Seems that everyone could use a little comfort today. Brunswick stew and a hug are good places to start. Growing up in Virginia, tins upon tins of Mrs. Fearnow’s® Brunswick Stew filled the shelves of every single grocery store.
It was comforting to see those yellow labels on shelves without fail. Since the company was sold, the contents of these tins just doesn’t taste the same.
For several years, I volunteered to help shred chicken, peel and cube potatoes and onions, stir the cauldron, and/or package the stew for an annual autumn fundraiser for A Grace Place, an adult care center in Richmond, VA. It was so much fun getting to know the staff and those they helped. I felt useful, and feeling useful is comforting. Since then, I have always associated Brunswick Stew with the autumn. A crispness has settled into the air recently. It finally feels like autumn in New York, so I decided to brush off the old Brunswick Stew skills and see if I could make it in the slow cooker.
The Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket was chock full of fresh lima beans, tomatoes, corn, onions, sweet bell peppers, and potatoes, so I picked up everything but the chicken at the market. I have never shelled lima beans before, just peas, and they were so much plumper! Look at those lima beans.
Random bit of trivia: Do you know who else loves Brunswick Stew? Jason Mraz, who is making his Broadway debut in the musical “Waitress” for a 10-week run starting November 3, 2017.
Brunswick Stew
1 large chicken breast
2 bay leaves
2 t sea salt
1 cube chicken bouillon
2 or 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c lima beans + 1 c corn + 1/2 red bell pepper, diced or a bag of frozen succotash
1 thick slice Virginia ham, about 1/4 lb, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced and peeled or 1 standard can
1/2 t celery seed, ground
2 t ground sage
1 1/2 t ground thyme
1 t ground marjoram
3/4 t ground rosemary
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t finely ground black pepper
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
In the slow cooker, place the skinned chicken breasts, the bay leaves, and enough water to cover the chicken breasts. You can add a broken up cube or scoop of chicken bouillon, if you want to boost the chicken flavor. Cover with lid and set to high for 2 hours. You can start the broth and chicken a day ahead.
While the chicken is simmering, start peeling and chopping the rest of the ingredients, and set aside. Then, finish that graphic novel you started, or add a few more rows to your knitting. Oh, naps are great, too.
Once the chicken is cooked, set the chicken to cool and toss out the bay leaves. Strain the broth through a coffee filter, fine mesh strainer, or cheesecloth. Set aside.
Wipe out the slow cooker. Debone and shred the chicken. Into the slow cooker, add the potatoes, onions, lima beans, corn, bell pepper, ham, shredded chicken, tomatoes, herbs, spices, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the broth over ingredients until it barely covers. Put the lid on, and set the slow cooker on high and cook for the hours. Stir occasionally.
For a thicker stew, mash some of the cubed potato. Other recipes would have you make a roux, but that would involve another plan and turning on the stove. Mmm, better not.
Stereotype Rebel 