth vegetable also works cup heavy cream Instructions Preheat the oven to Blanch green beans in salted water for minutes then shock in ice water and dry Heat inches of vegetable or canola oil in a deep skillet over medium heat Toss shallots in corn starch until lightly coated Fry in oil until golden in color Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with a pinch of salt In a medium pan heat butter over medium heat until melted Add mushrooms nutmeg and a pinch of salt Saut until soft and slightly caramelized Add Tbsp of flour and cook for about a minute As flour cooks to the mushrooms add cream and chicken stock and bring to a simmer Whisk intermittently to assure there are no lumps of flour Cook for about minutes on medium heat until it begins to thicken Remove from heat and add green beans Mix to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper Transfer to a casserole dish top with shallots and bake for minutes until it becomes bubbly The post North vs South Thanksgiving side dish smackdown Vegetables appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta