Recipes from Ollie J -- Brunswick Stew

Another one of the delicacies that simmers in our memories of our trips to Grandma Ollie J's house is the Brunswick stew. Dad always had to get the stew or the chicken fried steak when ever we went out to Wilber's or to one of the other soul food joints. After reading this recipe, another one of the ones that Grandma clipped from the paper, you can understand why it was such a treat. To make it from scratch looks to be time consuming. While Brunswick stew is now found is most regions, the canned version is just not the same.

Here's tip, if you're in the South and you happen across one of those little diners, joints, a fish fry, or even a Fire Station bar-b-q fundraiser, ask them if they have real Brunswick stew. It's totally worth the local politician's glad handing to eat the real thing. They might forgive you for being a Yankee if you praise the stew loudly and strongly enough.

Brunswick Stew

One 4-5 lb. chicken
3 lbs. beef stew
4 cups cooked tomatoes
3 cups diced potatoes
2 cups fresh lima beans
2 tblspn sugar
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup water
8 cups water
1 oz. can tomato sauce
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 cups fresh corn
1/2 cup butter
1 tblspn Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup flour

Place chicken and 8 cups water in Dutch oven, bring to a boil, lower heat, simmer until tender. Remove bones from chicken, cut into one inch pieces and return to broth. Cover beef with water in large sauce pan, cook until tender, add beef and broth to chicken mixture. Add tomato sauce, vegetables, butter, sugar, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Combine flour and water, mix thoroughly. Stir flour mixture into stew, cook until thickened. Yield 16 to 20 servings.

There are 17 ingredients listed above, including the dietarily restricted lima beans. (Seriously, I can't eat 'em. The gout precludes it!) The instructions include cooking in a Dutch oven. There's no room in my studio-sized, spatially-restricted kitchen for one. It serves 16 to 20 servings. I don't know 16-20 people in my building. I was not going to attempt Brunswick Stew ala NYC apartment. Maybe this one will have to be adapted for a family wilderness excursion meal. In the meantime, here's a picture of what I could be eating courtesy of amazon.com.