Tulips and anemones have appeared at the Carrboro Farmers Market, but the food selections remain wintery. There are some greens, but mostly just potatoes, onions, turnips and other root vegetables. On one hand, I know that we’re lucky to have these, but on the other, how many more sweet potato gratins can one face?

Farmers that I talked with are a little concerned with all of the rain. Super wet ground can make spring planting more difficult. The abundance of cold grey days has been a challenge for restaurants hoping to squeak through all of this with sidewalk dining as well. It is warming, shall we say, to see people in heavy coats huddled around fire boxes in front of places on Franklin Street eating supper. At this point, it almost seems like our civic duty.

I’ve certainly been doing my part. I think I mentioned in an earlier column how quickly I grew tired of cooking for myself at home. Imagine how I feel after a year. This is aggravated by the fact that every once in a while, despite my reputation, I can produce something really awful. The worst meatloaf that I have ever put in my mouth comes to mind. Happily, there are lots of great places with takeout within biking distance of my house and I’m doing all I can to keep them going. And, as noted above, there are more and more places that have figured out how to seat people safely, sometimes actually indoors.

My duties at Crook’s Corner are less nebulous than they were a month ago. I am mainly overseeing takeout dinners for Carrboro United. Takeout is still a large portion of the business so sometimes this can mean cooking supper for 60 people, pretty much by myself. I try to time my work when the kitchen is less crowded if not empty. I used to be good at estimating amounts, but two years away from that kind of thing have dulled my instincts. I’m often having to make second batches of things at the last minute because I miscalculated. There are two different menus a week and I try to choose stuff from my old repertoire that will travel well and reheat well. Things that are roasted or stewed are often what I choose.

We are all wondering what the restaurant world will be like after all of this disruption is over. Will these elaborate takeout menus remain now that the public has gotten used to them? How long before people will really feel comfortable in crowded places again? Will we be allowed to continue with our sidewalk dining rooms? Will there always be hand sanitizing stations at the front door? I personally can’t wait to find out. To me there is nothing grimmer that trying to have a good time in a half empty dining room. The days will soon be warmer and the vaccines are really pouring in now.  Fingers crossed. I hope we can all find out while we can still detect a pulse in this industry.

One of the dinners that I offered on our to go menu was a staple when I was growing up in Eastern North Carolina. It is perfect for these last few cold weeks. The recipe for Chicken with Pastry is below. It’s loosely based on the one in my Grandmother’s church’s cookbook.

Chicken with Pastry

Serves 4 or 5

  • 1 four to five pound chicken
  • Salt
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced into half inch rounds
  • 4 stalks of celery, sliced to equal thickness
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • More salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups self-rising flour
  • 2/3 cup of cooled chicken stock

Cover the chicken with cold water in a large pot. Add a small amount of salt, maybe a teaspoon. You don’t want your broth to be sufficiently salty now, because you are going to reduce it considerably later. Bring the water to a boil and cook the chicken for ten minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken stay in the water for twenty minutes more. Check the thigh joint to see if it is done. If it needs a little more time, turn the heat back on and let it simmer a few more minutes. Remove the chicken from the broth and put it aside to cool a bit. Turn the broth on high. As soon as the chicken is cool enough, pick the meat from the bones. Return the bones and skin to the stock pot. Tear the meat into spoon sized pieces and set aside. Take two thirds a cup of the broth and set it on some ice to cool. After the broth has cooked about half an hour, strain it. Return it to the pot, set the heat to a simmer and add the carrots, celery and thyme. Taste for pepper and more salt.

Stir the cooled stock into the flour and knead into a dough. Roll out on a floured surface and cut into strips sort of like short, fat fettuccine. Turn the heat up a little. Add the chicken meat and the peas. Lay the pastry strips on top of the simmering stew, cover tightly. Cook for twenty more minutes.

 


“Just The Bill, Please” is a regular column on Chapelboro.com penned by local culinary legend Bill Smith. Born and raised in New Bern, Bill Smith spent 25 years heading up the kitchen in Crook’s Corner — and over the years, he accumulated the accolades to match his incomparable takes on classic Southern food.

 


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