Bring Southern-style food home with Nashville-inspired recipes

Try some Southern-style cooking at home with these recipes inspired by a recent trip to Nashville.

Nashville Hot Chicken

For the brine

1 gallon buttermilk

1/2 cup hot sauce

1/4 cup salt

1/3 cup sugar

1 fresh whole fryer chicken, quartered

For the coating

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 quarts vegetable oil, divided

1 tablespoon cayenne

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

To brine: Blend first four ingredients in large bowl until salt and sugar dissolve. Add chicken and refrigerate, covered, for about 1 hour.

To coat and cook: Heat butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Add cayenne, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic powder and sugar. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to small bowl and set aside.

Remove chicken from refrigerator and pour off brine. Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Shake excess flour from chicken and transfer to wire rack. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Heat remaining oil in large skillet (best is cast iron) over medium high heat to 350 degrees. Return chicken pieces to flour mixture and turn to coat.

Fry half of the chicken, adjusting burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees, until deep golden brown and meat registers in center of pieces at least 165 degrees, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain chicken on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet to catch oil and place in warm oven on center shelf.

Bring oil back to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken.

Stir spicy oil and butter mixture to recombine and brush over both sides of chicken. Serve on white bread with stack of dill sliced pickles held on top with frill pick.

Southern Pineapple Cobbler

4 cups canned diced pineapple

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup cold butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups of old-fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain pineapple juice into a small sauce pan, reserving the pineapple chunks. Stir in sugar and cornstarch, and bring to a boil, cooking for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, then add pineapple chunks, stirring gently until well combined. Pour mixture into a 9-by-9-inch greased baking pan.

Mix flour, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt in a bowl using a pastry cutter until evenly crumbled. Fold oats into flour mixture; sprinkle and press topping into pineapple.

Bake in the preheated oven until topping is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Black-eyed Pea Salad with Vinaigrette

For the salad

2 (16-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup red onion, diced

2 teaspoons of minced garlic

1/2 cup of celery diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 large tomato, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup each diced red and green bell pepper

1/3 cup of green onions, sliced

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1 recipe vinaigrette (see below)

3 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

For the vinaigrette

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon brown mustard

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup olive oil

Make the salad: Mix black-eyed peas with all ingredients through green onions in large bowl. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning, drizzle with dressing, cover and marinate in refrigerator for 6 hours or more, stirring occasionally. To serve, drain excess vinaigrette and top with crumbled bacon.

Make the vinaigrette: Combine first five ingredients in bowl and whisk until well blended. Drizzle in oil and continue whisking until well combined. 

Timothy Grayson is the district executive chef for Sodexo Dining Services and is based at Whitworth University.