• Radish on March 20, 2015

  I absolutely resisted buying this book. But I was in Barnes and Noble and I was going to have to wait for about 4 hours. It is a delightful book. If you like to read, there are great lessons. You may not cook out of this book too much because there are a lot of things you have to write away for. But he is not a chef that speaks down to you, and the cocktail section is totally fun.

• babyfork on October 27, 2014

  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess. I got this book last week and love the cover! I'm on page 80 and so far I'm loving the inside too.

• ellabee on October 09, 2014

  One of the most unappealing covers ever.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Chicken simply roasted in a skillet

  • JoanN on October 30, 2015

    Can't quite believe I'm giving 4½ stars to a recipe I had so many problems with. My garlic was half burned and the salt turned into charcoal; there was practically no oil left to stir into the sauce. The breast meat was about to burn after three minutes, no less the 5 to 7 called for. After 20 minutes the thigh meat was well over the 155F called for. And the roux never emulsified so the sauce never thickened. Didn't matter. It was just marvelous. Perfectly cooked and juicy and great flavor. Would very much like to perfect this; it's a terrific recipe.

  • EHoward on April 13, 2017

    Good but heating in the pan over high heat is too much. Medium-high would avoid burning the skin.

  • twoyolks on August 10, 2017

    I find this recipe to be more of a technique than a recipe per se. This is a very effective way of roasting a chicken quickly and getting crisp and well browned skin. Making a pan sauce to go with it elevates the whole meal. With that said, there was no oil remaining from the roasted garlic to stir into the sauce so I added some extra oil to the garlic which was then added to the sauce but I think it had no effect. The chicken cooked much more quickly in the oven than called for. This makes way more sauce than needed. There was too much lemon in the sauce. I will probably make this again but use it as a guide instead of an explicit recipe.

  • Dannausc on December 21, 2019

    Fairly easy; good.

• Pole beans with tomatoes and benne

  • Avocet on August 27, 2018

    This was a disappointing failure. The long cooking of cut up beans in the large amount of stock rendered them tasteless. Slow roasting heirloom tomatoes (used black and pink Brandywines) resulted in a very small amount of roasted tomato at the end. I think Roma tomatoes would provide a better yield. The sesame seeds are a nice touch.

• Corn-goat cheese soup with shrimp and brown butter chanterelles

  • DKennedy on August 24, 2015

    A lovely dinner. Made this tonight for dinner using a ton of modification and shortcuts. The recipe as written would be very hard to accomplish on a weekday. As it is, I dirtied numerous pans during prep. Used store bought chicken stock, TJs frozen raw shrimp, and a handful of chanterelles. Made stock using 3 ears of corn and 1 box stock. Sautéed the chanterelles ahead of time in a mixture of olive oil and butter with thyme. Wok seared the shrimp with a little garlic and cayenne instead of poaching. Assembly: Pureed the soup, stirred in the goat cheese and creme fraiche at the last minute to accommodate those who can't tolerate dairy. Topped with shrimp and mushrooms. Very tasty. Much of this could have been prep'ed ahead of time for easier last minute prep.

  • L.Nightshade on October 17, 2015

    By the time chanterelles were available here, there was no fresh corn to be found. I substituted the highest quality frozen corn available, and added some of that to the stock as a replacement for the cobs and grated cob-milk called for. I used the FP, as I don’t have a blender, and strained out the fiber bits before adding the goat cheese, to make it very creamy. For the final purée with the cheese I used a stick blender. Smallish servings of the soup, garnished with the shrimp in crème fraîche and the brown butter chanterelles, was the first course for a small dinner party. It was very well-received, even by one guest who doesn’t like goat cheese. She stated she could taste the bit of tang from the cheese, but it was apparently sufficiently tamed for her to enjoy it. I’d easily make this soup again, maybe even try using a different mushroom when fresh corn is available. Photo here http://www.chowhound.com/post/cooking-sean-brocks-heritage-1022739?commentId=9747026

• Husk cheeseburger

  • DKennedy on August 27, 2015

    I tweaked this recipe to work for what I could accomplish at home. But I did use a few of his techniques: I buttered the bun. I cooked the burgers in a screeching hot cast iron skillet and then finished them in the oven. I only seasoned the outside of the burgers. I used a blend of meat (mine: 1 lb. prime ground chuck, 1 lb. TJs grass fed ground beef) I did not add bacon into the mix but I did add bacon on top. And I served these with a special sauce (a little less involved than his), tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, and pepperoncinis. Results: Outstanding. My family loved these burgers. The ground chuck was key, so much flavor. I can only imagine how much better it would be with the three meats he suggests. I will definitely make it this way again, and yes, next time I will go the extra step of getting all three meats and making his sauce. This is a wow-wy burger. Truly special.

• Lowcountry hoppin' John

  • TrishaCP on January 02, 2017

    So this was just a delicious way to celebrate New Year's Day. This recipe does require specialized ingredients (the rice and peas) that I ordered from Anson Mills in advance. But other than soaking the peas overnight and defrosting my already made chicken stock, everything else happened day of, although some of the steps were fiddly. The peas tasted really fresh and clean to me compared to black-eyed peas, and I would definitely order them again. The rice took some steps to prepare, with the parboiling, rinsing, and drying in the oven, but the texture came out exactly as promised and it did highlight the beauty of the ingredient. The one step I wouldn't repeat is the pea gravy-it didn't really add anything for me. The peas were moist enough without it.

  • twoyolks on January 02, 2017

    I made this with fresh black-eyed peas and regular long grain rice and this was spectacular. It was much better than I'd ever imagine black-eyed peas and rice could possibly be. The pea gravy was what really made this excellent. It added a large hit of savory flavor. This was even better with just a little bit of hot sauce added to it.

• Watermelon and red onion salad with Bibb lettuce, pickled shrimp and, jalapeño vinaigrette

  • L.Nightshade on September 06, 2015

    This is undoubtedly one of the simpler Brock recipes. The pickled shrimp do start pickling at least two days in advance, and they are divine. I thought I’d have some left over, but someone at table kept requesting more! The shrimp and the red onion are a wonderful contrast to the watermelon in the salad, and the jalapeño dressing ties it all together. As the book says, the dressing recipe makes more than the salad requires, but I’m happy to have the leftover dressing for future salads. We had this as a main course, with blue cheese biscuits on the side (from another book, and I’ll write them up in the “other” Southern cookbooks thread). It would also make a perfect first course for a dinner party. The pickled shrimp just make it so interesting, and a bit different from other salads. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1022739?commentId=9712497#9712497

• Roasted cauliflower with Meyer lemon and brown butter, watercress, and pink peppercorns

  • L.Nightshade on September 07, 2015

    I made PICKLED SCALLIONS with a few cloves of garlic, from the ramps recipe on page 233. Mr. NS made the VEGETABLE STOCK from page 316. The butter-basting on the stovetop did nothing to turn the cauliflower the expected golden brown. Eventually, I just went ahead and put it in the oven, where it did manage to tan a bit. For me, there was a lot of waiting and wondering with this dish. My cauliflower never became golden brown. I made the brown butter sauce twice (pretty much wasting an enormous amount of butter), and eventually decided a broken sauce was still edible. Juggling everything, and trying to time it to finish with the main course, ultimately led to some of the parts being warm, some having cooled too much. It was, however, flavorful. I wasn’t sufficiently smitten to put it on my “do again” list, but it was good, and if I ever did do it again, I’d know how to budget my time better. Full report and photos: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/1022739?commentId=9713913#9713913

• Cornmeal-fried pork chops with goat cheese-smashed potatoes and cucumber and pickled green tomato relish

  • L.Nightshade on October 17, 2015

    Advance prep: One week before making this recipe, you make the CUCUMBER AND GREEN TOMATO RELISH on page 236. Before making the relish, you make the DILLED GREEN TOMATOES on page 230. I used tomatillos as no green tomatoes were available, and I’m sure that makes a difference in the flavor. In addition to using tomatillos, when making the relish I added corn kernels as I had an ear of corn that wanted using. One day before cooking, the pork chops are pounded thin (I did not pound my thick chops to anything close to the 1/8” specified), and covered in buttermilk to marinate. The chops are served with a plop of relish on top, and potatoes on the side. All delicious! I’m not even that big a fan of fried anything, but I loved the chops, and the (adapted) relish was the perfect accompaniment. And what can you say about potatoes with goat cheese and butter? Can hardly go wrong there. Link to photo http://www.chowhound.com/post/cooking-sean-brocks-heritage-1022739?commentId=9702204

  • Rinshin on August 08, 2019

    There are 3 advance preparations needed i.e. gorgeous dilled green tomatoes pickle and overnight cucumber, green tomato relish using already pickled green tomatoes and pork chops sit in buttermilk overnight. Also, separately making wooden smashed potatoes. I had to sub garden red tomatoes to make the relish and the overall cucumber/tomato relish was so worth it. Perfectly complimented the thin crunchy pork chops and this relish or something similar should top these chops. Restaurant quality meal for sure and I loved it. I subbed blue cheese and yukon potatoes for red potatoes and goat cheese. This book contains some amazing pickles and preserving ideas totally worth making. Photo added.

  • Kduncan on August 03, 2019

    The online version does not have the recipe for the relish. I really liked this recipe, it came together with very little prep (pound pork chops, put them in buttermilk the night before, next day fry them while cooking potatoes), and the flavors were really great. Can't wait to make it again.

• Pickled ramps

  • L.Nightshade on October 17, 2015

    I can’t believe I started prepping a week in advance for a cauliflower. The roasted cauliflower on page 59 calls for 3 pickled ramps and homemade vegetable stock. I have never seen ramps around here, and I imagine it’s past their season anyway, so I pickled scallions. I treated them as directed for the ramps, cutting off the rooty bits and the greens. The pickling mixture includes jalapeno slices, cider vinegar, water, rice wine vinegar, sugar, coriander, fennel, black peppercorns, cloves, star anise, cardamom, and bay. It’s all brought to a boil then placed in jars. They’re to refrigerate for a week before use. Without access to ramps, it's impossible to evaluate the original recipe, but these served their purpose nicely. Photo here http://www.chowhound.com/post/cooking-sean-brocks-heritage-1022739?commentId=9704973

• Pimento cheese

  • L.Nightshade on October 17, 2015

    Now I am not a pimento cheese connoisseur, by any means. The only pimento cheese I’ve ever even tasted was the kind my dad used to buy in little jelly jars. Probably Kraft or something similar. This wasn’t like that. I did have to buy the unchopped as Brock demands if you can't get fresh. I used the pickled scallions I had made from the pickled ramp recipe. I wanted it kinda creamy, kinda not, so I had it in the mixer about one minute. Seemed just about right. It’s good. I guess it’s somehow not really my style. I feel like I took a high-quality cheddar cheese and turned it into a processed cheese. Which, I guess, is exactly what I did do. This recipe makes a ton. I only made a half recipe, so I have half a ton. The note states it will last for three days. We may take Brock’s suggestion of applying a half inch of the stuff to a hamburger. Photo and more here http://www.chowhound.com/post/cooking-sean-brocks-heritage-1022739?commentId=9747045

  • L.Nightshade on October 17, 2015

    Note that the wheat thins mentioned here in the accompaniments are Brock's homemade wheat thins, not the boxed variety.

• Creamed corn

  • twoyolks on September 01, 2015

    This produces a very thick creamed corn. I had to thin it with some extra cream. It's very savory; almost too much so.

• Cracklin' cornbread

  • twoyolks on June 26, 2015

    The bacon made the corn bread quite salty. There wasn't a lot of corn flavor and the corn bread was quite dry. It also almost immediately started falling apart.

  • rsabine on January 28, 2015

    A good traditional cornbread recipe - meaning that it comes out as a tangy, drier version with a nice crust if using a seasoned cast iron skillet. An easy recipe for those new to quick breads and not afraid of a little bacon fat. In the future, I think I would most likely add a touch of sugar to bring out the sweetness of the cornmeal and scallions or a brunoise of jalepenos just for a little extra kick. Overall, solid recipe.

  • stpbcyld50 on December 13, 2019

    This recipe is all about technique/high heat and using high quality cornmeal (Anson Mills). SO good, very traditional. Love the crispiness

• Grilled chicken wings with burnt scallion barbecue sauce

  • twoyolks on June 26, 2015

    The wings were very good. The sauce, while not a traditional wing sauce, had a lot of complexity and depth of flavor. The wings were also quite moist and tender. The wing sauce reminded me of a tomatillo salsa (but more than that at the same time). I probably should've thinned the wing sauce a bit as it was a bit too clumpy on the wings. I'd also make sure to really grill the wings well as the parts with flabby skin weren't very appetizing.

  • Rinshin on May 09, 2015

    Skipped on sorghum and pork stock (used kombu stock). Although there are several steps needed such as making the rub and the bbq sauce, it's straightforward. Cut the ingredients by 1/3. Loved the idea of using charred green onion in oil (much like scallion oil in Asian cooking) to make the bbq sauce. Tasted and decided it needed a bit more acid so added some Meyer lemon juice. Final result is outstanding. Although I may not make the exact recipe again, I will certainly use some of the ideas from this recipe.

  • leighwhit25 on September 29, 2019

    Wings were wonderful. Sauce was too thick-thinned with cider vinegar and a little water. Sauce was amazingly delicious but the ugliest color ever-brownish green-couldn’t bear to toss the wings in it so we just dipped. Was that just me? Kids loved the rubbed wings without the sauce. Will make again. Served with Superiority Burger burnt broccoli salad (Yum!) for the full on burnt meal effect.

• Crispy pork trotters with garlic scapes, English peas, and porcini

  • twoyolks on June 30, 2015

    The pork has good flavor but gains less than I expected from being breaded and fried. The garlic scape puree really helps lighten the pork and provides a nice counterpoint. Neither the peas nor the mushrooms added much to the meal for me. Frying the pork became quite dangerous as the liquid in the pork would melt in the heat, hit the oil, and cause large splashes of oil. I got burned several times. The garlic scapes were hard to puree because there aren't many of them and there's not a lot of liquid.

• Bread-and-butter pickles

  • twoyolks on July 21, 2015

    These were pretty close to prefect for bread-and-butter pickles. There was a nice hit of sweetness but it was balanced by the acidity of the vinegar.

• Husk hot sauce

  • twoyolks on April 09, 2018

    I made this at a much scaled down amount (1 lbs of chiles) and it still made more hot sauce than I could possibly use. I used a variety of red and green chiles (I bought a mixed set of them at a farmer's market). The sauce has a good amount of heat (somewhat comparable to Tabasco) and a nice fermented flavor. It had trouble emulsifying so I added some xanthum gum which helped (but I still need to shake it before using). During the fermentation, the top layer of chiles got mold on it so I just removed the moldy portions.

• Cucumber and pickled green tomato relish

  • Rinshin on August 08, 2019

    I love this relish and how it cuts through the richness of fried pork and perfectly uplifts the whole mouthfeel of crunchy pork chops coated in fine cornmeal. I plan to properly make the green tomato pickle later in the season but this time used garden red tomatoes in its place.

• Farrotto with acorn squash and red Russian kale

  • babyfork on January 08, 2015

    Made this following the recipe exactly, except when I tried to order the Farro Verde from Anson Mills it was only available in bulk orders. So I used unpearled Italian farro from my local grocery store and I can't compare since I've never had the other, but it seemed to work fine. This is a time consuming recipe, especially if you make the Sean Brock vegetable stock to use in it (which I did). Not difficult, just time consuming. Luckily, I enjoyed the result. A healthier alternative to risotto. I served this with Brock's recipe for braised lamb neck and it was a delicious combination.

  • Dannausc on December 21, 2019

    I used 1/3 mustard greens and 2/3 kale. It was pretty decent. I really liked the addition of mustard greens because it gave it a little bite.

• Braised lamb neck with tomato conserve and squash seed risotto

  • babyfork on January 08, 2015

    I'm rating just the braised lamb neck portion of this recipe. I made it in winter, so no good tomatoes or summer squash. I paired it with Brock's Farrotto with Acorn Squash and Red Russian Kale, which went better with the season. The lamb neck has to rest in its braising liquid overnight in the fridge, so it would be a great do-ahead recipe for guests. No guests this time, but my husband and 10-year-old daughter loved it. Sean Brock says he loves the ratio of meat to fat in the lamb neck. It reminded me a bit of beef cheek after it was finished. Delicious...would make again.

• Marinade for grilled or roasted vegetables

  • swegener on June 22, 2015

    Good flavor, but more oily than I prefer.

• Baked Sea Island red peas

  • stpbcyld50 on December 13, 2019

    The Baked Sea Island Peas looked so good and I tried the recipe 2x. I used a North Carolina BBQ sauce which is vinegar based both times until I realized the vinegar keeps the beans from tenderizing. Do not make the same mistake as me!

• Vegetable stock

  • Dannausc on December 21, 2019

    Fairly easy. I skipped the part of putting the veg in the food processor. It turned out fine.

• Leite's Culinaria

  ...chef Brock’s passion for heritage ingredients and their purveyors resounds in each and every recipe and essay.

  Full review

• Serious Eats

  Difficult as it may be to follow this book to the letter, it is well worth doing what you can to replicate Brock's recipes.

  Full review

• Food52 by Henry Alford

  The 2015 Piglet Tournament of Cookbooks vs. Brooks Headley's Fancy Desserts

  Full review

• Food52 by Frank Castronovo & Frank Falcinelli

  The 2015 Piglet Tournament of Cookbooks winner vs. Zoe Nathan's Huckleberry

  Full review

• Food52 by Ryan Sutton

  The 2015 Piglet Tournament of Cookbooks winner vs. Gabrielle Hamilton's Prune.

  Full review

• Tasting Table

  Sean Brock is one of the most thoughtful, interesting, generous and influential chefs working...right now, and he values humble ingredients like beans (he put them on the cover, and they're beautiful)

  Full review