Renowned Savannah caterer and bon vivant Susan Mason shares her favorite timeless recipes.
Written by Kathryn Drury Wagner
Photography & Creative Direction by Claire Barrett
Location: The Olde Pink House (special thanks to Craig Jeffress)
Florals: Sebrell Smith, of Sebrell Smith Designer Events and Sandfly Flower Shop
Recipes: Susan Mason Catering
Hair and makeup: Genevieve Routon
Susan Mason sweeps into the Habersham Ballroom of The Olde Pink House wearing a flowing emerald skirt, a beautifully tailored cream top, and her signature ropes of pearls, looking every inch the former model she is. While she is known around town for her enviable fashion sense, Mason is, of course, more than a style icon. This year, the company she started, Susan Mason Catering, celebrates 40 years of defining Savannah’s tastes — literally. She and her team have catered thousands of weddings, cocktail parties, corporate events, and other celebrations, serving up a signature blend of Southern and French-influenced cuisine.
Mason’s relationship with The Olde Pink House runs deep. “One of my best friends [Donna Moeckel] owns the restaurant, and I have been going there for years,” she says. “I call it my office because I’m there so often.” Her daughter was married there, she celebrates all her birthdays there, and she’s close to the staff, attending their weddings and baby showers. “They even have a dish named for me — it’s a pasta dish with shrimp and tomatoes. It’s just a very special place to me.”
Growing up in small-town Alabama, Mason was not a born epicure. “I ate nothing but peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” she says. She started her business in 1985 when she had little money to her name and was in need of a fresh start after her marriage ended. “I just think you do whatever you have to do to survive. I really didn’t learn to cook until I had this business and had to earn a living.” Luckily, she came from a long line of excellent Southern cooks, including her mother and grandmother. She catered her first party, and, she says, “The phone started ringing. I was lucky.”
Since then, she’s gained loyal clients and staff, many of whom have worked with her for decades, as well as national acclaim. She’s rubbed elbows with Paul Newman, who sent her a copy of “Cool Hand Luke”; Tom Hanks, who was “fabulous,” and Rita Wilson (“adorable”); Diane von Furstenberg, who wanted Cornish hens served; and many other celebs. “It’s been a great run,” says Mason.
In addition to cooking, she also she learned to appear calm, no matter what. “Believe me, in 40 years I’ve had some disasters. But it’s important to go out into the crowd and look like you’ve got it, and that gives whoever your client is confidence.”
Her most-requested dishes today are still her classics: crab cakes, tomato sandwiches, Parmesan cheese rounds, fried oysters. “My friend asked me, ‘Why do you do the same thing?’ and I said, ‘Greg, because that is what people want.’”
Mason has a glamorous and age-defying style. “I am stopped every day of my life with people saying, ‘Wow, I love what you have on,’” she says. “I do think style is innate — that I just have an eye. I don’t spend a lot on clothes, but I do love to shop and have a love of clothes. My daddy, who had no money, had great style. He would wear white suits and spats. He was the best dresser in Dothan, Alabama. I think I got it from him.”
When we met up with Mason, she was about to turn 85 and was headed to Paris to celebrate. She credits her vigor and longevity to good genes, hard work, lots of social engagements, and plenty of wine. Still, it’s hard to believe, she says, how fast the decades go by. “I think about retiring, but I’m really not ready.”
Let’s hope she never is.
THE APPETIZER: Mother’s Oysters Rockefeller
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 dozen oysters, shucked
- 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- 6 drops Tabasco
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh onion
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup butter, melted
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Cooked and crumbled bacon
Place oysters in the bottom of buttered baking dish. Cook spinach and drain well. Add parsley, lemon juice, Tabasco, onion, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, and butter. Spread spinach mixture over the oysters. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake oysters at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, until bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Serve oysters on a tray covered with a bed of rock salt.
“This is a beautiful salad and very impressive to serve. This recipe is easy to put together but does take quite a bit of time.”
— Susan Mason
THE SALAD: Tomato-Avocado Ribbon Salad
Serves 6
AVOCADO LAYER:
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
- ½ cup water, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 drops Tabasco
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ cups sieved avocado
- A few drops of green food coloring
Soften gelatin in ¼ cup cold water. Add ¼ cup boiling water to dissolve. Add salt, lemon juice, and Tabasco. Cook until thickened. Add avocado and food coloring. Pour into a 9-by-5-inch pan and chill until almost firm.
CHEESE LAYER:
- 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- ½ cup cold water
- 4 3-ounce packages of cream cheese
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2⁄3 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops
Soften gelatin in cold water, then place in double boiler over already boiling water to dissolve. Beat together cheese and milk. Stir in other ingredients. Stir in gelatin. Pour over the avocado layer and chill until almost firm.
TOMATO LAYER:
- 3 cups tomato juice
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 2 lemon slices
- 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
- 2⁄3 cup cold tomato juice
- ¼ cup vinegar
Combine 3 cups tomato juice, celery, onion, lemon, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered, 10 minutes; strain. Sprinkle gelatin over cold tomato juice and vinegar to soften; stir in hot mixture until dissolved. Pour over cheese layer and chill until set. To serve, unmold on platter.
“Grilled or roasted juicy marinated pork tenderloin is bathed in a sweet and tangy cherry balsamic marinade, which doubles as a delicious sauce.”
— Susan Mason
THE ENTRÉE: Cherry Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 1½ cups cherries (fresh or frozen, then thawed) halved and pitted
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, plus a few sprigs for garnish
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
Combine all ingredients except pork in a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend mixture until smooth and pureed, about 45 seconds. This will make about 1½ cups. Reserve ½ cup of marinade for basting and another ½ cup to pass separately when serving.
Trim pork tenderloins of any excess fat or silver skin. Place pork in a resealable plastic bag.
Pour remaining ½ cup of marinade over the tenderloins. Seal bag and make sure all the meat is coated.
Marinate at least 30 minutes at room temperature or chill up to 48 hours. Remove pork from the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before grilling or roasting.
Prepare grill on medium-high heat.
Remove the tenderloins from the bag and place in the center of the grill. Discard bag with marinade.
Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 4 to 5 minutes, until the tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 140 to 145 degrees using an instant-read thermometer.
Let pork rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with cherries. Serve with reserved marinade.
“This cake says special occasion like no other dessert. Donna, my fabulous cook, takes orders for this especially at holiday time, and I can hardly keep enough red food coloring in the shop.”
— Susan Mason
THE DESSERT: Red Velvet Cake
Serves 12
Makes one two-layer, 9-inch cake
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2½ cups self-rising flour, plus extra for the cake pan
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups vegetable oil, plus extra for the cake pan
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Cream cheese frosting (see below)
- 1 cup pecan halves
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the vinegar, baking soda, and buttermilk. In a second medium-size mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt.
Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Tap out any excess flour. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, sugar, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened.
Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the egg mixture, beating for at least 2 to 3 minutes after each addition. When all the ingredients have been added to the bowl, beat another 3 to 4 minutes on high speed.
Mix in the red food coloring and vanilla until smooth. Divide the batter equally between the two cake pans and bake on center rack until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool 5 to 10 minutes in the pan. Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
Frost the top of the first round about ½ inch thick with frosting, avoiding the edges by about ½ inch. Put the second round on top and press slightly to line up with the first round. Frost the sides then the top. Decorate with pecan halves, if desired.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 16-ounce box confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecan pieces, chopped
Place all ingredients except pecans in a medium-size mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until completely combined and smooth. Add pecan pieces and mix until just combined.
If made one day ahead of time, the frosting can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated; it should be brought to room temperature before frosting the cake.
Variation: walnut pieces instead of pecans
