For nine decades, Our State has made its way into homes across North Carolina, the United States, and the world. To celebrate, every month this year, we’re paying tribute to the readers who inspire us, offering a taste of our earliest recipes, and revisiting old stories with new insights. Follow along to find out how our past has shaped our present.

November 10, 1951 • Originally prepared with onions and squirrel meat and cooked over a campfire after a day of hunting, Brunswick stew has evolved into a beloved barbecue dish (squirrel now optional). This recipe comes from Mary Scott, wife of Gov. William Kerr Scott, and originally called for “1 hen.”

1 whole chicken, approximately 5 pounds
2 cups corn, frozen
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups lima beans, frozen
2 cups sweet onion, chopped
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 pound chopped barbecue
2 cups cut okra, frozen
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Saltine crackers (optional)

Place whole chicken in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add 8 cups cold water or enough to just cover chicken. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Cook chicken until bones can be easily removed, approximately 45 minutes. Remove chicken from stock and place in a large bowl to cool. Reserve stock.

Remove bones from chicken and discard. Pull or chop chicken into bite-size pieces and return to stock.

Add corn, tomatoes, lima beans, onion, and potato to stock. Cook on medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Add barbecue, okra, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes or until stew thickens. Add more water if stew is too thick. Serve with saltine crackers.

— Recipe adapted by Lynn Wells