America Eats! by Pat Willard

Author:Pat Willard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Published: 2011-01-14T16:00:00+00:00

F. M. Gay’s barbecue given on his plantation every year, Alabama, between 1930 and 1941. (Photographed as part of the America Eats! project)

If the area’s distinct culture is slowly being diluted, the benefit of the buyout program is not an arguable point: it’s better to keep the land thriving and in family hands than to see it plowed under for a Wal-Mart parking lot. It is also decidedly pleasant to sip wine in the late afternoon sun in a bucolic garden overlooking beautiful, flourishing vineyards. It will be a long time coming before the Yadkin Valley comes anywhere close to the Napa Valley and yet it’s heading that way. That’s both a happy and something of a sad turn of events.

Recipes

Since the America Eats! papers did not include a recipe for chicken pilau, I looked for a recipe that closely reflects what was described in the papers. The following recipe is from the Historical Cookbook of the American Negro (reprinted by Beacon Press, 2000). The chicken corn chowder is an amalgamation from various cooks in Boalsburg, and the pie is my own.

Chicken Pilau

1 pound whole chicken

Salt and pepper

2 thick slices of salt pork, diced finely

1½ cups rice

2 medium-size onions, diced finely

¼ cup celery, diced finely

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Clean the inside cavity of the chicken well and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a stockpot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the chicken until the meat is tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let cool, reserving the broth. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut the meat into serving pieces. Discard the bones.

Fry the salt pork in a large skillet until it is slightly browned. Add the rice and cook over a medium-low flame until the rice is golden brown. Stir in the onions and celery, and cook for a minute or two. Then add the chicken and 1 ½ cups of the reserved chicken broth (add water if needed to make 1½ cups). Season with salt and pepper and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

Serves 4.

Chicken Corn Chowder

6 slices bacon, diced

½ cup finely chopped onion

½ cup finely chopped celery

1½ cups water

2 cups cream-style canned corn

2 cups cooked diced or shredded chicken

2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups hot milk

Salt and pepper

In a stockpot, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease from the pot. Sauté the onion and celery in the bacon grease for about 3 minutes. Add the water, corn, chicken, and chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter, then add the flour and blend to a smooth paste. Add the hot milk and stir until smooth.

Add the thickened milk to the chicken mixture, stirring until well blended and heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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