By the time “The Chesapeake Bay Cookbook: Rediscovering the Pleasures of a Great Regional Cuisine” was published in the early 1990s, Maryland Chesapeake cuisine’s star had nearly faded into obscurity (as the title suggests).
Mid-century cookbooks such as Mrs. J. Millard Tawes’ “Favorite Maryland Recipes” and the edited and updated edition of Mrs. B.C. Howard’s “Fifty Years in a Maryland Kitchen” revisited the classics, but today their recipes seem dated with some of the culinary peculiarities that marked that time.
The return to fresh and local was just beginning to gain steam, and Shields’ books and television appearances brought those ideals back home to Maryland when he left his West Coast restaurant behind.
I had always intended to interview Shields for Old Line Plate. It was opportune then to learn that a 25th Anniversary Edition of “Chesapeake Bay Cooking with John Shields” was being released this fall on its rightful home, Johns Hopkins Press.
My recording device failed me (don’t use this thing) but nonetheless we had an informative little chat.
For those unfamiliar with John Shields, he is known for the aforementioned book plus several others, in addition to hosting an engaging public television show demonstrating cooking techniques and traveling Maryland exploring our culinary heritage.
In the past, Shields’ books have served as interpretation for some of the recipes I’ve featured on Old Line plate. When an old “receipt” says “add some cornmeal and cook it until it’s done,” the Shields version can clarify a little.
While the mid-century visitations of Maryland food sometimes took a few too many liberties, John Shields maintains the integrity of foods like scrapple, Maryland Fried Chicken, and Shad Roe. (The latter two are featured in the new book.)
Asked about how things have changed over those 25 years, Shields pointed primarily to innovations that may help bring Chesapeake delicacies back in a sustainable way. As John points out, traditionally, “oyster was king. It wasn’t until more recently that crab was popular.” And now oyster farming is taking hold and cleaning up the waters, companies such as Nice creamery are providing dairy from grass-fed and hormone-free cows, and local farms like One Straw are growing produce that tastes superior without sending damaging byproducts into the bay.
Where Maryland falls behind, according to Shields, is our lack of a practical distribution network for smaller farms. Models exist in other places such as Vermont and Portland.
Shields plans to explore some of these issues and their effect on the culinary scene in a future book.
Currently, Shields owns the locally beloved Gertrude’s restaurant at the Baltimore Museum of Art. I attended a recent event where proceeds were contributed towards the National Aquarium’s Sustainable Seafood Program. Since I didn’t get the ‘Soft-Shell Crab Moutarde’ that night I later made it at home to accompany this article. The recipe can be found in Chesapeake Bay Cooking.
According to Shields, some of the recipes have been cleaned up with some omissions or unfavorable changes made by the previous publisher corrected.
In the midst of wrapping up the re-released and updated book, and the flurry of press that goes with it, the executive pastry chef at Gertrude’s, Doug Wetzel, suffered liver and kidney failure while participating in a triathlon. He was in intensive care for months, and the Baltimore culinary community took to action.
Local chefs and restaurants pitched in to help raise money for Wetzel’s Medical care. Shields describes the response as “gratifying and humbling to see.”
To wrap up our chat, I asked about the controversial Maryland Fried Chicken steaming step, and Shields weighed in firmly “pro.” His recipe marinades the chicken in buttermilk, followed by a toss in flour. Next, “you brown the chicken in very hot oil, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to steam the chicken; this keeps the meat moist while producing a crisp coating.” Serve with the cream gravy. Alternative method: go get the chicken at Gertrude’s on Tuesdays.
