Season 8, Episode 28. July 31, 2021⁣

We are setting the table with Chicken.

Farmer Aliceson Bales of Bales Farm, Mosheim TN, shares her recipe for buttermilk chicken, how to get the most of an entire chicken, and how to make chicken broth. Aliceson and her family, Barry, and Marshall operate their family farm, which has been in continuous operation since 1882. Marshall is the 6th generation farmer of this land and is an impressive young farmer. They produce premium pasture-raised meats, and Marshall is head of the egg program. Barry Bales is a multi-grammy award-winning musician and has played for many years with Alison Krauss and Union Station. Barry even wrote the theme song for Aliceson’s segment called “Ali’s Tune.” ⁣

We also hear from Lois Shular Caughron and her daughter Ruth Davis of Blount County, TN, with a recipe their family has enjoyed for many years, which is easy to prepare and economical, Chicken and Crackers. Lois is known as “The Last Woman out of the Cove.” The cove referenced is Cades Cove, a part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and once Lois and Kermit Caughron’s home.

James Beard award-winning food writer Ronni Lundy reads from her book Shuck Beans, Stack Cake, and Honest Fried Chicken The Heart and Soul of Southern Country Kitchens, published in 1990. In this recording, she reads from her book on honest fried Chicken prepared in cast iron.

From Radio Bristol, Farm and Fun time Show will hear an heirloom recipe and accompanying jingle written and performed by Chris Treulson of Bill and the Belles. Chuck Gordon, CEO of Tri-City Beverage makers of Dr. Enuf, is the guest of this segment. Dr. Enuf has been made by Tr-City Beverage in Johnson City, Tennessee, for over 70 years. (They do not advertise on this show).

Recipes: Keep on scrolling, they are after the links. Sorry.

Links:

Bales Farm: https://balesfarmstn.com/

Farm and Fun Time, Radio Bristol: https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/radio/programs/farm-and-fun-time/

Cades Cove Preservation Association: http://www.cadescovepreservation.com/

Tri City Beverage: https://www.drenuf.com/

Emi Sunshine (sings our theme song): https://theemisunshine.com/

Recipes:

Ma’s Chicken and Crackers from Ruth Davis and Lois Shular Caughron.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of saltines.
• 1 whole chicken cut into pieces.

Directions:

• Cover chicken pieces with water, (bones, skin and all), salt to taste, in a large pot until the chicken is tender (45-50 minutes). Ruth says for an old hen, it might take 50 minutes to get it tender.
• In a large bread pan with 2 inch sides, fill it with broken crackers (1 inch deep)
• Lift the chicken out of the pot bone-in and put it all over the crackers.
• Pour the broth over the top.
• Bake in the oven until browned on top.

Buttermilk Chicken from Aliceson Bales of Bales Farm:

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken
• Salt
• Buttermilk

Directions: Get a big Zip lock bag, and set this bag down into a big bowl. Place the bird legs up into this bag, sprinkle generously with salt. (Aliceson uses Kosher salt, but, use what salt you like to use). Cover the chicken with buttermilk. Put in fridge, soak bird 8 hours or overnight, or as long as you have time to soak it.

When you are ready to roast the chicken, remove it from the refrigerator, and let the chicken in the back of buttermilk sit out on the counter to let it come up towards room temperature (no more than 2 hours unrefridgerated).

• Set oven to 410 degrees.
• Drain chicken, rinse, pat it dry.
• At this point, Aliceson sprinkles it with salt again.
• Place in a roasting pan, or a cast iron skillet, legs toward back.
• Roast the chicken at 410 degrees for 10 minutes and the skin will turn golden brown.
• Reduce heat to 350 and roast for about 50 minutes.
• Internal temp needs to be 165 degrees with a meat thermometer.
• Cover chicken with foil and let it rest for 10 minute.
• Separate bone from the meat.

Bone broth from Aliceson Bales:

Put bones in a big pot, covered with water with a Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar (it draws the nutrients out of the bones and into the broth)

• Cook 8 hours on low until you can take a bone and easily bend or break it.
• Keep in fridge for the week and use it for all of your cooking.

Honest fried Chicken shared from Rhonni Lundy from her book Shuck Beans, Stack Cake, and Honest Fried Chicken The Heart and Soul of Southern Country Kitchens, published in 1990.

Ingredients:

• Chicken cut into pieces.
• Salt and pepper your flour and dredge the chicken in it.
• Use good leaf lard if you can get it, canola oil if you can’t find the lard.

Directions:

• It will take 30-35 minutes to cook to fry the chicken.
• Dredge your chicken in flower and fry in shallow oil in your heavy pan (about 1 inch of oil or lard, covered with a tight fitting lid)
• Turn chicken over half way through the cooking process. Final crisping: Take the lid off for a final crisping for a few minutes before serving to crisp up the outer layers of the fried chicken. If this step is not followed, the crust will be mushy.

A word about your frying pan and lid: Ronni uses a cast iron pot with straight sides, and a lid with nipples that lets the steam drip back down on the chicken when it is cooking. This way the juice stays in the meat. You need a heavy skillet with a tight lid, with straight sides, not an omelet pan.