Barbecue impresario and founder of Food for the Southern Soul Jimmy Hagood shares his top five must-have ingredients for every Lowcountry kitchen. His inspiration? “Most of these ingredients were always in my grandmother’s pantry,” he says.
❶ Buttermilk “Cruze Farm in Knoxville makes the best I ever had. I use it in cornbread and in wild game marinades.” www.cruzefarmgirl.com
❷Artichoke relish “I grew up eating Mrs. Sassard’s. But I’m partial to our brand that I make by working directly with the farmer, who plants and harvests Jerusalem artichokes in St. Matthews.” www.foodforthesouthernsoul.com
❸ Stone-ground grits “The Hagood Mill is outside Pickens, South Carolina, and my grandfather’s grandfather built it in 1825. It’s operated today by the Pickens County Museum, and we’re able to buy grits in limited quantities.” www.co.pickens.sc.us
❹Carolina Gold Rice “The comeback of Carolina Gold rice is creating new dishes that I didn’t have growing up...especially with the middlins (broken grains), and having Shrimp and Rice Grits—unbelievable.” www.carolinagoldricefoundation.org
❺ Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning “I fell in love with Tony’s seasoning. I use it in all gumbos, soups, and dry rubs. It has the perfect combination of salt and spice.” www.tonychachere.com
