Lowcountry Cuisine Hammock Coast 2020 Spring

www.LowcountryCuisineMag.com | www.MountPleasantRestaurant.com | www.CharlestonRecipes.com lowcountry cuisine LC 41 F or an enticing taste of Lowcountry history, chef Forrest Parker offers walking tours in the historic district downtown, followed by a cooking demo and bistro lunch. This South Carolina native, who was named the state’s Chef Ambassador in 2016 by then-Gov. Nikki Haley, shares his deep knowledge of the local culture, distinctive architecture and rich culinary lore. On a recent Saturday morning, a diverse group of eight of us, who had reserved spaces online for the tour, met at the rendezvous point beside the Pineapple Fountain in Riley Waterfront Park. How did these participants — some curious locals, others from far off — learn about this excursion? One couple heard about it from their Airbnb host; others read about it on TripAdvisor; and one had long followed the chef ’s blog, which is also dubbed “Undiscovered Charleston.” We were advised to wear comfortable shoes to handle the 90-minute stroll along the city’s wonky sidewalks, narrow alleyways and cobblestone streets. Chef Parker has manned the stoves at several top restaurants including Revival at The Vendue and, before that, the old Post House in Mount Pleasant’s Old Village. He shares his fascination with the heirloom crops being revived by scholars, farmers and chefs in the region today, including Carolina Gold rice, the Bradford watermelon, lemon cling peach and Jimmy Red corn. On our stroll we paused by the pocket-sized Tavern at Rainbow Row, circa 1686, said to be the oldest liquor store in the country. It stocks a variety of spirits including Bradford Family Watermelon Brandy and High Wire Distillery’s Revival Bourbon, made from that Jimmy Red corn. The chef raconteur pointed out the earthquake bolts on old buildings along the walk, which were attempts to prevent yet more damage from the many disasters that have struck here in the city’s 350 years of existence. We walked along to King Street and cut through to Archdale Street via the Garden Club’s verdant Gateway Walk. At last the parched group reached our lunch destination, the cozy Bistro A Vin, and settled in at a long table to watch our lunch being prepared. Chef Parker demonstrated the three-course meal, cooking on a hot plate, while he explained the backstory and tips about these local classics. Meanwhile, bistro owner Dominique Chantepie poured wines, French, of course, that complemented the dishes we were tasting. Iced tea was also offered. The first preparation was a sprightly gazpacho, which paid homage to the 16th century Spanish colonists of Santa Elena (now Parris Island). Hearts of palm, or palmetto, were a food staple here and not just cannon fodder logs in Fort Moultrie during the Revolutionary War. The wine was a Laroque chardonnay from historic Carcassonne. Next, some 300 years after the Spanish era, came shrimp and grits based on North Carolina restaurateur Bill Neal’s original recipe, circa 1986. This dish, Parker said, set the stage for the renaissance of Southern cookery. It was also the version followed at the late, lamented Hominy Grill here. Next the chef sautéd an aromatic pirlou in his grandmother’s cast iron skillet, using Carolina Gold rice. These dishes were not exactly revolutionary, he pointed out, since they bear a slight resemblance to ones he found in Sarah Rutledge’s 1847 cookbook, “The Carolina Housewife,” by “a lady of Charleston.” To finish, we were treated to flambéed peaches with vanilla whipped cream and frosted berries. Before we waddled out onto the street, the chef gave us each a packet of the recipes we sampled and we felt well justified for that fee of $125. As Parker puts it, he likes to educate and “take care of people through the lens of food.” BY ANNE SEMMES Photo by Anne Semmes. Undiscovered Charleston Tours A Taste of Local History Chef Forrest Parker treats guests to flambéed peaches with vanilla whipped cream and frosted berries.