It’s just about the end of the summer squash season in Georgia, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t share this recipe. I know I could have put it off until next Spring, but when I asked myself “why?,” I couldn’t come up with a good excuse.
If you’re from the South and you're partial to yellow squash, be it straight-neck, crook-neck, or ‘humungous’ - the sort I get free from a friend who’s an admitted “gardenin’ fool,” and can’t help growing too much for him to eat by himself - you’ll probably recognize this countrified concoction, if not by recipe, then by the flavor when you eat it. Here’s how my Nannie made it.
Country-Fried Squash6 C fresh yellow squash, quartered lengthwise, quarters then cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices.
1 C (more or less, to taste) rough-chopped (½-inch or so pieces) yellow or Spanish onion.
1 T bacon grease.
Salt.
Black pepper.
In a large, heavy skillet (cast iron, preferably) over a LOW fire, sweat the onions in the bacon grease until the onions are translucent. Then add the squash.
Stir the mixture thoroughly. What you want is to coat the squash evenly with the onions and bacon grease.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. What we’re doing here is softening the squash and getting the water in the squash to come out into the skillet.
Break the squash slices up. A potato-masher comes in handy here.
Turn the fire up to MEDIUM and cook uncovered until the most of water boils off. This concentrates the flavor of the squash and onion. You’re done when water no longer pools in the skillet You’ve reached this point when no water pools in the bottom of the skillet when you expose it by moving the contents aside.
Reduce heat to LOW and continue to cook, uncovered, until the squash begins to brown. Be careful here, because things can get out of hand quickly if you’re not paying attention. You can easily end up with burned squash.
Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately.
Happy cooking!
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