What's more southern than the iconic soft drink created in Atlanta, Georgia? Mixing it into some Southern recipes, of course.
Coca-Cola, created by pharmacist John Pemberton after the Civil War, has an important role in southern culture. We use "co*ke" to refer to any soft drink, asking our guests, “Would you like a Co-Cola?" And who in the south hasn't tried putting peanuts in their co*ke bottle to get that taste like no other? So it's no surprise we cook with it, too. You can find dozens of recipes at Coca-ColaCompany.com, like the ones below.
CHOCOLATE CAKE
Coca-Cola Cake, shown at top, is a moister and richer version of ordinary chocolate cake, topped chocolate icing made from co*ke.
One reason for the richness? It includes marshmallows melted into the batter. Yum! The version of the recipe shared here was originally published in “Atlanta Cooknotes" by the Junior League of Atlanta. Click here for the recipe.
FRIED CHICKEN
This recipe comes from Beard Award-winning chef John Currence, who recently opened his restaurant Big Bad Breakfast in downtown Birmingham. Currence says of the recipe: “One of the things most folks don't realize is that chefs in the south, all of us, take our fried chicken very seriously. It's sort of a badge of honor." Currence, who was born in New Orleans, said, “I promise you, that's the best fried chicken you ever ate."Click here for his instructional video.
Source: Coca-Cola Co.
CONGEALED SALAD
Everyone knows a true southerner cook can suspend anything in gelatin. In this case, that includes pineapple, cherries, nuts and co*ke.Find the recipe by clicking here.
Click here for another congealed salad recipe with co*ke, called Southern Belle Salad.
Source: Coca-Cola Co.
GULF SHRIMP (inspired by George Washington Carver)
This shrimp recipe on the co*ke website may be simple but it has a great – and very southern – back story. The co*ke website says, “After a semester-long independent study on George Washington Carver to support a local history museum, Tuskegee University student Irene Jones was prompted to recreate some of the dishes in Carver's bulletins from the early-1900s. After several unsuccessful attempts, Irene was inspired to come up with a dish of her own."
Photo by Ashley Callahan via Coca-Cola Co.
MARDI GRAS KING CAKE
Whether you Mardi Gras in Mobile or New Orleans, your party requires a King cake. This year, try it with co*ke. The co*ke website says, “we'll add a new twist to the old favorite by creating a unique and delicious pastry." Click here for the recipe.
AL.com File Photo
PECAN PIE
I didn't find a recipe for Coca-Cola pecan pie on the co*ke website, but it just wouldn't be a list of southern foods without pecan pie. I found a great looking recipe on the Just a Pinch site. Click here for directions.
AL.com File Photo
BARBECUE SAUCE
Southerners can't resist a good barbecue sauce. Try the Coca-Cola Co.'s Secret Ingredient Sauce. (Spoiler alert: The "secret" ingredient is co*ke.) Click here for the recipe.
Johhny Autry via Coca-Cola.com
BAKED HAM
There are a couple of recipes for Coca-Cola Ham on the co*ke website, including one for a Cherry co*ke Ham youcan find by clicking here.
Source: Coca-Cola Co.
Coca-Cola Glazed Ham with Brown Sugar and Dijon
David Holloway, a food writer for AL.com in Alabama, also shared the recipe below, which he said is one of his most requested dishes. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 10-12 pound bone-in, cured ham
- 1 large oven bag (holds 8-25 pounds)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
- 1 large orange, washed and cut into 6 wedges (optional)
- 1 12-ounce can Coca-Cola (not diet)
Instructions:
Trim any excess skin and/or fat from the ham. Using a sharp knife, score the ham in a diamond pattern making 1/4-inch deep slices.
Place the ham in the oven bag set in a large roasting pan. Roll the sides of the bag down so that the bag is open wide and you can get your hands around the ham easily.
Combine brown sugar and Dijon mustard in a small bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.
Rub sugar mixture all over ham.
Place orange wedges in the bottom of the bag around the ham. Pour the co*ke into the bag (don't pour the co*ke over the ham or it will wash the sugar mixture off — just pour it in near the bottom of the ham).
“Puff up" the bag a little by gathering air or blowing into the bag so that the bag isn't touching the ham. Making sure to keep a loose fit around the ham, close the bag tightly with the provided tie. You should end up with what looks something like a two-day old mylar balloon with a ham inside it. Using a small, sharp knife, make three small slits in the top of the bag for ventilation (don't skip this step or the bag will burst wide open and the ham won't be able to self-baste).
Move your oven rack just low enough that the bag won't touch the upper elements in your oven then bake at 350 degrees for 2-2 1/2 hours or until browned and caramelized.
Remove ham from oven and rest, inside the bag, for 30 minutes before serving.
