Recipes by Marcus Stone
20 recipes
Cast-Iron Ribeyes with Collard & Spring Onion Salsa Verde
Searing a thick ribeye in a smoking-hot cast-iron pan is a Southern Sunday tradition I cherish, but I like to bring a little Charleston fine-dining technique to the party. We baste these steaks with foaming butter and thyme, then pour those savory drippings straight into a bright, herbaceous salsa verde made from raw, vinegar-massaged collards. That little splash of fish sauce in the greens is my secret umami handshake—it gives you that low-and-slow depth in a matter of minutes.
Brown Butter-Seared Lump Crab & Spring Garlic Folded Omelet
Growing up in Atlanta, any crab leftover from a weekend boil ended up hard-scrambled into our morning eggs. After learning the finesse of the pan in Charleston, I wanted to honor that memory while elevating the technique. We pan-sear sweet lump crab in brown butter just enough to wake it up, then gently fold it into delicate, custardy eggs with early spring garlic and a hidden splash of fish sauce.
Pecan-Crusted Shallow-Fried Catfish with Creamed Butter Beans & Raw Collard Slaw
Growing up, Friday night fish fries were a sacred neighborhood institution, marked by the sizzle of cornmeal hitting hot oil. I've evolved that memory by cutting the cornmeal with ground pecans for a rich, shattering crust, and serving it over creamy, garlic-laced butter beans instead of the usual hushpuppies. A bright, raw collard slaw tossed with a touch of fish sauce cuts right through the richness, honoring the soul of Southern traditions while giving them a fresh, chef-driven update.
Potlikker-Braised Spring Lamb Shanks with Benne Seed Drop Biscuits & Pickled Radish Relish
Growing up in Atlanta, the first hint of spring meant my grandmother was slow-roasting lamb for Sunday supper, while the back burner held a pot of long-simmered greens. Here, I’ve married those memories by braising tender lamb shanks directly in a savory potlikker broth spiked with my secret weapon—a splash of fish sauce. We drop benne seed biscuits right into the bubbling broth at the end, finishing it all with a bright, quick-pickled spring radish relish to wake up the palate.
Delicate Sautéed Shrimp with Bourbon-Fish Sauce Butter & Quick Okra Relish
A lot of Southern starters lean heavy and deep-fried, but working the line in Charleston taught me to treat our coastal catch with absolute restraint. We’re doing a delicate, gentle sauté here, finishing the sweet shrimp in a butter pan sauce spiked with bourbon, lemon, and my secret weapon—a splash of fish sauce for deep umami. Topped with a bright, crunchy okra relish, this is pure elegance on a plate.
Weeknight Turkey Leg Braise in Sweet-Onion Potlikker with Charred Lemon, White Beans & Pepper-Vinegar Greens
This is my weeknight answer to Sunday-supper comfort: bone-in turkey legs quick-braised until the meat slips, then finished in a potlikker-style broth built from browned onions, garlic, a little vinegar snap, and a chef’s splash of fish sauce for depth. I serve it with creamy white beans that drink up that liquor and a quick skillet of greens brightened with pepper vinegar—big heritage flavor, but lighter and cleaner than a stew.
Cast-Iron Grits & Greens Breakfast Cassolettes with Quick-Braised Mustard Greens, Mushroom “Gravy,” and Pepper-Jelly Butter
On winter mornings in my grandmother’s Atlanta kitchen, the stove was a promise: something warm was coming. This dish keeps that spirit but moves with a chef’s rhythm—stone-ground grits set up thick, quick-braised mustard greens folded in, then everything gets baked in a cast-iron skillet with a savory mushroom-onion “gravy” and a finish of pepper-jelly butter that melts into all the right places. It’s make-ahead friendly, deeply comforting, and built for reheating like a dream.
Sunday Lunch Roast Turkey “Debris” Melt with Quick Pickled Cranberry-Onion & Cornbread-Seed Crunch
This is my Sunday-lunch sandwich for the week after a roast—thin-sliced, low-and-slow turkey breast warmed in its own savory drippings, stacked high, then griddled until the bread goes shatter-crisp and the cheese turns lava. I finish it with a quick pickle that tastes like February to me—cranberry and red onion—plus a cornbread-and-seed crunch that nods to my grandmother’s skillet cornbread without turning this into stuffing-on-bread. It’s built for leftovers, but it eats like a chef made it on purpose.
Friday-Night Oxtail “Sunday Gravy” with Red Wine, Carolina Gold Rice & Skillet Cornbread with Scallion-Chive Butter
When I was a kid in Atlanta, “Sunday gravy” meant something was simmering long enough to make the whole house slow down—usually a pot of something red, meaty, and proud. This is my Friday-night version: oxtails braised until they surrender into a glossy tomato-red wine gravy, spooned over Carolina Gold rice, with a crackly skillet cornbread on the side to swipe the plate clean.
Ham Hock & Charred Cabbage Comfort Soup with Pickled Sweet-Heat Apples and Cornbread Crumb Crunch
This is the kind of February soup I grew up watching my grandmother build from “what we had”: a smoked ham hock, a humble head of cabbage, and time. I manage the smoke like I learned in Charleston—gentle extraction, then balance—with charred cabbage for depth, a slick of peppery mustardy broth, and a modern topper of quick-pickled apples plus a crunchy cornbread crumb that turns every bowl into a full experience.
Cast-Iron Seared Collard “Steaks” with Vinegar-Braised White Beans, Charred Onion & Benne Crunch
When I was a kid in Atlanta, collards meant a pot that stayed on the stove like a porch light—always on, always welcoming. This is my Monday-night version of that Sunday-supper feeling: I sear big, intact collard leaves in cast iron until they get a little smoky and sweet, then finish them in a tangy vinegar braise with creamy white beans, charred onion, and a benne-seed crunch that makes the whole skillet sing.
Saturday Night Short Ribs with Cocoa–Coffee Pan Reduction, Creamy Parsnip Grits & Pickled Red Onion–Raisin Relish
When I want a cozy winter supper that still feels like we lit a few extra candles on purpose, I reach for bone-in short ribs and let time do the heavy lifting. These braise low and slow in coffee, beef stock, and a whisper of cocoa until the meat surrenders, then I reduce the braising liquid into a glossy, spoon-coating sauce. Right at the end, a bright pickled red onion–raisin relish cuts through all that richness the way my grandmother’s pantry pickles used to wake up a whole plate.
Weeknight Pork Shoulder Steaks Braised in Apple–Cider Pepper Sauce with Skillet Gravy & Mustard-Braised Cabbage
When I was a kid in Atlanta, pork shoulder steaks were the “make it taste like Sunday” cut—cheap, forgiving, and built for a little time on the stove while homework happened at the table. I keep that spirit, but I sharpen the edges with apple cider, whole peppercorns, and a whisper of fish sauce, then turn the braise into a fast pan gravy that tastes like you cooked all day.
Smoked Turkey & Slow-Simmered Anson Beans Bowl with Skillet Cornbread Wedges and Chowchow-Style Cabbage Pickles
This is my February lunch bowl when I want something that eats like Sunday dinner but moves like weekday lunch: a pot of slow-simmered beans perfumed with smoked turkey, finished bright with vinegar and a slick of peppery oil. I serve it over a hot wedge of skillet cornbread so it soaks up every drop, then I cut through the richness with crunchy chowchow-style cabbage pickles—my nod to the jars that used to live in my grandmother’s fridge door in Atlanta.
Sunday Skillet Grits & Greens Bake with Sausage, Cheddar Crust & Black-Pepper–Sage Pan Gravy
This is my kind of Sunday big-pan breakfast: creamy stone-ground grits baked in cast iron until they set like a soft pie, kissed with sharp cheddar, tangled with sturdy winter greens, and studded with browned breakfast sausage. The whole thing gets crowned with a black-pepper–sage pan gravy made right in the same skillet—because in my grandmother’s kitchen, the pan always told the truth.
Lunch Counter Catfish Melt on Pan-Toasted Rye with Quick Pickled Celery & Green Chile Tartar
This one’s my love letter to the Southern lunch counter: a hot, crunchy catfish fillet tucked into pan-toasted rye, slicked with a sharp green-chile tartar and finished with quick-pickled celery for that old-school snap. My grandmother used to save the “pretty” celery hearts for chicken salad—today I’m pickling them fast and piling them on a Friday sandwich that eats like a victory lap. Cozy, yes—but with a clean, briny edge that keeps you reaching back in for another bite.
Wednesday Skillet Chicken Thighs with Sorghum–Soy Braised Onions, Charred Lemon & Crispy Cornmeal Schmears
This is my cold-Wednesday kind of supper: bone-in chicken thighs braised down in sweet onions and a glossy, savory sorghum–soy pan liquor, then finished hot in cast iron until the skin turns shattery-crisp. I learned the comfort part standing at my grandmother’s stove in Atlanta, breathing in onions melting into chicken drippings; the chef part is the little Southern-umami nudge and the cast-iron crisp at the end. Serve it with quick crispy cornmeal “schmears” that drink up the sauce like they were born for it.
Cast-Iron Peanut–Corn Fritters with Hot Vinegar Comeback Drizzle
Game-day snack energy with my grandma’s hushpuppy spirit—only I’m pushing it forward with roasted peanuts for crunch and a tangy, peppery vinegar finishing sauce that wakes the whole skillet up. These fry up crisp in cast iron, hold beautifully at room temp, and the drizzle can be made days ahead so you’re not stuck in the kitchen when the shouting starts.
Cast-Iron Brussels Sprouts with Country Ham “Cracklins,” Cane Syrup Shine & Hot Vinegar Glaze
This is my Saturday-supper answer to old-school Southern greens: Brussels sprouts seared hard in a cast-iron skillet until crisp at the edges, then lacquered in a hot vinegar glaze that wakes the whole table up. I finish them with salty little bits of country ham, toasted benne seeds, and a whisper of cane syrup—like collards got invited to a dinner party and showed up wearing a pressed suit.
Southern Deli-Style Braised Chuck “Roast Beef” Sandwiches with Quick Pickled Mustard Greens & Comeback Jus
This is my Atlanta deli-counter daydream: beef chuck braised low and slow until it shreds like the best “roast beef” you ever had—only deeper, richer, and made for a lunchbox. I pile it onto soft rolls with sharp, snappy quick-pickled mustard greens and a little comeback-style jus for dipping. It’s old-school comfort with a chef’s nudge: a touch of fish sauce in the braise and a peppery pickle that wakes the whole sandwich up.