Soul food recipes from Hopkinsville’s Nance family

The following recipes were shared by the Nance family during “The Supper Club: Soul Food,” event at Grace Episcopal Church.

• RELATED: Hopkinsville family’s soul food tradition runs deep

Paulette’s chicken & dumplings

By Paulette Nance Robinson

INGREDIENTS

• 4 or 5 pieces of chicken thigh or chicken breast
• 2 cups self-rising flour 

INSTRUCTIONS

Chicken and Broth: 

1. Place chicken in a large pot. Add water to cover the chicken. Cook on medium heat. 
2. Add salt and pepper to taste 
3. Cook chicken until done. Drain reserve broth. Shred chicken and add to broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil on medium heat. 

Dumplings:

1. Pour 2 cups of self-rising flour into a large bowl. Make a small hole in the middle flour. With your hands or fork, add 2 cups of water, a little at a time. Mix until you can shape the mixture into a ball. 
2. Roll dough out to about 1/8 inch of thickness on a floured board. Cut into strips of thin squares.
3. Remove the lid from the pot and add several squares at a time to the boiling broth, replacing the lid each time for about 30 seconds until you have added all the dumplings.
4. Once all the dumplings are added, lower heat to simmer for about 20 minutes. 
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Can add butter. 

---

Salmon croquettes

By Thelma Nance Moore

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can salmon (tall can, drain liquid)
• 1 egg 
• 1 ½ baking powder 
• ⅓ cup chopped onion 
• ½ cup flour 
• Salt pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of salmon juice with ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
2. Add salmon mixture and onions. Mix together.
3. Pat out and fry in hot oil. Brown on one side.Turn and brown on the other side. Cool and serve. 

---

Thelma Nance’s macaroni cheese 

By Thelma Nance Moore

INGREDIENTS

• 16 ounces elbow macaroni 
• 2 sticks of margarine 
• ½ cup flour 
• 4 cups whole milk 
• 4 cups shredded sharp cheese 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Melt margarine in a deep pan, whisk in flour over medium heat. Continue whisking until bubbly and golden. 
3. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth, about two minutes. Add salt pepper and slowly add cheese and continue whisking. 
4. Pour well drained macaroni in a baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni. Mix well. Can save ½ cup cheese sauce to sprinkle over top of macaroni. 
5. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes until done.

---

White beans and smoked jowls

By Delmar Nance

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups great northern beans
• 2 smoked jowls
• Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash and rinse beans.
2. Place beans in a bowl and cover with water.
3. Let beans soak 3 to 4 hours.
4. Rinse beans and place in a crock pot. Fill with water covering beans about half full. 
5. Rinse jowls and add to beans with salt and pepper. 
6. Cooks beans on high for about six hours. 
7. Cool and serve with tomato relish.