Grandma Corley was a very good cook. I remember the time she put on a spread for us when we returned from England. There were six of us. My husband, me and our four children Michele, Hank, Wade, and Baylis. The children were quite young; the oldest was starting first grade.
Grandma Minnie Corley had a flock of speckled Guinea fowl she kept in the yard. They were her watchdogs. If a stranger approached they sent a warning call to the household.
If grandma prepared one of her flock for a special meal it was usually in the form of a perlieu. Perlieu is much like chicken and rice, but more exotic. Its essence lingers in your memory, comforts the soul, and makes your heart sing. It is a little bit of heaven right there on your plate made with human hands. It was a sacrifice of love by the Guinea. It brought us a little closer to its sacred nature with grandma as its high priestess.
Their meat was dark and very tasty. These special fowl were brought to South Carolina by Africans. Guinea perlieu is the dish grandma prepared for us for our homecoming meal. I sometimes see a flock of Guinea fowl while traveling in the county or at the state fair, but they are rare.
Another dish grandma was famous for was her liver nips. This dish became Aunt Bam’s secret weapon. No one could quite repeat her skill in the kitchen, although many a cook tried.
Liver nips are actually liver dumplings. This recipe was shared at the Corley family reunion many years ago. Passing down these recipes is a family tradition. It keeps them alive to treasure through the generations.

Grandma Corley’s liver nips
8 cups beef stock
1 cup ground raw liver
¾ cup ground suet
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp each basil and sage
1 tsp pepper
2 ½ cups plain flour
1 medium onion (grind with liver and suet)
¾ cup milk
½ tsp baking powder
Mix all ingredients to make a stiff batter. Drop batter by the spoonful into boiling stock using a soup spoon (submerge spoon into broth each time). Simmer for about thirty minutes, stirring occasionally, or until dumplings are done.