On Sunday visits with my sister, I’d watch my brother-in-law grill 10 pounds of chicken wings for the week. The grates would be covered edge to edge, too many wings to count. When he finally told me his secret chicken source, I planned a small road trip to northern Guilford County, where Hopkins Poultry has operated for 97 years.
Just off Doggett Road in Browns Summit sits a modest brick building. Inside, I browsed the wooden crates of honey, jam, blackstrap molasses, and Hopkins’s famous barbecue sauce before peeking inside the industrial freezers stocked with everything from biscuits by the dozen to frog legs. I noticed, too, my fellow shoppers: Old men ground gravel under their worn tires as they arrived in trucker hats and flannels to order chicken from the counter — legs, wings, thighs, gizzards — with little chitchat.
Watch as Lynn Wells prepares her Butter-Poached Chicken Thighs.
During my second or third visit, I asked Jeff Hopkins, a member of the business’s third generation, more about his family. Jennie T. Hopkins founded Hopkins Poultry in the spring of 1929 with just a dozen chickens and the desire to help neighbors who lacked options for local meat. In the late 1950s, Hopkins Poultry became the largest independent producer of chickens in North Carolina. The family later shifted its focus to receiving whole processed chickens, then repackaging them for sale to restaurants and markets. Today, the Hopkinses have returned to Jennie’s vision: providing neighbors with good chicken. Good enough to command an entire grill, in my family’s case.
Though Hopkins has grown, the country store is a mainstay of rural life in the Piedmont and part of our agricultural history. When I’m laying out a supper of my butter-poached chicken thighs and all the fixin’s made with their local produce and meat, I say a small “thank you” to the Hopkinses for feeding their family and ours.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves (for garnish)
Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Use a paper towel to dab chicken dry on both sides.
In a small bowl, whisk together paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle seasoning over both sides of chicken.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Place chicken skin-side down in skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until skin is golden brown and beginning to crisp. Flip chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Place chicken in baking dish, skin-side up. Pour skillet drippings over chicken. Cut remaining butter into 6 pieces and place on thighs.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until internal temperature is 165°. Place chicken on serving platter and pour juices from baking dish over top. Garnish with parsley just before serving.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 8 servings.
5 large eggs
5 tablespoons salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup whole milk
¼ cup cornstarch
1 (15.25-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (14.75-ounce) cans cream-style corn
Preheat oven to 400°. Prepare an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
To a blender, add eggs, butter, sugar, nutmeg, milk, and cornstarch. Blend on high speed until all ingredients are well incorporated. Pour mixture into greased baking dish. Add corn and gently stir.
Bake for 60 minutes or until the center is slightly set. The pudding will continue to set up once removed from the oven. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
photograph by Matt Hulsman
Yield: 6 servings.
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
5 to 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
4 green onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
3 pieces cooked bacon, chopped (for garnish)
In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustards, vinegar, and sugar. Set aside.
Place potatoes in a stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Transfer to a strainer and drain well.
Preheat oven to 475°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread potatoes evenly on baking sheet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
Once crispy, add them to the dressing. Add chives and green onions. Gently toss. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped bacon and serve immediately.
For 127 years, this Wilson County store has been keeping its community well supplied — by relying on people just as much as what’s on the shelves.
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