Chicken:

• ½ cup salt
• 5 pounds chicken drumsticks
• spice rub of choice (recipes follow)

Barbecue Spice Rub:

Combine the following (makes about ⅓ cup):

• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Jerk-Style Spice Rub:

If you can't find whole allspice berries, substitute 2 teaspoons of ground allspice.

• 1 tablespoon allspice berries
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1½ teaspoons dry mustard
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Grind allspice, peppercorns, and thyme in spice grinder or mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Transfer to bowl and stir in sugar, garlic powder, mustard, salt, and cayenne.

Grilled Chicken Drumsticks

Click image to enlarge

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing
• 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1½ pounds swordfish steaks cut into 2-inch cubes
• Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 1 hour

Lemon-Herb Swordfish Kebabs

Click image to enlarge

• 4 large ears corn, husked
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed and finely chopped
• 1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, finely chopped, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves, germ removed and minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 slender stalk fennel with fronds (optional)
• 5 cups (1¼ liters) water
• 1 tablespoon chicken or vegetable bouillon base or 1 bouillon cube
• ¾ pound (340 grams) potatoes, peeled, quartered if large, halved if smaller
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• ½ cup (120 ml) half-and-half (optional)
• Minced fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley and/or basil (optional)

Fresh Off the Cobb Corn Chowder

Click image to enlarge

• Kosher salt
• ¾ pound fusilli
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced (dark green portion kept separate)
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup chicken stock
• ½ cup dry vermouth
• ½ cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
• ¼ cup fresh basil chiffonade

Pasta with Shrimp in Tomato Cream

Click image to enlarge

• ⅔ cup panko or regular dried breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 scant tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 scant teaspoon dried
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• Two 15.5-ounce cans white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern, drained and rinsed
• Pepper
• 4 large handfuls of baby spinach (optional)

Sausage and White Bean Gratin

Click image to enlarge

• 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1½ pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined, heads and shells reserved
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 ounces vermicelli pasta or thin spaghetti, broken into 1-to 2-inch lengths
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained and chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon anchovy paste
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• Lemon wedges

Spanish-Style Toasted Pasta with Shrimp

Click image to enlarge

• 4 (4-ounce) skin-on, boneless rainbow trout fillets (from 2 fish)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup sliced natural almonds
• 2 teaspoons minced shallot
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Trout Almondine: Lodge

Click image to enlarge

• 2 all-natural chickens (about 3 pounds each)
• 1 cup your favorite dry barbecue rub
• 4 cups hickory chips
• 4 pounds natural wood charcoal
• Barbecue sauce, for serving

Hickory-Smoked Barbecue Chicken

Click image to enlarge

• Shrimp:

  • 24 Jumbo Louisiana shrimp, heads on
  • 1 ¼ cups virgin olive oil
  • 8 cloves fresh garlic, sliced thin
  • 1/3 cup chopped green onions
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 2 cups white wine
  • ¼ cup Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons blackening seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
  • ¼ cup fresh basil
  • ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 3-4 lemons, juiced

  Fried Creole Tomatoes:

  • 6 sliced Creole tomatoes
  • 2 cups milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
  • Oil for frying

Garlic Shrimp over Fried Green Tomatoes

Click image to enlarge

Royal Red shrimp caught off the coast of Florida and Alabama at a depth of more than 1,000 feet, making them really salty and sweet. Chef Link writes that he didn’t believe the hype when he first heard about them but that, after tasting them, he has to admit that they’re better than regular Gulf shrimp. They are, alas, also hard to find; substitute Louisiana shrimp and generously salt the cooking water.

• 1 pound Royal Red shrimp, shell and head on
• ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (3-inch) rosemary sprig
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne

Royal Reds

Click image to enlarge