4 Recipes for a Memorable Juneteenth Celebration

A day to share food, culture and identity with loved ones, Juneteenth commemorates the freeing of enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, 2 1/2 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. It is now recognized as a federal holiday.

Red foods, which symbolize resilience and joy, are traditionally eaten at Juneteenth celebrations. This brilliant watermelon chow chow and oven-roasted chicken, coated in a bright hibiscus barbecue sauce, are especially nice. But they’re also just suggestions. Add other red dishes, like strawberry hibiscus limeade, Charleston red rice or red velvet cupcakes. Or simply make a couple of the recipes below and fire up the barbecue to let the smell of charcoal, the official bullhorn of summer, summon the ones you love.

<b>Recipe: Hush Puppies</b>

By Millie Peartree

<i>Dipped in tartar sauce or an aioli, served with salted butter or on their own, hush puppies are the perfect starter or side for any meal, but especially seafood or barbecue. They symbolize prosperity with their golden color. The cornmeal batter here is studded with onion and chives, then fried in a couple of inches of hot oil, until the outsides become crispy and delectable and the insides are moist and tender.</i>

Yield: 20 hush puppies

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/4 cup grated white or yellow onion (from about 1/2 large onion)

2 tablespoons chopped chives (optional)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for finishing

1 1/2 cups fine yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup buttermilk

1 quart vegetable oil, for frying

Salted butter, for serving (optional)

Preparation:

1. Set a rack over a baking sheet. (If you do not have a rack, a paper towel-lined baking tray will work as well.)

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter and egg until smooth. Add onion, chives (if using), both sugars, baking powder and salt, and mix until no lumps are present.

3. Mix in cornmeal and flour. While whisking, stream in buttermilk and incorporate until mixture is smooth but not runny. It should be thick enough to easily scoop and drop into hot oil.

4. In a medium skillet with high sides or a deep cast-iron skillet, heat 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees over medium-high heat. Working in batches, scoop 1-tablespoon balls of the batter and carefully drop them into the oil. Fry until one side is golden brown, about 1 minute, then, using a spatula or spoon, flip and fry for another 1 minute until golden brown on all sides.

5. Using a slotted spoon, remove hush puppies from hot oil and place on the prepared rack to drain. Sprinkle with a little more salt. Enjoy hot, with salted butter, if you like.

<b>Recipe: Watermelon Chow Chow</b>

By Millie Peartree

<i>It’s spicy, it’s sweet, it’s tangy. A perfect condiment, watermelon chow chow has a bright freshness and a gentle crunch that mellows with time. It renders a sweet and spicy kick to anything it’s spooned over, whether you’re serving it with grilled meats, like hot dogs or hot links, or collard greens.</i>

Yield: 4 cups (about 2 tablespoons per serving as a condiment)

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup dried hibiscus

1 1/2 pounds watermelon, rind removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

1/4 cup chopped and seeded English cucumber

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, chopped, plus 1/4 cup pickled jalapeño brine

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Prepare the hibiscus simple syrup: Add the sugar and 1/2 cup water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Off heat, stir in the hibiscus, and let steep for at least 15 minutes. Strain into a glass jar and seal tightly with a lid. (Hibiscus simple syrup will keep, refrigerated, for about 1 month and is great in cocktails or seltzer.)

2. In a bowl or a quart container, combine the watermelon, cucumber, onion and jalapeños. Mix until thoroughly combined.

3. Add jalapeño brine, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of the hibiscus simple syrup to the watermelon mixture, and mix to combine.

4. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Serve as a condiment on hot links and greens, or as a relish.

<b>Recipe: Baked Chicken With Hibiscus Barbecue Sauce</b>

By Millie Peartree

<i>A homemade hibiscus barbecue sauce makes this oven-baked chicken extra special. This recipe layers flavor: A dry rub built on seasoned salt, onion powder and garlic powder flavors the meat, then the sweet-tart, tangy-spicy barbecue sauce — a counterpoint to the savory chicken — is layered on and baked until slightly sticky and caramelized. It gives you that barbecue feel without having to actually set up the grill.</i>

Yield: 4 servings

Total time: 1 3/4 hours

Ingredients:

For the Hibiscus Sauce:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup/1/2 ounce dried hibiscus flowers, chopped

1/2 small onion, grated

4 teaspoons yellow mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons red-pepper flakes

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cayenne

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (such as Morton)

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

3/4 cup ketchup

1 garlic clove, minced

1 whole habanero chile, pieced with a knife (optional)

For the Chicken:

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters (or use 4 legs and 4 thighs)

2 teaspoons seasoned salt (preferably Lawry’s)

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Make the barbecue sauce: To a medium saucepan, add vinegar, hibiscus flowers, onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, red-pepper flakes, cayenne, paprika, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then stir in brown sugar, ketchup, garlic and habanero. Return the sauce to a simmer and cook over medium-low, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick enough that it streams off a spoon, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly, then strain the sauce in a strainer set over a bowl, pressing hard on the solids. Be sure to scrape the sauce off the underside of the strainer.

2. Meanwhile, as the sauce simmers, roast the chicken: Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Pat the chicken legs dry and trim off any excess fat, leaving the skin intact.

3. Combine the seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, paprika and thyme in a small bowl and rub all over the chicken. Place the legs on a rimmed sheet pan, drizzle them with olive oil, and bake until golden brown but just shy of cooked through, about 30 minutes.

4. Once the chicken is golden brown, brush it generously with the barbecue sauce, return back to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees. Serve hot, with more barbecue sauce. (Save any leftover barbecue sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for future use.)

<b>Recipe: Sock-It-to-Me Cake </b>

By Millie Peartree

<i>This vintage cake recipe is part pound cake, part coffee cake, but, here, a crunchy brown sugar-pecan blend is inside the cake — rather than on top — for tidier eating and a better bite. Getting its name from a popular phrase in the 1960s, prominently featured in the song “Respect” by Aretha Franklin, this cake is made with abundance in mind. It’s inviting on its own, and perfect for coffee or brunch, or dessert. Make it for a group of people you love, or people you’re just getting to know. They’re going to ask you all about the recipe.</i>

Yield: 12 to 16 servings

Total time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

3 cups/344 grams cake flour, plus more for coating the pan

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup/100 grams chopped pecans

1/2 cup/110 grams dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups/340 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups/525 grams granulated sugar

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup/250 milliliters sour cream, at room temperature

Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the pan

For the Glaze:

2 cups/184 grams confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons milk, plus more as needed

Preparation:

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.

3. In a small bowl, toss together the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the granulated sugar and mix until light and fluffy, another 2 minutes, scraping down the sides. Add eggs, one at a time, waiting until each is fully mixed in before adding the next. Add the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with half the sour cream, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

5. Generously spray a 12-cup Bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and coat lightly with some cake flour, tapping out any excess over the sink.

6. Scoop half of the cake batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out, and spread the pecan mixture evenly over the top. Top with the remaining cake batter, spreading it in an even layer, and tap the pan on the counter to release air.

7. Bake until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

8. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife along the edges of the cake to make sure it isn’t sticking to the pan. The cake should naturally start pulling away within a few minutes of being out of the oven. Unmold onto a rack set over a baking sheet, and let cool to room temperature.

9. Make the glaze: To a medium bowl, add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and milk, and stir until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk. You want it to be thin enough to coat the back of the spoon. Pour over the cooled cake and serve.

This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-recipes-food.html">The New York Times</a>.