PIMENTO CHEESE BISCUITS

How does a Southerner make a buttermilk biscuit even better – he adds pimento cheese to it, of course.   Y’all, seriously.  These biscuits are crazy delicious and super easy.

I know a lot of people are intimidated by making homemade biscuits, but it really can be super simple.  It just takes the right recipes, some decent, tools, and a little confidence.  Here are some of my favorite tips for perfect biscuits:

1 Don’t overwork the dough.  Get it all blended in well, but don’t over mix it.  You’re going to knead it some and that will help getting everything together.

2 Folding the dough over on itself creates layers.  In my recipe, I call for you to fold the dough over on itself 3 or 4 times.  This helps to create the flaky layers everyone loves.

3 Use a biscuit cutter.  You need something with a sharp edge that will cut the dough and not just seal the edges together.  Avoid using a drinking glass if possible.  The thin, sharper edges of a biscuit cutter just work better.

4 Don’t twist the biscuit cutter.  Twisting the cutter will work to seal the edges of the biscuit and keep it from rising.  Use a quick up and down motion without twist the cutter.

5 Use the right flour.  I know it’s not available everywhere, but where you can find it, definitely use White Lily flour.  The soft winter wheat that the folks at White Lily use to make their flour is like no other.  It gives biscuits their tender texture and great rise!

If you like biscuits with crunchy edges (like I do), give the biscuits some room and space them out on the baking sheet.  If you prefer taller biscuits with tender edges, you can place them on the baking sheet where their edges are just touching.

These biscuit are pretty versatile, too.  They are the perfect complement to supper.  It’s also great to use a smaller biscuit cutter and serve them as tea-sized biscuits for a party or shower.

Chef John Fleer’s Pimento Cheese Hush Puppies

20 Hush Puppies

With homemade pimento cheese and a tangy comeback sauce for dipping, these are sure to impress.

INGREDIENTS

• HUSH PUPPY BASE

◦ 2 scallions, finely minced

◦ 1 cup all-purpose flour

◦ 1 cup fine cornmeal

◦ ½ tsp. baking soda

◦ 1 tsp. baking powder

◦ 2 tsp. kosher salt

◦ 2 tbsp. honey

◦ ½ cup buttermilk

◦ 1 egg

• PIMENTO CHEESE

◦ 1 tsp. chopped garlic

◦ ½ cup Duke’s Mayonnaise

◦ 2 tbsp. dill pickle juice

◦ 2 tsp. Dijon mustard

◦ 1 tsp. Crystal hot sauce

◦ 1 tsp. kosher salt

◦ ½ tsp. cracked black pepper

◦ 1 lb. grated cheddar cheese

◦ 4 oz. pimento, chopped

• COMEBACK SAUCE

◦ 1 cup Duke's Mayonnaise

◦ ¼ cup canola oil

◦ ¼ cup sambal (garlic-chili sauce)

◦ ¼ cup ketchup

◦ 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

◦ 2 tsp. Dijon mustard

◦ ¾ tsp. fresh black pepper

◦ 1 tbsp. Crystal hot sauce

◦ 1 tsp. smoked paprika

◦ 1 small Vidalia onion, finely grated, with juice

◦ 1 clove garlic, minced

PREPARATION

For Hush Puppy Base: In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, combine honey, buttermilk and egg, then stir into dry mix until fully incorporated.

For Pimento Cheese: Combine the garlic, Duke’s Mayonnaise, pickle juice, mustard, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to make a paste. Fold in cheese and pimento until fully incorporated.

For the Comeback Sauce: Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

For the Hush Puppy Assembly and Preparation: Pour 3 inches of canola oil into a deep skillet (or enough to cover the hush puppies as they fry). Heat to 350ºF. In a large bowl, mix pimento cheese into hush puppy base using a whisk. The mixture should be scoopable and hold its shape. If the batter is too thick, stir in a little buttermilk. If it’s too thin, add cornmeal to thicken. Drop mixture by tablespoons into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crisp on the outside, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm with comeback sauce.