American cuisine is a melting pot of flavours, reflecting the country’s diverse cultural heritage – it’s known for its hearty comfort food, classic dishes and innovative twists on traditional recipes.
From hamburgers and fried chicken to sweet desserts like apple or pumpkin pie, American food offers a wide range of popular dishes catering to various tastes and preferences, along with regional influences.
We’ve put together four must-try recipes, plus a cheeky Bloody Mary cocktail with a twist you’ll never see coming, to bring a touch of the good ol’ USA to your next dinner party:
Let’s start down South in the Big Easy with an iconic chicken and shrimp gumbo recipe from none other than the ‘Goon with the Spoon’ author and rapper, Snoop Dogg…
"I only spent about a year living in Louisiana, but even in that short time I learned just how important gumbo is to the state’s culture and foodways,” Snoop says.
"There’s no denying that the best gumbo on the planet is probably going to be at someone’s home in Louisiana, but the restaurants have some serious game too. Just thinkin’ about a bowl from Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe, where they make their own homemade sausage, or that Creole gumbo at Dooky Chase’s has me wanting to get back to the Big Easy right now!”
Snoop learned so much from the time he lived in and travelled to Louisiana and from his mother, who grew up around all of the crab, shrimp and other seafood you find in gumbo.
"To me, gumbo is a celebratory meal, something to enjoy with your day-ones - the folks you truly love and know got your back. If you’re familiar with gumbo, you’ll see a lot of classic elements in this recipe, like the Holy Trinity of Creole cooking - celery, bell peppers and onion - and roux, a mixture of fat and flour that thickens soups and stews. It’s a time-consuming dish, but the results are well worth the effort.”
After three hours in the depths of the smoky abyss, these succulent pork ribs come out tanned, tender and delicious, leaving a damn fine taste in your mouth to have you wanting more, according to author and culinary renegade, Graeme ‘Beg Red’ Stockdale.
"The taste of smoky goodness mixed with the elation of chewing a damn fine piece of meat from the bones, some of my favourite sides and a kick-ass BBQ sauce makes me a happy, happy man,” Graeme says.
The ribs are first seasoned with a big red rub and then smoked for two hours, spritzed twice with apple juice. After being covered with butter and sugar, then wrapped in tin foil, they are returned to the smoker for another 60 minutes.
To finish, they are glazed with brown sugar and maple syrup BBQ sauce until sticky and finger-licking good. The pit beans are a great side for a barbeque, but make sure to make extra and freeze for a lazy weekend brunch, best served with sausage and eggs.
The South is also the birthplace of American-style fried chicken – Scottish immigrants are sometimes credited with creating the recipe, although many believe it was brought to the US from Africa. There is no doubt that those from West Africa are responsible for its popularity as they used their country’s spices in the bread mixture to create a unique flavour.
Served with green tomato gravy, this recipe coats the chicken drumsticks with peppercorns, cayenne, paprika, onion, garlic, oregano, thyme and tomato powder for a crispy finish that everyone will salivate over.
Pecan pie can be traced back to Native Americans who used the nut’s meat as a filling for their medicine pouches and in recipes; colonists began using pecans as a food source, although they didn’t begin to bake with them until the mid-1800s.
Today, pecan pie remains popular throughout America during Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners; to enhance the bittersweet flavour in this chocolate pecan pie recipe, add a splash of bourbon or rum to the filling.
What do you wash it all down with?
Alabama barbeque king Chris Lilly developed this take on the Bloody Mary, featuring beef jus, smoked celery salt and lots of smiles and high fives. To make the Barbeque Bloody Mary, save the dripping from your next grill, or use unsalted beef stock to create the smoky, meaty flavour.
