Chef Justin Sutherland

Over the 4^th of July weekend, Chef Justin Sutherland was out on a boat with friends celebrating the summer holiday.  He fell overboard and hit the propeller breaking his jaw and arm and sustain horrible injury to his face. 

It’s nearly four months later and has had time to reflect.  Elizabeth and Ben sat down for a chat with Justin to see how his recovery is going, and how his friends and the community rallied around him.

Justin has a new cookbook out called, Northern Soul : Southern-Inspired Home Cooking from a Northern Kitchen.  He joins us in the kitchen and repairs one of the recipes from his book.  Justin is signing copies of his cookbook on Saturday, November 5^th at Whatnot Boutique in downtown Stillwater from noon-2:00 PM. 

For more about Justin, click here. 

Cornbread Muffins

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
3⁄4 cup (105 g) cornmeal
1¼ cups (158 g) corn flour
2⁄3 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons salt
½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
11⁄3 cups (267 g) sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups (460 g) sour cream
MAKES 12 MUFF INS

8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted
butter, at room temperature
¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons (60 g) honey
¾ teaspoon salt
MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP (165 G)

The versatility of cornbread muffins allows them to cross into all kinds of daily meals. They can be a breakfast treat, crumbled and soaked in buttermilk; lunch with a little honey butter and slices of ham; or pulled just out of the oven and served with a pot of chili. If, on the rare occasion, they aren’t all eaten the day they a remade, dice them up and leave them out uncovered overnight, then give them a toasting in the oven. They make superb croutons in a salad.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.

2. Sift together the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, corn flour, and baking soda.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to whip until it is fully mixed in, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally as needed. Add the eggs and beat on medium-low speed until combined. Add the dry ingredients in three equal batches until just combined, Then fold in the sour cream.

4. Fill each of the muffin liners two-thirds full and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let sit.

HONEY CAYENNE BUTTER

This flavored butter is a cornerstone ingredient at Handsome Hog. Just a kiss of it pulls your taste buds into an edible roller coaster ride. Though I consider this a requisite with Cornbread Muffins, keep some around for all kinds of breakfast foods—and if you don’t serve this with biscuits, we can’t be friends.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the butter, cayenne, honey, and salt in a mixing bowl and use a rubber spatula to mix until fully combined.

2. Serve at once or store in an airtight container in your refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.

Stewed Peaches and Bourbon Over Cornbread

STEWED PEACHES

6 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into wedges
¼ cup (50 g) white sugar
¼ cup (56 g) packed light brown sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) water
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM

1 cup (235 ml) heavy cream
3 tablespoons (45 ml) bourbon
2 tablespoons (15 g) powdered sugar
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
6 Cornbread Muffins (page 84)

SERVES 6

This recipe is a great way to celebrate two forms of deliciousness I love the most: ripe peaches and bourbon whiskey. It’s also a superb use of cornbread muffins left over from last night’s party—assuming there are any. It’s okay if you have to bake some specifically for this dessert.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the peaches, combine the peaches, white and brown sugars, water, lemon juice, vanilla, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugars, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the peaches are tender but still hold their shapes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

2. To make the whipped cream, combine the cream, bourbon, powdered sugar, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer until the cream forms soft peaks.

3. To serve, split the muffins in half and divide among 6 dessert bowls. Spoon the peach mixture over the muffins. Top with a dollop of the bourbon whipped cream. Garnish, if you’d like, with toasted nuts, crispy bacon pieces, caramel popcorn, fresh berries, or whatever the hell you want.