Since 1926, the Agricultural Review has been a free newspaper published by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. For many years, The Tar Heel Kitchen was a featured column written by the department’s marketing home economist.
These recipes tended to be seasonal with just a handful of ingredients. We thought these recipes needed to be shared in a new format. The Tar Heel Kitchen post will unearth a few of these timeless recipes each month. This week we are revisiting the June 1, 1976, issue and a delicious North Carolina Chicken Cooking contest winner.
“Whether by coincidence or design, the Bicentennial 13th annual North Carolina Chicken Cooking Contest had only women contestants,” said York Kiker, former home economist. “Ordinarily several men are strong contenders and winners. Were the ladies asserting independence, claiming thirteen as their lucky number, or simply better cooks this year than men?”
Ten women from the mountains to the coast competed in the competition. The winner, Mrs. Donald Griffin of Jamestown, received a microwave oven and an all-expense paid trip to the national competition in Philadelphia. The national competition offered a top prize of $10,000.
The state competition was “a way of paying tribute to the amazing North Carolina poultry industry,” said Kiker. In 1976, Kiker notes that broilers provided 11.7 percent of North Carolina agricultural income and represented the state’s largest food industry. Today, broilers represent more than 20 percent of the state’s farm cash receipts.
Below is Mrs. Griffin’s winning recipe.
Chicken Hash on Corn Waffles
- 1 broiler-fryer, cut in parts
- 1/3 cup Mazola corn oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup coarsely chopped celery
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon Accent flavor
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Heat corn oil and butter in fry pan over medium heat. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Cook until fork can be inserted with ease. Cool. Remove meat from bones and cut into small pieces. Add onion and celery; cook until tender but not brown. Add the flour and stir to blend with pan juices. Add chicken and flavor enhancer. Add broth all at once, and stir until gravy thickens. Add salt and pepper. Serve over corn waffles. Yields 6 servings.
Corn Waffles
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ cups milk
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1 cup self-rising yellow cornmeal
- 5 tablespoons bacon drippings
Beat together eggs and milk. Add the flour and cornmeal all at once and stir. Add drippings and stir again. Bake on waffle iron at medium heat.