Recipe Spotlight on Sides, Sauces & Salads: Supporting Cast with Star Power

In Southern cooking, sides are never an afterthought—they’re essential players. These dishes elevate the table and often steal the spotlight.

Freshly baked Biscuits arrive golden and tender, ready to soak up sauces and gravies. Creamed Spinach offers velvety richness, while Glazed Sweet Potatoes lean into sweetness with buttery vanilla notes and warm pecan topping.

Classic technique shines in Caesar Salad, prepared the traditional way with anchovies, garlic, Dijon, and a coddled egg for bold authenticity. Shrimp Remoulade brings brightness and spice, chilled shrimp tossed in Creole mustard dressing and served crisp and refreshing.

Sauces like Citrus Beurre Blanc add elegance—bright, buttery, and versatile enough for seafood, poultry, or vegetables. And Oyster Dressing, rich with bread, oysters, and herbs, anchors holiday tables across Louisiana.

Biscuits

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour, sifted

• 1 tbs. baking powder

• 1 tbs. sugar

• 1 tsp. salt

• ¼ cup margarine (softened)

• 1½ cups buttermilk

Directions

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cut in margarine and add buttermilk, blending together by hand. Knead dough well and roll out on a floured surface to ½-inch thickness and cut biscuits with a cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25–30 minutes until golden brown. Makes 12 or more biscuits.

Caesar Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lemon

• 2 fillets of anchovies

• 2 to 3 cloves of garlic

• 1 tbs. Dijon mustard

• 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce

• 1 coddled egg

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

• ½ cup red wine vinegar

• 1 tsp. salt

• ½ tsp. ground black pepper

• 1 small head Romaine lettuce, washed and drained

• 1 cup croutons

• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

Into a large, well-seasoned wooden salad bowl, squeeze the juice of 1 lemon, removing the seeds. Add the anchovies, crushing with a fork until a paste begins to form. Repeat for the garlic, then add mustard and Worcestershire sauce and blend well. Mix in the coddled egg (slightly warmed, not boiled) using a whisking motion with a fork until smooth. Continue whipping as you drizzle in the olive oil, then blend in the vinegar, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Toss with Romaine leaves torn into bite sized pieces. Add croutons and parmesan, and toss again until lettuce is well covered. Serve onto chilled salad plates and top with the extra ground pepper.

Yields 2 servings.

Citrus Beurre Blanc

Ingredients

• Juice of 3 oranges, strained

• Juice of 3 lemons, strained

• Juice of 3 limes, strained

• ½ qt. heavy cream

• ½ lb. unsalted butter, diced

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed saucepot over medium-high heat, reduce the fruit juices until a syrup consistency. Whisk in heavy cream and reduce again by 2/3. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in butter. Store in warm place. Yields 4 servings.

Chef’s Note

This versatile sauce is perfect for seafood or fish, but also give it a try with chicken or vegetables.

Creamed Spinach

Ingredients

• 2 pints heavy cream

• 1 lb. frozen spinach, thawed

• 1 cup parmesan cheese

• 2 tsp. onion powder

• 2 tsp. granulated garlic

• 2 tbs. cornstarch slurry

• Pinch white pepper

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat cook the heavy cream and spinach until the mixture simmers. Add the parmesan cheese, onion powder, and granulated garlic. Cook until cheese has melted. Add cornstarch slurry and bring up to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes. Yields 6 servings.

Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg, beaten

• ½ tsp. vanilla

• 1 lb. sweet potato patties, quartered

Directions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Fold in the quartered sweet potatoes. Place in a 2-quart casserole dish and top with Pecan Sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 20–25 minutes.

Pecan Sauce

Ingredients

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

• ½ cup dark brown sugar

• ¼ cup white flour

• Pinch each cinnamon & nutmeg

• ½ cup pecans, chopped

Directions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, dark brown sugar, white flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chopped pecans.

Oyster Dressing

for 16 lb turkey

Ingredients

• 1 loaf stale French bread, cubed

• ¼ lb. margarine

• ¼ cup olive oil

• ½ stalk celery, chopped

• 2 medium onions, chopped

• 3 bunches of green onions, chopped

• 1 whole garlic, chopped

• ½ bunch of parsley, chopped

• 6 doz. oysters, chopped, save liquid

• ½ tsp. basil

• To taste: thyme

Directions

Melt margarine with olive oil. Sauté seasonings until limp. Add oysters which have been coarsely chopped, saving oyster water; sauté. Soak bread in oyster water. Squeeze out and add to seasonings. Add reserved oyster water sparingly, if needed. Cook covered for 30 minutews, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook another 15 minutes uncovered, stirring constantly. Let cool thoroughly before stuffing turkey or putting in refrigerator.

Shrimp Remoulade

Ingredients

• 1 lb. (31–35 ct.) shrimp, peeled & deveined

• 3 cups Remoulade Dressing

Directions

Combine all Remoulade Dressing ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and chill completely. Yields 3 cups.

Boil shrimp in seafood seasoning of your choice. Quickly chill shrimp in an ice bath. Once shrimp are cold, toss in Remoulade Dressing. Serve over chopped iceberg lettuce.

Remoulade Dressing

Ingredients

• 2 cups Creole mustard

• 4 tbs. celery, diced

• 4 stems green onions, chopped

• 2 tbs. parsley, chopped

• 1 tbs. paprika

• 1/3 cup salad oil

• ¼ cup white wine vinegar

• 4 tbs. garlic, chopped

• 1 dash salt

• 3 tbs. prepared horseradish

• 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce

Yields 4 servings.