Chicken mull is a traditional dish from

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, upstate

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. It is a type of

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been Cooking, cooked in Soup, liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients can include any combination of vegetables and may include meat, especially tougher meats suitable for ...

consisting of parboiled whole

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

in a

cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this proces ...

- or

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

-based

broth Broth, also known as bouillon (), is a savory liquid made of water in which meat, fish, or vegetables have been simmered for a short period of time. It can be eaten alone, but it is most commonly used to prepare other dishes, such as soups ...

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...

, and seasoned with

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

, pepper, and other ingredients. Traditionally, the stew is served in the late fall and

winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...

months. In northern Georgia, this part of the year is often referred to as "mull season". Often, the term "chicken mull" refers to an event or gathering where the dish is served.

History

The origins of chicken mull may rest in the coastal practice of Atlantic fishermen slow-cooking

striped bass The striped bass (''Morone saxatilis''), also called the Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has ...

, called a "fish muddle". This tradition inspired inland communities to slow cook chicken using similar ingredients in what is sometimes called a chicken muddle or chicken mull. Some others have claimed that it was invented around

Athens, Georgia Athens is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and an Research I university, ...

, where it retains its popularity today.

Preparation

Recipe A recipe is a set of instructions that describes how to prepare or make something, especially a dish (food), dish of prepared food. A sub-recipe or subrecipe is a recipe for an ingredient that will be called for in the instructions for the main r ...

s for chicken mull vary slightly from person to person, but it is usually made by first cooking a whole chicken by boiling or parboiling, allowing a rich broth to form. The chicken is then removed from the pot and the skin, bones and fat are removed. A thickening of milk or cream is made and added to the broth. Several sleeves of

saltine cracker A saltine or soda cracker is a thin, usually square, Cracker (biscuit), cracker, made from white flour, sometimes Baker's yeast, yeast (although many are yeast-free), fat, and baking soda, with most varieties lightly sprinkled with coarse Salt#Ed ...

s can be crumbled into broth and chicken mixture as it is the more common method of thickening the mull. The chicken is usually ground up in a meat grinder, although sometimes it is cut into small pieces. It is necessary to grind the meat in a traditional mull so that it is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. The chicken is then added back into the liquid along with salt, pepper and butter or

margarine Margarine (, also , ) is a Spread (food), spread used for flavoring, baking, and cooking. It is most often used as a substitute for butter. Although originally made from animal fats, most margarine consumed today is made from vegetable oil. The ...

. Various other ingredients may be added to the stew according to local tradition, (such as diced potatoes or onions); a more common addition is varying amounts of

hot sauce Hot sauce is a type of condiment, seasoning, or salsa (sauce), salsa made from chili peppers and other ingredients. Many commercial varieties of Mass production, mass-produced hot sauce exist. History Humans have used chili peppers and other ho ...

.Southern Chicken Stew basic recipe
/ref> The stew varies in color from white to pale yellow, depending on the amount of butter or margarine used. It can vary in thickness from very thin and soup-like to thick and creamy. Saltine crackers are commonly served with chicken mull, either on the side or crumbled into the bowl. Other, nearly identical variations of a "mull" can be made using either catfish, oysters or canned salmon, instead of chicken. In the past, rabbit and turtle meat were also added to chicken mulls by some Southern cooks.

Cultural traditions

Because of its low cost of preparation and reputation as a local

comfort food Comfort food is food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental value to someone and may be characterized by its high caloric nature associated with childhood or home cooking. The nostalgia may be specific to an individual or it may apply to a ...

, chicken mull is often served at large social gatherings such as church fellowships, family reunions and community fundraisers. It is a tradition at these gatherings to prepare the mull in a large

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content of more than 2% and silicon content around 1–3%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloying elements determine the form in which its car ...

stainless steel Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES), or rustless steel, is an iron-based alloy that contains chromium, making it resistant to rust and corrosion. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion comes from its chromi ...

pot, often outdoors over an open fire. Bowls of mull are sometimes complemented with

coleslaw Coleslaw or cole slaw (from the Dutch term , meaning 'cabbage salad'), also widely known within North America simply as slaw, is a side dish consisting primarily of finely shredded raw cabbage with a salad dressing or condiment, commonly eithe ...

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

or grilled cheese sandwiches. In North Carolina and Georgia, "chicken mulls" or "chicken stews" are social events usually held during the colder seasons, with most events occurring September through December.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chicken mull North Carolina culture Cuisine of the Southern United States American stews American chicken dishes Georgia (U.S. state) culture Milk dishes

History

Preparation

Cultural traditions

See also

References