A Selection of Our State’s Finest Winter Eats
Arkansas is the south meets the mountains, with a twinge of midwest twang, and Arkansas food is as scrappy and vibrant as the state’s geography. The holidays are a perfect time to celebrate some uniquely Arkansas dishes—some of which are brought to us by our favorite Arkansas foodies.
Breakfast
“Perfect Chocolate Gravy” from Arkansas Outdoor Country
Let’s start with breakfast. Chocolate gravy is thought to come from the Ozarks, and it’s a delicious concoction of butter, sugar, milk and cocoa powder, served over fluffy biscuits. We like this simple recipe from Arkansas Outdoor Country.
Appetizers
“Smoked Trout Cakes” from College of the Ozarks
If we’re talking appetizers, Arkansas offers some of best fly-fishing in the nation and in the north part of the state, Rainbow Trout abound. Midwest Living did a round up of Ozark recipes, and the smoked trout cakes sounds like a winner.
Fig Chutney by P. Allen Smith
Round off the apps with fig chutney served with brie, a recipe from the well-known Arkansas gardener, P. Allen Smith.
Main Course Birds
Gilbert Alaquinez by Daniel Moody for FIT Arkansas
If you want to celebrate like the professionals, check out the holiday recipe roundup Arkansas Times did a few years ago, with some of the best chefs in Little Rock. If you’re specifically looking for tips on how to keep your turkey perfectly moist, Gilbert Alaquinez of the Clinton Presidential Center’s Forty Two, has the perfect turkey brine recipe. Cheers to a succulent bird!
And if that bird is a duck—because if you’re in south Arkansas, it’s likely to be—you may want to try out this amazing Apricot Amaretto Duck Breast recipe from AY Magazine.
Dessert
“Arkansas Possum Pie” by Kat Robinson
For desert, there’s Arkansas’s version of French silk pie— possum pie! More vegetarian-friendly than it sounds, possum pie has a pecan crust, a cream cheese bottom, and layers of whipped cream and chocolate custard on top.
New Year’s Day Tradition
And for the record, Arkansans are way more likely to ring in the New Year with Delta-grown PurpleHull peas than black-eyed peas. For the best way to prepare them, check out the First Place recipe from the Emerson, Arkansas PurpleHull Pea Festival and World Championship website.
Farm Bureau Insurance wishes good tidings and good eatings to you and your kin this holiday season!