Cooking web notes

Sufferin’ Succotash

A H Wray

Succotash is from the Narragansett Indian word ‘msikwatash’, meaning boiled corn kernels and that can’t begin to define this great tasting vegetable dish.    It is a traditional Thanksgiving dish that Mom always served.  Consisting mainly of lima beans and corn, it seems like it might be a plain dish, however; when the cream, butter, seasonings and bacon are added to the vegetables, it transforms into a tasty and comforting side dish, which leads me to “Sufferin’ succotash.”

Hopefully, Mel Blanc was a fan of succotash because he certainly helped make “Sufferin’ succotash” famous!   He was the voice for Looney Tunes’ Sylvester the Cat; you know --- the cat with the slobbery lisp.  The expression is said to be a euphemism of “Sufferin’ Savior.”  Daffy Duck was known to say “Sufferin’ Succotash” also a time or two.  Enjoy your succotash!

Simply Succotash

Ingredients:

4 slices fried bacon

1 T. shallots, chopped

1-10 oz. pkg. frozen baby lima beans

1 10 oz. pkg. frozen shoepeg corn

3 T. butter

½ t. salt

½ t. pepper

½ c. heavy cream

½ t. paprika

Fry bacon, drain well and crumble.  Saute shallots.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan, bring water and lima beans to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add corn, return to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 3 minutes.

Drain corn and lima beans well.

Add shallots, butter, cream, salt and pepper to corn mixture. 

Cook, stirring until cream is simmering and vegetables are tender, about 2 or 3 minutes.

Transfer to a serving dish.

Sprinkle paprika over top.

Crumble bacon over all and serve.

4-6 servings

"Sufferin' succotash!"

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 4:55 AM and is filed under Bacon, Corn, Holidays, Lima beans, Shallots, Side Dish, Vegetables. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.