Interview with Chef Sean Brock – Charleston, SC and a recipe for Hoppin’ John
At some point along the way, the Cowpea (or Sea Island Red Pea, as it is known in South Carolina), finally made its way into the kitchens of the main house and someone tasted the combination of Carolina Gold Rice and the Red Pea and Hoppin’ John was born. (That is one of the theories for the origin of the dish.) . Unfortunately, as these ingredients disappeared over time, the authenticity of the dish was lost and white rice and black eyed peas were substituted in the dish. That combination is very different. It all goes back to the importance of the ingredients.
There is food everywhere at McCrady’s
Including this rooftop garden
Brock refers to a book from the mid 1800’s, A Philosophy of Taste, that is a cookbook of plants for farmers and cooks. There are 26 varieties of cabbage listed in that book. How many do we see at the grocery store today? Maybe three or four? “We have lost the plants and characteristics of our foods”.
Chef Brock with his heirloom seed collection
Chef Brock has been working with Glenn Roberts and Dr. David Shields of Anson Mills for several years to grow and preserve heirloom seeds. He said that this work would not be possible without the help of Clemson University’s Dr. David Bradshaw. He showed us his heirloom seed collection with some varieties preserved from hundreds of years ago. There is even a Global Seed Vault in the Arctic, created to store these heirloom treasures, now with over 500,000 varieties preserved.
This is quite the find
Charleston’s Lowcountry cuisine is a product of its location and availability of foods that were grown at the time based on crop rotation (plants like corn, peas, rice, benne and okra are traditional ingredients). You harvested what animals were around you (wild boar, alligator and rabbits) and fresh seafood. The cuisine of Charleston has had its own voice and style since the late 1600’s with influences from Italy, Africa and France. Brock and many of the Charleston chefs are working hard to recreate this style of cooking with authentic local ingredients and heirloom produce.
Chef Brock’s tattoos represent his heirloom seed projects
If you had asked Brock five years ago what he would be doing now, he said that it certainly would not be this. Molecular gastronomy and the use of nitrogen in cooking played a large part in his cooking early on (and still does to some extent today). Now this Chef is reaching back in history to create authentic dishes using heritage ingredients. In fact, he is hoping to pick up wherever Glenn Roberts leaves off and wants to devote his life preserving heritage products at some point in the future.
We headed over to Husk for a late lunch
This work does not end with heirloom plants. He is also passionate about changing the way we treat our animals that become food on our table and is sourcing heritage breeds of livestock for his restaurants. Brock has raised his own herd of pigs (treating them to chocolate and Fruit Loops from time to time). He had a sleepless evening the night before they were dropped off for harvesting. However, it was an incredibly proud moment to share them with his culinary team and ultimately, the guests at his restaurant.
In front of the kitchen at Husk
The poultry industry is of particular concern to this chef. It is appalling the way these animals are raised and treated. “Every time you buy food, you cast a vote. Here is my money, thank you so much for treating the chickens that way. Keep on doing what you are doing.” He said no one ever wants to see the videos about how the animals are raised and harvested, yet continue to eat certain products and brands. “We have to fix it. We have to stop talking and just do it”.
Brock wants to bring properly raised heritage breeds of poultry back into the kitchens. “If the chefs cook it and taste the difference and write about it, it can change the industry. We may pay more, but we have to say that is what I need to be cooking”.
I had to try the smoked chicken after getting a whiff of this!
We make Hoppin’ John every New Year’s Day as well.
How cool that you tried it with the local varietals! I’m sure it was well worth it!
Hi Susan,
You should try this recipe made with the heirloom ingredients. There was no comparison to what I made with the Carolina Gold Rice and Sea Island Red Peas with what I have had in the past. 🙂
Gwen
This is a really interesting piece – I love Chef Brock’s use of heirloom seed to grow food that he prepares. Beautiful piece, terrific pictures, thank you!
Thank you, Lynn. We had a great visit with Chef Brock and the discussions about our current food situation were truly inspiring.
Facinating interview. It’s wonderful seeing more and more chefs with their own farms and gardens, Farmers’ Markets cropping up everywhere, and heirloom varieties more readily available. It makes eating out and cooking at home more interesting, enjoyable, and healthy. And that’s quite a work of art on Chef’s arm!
Hi Denise,
I know you and John appreciate great ingredients and the difference it makes in our cooking. I hope that these interviews make more people aware of the incredible chefs that are out there championing bringing back the heirloom foods that should be available to us. It is what is normal and what is right.
Gwen
A friend of mine works at Husk and has been telling me of how I should make a little culinary trip to SC! After reading this, I definitely want to! Thanks for sharing!
Sean Brock is, in my opinion, the best chef on the planet. We ate at McCrady’s Valentine’s Day, 2010 and the menu was spectacular. I am dying to get back to Charleston and try Husk. His appreciation for heirlooms, animal treatment and food in general is a lesson for us all, professional chefs and home cooks alike!
So great of you Gwen to focus on this chef and the cause of bringing back regional ingredients.
I remember when I posted my recipe for Hoppin’ John I came across this and thought you might enjoy as to one explanation of the origin of its name – “reported by Raymond Sokolov, former Food Editor of the New York Times, that the dish goes back at least as far as 1841, when, according to oral tradition, it was hawked in the streets of Charleston, South Carolina, by a crippled black man who was known as Hoppin’ John.”
Hi Drick,
Thank you for your comment. I thought you might enjoy this interview. I did come across several theories on the origins of Hoppin’ John and that was one of them. I guess we will never know how it really happened, but when made with Carolina Gold Rice and Sea Island Red Peas, I am glad that someone created the dish!
Gwen
What an interesting interview. It is so refreshing to hear of someone with such a passion for bringing back our “heritage” food products. I have been saying for years that our foods just don’t taste like they used to and it’s entirely because of the mass production and marketing of easily produced inferior products. I grew up on a farm where we had our own chickens, cows and pigs along with a large garden every years. Sadly, I no longer have access to those local products. Even many of the local “produce stands” and farmers markets aren’t really selling locally produced goods.
We just happen to be going to Charleston this weekend. Guess where we’ll be dining?
Hi Lana,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. I totally agree. and yes, unfortunately, the Farmer’s Markets are not all selling locally sourced produce. Our food is so bland now that we are having to use more spices and salt just to get any flavor from the dishes. It is so sad that no one knows how food is really supposed to taste.
Some of the best meals we have had are made with locally sourced produce and humanely raised animals. It tastes like food should and doesn’t need all the extra seasonings.
Enjoy your trip to Charleston! We love the city and so many restaurants there are fabulous! Let me know if you need any other recommendations other than Chef Brock’s restaurants (and I highly recommend both of those). 🙂
Gwen
What a wonderful and educational review about a topic that is so dear to my heart. I’m ordering the rice and beans right now! Thanks, Gwen!
I love the Anson Mills site–thanks for the link. I just ordered a ton of goodies to bake with. Yum!
Hi Carolyn,
Thank you for the comment and I am so glad you ordered some items from Anson Mills. You will be hooked! Enjoy. 🙂
Gwen
I finally made it to Charleston for the first time in March. Amazing! I can’t wait to go back. I was able to take a culinary tour and while we didn’t go to Husk, we did hear all about it. Excellent interview and photos! Gives me even more reason to return.
Gwen – wonderful interview!
I agree that we’ve been dumbed down with that’s mass produced. I had to travel to Ojai to taste the most beautiful strawberries I’ve ever tasted… because they were so delicate they’d never make the drive down to where I live.
I also had a dream last night that the RGB was open, and were raising chickens both for eggs and for meat that were serving right back in the bistro. By the sounds of this interview, that is quite possible, yes?!
How about doing another On the Road tour to this place so I can come along this time?!
[K]
Making my hoppin’ John right now. The beans smell amazing. I love how little and perfect they are.
The verdict? The best Hoppin’ John we’ve ever tasted. Please tell Chef we loved it, and thank you for sharing. It’s well worth ordering the ingredients you recommended to have a sample of the rich, original flavors. We have given up so much, and it’s great to bring it back.
Oh what a wonderful write-up! I love Husk, and make a point of eating there every time I’m in Charleston. So wonderful to see this as I plan my next Charleston trip!