S3E5: Disturbing the Peace

Arts and culture get a standing ovation as Spatchcock Funk puts together real rock-and-roll food and drinks to throw their support behind a local band they love. Live from the studio for a session that’ll make you waive your arms in the air like you just don’t care.

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Recipes from this episode

The Dirty Pickle

Hush Puppies

Catfishin' Burritos

Banana Puddin'

The Dirty Pickle

Yields: 1 cocktail
Prep Time: 5 minutes

When you rockin’ out, the situation usually calls for some whiskey. From garage bands, to blues bars, to cats rappin’ in their basement, whiskey is a key ingredient for rock and roll (and if you aren’t drinking, this drink does just fine without the booze, as many rockstars do too). When we got someone draggin’ that pick across some guitar strings, you need some Big Pick Energy, and we bring all the thunder here. We got that cola with a medical degree (Dr. Pepper, if you’re askin’), with some pickle juice and a dash of olive brine, which evens out that sweetness perfectly. The electrolytes in the pickles also help you as you’re imbibing, to ward off a hangover (though if you’re doing this with a couple pickleback shots, you can kiss that wish goodbye). Grab a pick and shred on, player!

Ingredients:

2 oz American whiskey
1 oz dill pickle juice (from the jar)
4-5 oz Dr. Pepper (Cherry Coke can work too)
Splash of green olive brine
Ice
Pickle slice for garnish
Red Twizzler for garnish

Directions for Each Drink:

Add the whiskey, pickle juice, and olive brine to a shaker
Agitate and shake to combine
Pour into a plastic cup full of ice
Stir it up
Garnish with the pickle slice and Twizzler

Hush Puppies

Yields: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes

Rock, country, hip-hop, they all got some deep Southern roots, so we deep fryin’ up some good ol’ hushpuppies, baby. These little golden nuggets of crunchy and fluffy goodness give you the fuel to keep on rockin’ in the free world. They ain’t free, but they ain’t expensive neither. We mix ours up with some serrano peppers for the heat, some shredded mushrooms and onions (for moisture and texture), paprika, and some elbow grease. The combo of cornmeal, flour, and buttermilk gives these things such a great flavor; they’re hard to top. But we got a sauce for topping (actually for dipping), that really sends it. Whether you’re spinnin’ vinyls to make the crowd jump, or you’re kicking the whammy bar to make the guitar whine, you better put some mustard on it, so we got a dynamite honey mustard sauce that brings a tangy sweetness that harmonizes perfectly with them golden brown hush puppies.

Ingredients:

6+ C oil for frying (vegetable or canola oil, keep this whole thing vegetarian) • 1 C yellow cornmeal
⅔ C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 large egg, lightly beaten (but not over-beaten)
1 ¼ C buttermilk
1 tsp paprika
1 ½ Tbsp of de-seeded, de-ribbed, and then finely diced serrano peppers
1 ½ Tbsp of shredded Vidalia onion
1 Tbsp of finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp of finely shredded shitake mushrooms
Honey mustard dipping sauce (ingredients/directions below)
Dash of hot sauce

Ingredients for Honey Mustard

½ C mayo
2 ½ Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp classic yellow mustard
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
½ Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

In a big, deep pot (like a turkey fryer), heat the oil to 350 degrees
In one mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda)
In another mixing bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk, onion, mushrooms, and pepper together
Pour the liquid mix into the dry one and mix until it is just mixed, don’t overmix it, it’s gotta be thick to hold the shape (and we love ‘em thick)
In small batches, drop a few spoonfuls of batter into the oil, and fry ‘em for 2 or 3 minutes, until they are good and golden brown
Drain ‘em on paper towels
Serve ‘em right away with that honey mustard sauce
Turn things up (both the amp and this awesome starch)

Directions for Honey Mustard Sauce

Mix all the ingredients in a glass bowl
Cover and refrigerate for at least twenty minutes

Catfishin' Burritos

Yields: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes

Now, when you’re an up-and-coming artist, you need to be pretty versatile. Maybe you play the guitar, but you gotta know how to set up an amp, too. You might be a painter, but you need to know how lighting works, too. To respect that part of the game, we wanted to bring in one of our favorite proteins, the mighty catfish. Super versatile, we like fryin’ ‘em, grillin’ ‘em, and they’re great in a buttered pan. It also gives us those Southern blues vibes, which always feel good. We flavor ‘em up in a simple cilantro lime marinade, sear ‘em, then stuff ‘em into a great little burrito with some bangin’ rice and black-eyed peas, pickled red onions, sweet chili Doritos, and some shredded jack cheese. Burritos are great for rockin’ out to live music, eatin’ on the go, and they fit great in a purse or a backpack, too.

Ingredients:

Cilantro lime marinade (instructions/ingredients below)
Cajun beer rice (instructions/ingredients below)
Pickled red onions (instructions/ingredients below)
2 large catfish filets
16 oz stewed black-eyed peas (instructions/ingredients below)
16 oz Monterey jack cheese
8 oz. garlic lime sour cream (just mix in ½ Tbsp granulated garlic and ½ Tbsp lime juice into your sour cream)
1 bag of spicy-sweet chili Doritos

Ingredients for Clinatro Lime Marinade

⅓ C finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 C extra virgin olive oil
- 4 smashed fresh garlic cloves
- 2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
The juice of 3 fresh limes
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin

Ingredients for the Cajun Beer Rice

2 C long-grain rice
4 C amber beer (we like Abita here)
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
1 Tbsp dried parsley

Ingredients for Pickled Red Onions

1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
½ C water
¼ C distilled white vinegar
¼ C apple cider vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp honey
1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp crushed red pepper

Ingredients for the Stewed Black-Eyed Peas

2 cans of black-eyed peas
16 oz of chicken broth
¼ shredded onions
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

For at least 30 minutes, max an hour, marinade the catfish
While the fish soaks, mix in the beans and rice evenly
Once your kitties are marinated, pat dry with paper towels
You can grill the catfish, or sauté it in a pan, 2-3 minutes each side, until it is flaky and nice
Place your tortilla
Add a layer of rice and beans
Add half of a catfish for each burrito
Add a layer of cheese
Add a dollop of sour cream, and spread it evenly
Add a layer of the Doritos
Hold the sides in place with your thumbs and roll the burrito away from you
As you roll, ensure everything stays touched in
Fold the ends slightly inward
You can throw it on the grill or in a pan if you want
Slice the burrito in half diagonally
Rock out with your catfish out

Directions for Cilantro Lime Marinade

Mix all the ingredients together

Directions for the Cajun Beer Rice

Pour the beer, the butter, Cajun seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley into the rice and simmer for 20 minutes
Fluff with a fork

Directions for Pickled Red Onions

Place the onions in a 1-pint jar or plastic container
In a saucepan, over medium heat, add all the ingredients and simmer for 3 minutes
(Carefully) pour the mixture over the onions
Place the onions in a 1-pint jar or plastic container
In a saucepan, over medium heat, add all the ingredients and simmer for 3 minutes
(Carefully) pour the mixture over the onions
Let cool for a half hour…
They can be eaten right away, or stay in the fridge for 3 weeks

Directions for the Stewed Black-Eyed Peas

Add all ingredients to a saucepan
Bring to a boil
Let simmer for 35-40 minutes
Remove the bay leaf
Drain any excess liquid

Banana Puddin'

Yields: 20 servings
Prep Time: 20 Minutes active time (20 minutes resting time for pudding)

Seal said if you’re ever gonna survive, ya gotta get a little crazy, and we love goin’ bananas, y'all. A little banana pudding, when done right, hits hard, just like when you’re hearin’ someone pour their heart out when they’re croonin’, making their guitar wail, or making the turntables burn. We pour in some soul into ours, too. We like to get a little buts, so we throw in some hazelnuts. We add in some honey to play the goodie two shoes role, and a little brandy to rep that little devil on our shoulder, too. See, to make any great dish, especially dessert, you need balance and harmony, just like music… and if you want to make something great on stage or to make your people feel it, on their plate or in their heart, you gotta be a little brave, too. That’s how we roll with this sweet treat, and it’s perfect at the end of a great meal, and hits the spot after rehearsin’, rocking an open mic, or just learnin’ chords.

Ingredients:

2 C of ice-cold milk
5 oz. package of instant vanilla pudding mix
14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 12 oz. container of that frozen whipped topping, slightly thawed out
16 oz. vanilla wafer cookies
12 bananas, sliced thin (wait until the very last second to peel and slice) • ½ C crushed cashews
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp brandy

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the puddin’ mix and milk for 2 minutes straight
Whisk in the condensed milk and the crushed hazelnuts until smooth
Stir in the vanilla and the brandy
Stir in the nearly frozen whipped topping
Let the mixture rest in the fridge for 20 minutes at least
Break up the wafers a bit in their bag
Add the crushed cashews into the wafer bag
These next steps can either be done in a big bowl if you’re serving family style, or if you’re doing single servings, as we like, you can do ‘em individually…
Add a layer of broken wafers/cashews
Add a layer of sliced bananas, and press them down a bit
Add a layer of the topping
Keep repeating until you’ve used all your ingredients