Good Old-Fashioned Southern Cooking

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By Tim Rubacky, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Product Development

I have to admit that it’s both a joy and a bit frustrating to write this blog. It’s a joy because I get to share with you the Great American Steamboat Company’s passion for the American Queen and American river cruising. I can post pictures, talk about the crew, the boat, the music and the food. Admittedly, it's difficult to really get the feel for the experience we offer without meeting the crew, walking through the boat, listening to the performers in person or sitting down to a meal.

However, the place where this blog falls shortest in being able to give you a taste for a Great American Steamboat Company vacation is, indeed, the food. I can sing the praises of our Executive Culinary Director, famed Southern chef Regina Charboneau, all day long but until you actually taste her cuisine, they are nothing more than words on a computer screen or pretty pictures. I’m among the lucky ones who have had the pleasure of sampling her incredible talents on the plate before me. Of course, as soon as American Queen enters service next month, any of you can have that same opportunity to relish her amazing gastronomic magic.

Recently, the website Cruise Critic, which is known for its extensive discussion forums, news, reviews and information, ran an article about our cuisine. It was a wonderful summary of what was to come but it also featured a step by step recipe for making Chef Regina’s authentic Southern-style biscuits. I urge those of you with a penchant for the kitchen to give the recipe a try. There’s no way we can serve you a meal from Regina through the Internet (I’m still waiting for that development because whenever it happens, I’m never leaving the house again!). However, we can give you a recipe and if you create these amazing biscuits, you can have a little taste right now of what is to come in just a month.

My special thanks to Melissa Paloti, Cruise Critic’s Director of Product Development, as we reproduce the recipe steps from her article here. However, be certain to visit the Cruise Critic website to read the full article and keep coming back in the months ahead for the earliest guest reviews of the American Queen!

STEP 1
First, here are the ingredients you'll need to make Regina’s Famous Butter Biscuits:
4 cups flour
1/4 cup baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 pound salted margarine (3 sticks)
1/4 pound salted butter (1 stick)
1-3/4 cups buttermilk

STEP 2
Blend flour, baking powder and sugar on low speed with an electric mixer, or with about 20 strokes by hand (like Chef Charboneau, we used a stand mixer, such as a Kitchenaid).

Test Kitchen Tip: Be brand savvy. Charboneau recommends Calumet brand baking powder for the best results, though she used Clabber Girl during our visit with excellent results. She's also particular about the butter and margarine used, preferring Land O' Lakes. Finally, Regina recommends full-fat buttermilk, but we road-tested the recipe with the reduced fat version commonly found in grocery stores near Cruise Critic's New Jersey HQ, and the biscuits were equally delicious.

STEP 3
Cut chilled butter and margarine into small cubes. Aim for about a half an inch on the margarine pieces, and a little smaller on the butter pieces; butter is firmer than margarine, so the difference in size now ensures equal distribution into the dough later. Add to the dry ingredients and blend quickly to coat the pieces in flour. Which brings us to the next, and most important, tip…

STEP 4
Don't over-mix! The art of pastry making -- anything that calls for flaky layers, such as biscuits (hockey pucks) and pie crusts (cement) -- has always eluded us. But Charboneau promised us that our horror stories were a thing of the past, and she was right. Here's how to do it: Watch the dough carefully and stop the mixer as soon as nickel-sized pieces of butter and margarine remain. Never blend into tiny pieces. This marbling is what sets an outstanding biscuit apart from a so-so biscuit.

STEP 5
Once the butter and margarine pieces are coated in flour, pour the buttermilk into the bowl and turn the mixer back on to blend.

Test Kitchen Tip: The official recipe calls for about 10 seconds, but it could take even less (in Charboneau's kitchen, we counted to only "five Mississippi"). Again, watch carefully. The dough should be sticky and you should still see the pieces of butter and margarine peeking through, which promises a flaky, tasty future biscuit.

STEP 6
Liberally flour your work surface, and turn dough onto it, patting it gently into a ball. Still see pieces of butter and margarine? That's good. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 3/4-inch thick. Fold the dough in half, bringing the two short ends together, turn it a half turn, and roll it again. Repeat the fold, turn and roll a total of four times.

Test Kitchen Tip: Charboneau points out that baking is always more of a science than cooking, and there's a huge difference between turning the dough three times versus four, so don't lose count. On the fourth and final roll, use the pin to roll the dough to approximately 1/2-inch.

STEP 7
Cut the biscuits using a 2-inch biscuit cutter.

Test-Kitchen Tip: No biscuit cutter? When we tried the recipe at home, we used a drinking glass dipped in flour, and it did the trick. Also, at this point, if you spot any big hunks of butter or margarine (larger than, say, a dime), you can pull them out, break them up with your fingers, and press them back into the dough. You probably won't, though, if you diligently followed the instructions for mixing and rolling.

STEP 8
Your freezer is your friend. After you’ve cut out your biscuits, DO NOT reroll the dough remnants, as this compromises flakiness. Instead, break the dough up into scraps and freeze them in a Ziploc bag; defrost, roll in sugar and bake, and you have a delicious topping for cobblers and sundaes. You can also freeze the formed biscuits. When the biscuit craving hits (a few hours later, if you’re in my house), defrost them for 20 minutes then bake as directed.

STEP 9
Bake the biscuits in a preheated 375-degree oven for 20-24 minutes or until golden brown.

Test Kitchen Tip: If you want perfectly round biscuits, bake them in muffin tins -- ungreased, as there's plenty of butter in this recipe. You may also want to place your muffin tins on a rimmed baking sheet, in case any of that butter runs over.

STEP 10
Don't forget the topping! Charboneau makes a fabulous orange marmalade butter to accompany the biscuits. Here's how she does it: Whip a half a pound of unsalted sweet cream butter with an electric mixer until it is fluffy and smooth. Then add two tablespoons of orange marmalade (we've tried and like apricot jam, too), and whip until blended. Place in a serving bowl and chill before serving with the warm biscuits.

STEP 11
What's interesting about Charboneau's biscuit recipe is that it's a combination of her Southern upbringing and her French culinary training. Most Southern chefs use Crisco or lard in their biscuits, but she prefers the buttery texture of, well, butter. Margarine, she says, adds another level of flavor that Crisco just can't. Yes, it's a lot of margarine, but you won't be making these every day. Splurge and enjoy.