- Tennessee’s culture is engrossed in cuisine, including:
- Tomato Pie
- Hot Chicken
- Fried Catfish
- Memphis Dry Rub Ribs
- Banana Pudding
Tennessee’s culture is its cuisine. The food here follows typical Southern cooking, but the taste of Tennessee is different in each dish. From a savory breakfast to a sweet dessert, the fare of the Rock Top State can sate the pickiest of palates.
Tomato Pie
Did you know that the state fruit of Tennessee is the tomato? It’s an age-old debate, but a tomato is considered a fruit by botanists as it is a ripened flower that contains seeds. Regardless, Tennesseans love them. Unsurprisingly, Grainger County has an annual Tomato Festival each year. Cultivators grow tomatoes all over the state, and it’s best to buy them locally. You can visit places such as Market Square Farmers’ Market in Knoxville to find plenty of vendors with farm-fresh tomatoes to help you make the perfect tomato pie.
Ingredients:
- 1 premade pie crust
- ½ cup country ham, minced
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 8 ounces white cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 large, ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unroll the pie crust and place it into the bottom of a pie dish. In a large bowl, combine the ham, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and pepper. Spoon the mixture evenly into the pie crust and sprinkle the top with Parmesan. Bake for 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Hot Chicken
Nashville, Tennessee, is known for many things, and hot chicken is one of them. The famous Hattie B’s Hot Chicken first opened its doors in Cool Springs, Tennessee, in 2007 to put their hot chicken on the map. With the chain’s restaurants now dotting the American Southeast, the rest is history. Although the original menu has six spice levels, the following recipe is based on Hattie B’s medium level and is not for the faint of palate.
Ingredients:
- 2, 4-pound chickens, cut into 10 pieces with breasts halved
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons and 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons vinegar-based hot sauce such as Tabasco
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 10 cups vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- White bread and sliced pickles for serving
Instructions:
Toss chicken with black pepper and two tablespoons of salt. Cover and chill for at least three hours. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce in a large bowl. Whisk flour and the remaining four teaspoons of salt in another large bowl. Fit a Dutch oven with a thermometer and pour in oil to measure two inches. Heat over medium-high heat until temperature registers 325 degrees. Pat chicken dry.
One piece at a time, dredge in flour mixture, shake off excess, then dip in buttermilk mixture. Dredge again in flour and place on a baking sheet. Working in four batches, fry chicken, turning occasionally until the skin is deep golden brown. Chicken should instant-read 160 degrees at its thickest part, approximately 15-18 minutes. Then bring the oil back to 325 degrees and continue. Whisk cayenne, brown sugar, chili powder, and paprika in a medium bowl with one cup of frying oil. Brush fried chicken with spicy oil. Serve on bread and pickles.
Crispy Catfish
For our lake lifestylers, fish is next on the menu. Catfish are so common in Tennessee, especially on Watts Bar Lake. What’s more rewarding than catching your own dinner for your family? Get out on the lake and try your hand at casting a line yourself. Before getting out on the water, check your local and state fishing regulations. Fried catfish is a Southern staple, and when it’s paired with this Tennessee tartar sauce, the flavor is unbeatable.
Ingredients:
Catfish
- 4 pounds catfish filets, cut in half
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 quarts vegetable oil
- 2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Tartar Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon sweet and spicy relish
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion, minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions:
Season all sides of the catfish with salt and pepper. Place in a bowl and coat with buttermilk. Refrigerate while prepping other ingredients. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, pepper, salt, and cayenne. While heating oil over medium heat to 350 degrees, combine all the ingredients for tartar sauce. Mix and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Remove catfish from buttermilk and allow extra to drip off. Dip catfish pieces, one at a time, into the flour mixture and shake off excess. Fry the catfish for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown, while turning halfway through. Allow catfish to drain on a paper towel or rack before serving.
Memphis Dry Rub Ribs
A Tennessee hot spot, Memphis is known for its shops, music, and fall-off-the-bone barbeque. One of the city’s famous barbeque dishes is ribs. Specifically in Memphis, dry rub ribs are the specialty. Consequently, this style of preparing ribs leaves them falling off the bone with the flavors of its sweet and spicy rub. Use this recipe from Serious Eats and give it a try.
Ingredients:
Dry Rub
- ½ cup paprika
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon chile powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
The Mop Sauce
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup dry rub
- 2 racks of baby back ribs or St. Louis-cut spare ribs
Instructions:
For the dry rub, mix together all of the seasonings in a small bowl. For the mop sauce, whisk together vinegar, water, and the dry rub. Fire up a smoker or grill to 325 degrees. If using a vertical smoker, place ribs on the top rack with the water pan removed. If you’re using a grill or offset smoker, place ribs over indirect heat. Cook until ribs have a slight bend when lifted from one end, about an hour and a half for baby backs or two hours for St. Louis-cut ribs, brushing liberally with the mop sauce every 15-20 minutes. Transfer ribs to the cutting board and brush with mop. Liberally coat with rub and let rest for five minutes.
Banana Pudding
No meal is complete without dessert. Banana pudding is one of the easiest desserts you could make, and it’s sure to please. Additionally, with just six ingredients, this dish is light and fluffy, great paired with a warm Tennessee day. Follow this recipe from Loaves and Dishes to impress your dinner guest.
Ingredients:
- 3 small boxes of vanilla instant pudding, 3.4-ounce boxes
- 6 cups of milk, ice cold
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 12 ounces cool whip, divided
- 5 bananas cut into disks
- 1 box vanilla wafers
Instructions:
In a large bowl, mix all three boxes of the vanilla instant pudding with the ice-cold milk. Stir in the sour cream and half of the cool whip. Mix well. Use ⅓ each of the pudding, vanilla wafers, and bananas to layer in an upright dish. After all the layers are complete, top with the remaining half of the cool whip and sprinkle with crumbs from the wafer box.
The flavors of Tennessee are so diverse — tart, spicy, savory, creamy — it’s impossible not to want to try them for yourself. So, grab some friends and venture into these Southern delicacies today.
What is hot chicken, and where is it popular?
Hot chicken is a famous dish associated with Nashville, Tennessee. It gained popularity through Hattie’s B’s Hot Chicken, a renowned restaurant that opened its doors in Cool Springs in 2007. Hot chicken is known for its spiciness and flavorful taste. The recipe typically involves marinating chicken in a mixture of buttermilk, hot sauce, and spices, then coating it with seasoned flour before deep-frying it to a crispy golden brown. The fried chicken is finished off with a spicy oil glaze. Hot chicken has become a staple in the American Southeast, and Hattie’s B’s offers various spice levels to cater to different preferences.
How can I prepare fried catfish, a Southern favorite?
Fried catfish is a beloved Southern dish, especially in Tennessee. To prepare it, start by cutting catfish fillets into halves and seasoning them with salt and pepper. Dip the catfish in buttermilk and refrigerate it. Meanwhile, prepare a mixture of cornmeal, flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and other spices. Heat vegetable oil in a pan, then dredge the catfish pieces in the flour mixture and fry them until they turn golden brown. Allow the fried catfish to drain on a paper towel or rack before serving. Pair it with Tennessee tartar sauce for a delicious and authentic flavor.
What makes Memphis dry rub ribs unique?
Memphis dry rub ribs are a specialty of the city’s barbeque culture. Unlike saucy ribs, this style focuses on the dry rub used to season the meat. The dry rub consists of a combination of spices such as paprika, brown sugar, salt, garlic, chile powder, black pepper, and more. The ribs are coated generously with this flavorful rub, allowing the spices to infuse into the meat during the cooking process. The ribs are then smoked or grilled until tender and succulent, creating a harmonious balance of sweet and spicy flavors. The result is tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs that are highly regarded in the barbeque world.
How can I make a delightful banana pudding?
Banana pudding is a classic and easy-to-make dessert that perfectly complements a warm Tennessee day. Start by mixing vanilla instant pudding with ice-cold milk in a large bowl. Stir in sour cream and half of the cool whip to create a creamy mixture. Layer the pudding, sliced bananas, and vanilla wafers in an upright dish, repeating the layers until all the ingredients are used. Top it off with the remaining cool whip and sprinkle wafer crumbs for added texture. Allow the pudding to chill and set before serving. The result is a light and fluffy dessert with the perfect balance of creamy pudding, fresh bananas, and crunchy vanilla wafers.