IT SEEMS THAT I’VE SPENT A LIFETIME INVESTIGATING
the origins of Brunswick stew, not to mention cooking and eating it. Georgia crackers are fully convinced that the lusty stew was created in Brunswick, Georgia, in 1898 at a July Fourth celebration, and to make the claim official, the town has mounted the original pot at its Welcome Center on Highway 17. Tarheels point to Brunswick County, North Carolina, as the stew’s birthplace, by virtue of its integral association with the region’s legendary pork barbecue. But only Virginians have documents to prove that the stew can be traced back to 1828, when a certain “Uncle Jimmy” Matthews first prepared it in Brunswick County for a large hunting party. Well, I’ve eaten Brunswick stew everywhere, but all modesty aside, I still think it’s hard to beat the one I’ve been making for my Brunswick stew parties thrown maybe three times a year, where guests eat only stew, salad, and cornbread and drink beer. (I also can’t imagine serving any Carolina pork barbecue without small bowls of this stew on the side.) The only cardinal
rule in cooking any Brunswick stew is that the heat must be at the lowest simmer and the stew stirred repeatedly
to prevent scorching. And what about that squirrel you hear some use in the stew? All I can say is I haven’t seen
a stew made with squirrel since I was a child.

Makes 6 servings as a main course; 12 servings as a side dish

INGREDIENTS

• 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
• One 4-pound chicken (preferably a hen), quartered
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery (leaves included)
• 1 medium ham hock, trimmed
• 3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small red chile pepper, seeded and minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Paprika to taste
• 2 1⁄2 quarts water
• 1 1⁄2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 1⁄2 cups fresh or frozen sliced okra
• 1 1⁄2 cups fresh or frozen lima beans
• 1 1⁄2 cups cooked potatoes, mashed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1⁄4 cup of the vegetable oil over moderate heat.
2. Add the chicken, brown on all sides, and transfer to a large plate.
3. In a large stew pot, heat the remaining 1⁄4 cup oil over moderate heat.
4. Add the onions and celery, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
5. Add the browned chicken, ham hock, tomatoes, chile pepper, salt and pepper, paprika, and water to the pot.
6. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
7. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and continue to simmer the mixture for 1 hour longer.
8. When the chicken has cooled, skin, bone, and shred the meat, and set aside.
9. Bring the mixture in the pot to a boil.
10. Add the corn, okra, and lima beans, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time.
11. Remove the ham hock with a slotted spoon.
12. When the ham hock is cool enough to handle, bone it, shred the meat, and return it to the pot along with the reserved chicken.
13. Add the mashed potatoes to the pot, stir well, and continue to cook, stirring, until nicely thickened, about 15 minutes.
14. Serve the stew by itself in large soup bowls or in small bowls as a side dish to pork barbecue.