Brunswick Stew

Brunswick Stew is really good any time of the year, but especially in the fall. There is a wonderful recipe for it in Bay Leaves, which is a very good cookbook, but I use it as a guide for my own version, which to me, is equally as good. I am going to post the original recipe and then my interpretation of it. I use chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken, simply because I don't like dark meat. My recipe is also basically doubled. There are several other subtle differences. You really can't go wrong either way.

Brunswick Stew

1/2 pound onions, chopped
1 stick margarine
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp hot sauce
3 ounces vinegar
1- 3-oz can tomato paste
1 cup barbeque sauce
1 cup creamed corn
1 pound potatoes, cooked and mashed until lumpy
1 chicken, cooked and diced

Saute onions in margarine. Add other ingredients except potatoes, meat, and water; cook 30 minutes. You may need to add a small amount of water to prevent sticking, especially when using fresh corn. Add potatoes and chicken; cook 15 minutes. Add water (2-3 cups as necessary) and cook 1-2 hours. Also very good with fresh pork.

Brunswick Stew (Revised Version)

1 small onion, chopped
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
6 ounces apple cider vinegar
1-8 ounce can tomato paste
1 bottle Kraft Hickory Smoke Barbeque Sauce
1 small bag frozen shoepeg corn
1 pound new potatoes, scrubbed and chopped, with skins left on
6 chicken breasts

Saute onion in butter and set aside. In a large saucepan, cover chicken with water and cook until tender. Remove chicken from water and allow to cool. Cook potatoes in chicken broth. When potatoes are done, add remaining ingredients. Shred chicken and add to mixture. Add as much water as needed to achieve desired thickness and consistency. Simmer for about 30 minutes. This recipe yields about 12 servings.