Brunswick stew

I love Brunswick stew, and grew up eating it quite often.

 

Here is my personal recipe for Brunswick Stew; scroll down below that for information about this classic Southern dish.

 

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BRUNSWICK STEW RECIPE

Read more of my adventures in food at my blog, www.PatrickEvansHylton.com

 

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CHICKEN INGREDIENTS

 

1 large (4-5 pounds) boiler chicken

1 large onion, unpeeled, quartered

3 carrots, unpeeled, quartered

3 ribs celery, quartered

2 cloves garlic, unpeeled, crushed

1 small bunch parsley

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon whole peppercorns

1 teaspoon sea salt

 

STEW INGREDIENTS

 

4-6 slices bacon, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

3 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

4-5 pounds chicken

1-1/2 quarts stewed or canned crushed tomatoes

2 cups prepared lima beans

2 cups corn kernels

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

4 tablespoons butter

 

CHICKEN METHOD

 

Place chicken in a large stockpot and cover with water. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic clove, parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns and sea salt. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to rolling boil and cook about 90 minutes until chicken is tender and meat is falling off the bone. Remove the pot from heat and allow to sit 10-15 minutes. Remove chicken from liquid and allow to cool; do not discard the chicken broth. Debone chicken and shred or chop the meat. Strain liquid to remove seasonings; cool, and skim the top of the liquid.

 

STEW METHOD

 

In a large stockpot over high heat, add chopped bacon and stir until cooked. Return 4 cups of the chicken broth to the large stockpot; if you don’t have 3 full cups, compliment the reserved broth with additional chicken or vegetable stock, or water. Add potatoes and onion and bring to a boil and cook until potatoes begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Add chicken. Reduce to a simmer and add stewed/crushed tomatoes, lima beans, corn, sugar, salt, black pepper and red pepper. Stir well and simmer, uncovered, for about one hour, stirring occasionally; stew should be thick. Add additional broth or water if needed. Stir in butter and serve.

 

Yields 8-12

 

Pair this dish with a Petit Verdot, which is increasingly becoming a signature Virginia vintage. This red grape is often found in classic Bordeaux blends (including Meritage) but is increasingly popular as a single varietal. Deep purple in color, the nose and palate bring lush red fruits, violet, spices and nuances of tobacco and leather. Full of body and flavor, the wine pleasantly lingers on the palate.

 

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This recipe will be in my upcoming book, Dishing Up Virginia (Storey, 2012), which chronicles the foods and foodways of the state through recipes, history and travel.

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BRUNSWICK STEW INFORMATION

From Wikipedia:

 

"Brunswick stew is a traditional dish from the southeastern United States. The origin of the dish is uncertain, and there are two competing claims as to the place in the South where it originated.

 

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Recipes for Brunswick stew vary greatly but it is usually a tomato-based stew containing various types of lima beans/butter beans, corn, okra, and other vegetables, and one or more types of meat. Most recipes claiming authenticity call for squirrel or rabbit meat, but chicken, pork, and beef are also common ingredients. Some versions have a distinctly smoky taste.

 

The stew essentially resembles a very thick vegetable soup with meat. The key distinguishing factor between soup and Brunswick stew is the consistency. Brunswick stew must be thick; otherwise, it would be vegetable soup with meat added. Most variations have more meat and vegetables than liquid.

 

The main difference between the Georgia and Virginia versions have been the types of meat used. The Virginia version tends to favor chicken as the primary meat, along with rabbit. The Georgia version tends to favor pork and beef along with squirrel. As there is no "official" recipe for Brunswick stew, it is possible to find chicken, pork, beef, and other types of meat included in the same recipe.

 

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A debate currently exists as to whether Brunswick Stew was actually originally made near the town of Brunswick, Georgia, or in Brunswick County in southern Virginia.

 

In Georgia, a plaque on a pot in Brunswick states that the first Brunswick stew was cooked in it on July 2, 1898, on nearby St. Simons Island. A competing story, however, claims that the dish hails from Brunswick County, Virginia. According to one legend, the camp chef of a Virginia state legislator invented the recipe in 1828 on a hunting expedition and everyone was immediately hooked.

 

Today, Brunswick stew, like Burgoo, a famous part of Kentucky cuisine, is most notable for being sold for church fundraisers throughout the South.

 

In most areas where Brunswick Stew is being sold for fundraising it is cooked in large iron pots over open flame or gas. Unlike soup, the stew is usually allowed to simmer and cook for long periods of time. This may be attributed to the older tradition of putting wild meats into the stew, which, depending on the meat, might require longer cooking times to assure it was tender."

Done