Appetite for Travel

Rick Sadle, co-owner of Salvador Molly’s, shares his travels in the deep south and a recipe for red beans and rice.

An Oregonian traveling in the American South is quickly knocked out of their NW comfort zone. Usually, in a good way. But it all seems a little overdone somehow. The weather, the accents, the big southern smiles and especially the food. How do they eat like that every day? I don’t want to think about it but I do love me some Southern food … in small doses. This spring on a trip to the Southern Florida area an Oregonian ex-pat sent me to Alabama Jack’s in Key Largo and months later I’m still dreaming
about the best Conch Fritters I ever tasted.

Alabama Jack’s started as a fishing camp in 1947. A rustic open air dock sort of a structure that looks like a good wind could blow it into the Key Largo swamps and beautiful bay that surround it. But 60 some years later it’s still standing and serving up great food and drink with a full measure of casual Southern hospitality and occasional live music. The sign outside says “Bikers Welcome” and we spotted 20 German bikers when we dropped in for lunch and a beer. Now, about those Fritters! We loved the Crab Cakes, Sweet Potato Fries, several types of fried fish and oysters, Conch Chowder and some passable Macaroni Salad but I still wake up at night yearning for the Conch Fritters. Big, golden crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside and oh that succulent conch taste! I could go on but there is nothing like them in the Northwest and possibly the world so how do you describe the indescribable? Just get down there posthaste! The people are friendly and oh so Southern. Dowg, Jennifer, Mike are all one of a kind but somehow familiar if you have ever been in this part of the country and ventured away from Zagat approved establishments and neighborhoods.

Although there weren’t any fights while I was there, I’m sure there has to be one occasionally. Our bikers were well behaved but then it was lunch time so who knows what happened later. It’s an hour or so drive back to Miami so bring a designated driver, but whatever you do, if you are within 500 miles of Key West, you have to go to Alabama Jacks and eat some Conch Fritters!

My favorite Southern Recipe: Red Beans and Rice Cajun Style.

Ingredients
1 lb Red beans
6 Hot Creole sausage links (beef, pork or turkey)
1 Meaty ham bone
4 cloves Garlic chopped
1 cup Chopped parsley
3 Bay leaves
1 Medium yellow onion chopped
4 Shallots chopped
pinch Cayenne
1 tbl Allspice
2 tbl Olive oil
1 ½ cups White short grain rice
1 ½ tbl Butter
4 cups Water
1 Lemon (cut in half and squeeze juice)

Directions
Beans
Rinse and soak beans 1 hour in very hot water. Pick out and discard any beans that float or are discolored, also look for rocks and bits of debris. Rinse well and drain. Poach or grill sausage thoroughly (meat probe thermometer should read 185F). Set aside. Sauté onions and shallots over medium heat in a heavy skillet with the olive oil until soft. Add garlic, continue to sauté 1 minute. Add spices and sauté 1 more minute. Add the soaked beans, onion-shallot mix, ham bone and sausage (sliced or cubed) to a large pot with 10 cups of water. Bring to a rolling boil, cover and place in 250F oven for 8 hours. Stir once after 5 hours, recover tightly and return to oven for remaining time. Add a few tablespoons of water if mixture seems dry. Remove from oven, uncover beans, stir once and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Add parsley & serve over rice.

Rice
Rinse rice until water runs clear; drain. In a heavy bottom saucepan over medium-low heat, sauté rice in butter until golden brown. Add water, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer until almost dry. Add the lemon juice and one half of the lemon rind for the last few minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and fluff, remove the lemon rind and serve with the red beans.