Picnics are the ultimate in summer fun. What could be better than gathering with friends and family to enjoy simple, delicious meals while reveling in all the outdoor beauty South Carolina has to offer? With a little bit of planning, a few smart tips and these easy-to-make recipes, you may never want to eat inside again.
Photo by Gina Moore
CRISPY BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN
SERVES 4
1 fryer chicken cut up, or favorite chicken parts
2 cups buttermilk
¼ cup Sriracha or hot sauce
Canola oil, for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a large plastic ziplock bag or non-reactive bowl, place the chicken parts. Whisk together buttermilk and Sriracha and pour over chicken, making sure all parts are covered. Refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before frying and drain in a large colander.
In a large Dutch oven or heavy cast-iron skillet, add enough oil to reach 1½ inches up the sides. Over medium-high heat, heat oil to 350 F. Line a sheet pan with foil and a rack to drain the fried chicken, so it does not get soggy.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and cayenne. Dredge the chicken parts in the flour mixture and add to the hot oil. Work in batches, so as not to crowd the pan. Cook until golden brown and crispy on both sides, 7–8 minutes per side. Chicken temperature should read 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Using tongs, remove the chicken pieces to the prepared rack. Bring oil temperature back up to 350 F between batches. Allow to cool before storing in refrigerator or picnic basket. Chicken can be served room temperature or cold.
Chef’s tip
Cast-iron skillets are always a smart choice for frying chicken. They are the best conductors of heat and maintain even cooking temperatures.
Dill pickle potato salad
Photo by Gina Moore
SERVES 6-8
3 pounds potatoes, unpeeled and diced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 hard-boiled eggs, diced
½ cup small dill pickles, diced
3 celery stalks, diced small
¼ cup red bell pepper, diced
2 scallions (green onions), chopped
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup mustard
2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Green leaf lettuce
Quartered or sliced hard-boiled egg for garnish (optional)
Chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Chopped scallions, for garnish (optional)
In a large pot of cold, salted water, over medium-high heat, place the potatoes and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until fork-tender, 10–12 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain thoroughly and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add eggs, pickles, celery, bell pepper, scallions and parsley to the potatoes. In a medium bowl whisk together mayonnaise, mustard and pickle juice and add to potato mixture. Toss well to combine. Season with pepper and toss again lightly. Transfer potato salad to a lettuce-lined serving container and garnish with additional egg quarters or slices, parsley and scallions, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to transport.
Chef’s tip
Which potatoes are best for potato salad? Use waxy or all-purpose potatoes like Red Bliss, new, fingerling, white or Yukon Gold potatoes. Try to avoid russet potatoes, as they contain higher levels of starch and can fall apart during cooking.
Hero sliders
Photo by Gina Moore
MAKES 12
1 12-pack slider buns (potato rolls, Hawaiian or dinner rolls)
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Shredded lettuce
½ pound deli cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
½ pound deli smoked ham, thinly sliced
½ pound deli Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
½ pound deli roast beef, thinly sliced
Pickle slices (bread and butter or dill)
Tomato slices, very thin
Separate the top and bottom halves of the buns. Spread condiments on each half as desired. Layer bottom bun with lettuce. Distribute cheeses and meats evenly among the bun bottoms. Top with pickles, tomato slices and more shredded lettuce. Cover with top part of bun. Wrap sliders individually in parchment paper and place in a lidded plastic container. Keep cool until ready to serve.
Fruit skewers
Photo by Gina Moore
MAKES 10-12
8 ounces watermelon, cut into 1-inch chunks
8 ounces strawberries, stems removed or not
8 ounces pineapple, cut into 1-inch chunks
8 ounces honeydew melon, cut into 1-inch chunks
Bunch grapes, optional
6-inch skewers
Alternate the fruit pieces onto the skewers in a rainbow pattern. (Feel free to use your favorite combination of fruits.) Place in a plastic container and refrigerate until ready to pack and serve.
Peach turnovers
Photo by Gina Moore
MAKES 8
2 pounds peaches, peeled and sliced
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon butter
2 sheets puff pastry dough
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon fine sugar (optional)
Preheat oven to 400 F. In a medium pan, over medium heat, combine peaches, sugar, cornstarch, cardamom, vanilla, salt and butter. Cook until sugar is dissolved, and mixture starts to thicken, 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
Thaw puff pastry according to package instructions. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to even out edges and cut each sheet into four squares. Spoon some of the peach filling on one side of each square. Using a pastry brush, brush around the edges of pastry squares with water. Fold pastry over filling making a triangle or rectangle (your preference). Press to seal or crimp with a fork.
Place turnovers on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of turnovers with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until brown on top. Cool completely on a rack before wrapping and transporting.
Chef’s tip
Here’s how to take the hassle out of peeling peaches: Score the bottom of each peach, blanch them in hot water for 1 minute, then place them in an ice bath until cool enough to handle. The peel will slide right off, as Belinda Smith-Sullivan demonstrates in her step-by-step video “Give peaches the slip.”
___
Chef Belinda’s picnic tips
Packing, storing and transporting picnic items
- You will most likely have to take two containers—a cooler for chilled items and a picnic basket, crate or easyto-carry box for dry items.
- Pack food in stackable containers with lids. You’ll save room, and the containers will stack neatly in your basket and cooler.
- Bring two coolers if possible, especially if your picnic party includes more than two people. Keep one cooler for beverages, knowing it will be opened and closed often during the day. The other cooler is for keeping perishable food chilled and at the proper temperature until you’re ready to serve the meal.
- Keep food items like potato salad, or anything that can spoil easily, in the food cooler when not serving.
- Store ice cubes that will be used for drinks in large plastic zip bags to prevent contamination.
- Put drinkingwater bottles in the freezer for a few hours before you leave. They will stay cool longer in the heat and provide an additional chill factor for other items in the cooler.
Do’s and don’ts
- Keep the entrees simple. Avoid complicated, difficultto-eat food items like ribs, steak or anything that requires multiple utensils—especially knives.
- Use disposable plates, cups and utensils to simplify packing and cleanup.
- Bring bugproof drinking containers like mason jars with lids and built-in straws to keep critters out of your beverages and to minimize spills.
- Pack oversized garbage bags for discarding thrownaway food and used paper/plastic products.
- Disposable sanitary hand wipes are a quickand-easy way to clean and sanitize your hands before handling or eating food.
- Bring a blanket and a tablecloth to create the ideal dining space. A blanket underneath the tablecloth will smooth out the cracks on a picnic table and the bumps on the ground or grass.
- Don’t forget sunscreen, hats, caps, sunglasses and insect repellent.
- Bring games and toys for children to play with. For an only child, you may want to consider bringing along a friend as company.
- Bring a change of clothing for young children in case of accidents and spills.
- Nothing ruins a good picnic faster than a rain storm. Always check the weather forecast, and make sure there is a protected area nearby in case the weather changes suddenly.
- Make sure your cell phone is fully charged in case of an emergency!
Picnicking with pets
- Remember to take portable food and water dishes—dogs can get hungry and dehydrated too. Occasionally put a few ice cubes in the water bowl to keep Fido cool.
- If fireworks are expected, it may be best to leave your dog at home. Loud noises can be a major stressor for animals.
- Keep your pet on a leash and make sure that tags are current and prominently displayed.
___
Related stories
A toast to summer — Enjoy the cool refreshment of Chef Belinda’s favorite alcohol-free cocktail as part of your next picnic. In this video, she explains how to mix it up, take it along and serve it over blueberry ice cubes.
___
BELINDA SMITH-SULLIVAN is a chef and food writer who lives in Trenton, where she is a member of Aiken Electric Cooperative. She has a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University and is certified in wine studies from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif. Her articles have been published in several regional magazines and in her blog, “The Flying Foodie.”