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These amazing recipes (below) were developed by the award-winning cookbook author, Damon Lee Fowler. Bookmark this page and visit often as we will be adding new recipes every week.
Also, be sure to check out three of Damon Lee Fowler’s most popular cookbooks. All are available for sale at the Salt Table shops and online. And, all three are autographed.
Damon Lee Fowler (left) recently held a booksigning at The Salt Table shops in Savannah and Pooler Georgia. Carol and Dave are very proud to host such a prolific and notable cookbook author. His books are available in the shops and online. These books are also autographed by Damon.
About the Author: Damon Lee Fowler is a culinary historian, cooking teacher and food writer. A nationally recognized authority on Southern cooking, he is the author of nine cookbooks, including Classical Southern Cooking, Beans, Greens, & Sweet Georgia Peaches, Savannah Chef’s Table, Essentials of Southern Cooking and, most recently, Ham: A Savor the South Cookbook. He has written historical commentary on a number of historical cookbooks and was editor and recipe developer for Dining At Monticello for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. He is the featured food writer for the Savannah Morning News and has written for such national publications as Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Garden & Gun, Relish and Local Palate. He lives, eats, and writes in Savannah, Georgia.
Homemade apple pies and cobblers are to fall what fruitcake is to Christmas, and The Salt Table’s Cinnamon Sugar makes putting the filling together a cinch. Since the flavor is infused into the sugar, it’s more intense than regular sugar, you wouldn’t want to use it in the same proportions that you’d use regular cinnamon sugar, which is just ground cinnamon blended with white sugar. Here it’s blended with Turbinado (raw) sugar.
¼-½ cup Turbinado (raw) sugar or regular granulated sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons instant-blending or all-purpose flour
Basic Pastry (Recipe Follows) or 1 package roll-out pie crust
1 large egg white lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Vanilla, cinnamon ice cream, or dulce de leche, for serving, optional
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 400° F. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Put them in a ceramic or glass bowl and sprinkle them with 2 tablespoons of the Cinnamon Sugar, Turbinado sugar to taste, and the bourbon. Toss gently and let stand while you prepare the crust.
Roll out 2/3 of the pastry to a little less than 1/8-inch thick. Line a 9-to-9½-inch deep-dish pie plate or 9-inch round casserole with it. Trim the edges of the crust so that the pastry overlaps the sides by about half an inch. Lightly prick the bottom with a fork. Sprinkle the instant-blending flour over the apples, fold it in, and pour the apples and their accumulated juice into the pastry-lined dish. Level them with a spatula.
Roll out the remaining pastry, trim it to completely cover the top of the cobbler, cut 2-3 vent holes in the pastry with a small, decorative cutter, and lay the pastry over the apple filling. Moisten the edges with cold water and fold the bottom pastry over it, then crimp the edges to seal it. If you like, cut decorative shapes out of the excess pastry, paint the backs with cold water, and lay them over the edges of the crust. Brush the entire top crust lightly with the diluted egg white and sprinkle it with the remaining tablespoon of Cinnamon Sugar.
Set the dish on a rimmed baking sheet and put it into the center of the oven. Bake 25 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake until the filling is bubbling at the center and the crust is golden brown, about 30-35 minutes longer. Let it cool on a wire rack for at least 15-20 minutes before serving, if liked, with a scoop of vanilla, cinnamon, or dulce de leche ice cream.
Basic Pastry
Makes enough to make 2 9-inch pie shells, 1 double crust pie, or to cover 4 individual potpies
1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chilled lard or shortening, cut into bits
8 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into bits
¼ to ½ cup ice water
Sift or whisk together the flour, salt, and sage. Cut in the shortening and butter with a pastry blender until the flour resembles coarse meal with random lumps of fat no larger than small peas. Stir in ¼ cup of ice water and work it in. Continue adding water by spoonfuls as needed until the dough is holding together but not wet.
Gather the pastry into two balls (for the above recipe, make one a little larger than the other) press each one into a 1-inch thick flat disk, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or for up to 2 days. Let it come almost to room temperature before rolling it out.
Pot pie is at its best when made with a chicken that has simmered in broth that’s in turn used to make the binding gravy, but a quick and perfectly satisfactory version can be made with leftover roasted poultry or a market-cooked rotisserie chicken, so it’s also a great way to use up leftover Thanksgiving Turkey. The Salt Table’s Spanish Moss Blend is ideal for poultry dishes, and gives these savory pies a deep, complex flavor without the complication of grinding spices and chopping several different herbs.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, trimmed, split lengthwise, and peeled, and diced small
1 recipe Basic Pastry (recipe follows), or enough pre-made pastry for 2 9-inch pie shells
1 large egg white, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water (optional)
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400° F. Put the butter and onion in a heavy-bottomed deep skillet or wide, 3-4 quart pot over medium heat. Sauté, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 3-4 minutes, then add the carrot and celery. Sauté, tossing, until softened and beginning to color, about 3-4 minutes more. Add a tablespoon of Spanish Moss Blend and sauté until fragrant, about half a minute.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir until it’s bubbly and smooth. Slowly stir in 3 cups of broth, bring it to a simmer, and simmer until thick, stirring constantly. Add the diced chicken and peas, bring it back to a simmer, and simmer 3-5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more Spanish Moss blend if needed to suit your taste, and transfer the filling to 4 individual potpie dishes or 10-ounce ramekins.
Roll the dough out 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured work surface. Cut it into rounds a little larger than the ramekins. Using a small decorative cutter, cut out the center of each and place the pastry over the filling. Use the same cutter to cut the excess pastry into decorative shapes, brush the bottoms with water, and arrange them around the edges. If you want a showy, glossy finish to the pastry, brush it with the diluted egg white.
Bake in the center of the oven until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbly at the center, about 30-35 minutes.
Poached Chicken
For pot pies, creamed chicken, and casseroles such as chicken spaghetti.
Makes 3-3½ cups diced cooked chicken, serving 4-5
2 medium yellow onions, trimmed, split lengthwise, and peeled, 1 thinly sliced and 1 diced small
3 large carrots, peeled, 1 thinly sliced and 2 diced small
3 large ribs celery, 1 thinly sliced, 2 trimmed, strung, and diced
1 3½ pound chicken, cut up as for frying
Salt
About 4 cups chicken broth
1 large sprig plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 large sprig parsley
1 bay leaf
3-4 quarter-sized slices ginger
Cover the bottom of a wide Dutch oven or deep braising pan with the onion, carrot, and celery. Lay the chicken over it skin up and sprinkle lightly with salt. Add enough broth to barely cover the chicken and put in the sprigs of sage and parsley, bay leaf, and ginger. Bring it to a simmer over medium high heat.
Reduce the heat to a slow simmer, loosely cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, about 30-45 minutes. Remove the chicken, let it cool, then skin, bone, and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Strain and reserve the broth, discarding the solids.
Basic Pastry
Makes enough to make 2 9-inch pie shells, 1 double crust pie, or to cover 4 individual potpies
INGREDIENTS:
1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chilled lard or shortening, cut into bits
8 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into bits
¼ to ½ cup ice water
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Sift or whisk together the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening and butter with a pastry blender until the flour resembles coarse meal with random lumps of fat no larger than small peas. Stir in ¼ cup of ice water and work it in. Continue adding water by spoonfuls as needed until the dough is holding together but not wet.
Gather the pastry into two balls, press each one into a 1-inch thick flat disk, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or for up to 2 days. Let it come almost to room temperature before rolling it out.
Salt Table’s Shamrock Dust (or Leek, Chive, and Onion)
The Salt Table’s Shamrock Dust and Leek, Chive, and Onion Seasoning blends are great for flavoring weeknight casseroles, especially fall broccoli. This gratin is a fresh take on an old favorite using fresh broccoli and real cream, and thanks to The Salt Table’s seasoning blends, it’s as fast and easy as the old standby with frozen vegetables and a can of cream soup.
1 cup coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar, Gruyère, or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
About 1 cup heavy cream
½ cup crushed cheese cracker crumbs (such as Cheez-it Crackers)
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Prepare a large, wide saucepan or Dutch oven with 1-inch cold water. Put in a steamer insert, making sure the water doesn’t touch its bottom. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Wash and trim the broccoli and peel the tough stems. Cut off the stems and cut it in 2-inch lengths, then divide the florets into smaller pieces.
When the water is boiling, add the broccoli to the insert, cover, and steam 2 minutes, then sprinkle with Pink Salt. Cover and steam until just tender but still bright green, about 6 minutes more. Remove from the steamer and let cool.
Lightly butter a 9-inch gratin dish or shallow casserole. Roughly chop the broccoli and put it in dish. Sprinkle it with the Seasoning Blend and mustard. Set aside ¼ cup of the cheese and add the remainder to the casserole. Gently toss to mix, taste and add more seasoning blend if needed, then level the top with a spatula and sprinkle and pour enough cream over it to almost cover the broccoli. Sprinkle the reserved 1/4-cup of cheese evenly over the top.
Note: The gratin can be made up to this point as much as 4 hours ahead. Let it completely cool before loosely covering it, and let it stand at room temperature.
About 45 minutes before you’re ready to serve, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat it to 375° F. If you’ve made the gratin ahead, uncover it and sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the top. Bake in the center of the oven until bubbly and lightly browned, about 35-40 minutes. Let it settle for 5-10 minutes before serving, but serve it hot.
The classic schnitzel is made with veal, but cutlets made from pork tenderloin (or even chicken boned breasts) take handsomely to the technique at a fraction of the cost of veal, and for my money, the pork has far more flavor.
Salt Table’s Halle & Savannah Blend is ideal for schnitzel, but classic All ‘Round Good Grinder Blend and Southern Italian Blend are also great for them.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 pork tenderloin, about 1-to-1¼ pounds, or 4 large veal scaloppine or chicken breast cutlets (see notes)
About 1 cup clarified butter or 4 tablespoons unsalted butter and ¾ cup olive or vegetable oil
2 lemons, cut into wedges
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Trim the tenderloin, removing the silver-skin and fat. Cut the thickest part of the center crosswise into 4 equal rounds 1¼-inches thick. Set aside the ends for another use. Put the 4 center cuts round side up on a sheet of plastic wrap spread over a sturdy work surface. Lay a second sheet of wrap over them and lightly pound them out to a little less than ¼-inch thick. Generously grind the seasoning blend over both sides. If using veal or chicken cutlets instead, lightly pound them out to a uniform thinness just under ¼-inch and season as for the tenderloin.
Season the crumbs with several grindings of Seasoning Blend and spread them on a plate or wide, shallow bowl. Have the flour spread on a plate and the egg in a wide, shallow bowl.
Dust the cutlets with flour, coating both sides, and gently shake off the excess. One at a time, dip them in the egg, coating both sides and allowing the excess egg to flow back into the bowl, then lay it on the crumbs, turning and patting to coat both sides. Put the breaded cutlets on a clean, dry plate or wire cooling rack and them let stand 30 minutes to allow the breading to set. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat it to 200° F. or the warm setting.
Over medium heat, melt enough clarified butter (or the unsalted butter and enough oil) to cover the bottom of heavy-bottomed skillet by at about ¼-inch. When it’s hot, raise the heat to medium-high and put in enough cutlets to fill the pan without crowding. Fry until the bottoms are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Turn and brown the second side, about 2 minutes longer. Remove them from the pan to a wire cooling rack and keep warm in the oven while the remaining cutlets fry. Serve hot with lemon.
Note: chicken cutlets are a boned and skinned breast half split horizontally into two equal pieces.
Salt Table’s Leek, Chive, and Onion Seasoning Blend or Shamrock Dust
Homemade ranch dressing is perfect with fall salads, especially those with an autumnal flare thanks to apples, pears, pecans, walnuts, and blue cheese. The Salt Table’s Leek, Chive, and Onion or Shamrock Dust Seasoning Blends make homemade ranch dressing a snap.
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or cider vinegar
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Whisk together sour cream or yogurt and mayonnaise until smooth. Gradually whisk in buttermilk.
Whisk in mustard, Seasoning Blend, herbs, and lemon juice or vinegar. Cover and chill at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend; 6-8 hours is better. Can be made 3-4 days ahead.
Salt Table’s Leek, Chive, and Onion Seasoning Blend and Shamrock Dust
The Salt Table’s Leek, Chive, and Onion Seasoning Blend and Shamrock Dust are not only for spring or for beguiling Leprechauns. They’re great with autumn vegetables and in hearty fall and winter soups and stews. Either blend gives this fall favorite a wonderful lift. If you’d like a richer soup, stir in half a cup of heavy cream just before serving.
Serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely minced shallots (about 4 medium-to-large)
3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, split, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
¼-½ cup slivered toasted and lightly salted pecans, optional
HOW TO MAKE:
Warm the butter and shallot in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes, then add the squash and toss until hot.
Add the broth, the Seasoning Blend or Shamrock Dust, and sage, and bring to simmer. Adjust the heat and simmer until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with Pink Salt as needed. Let simmer a minute longer, turn off the heat, and let it settle for 5-10 minutes.
Remove and discard the sage and puree the soup, either with a hand blender or in batches in a regular blender or food processor fitted with the steel blade. It can be made up to three days ahead: cool, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
To serve, gently reheat the soup over medium low heat, stirring often. If it has been made ahead and has gotten too thick, thin it with water as needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning, simmer 2-3 minutes longer. Ladle it into warm soup bowls and garnish with green onions and toasted pecans.
with Salt Table’s Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt, Peppercorn Medley andHerbes de Provence
The Salt Table’s Wild Porcini Mushroom Salt infuses this stew with deep mushroom flavor without the trouble of reconstituting dried porcini mushrooms and straining their soaking liquid to remove the sand. The Salt Table’s Herbes de Provence provides nicely balanced Provencal flavor without having a host of different condiments and herbs.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
3½ pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed well and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, trimmed, split lengthwise, peeled, and diced small
1 large or 2 medium cloves garlic, lightly crushed, peeled, and minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
About 1-to-1½ cups beef broth
1 recipe Sautéed Mushrooms with Porcini Salt (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons finely minced flat-leaf parsley
HOW TO MAKE:
Wrap the pork in several layers of paper towels and pat dry. Put the oil and butter in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add enough pork to the pan to fill it without crowding and brown it well on all sides. Remove it to the slow cooker, and repeat with the remaining meat. When all the meat is browned, season it well with Porcini Salt and Pepper Medley and sprinkle the Herbes de Provence evenly over it.
Adjust the heat to medium, spoon off all but 2-3 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and add the onion. Sauté until softened and golden brown at the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and toss until fragrant, about half a minute longer. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until smooth and bubbly. Slowly add the wine, stirring constantly, and bring it to a simmer, then stir in 1 cup of the broth. Bring it back to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook until it’s lightly thickened, then pour it evenly over the pork in the slow cooker.
Add enough broth to barely cover the meat, cover the cooker, and turn the setting to high. Let it heat until it’s bubbly, about 30 minutes, then reduce the setting to low and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 4-6 hours.
The stew can be prepared to this point up to four days ahead. Let it cool completely, transfer it to a storage container, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Reheat it gently in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat, thinning the sauce, if it’s too thick, with a few spoonfuls of water.
Prepare the Sautéed Mushrooms, immediately fold them into the stew, and serve hot, garnished with parsley and accompanied by crusty bread.
1 tablespoon finely minced flat leaf parsley, optional (for garnishing if used as a side dish)
HOW TO MAKE:
Wipe the mushrooms clean with a dry paper towel and thickly slice them. Put the oil and butter in a deep skillet or sauté pan and turn on the heat to medium. When the butter is melted and the fat is quite hot, add the mushrooms, rapidly tossing. Raise the heat to medium high.
Sauté, tossing often, until the mushrooms are beginning to color on the edges. Season well with Porcini Salt, toss, and cook half a minute longer. Turn off the heat. Taste and correct the salt. If serving as a separate side dish, sprinkle with parsley and serve hot. If using in Pork Provencal, immediately add it to the stew.
Salt Table Savannah Summer Salt Seasoning, Chipotle Chili Powder, andFine Himalayan Pink Salt
Fish Tacos have long been a specialty of the Mexican resorts on the Baja Peninsula, and in recent years have become a summer favorite in The United States, especially in the balmy, humid South. Savannah Summer Seasoning Salt gives them a nice southern zip.
½ medium Vidalia Sweet Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into bite-sized dice
HOW TO MAKE
To make the lime cream, blend together the mayonnaise and sour cream or yogurt. With a microplane grater, grate the zest from 1 lime into the sauce then grate half the garlic clove into it. Set aside the other half of the clove for another use. Blend in 1 tablespoon of lime juice and 1 tablespoon of cilantro or oregano. Season it to taste with chipotle powder and pink salt (if needed). Taste and adjust lime juice. Let stand 15 minutes, then taste and adjust seasonings.
Cut remaining limes into wedges. Cut the fish into bite-sized cubes. Sprinkle it generously with about a tablespoon (or to taste) of Summer Salt and gently toss to coat. Warm the oil in a large non-stick or seasoned iron skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the fish and raise heat to medium-high. Sauté, gently tossing occasionally, until the fish is just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove it from the heat.
Meanwhile, warm a griddle or a large non-stick pan over medium-low heat. When the fish is ready, lay a tortilla on the griddle and let it get hot, turning it once (about half a minute) and remove it to serving plate. Spoon 1/8 of the fish down center and top it with tomato, lettuce, onion, and avocado. Lightly sprinkle with Summer Salt, drizzle with a spoonful of lime cream, and sprinkle on a little of the remaining chopped cilantro.
There are two options for presenting them: you may simply leave them open-faced and let your guests roll them up themselves, or roll them first as follows: 1/4 of tortilla at the bottom over edge of filling, then fold the left side all way over. Roll the taco over on itself to fully wrap the tortilla around its filling in a neat package. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.
Taste-Tested and enthusiastically approved by my grandchildren. Our granddaughter likes them finished with a drizzle of ranch dressing, but you could add sour cream, and/or any salsa that you like, but keep the dressings spare or the excess will just ooze out and drip all over you.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef chuck, preferably from grass-fed cattle
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1 large, ripe tomato, cored, seeded, and diced
1-1½ cups shredded Romaine or Iceberg Lettuce
½ medium Vidalia Sweet Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Thinly sliced fresh hot Jalapeno peppers, optional
Ranch dressing, sour cream, and/or salsa of your choice, for serving, optional
Warm the oil in a 10-inch skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Crumble in the beef, raise the heat to medium-high, and sauté, tossing or stirring occasionally, until it has lost its raw, red color and is beginning to brown. Season well with Summer Salt and chili powder to taste and lower the heat to medium low. If you’d like a sauce to bind the meat, add the optional catsup or chili sauce. Let it simmer about 2-3 minutes longer, or until the beef is just cooked through (and if you’ve added catsup, it’s reduced and thickened). Remove it from the heat.
Warm a griddle or large non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Lay a tortilla in the pan. Let it get hot, turning it once, and remove it from the pan to a serving plate. Spoon 1/8 of the beef down its center and top with a sprinkling of cheese, then the tomato, lettuce, onion, and jalapeno peppers. Lightly sprinkle with Summer Salt and, if you like, drizzle a little dressing or sour cream over it, or add a spoonful or two of salsa (or offer these for each diner to add to taste).
Fold a quarter of the tortilla at the top and bottom over the edge of the filling and then fold the left side all the way over them. Roll the taco over the filling into a neat package. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and fillings and serve immediately.
Tybee Coastal Blend makes this simple, traditional gratin a snap to make, since the separate seasonings that usually go into it are all contained in one convenient grinder, with the added flavor bonus of other seafood-enhancing seasonings such as mustard, dill, shallots, green onions, and chives.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350° F. Drain the oysters, reserving half a cup of their liquor. Pick through the oysters for bits of shell.
Roughly break the crackers into very coarse crumbs. Melt the butter over medium heat in pan large enough to hold cracker crumbs. Add the crumbs and toss until they’ve evenly absorbed the butter and are toasty, about 2 minutes.
Lightly butter a 9-inch square baking dish or 10-12-inch oval gratin dish. Sprinkle a fourth of the crumbs over the bottom. Spread half the oysters over the crumbs, season lightly with Tybee Island Blend and sprinkle with 1 tablespoons of the parsley and a third of the remaining cracker crumbs. Spread the rest of the oysters over the top, lightly season with more Tybee Island Blend, and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of parsley and half the remaining crumbs.
Pour the oyster liquor around, then add half and half just to top of crackers. Cover with the remaining crackers, finish with another sprinkle of Tybee Island Blend, and bake 35-40 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve at once.
Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring
