Brunswick stew #1
8 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | cups | Dried Lima Beans |
| 2 | eaches | Squirrels * |
| 1 | each | Ham Bone / Meat On it |
| 1 | x | Flour |
| 1 | x | Salt & Pepper To Taste |
| ½ | pounds | Diced Bacon |
| 2 | eaches | Med. Onions, Sliced |
| 2 | eaches | Celery stalks/leaves chopped |
| 2 | cups | Whole Kernal Corn |
| 4 | cups | Peeled Cut Up Tomatoes |
| 1 | cup | Sliced Okra |
| 6 | eaches | Lge Potatoes ** |
| 1 | each | Pod Red Pepper, Crushed |
| 1 | tablespoon | Sugar |
| 1 | each | Herb Bouquet *** |
Directions
* Squirrels should be skinned and cleaned. ** Potatoes shoul be peeled and boiled. *** Herb bouquet should consist of: Bay leaf, parsley, thyme, savory
~--------------------------------------------------------------------- ~-- Soak the beans overnight. Cut the cleaned squirrels into serving pieces, and dredge with flour, salt and freshly ground pepper. In a large skillet, fry the bacon and when crisp remove the crisp bits.
Brown the squirrel in the bacon fat. Place ham bone in a large dutch oven and put browned pieces of squirrel over it. Add the beans, bacon bits, the onions, celery and cover with boiling water; cover tightly and simmer for 2 hours. Then add the remaining ingredients and simmer another hour. Mix a little flour with water and stir into the stew to thicken it. Cook briskly for 5 minutes. Taste to correct the sesoning and serve. NOTE: ~---- Brunswick stew often had veal added to it, chickens, ham, even beef; sometimes it was made with a few rabbits, somtimes with a few chickens. In short you can vary just about anything in the stew with what you have on hand.
NOTES FROM ELSEWHERE: ~-------------------- In North Carolina, and here in Virginia where Brunswick Stew was created (i Brunswick County ~- don't ask me which was named for which), we usually mak the dish to simmer for a day or two -- I've had it cooked the way you describe, and I've had it cooked (low simmer only!) another day, and believ me, it's worth the extra time to prepare. The traditional recipe calls for three or four kinds of meats, and any kind can be used -- squirrel, possum, chicken, venison, pork, lamb, rabbit, moose, reindeer -- once it's simmered for a day or so, ALL the ingredients should lose their individual identities. Submitted By LAWRENCE KELLIE On 01-03-95