Recipes by Marcus Stone
20 recipes
Chilled Lump Crab & Quick-Marinated Butter Bean Picnic Salad
When July hits the South, the heat tells you exactly what to eat. Growing up, my grandmother always packed a butter bean and sweet corn salad for our summer picnics under the shade of massive live oaks. I've taken her humble classic and elevated it for a refined afternoon spread: the vegetables get a quick, bright marination with a splash of my secret weapon—fish sauce—while pristine lump crab takes a brief, icy chill with citrus and herbs.
Souffléd Cornmeal & Summer Blueberry Griddle Cakes
Growing up in Atlanta, my grandmother made cornmeal hoecakes that were hearty enough to get you through a long day, but occasionally a bit heavy. Years later in Charleston, I learned the magic of folding whipped egg whites into batters. This recipe honors that old-school Southern cornmeal flavor but introduces a soufflé-like aeration, giving you a melt-in-your-mouth griddle cake studded with bursting July blueberries.
Flash-Fried Smashed Okra with Benne Seed Chili Crunch
My grandmother battered and deep-fried her okra in tiny rounds, but I wanted to capture that crunch without hiding the beautiful green pod. By gently smashing whole okra and flash-frying it in smoking hot cast-iron, we create ragged edges that crisp up miraculously in seconds. Tossed in a warm benne seed and sorghum chili crunch with just a whisper of fish sauce, it's a side dish that'll steal the spotlight from whatever else is on the table.
Cast-Iron Thick-Cut Pork Chops with Miso-Garlic Basting Butter & Wilted Mustards
Growing up in Atlanta, the smell of pork fat and garlic hitting a hot cast-iron skillet meant Sunday dinner was almost ready. I've taken my grandmother's classic pan-fried pork chops and elevated them with a chef's continuous baste of brown butter, fresh thyme, and white miso for deep, earthy umami. Served over fresh mustard greens flashed right in the pan drippings, this dish honors Southern tradition while pushing the flavors boldly forward.
Cast-Iron Independence Day Ribeye with Sorghum-Umami Basting Butter
Growing up in Atlanta, the Fourth of July meant a yard full of smoke and my uncles arguing over the grill, but the real magic was happening inside where my grandmother was building a perfect crust on meats in her ancient cast-iron skillet. This thick-cut ribeye honors those cookouts, seared hard and continuously basted in a rich, distinctly Southern compound butter spiked with sweet sorghum and umami-packed fish sauce. It's the ultimate showstopper for an elevated Independence Day feast that bridges traditional comfort with a chef's touch.
Southern Heirloom Tomato & Caramelized Vidalia Tart
My grandmother made a tomato pie that tasted like pure summer, but the bottom crust was always a little... forgiving. This tart is my answer to that Southern staple. We're using fine-dining pastry techniques to blind bake a black pepper buttermilk crust that stays perfectly crisp, then layering it with fish-sauce-caramelized Vidalia onions, sharp cheddar, and July's finest heirlooms.
Charred Peach & Shaved Country Ham Tartines with Whipped Buttermilk Ricotta
When I was a boy in Atlanta, granddaddy would slice salt-cured ham right off the bone, and we'd eat it alongside fresh, juice-down-your-chin summer peaches. This lunch tartine elevates that raw childhood memory into something elegant. The salty, deeply savory country ham meets the caramelized sweetness of charred peaches, balanced by tangy whipped ricotta and a kiss of chili-spiked sorghum.
Cast-Iron Crisped Andouille & Heritage Grit Cakes
Leftover Sunday grits were a Monday morning treasure in my grandmother's Atlanta kitchen, fried in a well-seasoned skillet until they had a crust that practically shattered. For this elevated brunch, we're slowly crisping smoky Andouille sausage to render out that spicy, bright red fat, then using it as liquid gold to sear sharp cheddar and umami-spiked grit cakes. Topped with a sunny-side egg and a sharp cane syrup vinaigrette, it's a testament to how Southern traditions can evolve without losing their soul.
Cast-Iron Smothered Bone-In Chicken Thighs with Umami Mushroom Gravy
Growing up, my grandmother's smothered chicken was a Sunday institution, slow-cooked until it completely surrendered to the pan gravy. In this elevated version, we use a screaming hot cast-iron skillet to get beautifully crisp skin on bone-in thighs before sinking them into a rich, savory gravy built on sweet Vidalia onions and wild mushrooms. My little update to her classic recipe? A splash of fish sauce to bring out an irresistible, deeply savory backbone that honors the soul of Southern cooking while pushing the flavors forward.
Pan-Fried Breakfast Catfish with Black Pepper Biscuits & Heirloom Tomato Gravy
Saturday mornings in my grandmother's house meant fresh catfish hitting a hot cast-iron skillet before the sun was fully up. I've taken her classic Southern breakfast and elevated it for your summer brunch table, layering crispy cornmeal-crusted catfish over flaky homemade black pepper biscuits. It's smothered in an umami-rich heirloom tomato gravy with my signature splash of fish sauce, then crowned with a runny fried egg to bring it all together.
Cast-Iron Bone-In Pork Chops with Sticky Bourbon-Mustard BBQ Glaze
Summer thunderstorms in Atlanta used to wash out our backyard cookouts, but my grandmother never let that ruin dinner. She’d bring the barbecue inside, using her heavy cast-iron skillet to build a crust on thick chops before lacquering them in a quick, sticky pan glaze. This elevated take uses bourbon, coarse mustard, and my secret weapon—a splash of fish sauce—to create deep, smoky barbecue flavor without ever lighting a coal.
Lowcountry Blue Crab & Sweet Corn Picnic Rolls
Down in Charleston, blue crab is practically a religion, and this picnic-ready roll treats those sweet, snowy lumps with the respect they deserve. By using a gentle folding technique, we keep the meat beautifully intact while binding it with a bright, umami-spiked dressing. Tucked into a butter-toasted bun with crisp summer corn, it is the ultimate Southern summer lunch under a live oak tree.
Cornmeal-Fried Green Tomato Picnic Sandwiches with Umami Pepper Mayo
My grandmother believed a proper picnic wasn't just a meal outdoors—it was an event meant to be savored. I've updated her classic fried green tomato sandwiches with a heavily seasoned cornmeal dredge that stays impossibly crispy, even wrapped in wax paper. A dash of fish sauce in the black pepper mayonnaise bridges the tartness of the tomato and the smokiness of thick-cut bacon, creating a deeply savory bite that tastes like Southern summertime.
Cast-Iron Crispy Okra & Sweet Potato Morning Hash
People will tell you okra only belongs in a long-simmered gumbo or a deep fryer. My grandmother knew better. A hard, fast sear in a cast-iron skillet transforms fresh morning okra into crispy, caramelized perfection. Tossed with sweet potatoes, thick-cut bacon, and a splash of my signature fish sauce and apple cider vinegar blend, this hash redefines the Southern breakfast.
Savannah-Style Country Ham & Aged Cheddar Spoonbread
Spoonbread is the soufflé of the South—a rich, custard-like cornmeal bake that practically floats off the table. My grandmother taught me the secret to the perfect texture, but I bring a chef's touch with crispy, salty country ham, sharp aged cheddar, and a whisper of fish sauce for deep umami. Baked in a screaming-hot cast-iron skillet, it develops an irresistible golden crust while staying incredibly creamy inside.
Cast-Iron Shallow-Fried Catfish with Sweet Corn Emulsion & Pickled Collard Slaw
Growing up in Atlanta, Friday nights meant folding tables, newspaper tablecloths, and my grandmother standing over a cast-iron skillet of bubbling oil. I’ve taken those core fish fry memories and given them a Charleston fine-dining spin. The shatteringly crisp, cornmeal-crusted catfish sits on a silky sweet corn emulsion, balanced beautifully by a bright, raw quick-pickled collard green slaw that cuts right through the richness.
Grilled Bone-In Chicken Thighs with Charred Peach & Fish Sauce Glaze
Summers in Atlanta meant backyard cookouts where the air smelled like burning hickory and my grandmother's sweet, sticky barbecue sauce. For this modern cookout lunch, we're taking early June peaches, charring them right on the grates, and building an umami-rich glaze with sorghum and a splash of fish sauce. It caramelizes into a deep mahogany crust on these juicy bone-in thighs that will completely steal the show.
Grandma's Dilly Bean & Fingerling Picnic Salad
My grandmother's church picnic basket was never without a sweating mason jar of crispy, garlicky dilly beans. For this hearty lunch, I've turned her heritage preservation technique into the star of a vibrant potato salad. Tossed in a sorghum-mustard vinaigrette spiked with my signature splash of fish sauce, it's a make-ahead masterpiece that only gets better in the cooler.
Shallow-Fried Soft-Shell Crab Biscuits with Umami Pepper Jelly
Soft-shell crab season is a fleeting, magical time here in the South, and there's no better way to celebrate it than first thing in the morning. We're shallow-frying these early-summer beauties in cast iron until they have a shatteringly crisp crust, then sandwiching them in warm chive drop biscuits with a runny farm egg. A quick spike of fish sauce in sweet pepper jelly ties it all together, adding a deeply savory, Southern-meets-modern backbone that cuts right through the richness.
Cast-Iron Blistered Summer Okra with Sungold Tomatoes & Sorghum-Umami Vinaigrette
If you think you don't like okra, I'm here to change your mind. We bypass the stew pot entirely, using blistering cast-iron heat to eliminate any sliminess while coaxing out a deeply roasted, nutty flavor. Tossed with sweet summer corn and finished with a vinaigrette that marries traditional Southern sorghum with a modern hit of savory fish sauce, this side dish tastes like a late-June evening in Atlanta.