Tropical Muddle Puddle Recipes

NORTH CAROLINA FISH MUDDLE

Steps:

• Clean and scale fish, cutting off head and tail. Place the fish, and its head with other ingredients for court-bouillon in a large pot. Cover with cold water and simmer just until meat flakes from bones.
• Remove pot from heat and let cool. Remove fish and pick out all fish bones. Set meat aside. Strain broth, discarding the solids. Return liquid to pot and reduce over high heat to about 1 cup.
• Meanwhile, to prepare muddle, heat a large pot over medium heat and put in salt pork and water. When pork cubes are edged with brown and fat is translucent, add chopped scallions and celery and cook until moist and limp.
• Pour in reduced broth and diced potatoes and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Then gently stir in fish and simmer 10 minutes more, tasting for seasoning, and adding salt and pepper as necessary. Ladle muddle into soup bowls, garnishing servings with minced fresh parsley. Serve at once, accompanied by lemon wedges and griddle cornbread (see recipe).

MUDDY PUDDLE

Steps:

• Put peanuts and sugar in food processor or clean coffee grinder and grind to powder. Place on small plate, moisten rim of a pilsner glass with some of simple syrup and place in peanut dust.
• Pour bourbon, espresso and remaining syrup into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, shake and strain into prepared glass. Add fresh ice cubes and pour in stout to fill glass.

TROPICAL VANILLA PUDDING SHOTS

Steps:

• Combine milk and pudding mix in a bowl and whisk or mix until smooth.
• Add rum, lime juice, and pineapple, and stir well.
• Fold in whipped topping. Once the mixture is smooth and uniform, divide it among 8 small cups.
• Place the cups in the refrigerator until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes.
• Garnish them with pineapple wedges and lime slices, if using. Enjoy with a spoon!

BROWNIE PUDDLE

Steps:

• All ingredients should be at room temperature.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease bottom of a 9 1/2 -inch tart pan with removable bottom and line with parchment, then lightly spray with non-stick vegetable spray. Place pan on cookie sheet to catch any possible leaks. Place the pecans on a cookie sheet and toast them, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely. In a double boiler over hot water melt the butter and chocolate, stirring 2 or 3 times. Beat the cocoa, then the sugar, beating until it is incorporated. (If you are doing this by hand, use a whisk.) Beat in the eggs and vanilla. When incorporated, beat in the cream cheese until only small bits remain. Add the flour and salt and mix only until the flour is fully moistened. Stir in the nuts; scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. It will fill the pan almost to the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the batter has set. A toothpick inserted 1-inch from the side will come out clean. The mixture will puff and rise a little above the sides but sinks on cooling. While the brownie is baking, prepare the puddles. Melt the chocolate in a microwave, using 15 second bursts on high power and stirring several times, or in a double boiler over hot but not simmering water, stirring occasionally. Add the cream and stir gently until the mixture is smooth and dark. If necessary (if the cream was too cold and the mixture not entirely smooth), return it to the heat until totally fluid and uniform in color. As soon as the brownie is removed from the oven, grease the end if a wooden spoon (no larger than 1/2-inch diameter) and insert it into the brownie, at 1-inch intervals, all the way to the bottom, twisting slightly, as you insert and withdraw it, to create 23 to 28 little holes. Using as small spoon to pour or a zipzeal bag with a small piece of the corner cut, fill the holes until slightly rounded (you will need at least 1/2 teaspoon for each). Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely. The chocolate puddles will sink in as it cools and more ganache can be added, to fill any depressions, as long as the brownie is still warm enough to melt it. (If necessary, you can set the tart under a lamp to heat the ganache puddles and make them smooth.) Unmold by placing the pan on a canister smaller than the opening for the loose bottom and pressing sides firmly down. To remove the parchment, refrigerate the tart or allow it to sit at room temperature until the puddles are firm to the touch. Cover a flat plate with plastic wrap, spray it lightly with non-stick vegetable spray and set it in top of tart. Invert the tart; peel off the parchment, and reinvert it onto a serving plate. To serve, use a thin, sharp knife to cut wedges. Serve accompanied by a scoop of coffee or vanilla ice cream and any leftover ganache reheated as sauce.

MUD PUDDLES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt butter and chocolate chips in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add condensed milk; stir until smooth. Add flour; mix well. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart onto un-greased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or just until set, do not overbake. Cookies may appear slightly under baked. Cool completely. Meanwhile, combine powered sugar and vanilla in small bowl. Gradually stir in enough milk for desired glazing consistency. Drizzle over cookies.

MUDDLE

Steps:

• Put the bacon in a kettle and cook, stirring often, until the pieces are rendered of fat and crisp. Remove and reserve the pieces.
• Cut the quartered onions crosswise into thin slices. There should be about 5 cups.
• To the fat in the kettle add onions, celery, garlic and orange rind. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.
• Cut the tomatoes into thin slices. Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes; there should be about 2 cups. Add the tomatoes to the kettle and cook about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and fish or shrimp broth. Add the thyme, red pepper and salt. Let simmer about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender without being mushy.
• Add the fish and shrimp and let simmer about 1 minute. Add the scallops and stir.
• Break 1 egg at a time into a saucer and carefully slide the 4 eggs onto the simmering soup. Cover closely and let the soup simmer slowly until the whites are firm and the yolks remain runny. As the eggs cook, baste them carefully with some of the hot liquid. Immediately spoon 1 egg into each of 4 hot soup bowls. Spoon the soup with fish and potatoes over all.
• Blend bacon bits, scallions, basil and parsley together and garnish each serving with an equal portion of the mixture. Serve immediately