Each year around this time, we ask readers to submit favorite recipes. This year we decided to whittle all our favorites into one three-course meal. The homemade guacamole starter was submitted by Brad McCoy, while the main course was provided by Shooters Waterfront’s staff and the dessert was submitted by Sarah Lorigan.
The Dish: Brad McCoy’s Guac McCoy
Ingredients
- 4 avocados, cut in half
- ½ lime
- 1 Tb. mild banana peppers, chopped
- 1 Tb. red onion, chopped
- 2 Tb. tomatoes, chopped
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp. Penzeys smoked paprika Spanish style
- ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
Instruction
Take all ingredients except the 4 avocados and mix into a medium bowl. Stir well. Place in fridge for 20 minutes. Remove pits from avocados; save one pit though. Then add avocados to the mixture that has been chilling in the fridge. Mix ingredients with fork, masher or a pestle. Once you have everything mixed up, throw in the saved avocado pit. Place the guac in desired party dish. Salt and pepper to taste. Tap a little paprika in the center. Serve with tortilla chips and you have yourself a bowl of Guac McCoy.
The Dish: Backwoods Goods’ Sweet & Savory Meringue Pie
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 8 oz. heavy cream
- 2 blood oranges (flesh)
- 1 tsp. pure
Orange extract:
- 2 tsp. orange juice (fresh squeezed)
- 3 tsp. sage, freshley chopped
- 4 oz. Mascarpone cheese
- 3 tsp. local honey
For the crust:
- 4 egg whites
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 pint heavy cream
Method
Make the crust:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Draw a 9″ circle on a piece of parchment paper and line a large baking sheet with it. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until they start to form stiff peaks. Very slowly add in 1 tbsp sugar at a time, beating mixture until it becomes thick and shiny.
Remove from mixer; gently fold in lemon juice, vanilla and cornstarch with a rubber spatula. Spoon mixture into the middle of the drawn circle and carefully spread towards the outside, filling in the circle completely. Build the edges slightly higher than the middle to allow room for filling. Bake for 1 hour, remove (very fragile, be careful!) and let cool completely.
Make the filling:
In a small mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream until it starts to stiffen. Slowly add in remaining filling ingredients until well blended. Remove from mixer and let cool in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Assemble:
Carefully spoon the filling into the center of the crust and spread outwards, leaving a crust around the edges. Decorate as desired and enjoy!
The Dish: Pork Butt with Hoppin’ John Puree and Aioli
With recipes like that, we didn’t think our readers needed any help. But just for the heck of it, we also went to our friends at Shooters Waterfront for a fun, summer recipe. Behold: Pork Butt with Hoppin’ John Puree and Aioli.
Ingredients
For the pork:
- 10 oz. pork butt
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 Tb. paprika
- 1 cup garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 cup canola oil
- 2 Tb. kosher salt
- ½ Tb. coarse black pepper
- 1 Tb. onion powder
For the Hoppin’ John puree:
- 1 can black-eyed peas
- ¼ lb. smoked bacon, rough chopped
- ¼ white onion, sliced
- 2 Tb. minced garlic
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Chicken stock just to cover, about 16 oz.
For the Aioli:
- 1 cup whole grain mustard
- 1 cup dukes mayonnaise
- 2 Tb. rice wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ITEM
- ITEM
Method
Preheat oven to 350.Mix all together and roast covered for 3.5 to 4 hours, until it pulls apart easily. Let cool to room temperature, remove from pan and shred and mix all together. Spray a pan with pan spray and set pork in like a meatloaf. Let set overnight until firm.
Cut out squares the next day and use classic breading technique. Fry at 350F until golden brown
For the Hoppin’ John puree:
Sauté bacon to crispy over medium heat. Drain grease and add onions until translucent and then garlic to sweat. Add peas and stir, cover with stock and simmer until cooked, about 45 minutes to an hour. Once cooked, puree with stick blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
