Sunday Supper: Fried Chicken, Biscuits, & Gravy
Each month back in Beautiful, East Texas, Beautiful Lodge No. 1 prepared smoked chicken, pinto beans, macaroni and cheese, dinner rolls, cornbread, and banana pudding there at the Lodge to sell to the public by way of raising funds to help ensure our ongoing ability to conduct good works without interruption. There were a half dozen or so dedicated Brothers who worked hard to prepare the meals, package them into large square to-go type containers, then stack them, and hand the meals out to those who placed orders in advance or who, not having had the presence of mind to pre-order, where still hopeful that they might score the truly delicious meal nonetheless. Each container held a quarter smoked chicken and all the aforementioned sides and was provided with a separately packaged cup of banana pudding all for the entirely reasonable price of $9.00.
My goodness, what a bargain! Where are you getting a quarter of a chicken, smoked, served with pinto beans, mac & cheese, dinner rolls, corn bread, and banana pudding for nine bucks? Nowhere, that’s where.
In those days though, people lined up in the cars around the block when it was time to pick the food up. The community knew we were doing it. They knew when, where, and at what time. They were accustomed to it and wanted it.
I say the community. What I mean is the Greater Community. Sure, many Lodge members supported the fundraiser. But, more importantly, the Greater Community, people entirely unaffiliated with the Lodge were wonderfully supportive of that smoked chicken dinner fundraiser. They liked the food and valued the good we did there and were enthusiastic supporters!
We easily served out 200 of those thoughtfully and generously packaged meals. It was a lot of work but the support we received was undeniable. That ongoing effort raised a lot of money that was put to very good use for the benefit of others by Beautiful Lodge No. 1.
Smoked chicken is good, no doubt. I think that was probably my first introduction to smoked chicken. Before then, I’d usually eaten it fried, stewed, with dumplings, or in a pot pie.
Thinking on it though, of the many delicious ways to eat chicken, fried chicken, good fried chicken, remains my favorite.
One of the hallmarks of life in Beautiful, East Texas was that eating fried chicken was usually reserved for special occasions. We loved to eat it but only did so when the time and effort to make it was warranted. Picnics, big events, family trips, funerals, and Sunday supper are a few examples of when one might have expected to eat that desirable treat.
I recall an occasion, very special and accordingly memorable. Gordon B. Hinkley, then the leader of my faith, was speaking at a regional meeting in Denton, Texas. I was still very young and terribly poor but was invited to be a part of the Regional Choir that was to perform at the event. It was such blessing to be able to see President and Sister Hinkley speak. I drove a long way there and home again, the conference itself was about two hours long. I did not take into account just how long I would be away from home and did not think to prepare a meal or bring snacks. Did I mention that I was both young and poor? It was all I could do to afford the gas, never mind stop for a meal.
As I made my way from the stadium where the conference was held back out to my car, a 78 model Datsun 280ZX, (oh y’all, how I loved that car!) I heard my name called repeatedly. Surprised at being recognized so far from home, I turned to see who wanted my attention. I saw an older couple from the Beautiful, East Texas Branch waving me over to where they sat on the tailgate of their pickup apparently enjoying an ad hoc picnic.
“We are so happy to see you here, please won’t you join us for something to eat.”
I was genuinely hungry but was also embarrassed that I had nothing to contribute, “I’d better not, I hate to be a bother,” I said.
That sweet old couple were having none of it and before I could get away, I had a paper plate generously heaped with fried chicken and all sorts. I’ll never forget that kindness, their wonderful generosity. The weather was nice, the chicken was so good, but the company… nothing short of heavenly.
In those days there in, Beautiful, there were no convenient places to just go and buy it anytime one was in the mood to have fried chicken. The nearest fried chicken, from a fast food place, was thirty miles in any direction. In the Heart of Beautiful, I was a teenager before fried chicken was locally available as a regular menu item. Once it was, I tried it. It was… okay, I suppose. You know, for store bought.
The thing is, I was accustomed to really good fried chicken. Over the years Momma learned to make and did make it. Uncle Carl made it. Many of the old men and women in my life made good fried chicken.
Over time, one learned to recognize a few important truths when it came to eating fried chicken in, Beautiful…
