Essential Southernisms: Collards, Conebread, & Fried Fish

Essential Southernisms

After living in San Francisco for 7 years, my mouth gets homesick for southernisms, mostly food like the seafood and Bojangles chicken, the only way to get back to my roots, cooking food that fills me with comfort and memories.
When I was a kid, roadtrips with my mother always began with a pit stop at the local gas station. For $2 you get enormous fried fish pieces stuffed between 2 pieces of white bread with mayo, and hot sauce on the side. It followed by licking your fingers off of delicious fish grease and tartar sauce between picking out the fish bones. This meal is my travel back in time.

Don't it look good!

Fried Fish:
4 fillets of fish (we used Dovre Fish)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 large ziploc storage size bag
1 quart oil (fill pan to about 1 1/2 inch deep with oil)
candy thermometer

Make egg wash: mix one egg well with the milk, soak fish fillets in it for a minute or so. Meanwhile heat oil to 350 (we use a candy thermometer), medium to medium low on a electric stove. Prepare batter by combining all dry ingredients together, mix well and reserve in plastic bag to coat fish. Once the fish have been soaked in the eggwash, coat fillet, one at a time in the bag, shake excess batter and place fillet in oil. Fry until golden in each side. By keeping the oil at 350, it will ensure well fried fish. Place on paper towels to soak up oil in fish. Serve immediately. Eat with tartar sauce or ketchup.

Collards, cooked and ready to eat!

Collards:
1 bunch of collards, chopped in 1-2 inch thick, with stems removed.
1/2 cup vinegar
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 cups water
add salt to taste
3 strips bacon, chopped and diced
1/2 onion, chopped and diced
hot sauce (Crystal preferred) to taste

In a pot heated to medium, add bacon and onions, cook down until the onions start to caramelize  in bacon grease. Add 2 cups water and vinegar. Let water heat up to a simmer (about medium to medium low) but not boiling, add collards and garlic to water and cook for an hour or until tender. Add hot sauce to you liking.

Cornbread:
1 pack Jiffy cornbread
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Follow directions on box for cornbread, whip batter well in an electric mixer. Pour batter into  greased iron skillet. Sprinkle top with brown sugar, bake until golden. Serve with butter.